Identity is My Right to be Me resources & World Children's Day upcoming celebration event!
Find out more below about:
- Our Identity and book binding workshops across Tāmaki Makaurau
- The whānau celebration event that is taking place on November 22nd for World Children's Day
- See below for the resources that will help everyone create their own special handmade pukapuka with the brand new identity poem
Did you know that every child has the right to an identity?
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 8 states that governments must respect and protect that right.
But what does identity actually mean for tamariki of Aotearoa?
Together with The Light Library and Auckland Libraries, we wanted to get tamariki talking about identity and its importance for them.
Four workshops across Tāmaki Makaurau
Together with Emma from The Light Library and four amazing Libraries across Auckland, four workshops took place throughout August and September 2025, facilitating kōrero about Identity through story telling and book making together.
The four amazing libraries that hosted us were:
- Takapuna Library
- Howick Library
- Takaanini Library
- Te Atatū Peninsula Library
Emma showed us amazing creative ways to bind books together and we used these as a basis for discussing identity and its importance for tamariki (and adults too!).
We had such an amazing time meeting around 90 tamariki and their whānau across the four directions of Auckland and learning more about what identity means for them. Together the things discussed were woven together by Emma into an incredible new poem that we are excited to share.
Watch the video below to see more from our first workshop at Takapuna Library!
World Children's Day Celebration 2025
World Children's Day on the 20th of November is an exciting day for everyone. It commemorates the day, when, in 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations.
This year, come along to celebrate with your whānau!
For 2025, we are co-hosting an amazing whānau celebration and fun day out on Saturday 22nd November together with The Light Library and Te Atatū Peninsula Library!
We will be celebrating all the amazing fun and mahi that was had in the workshops, as well as hosting lots of creative activities for families to get involved with!
Check out the event over on Facebook!
There will be:
- Book making
- Badge creating
- DIY facepainting
- Free kai
and more!
Resources to create your own Identity books!
We are excited to share resources that enable anyone to join in with this kaupapa, creating their own books using the brand new Identity is My Right to be Me poems.
Included below are DIY guides for creating your own book, the template of the poem to use in your books (choose between English, Te Reo Māori or our Bilingual version which includes both), as well as some extra discussion prompts and poem response invitations.
Give this a go with your class, your whānau, or with your own local library! We would love to see what you create - share it with us Education@scnz.org.nz
A small snippet of the Identity is My Right to be Me poem, created and inspired by the workshops with tamariki and whānau in our workshops.
Some bound Identity books that have been created with pre-painted and recycled paper, using the easier method of binding included in our DIY guides.
A selection of hand made books created using the templates and the sewn method included in the DIY resource.
An example of the Identity book that has been bound using the easier method from our DIY guides and the English poem templates included below.
An example of a DIY books using the bilingual template from the resources and the easier method included in our how-to guides.
An example of the Te Reo Māori book template bound together using the easier version included in our DIY guides.
Hand bound books using the templates and how to guides below.
Acknowledgements
Ngā mihi nui to everyone who has made this mahi possible!
These fantastic events, the amazing resource and new identity poem would not have been possible without a whole load of tautoko (support) from some amazing people.
Ngā mihi nui:
- Emma from The Light Library who was the creative force behind these workshops and their kaupapa and generously shared her skills (and her delicious cookies!) with us.
- The amazing kaimahi (staff) at Auckland Libraries who hosted and supported us by going above and beyond.
- Professor Nicki Taylor who provided valuable feedback and insights into the complexities of identity.
- Hēmi Kelly who translated our new poem and parts of our resource into te reo Māori.
- Dave Thompson and Imaginary Friends for photos and videos from our workshops.
Most importantly, thank you to all the incredible tamariki, rangatahi, and adults who joined us at a workshop and helped craft our identity poem.
And of course thank you to all the donors to Save the Children NZ who make work like this possible across Aotearoa.
