Identity is my

right to be me

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
• The upcoming resource that will help everyone create their own special 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.

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 important 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 on the 20^th 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! 

We will soon be sharing the brand new poem Identity is my right to be me, along with a set of resources to help anyone across the motu host their own identity workshops or bind their own special pukapuka (book)!

The resource will be published here before World Children's Day 2025 so it is the perfect way to celebrate children's rights and explore the importance of identity.

If you would like to be added to our newsletter and get the resource sent straight to your inbox, along with other updates about the education and advocacy work that we do here in Aotearoa - flick us an email: Education@scnz.org.nz or make sure you are following our Save the Children NZ Education Facebook page.

A small snippet of the Identity poem that will be shared soon!

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 poetry 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 thank you to all the donors to Save the Children NZ who make work like this possible across Aotearoa.