Developing leadership skills in the Asia-Pacific
Junita Douglass has accomplished much over the last couple of years, gaining invaluable leadership skills through her professional and academic experience in New Zealand and abroad. Among her impressive list of achievements are her positions as a Youth Worker; enrolling as a barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand; completing the Asia Pacific Leadership Programme (APLP) in Honolulu; and, more recently, taking on the role of Appeals Disbursement Advisor and Bereavement Grant Coordinator for the Red Cross in post-earthquake Christchurch.
In early 2010 Junita was based in Christchurch where she had two jobs: Youth Transitions Coach at the Selwyn District Council, and 24/7 Youth Worker for Lincoln High School and local community. During this time she was also engaged as a trus
tee of the Selwyn Wairewa Youth Trust and undertook professional legal studies by distance learning.
She then departed New Zealand for Hawaii. Junita began her Asia Pacific Leadership Programme (APLP) studies at the East-West Centre in Honolulu in August 2010. She was initially interested in applying because of the programme’s emphasis on international and race relations in the Asia-Pacific region. She said that “It was a chance to meet with other up-coming leaders from around the region and to look at Asia-Pacific issues from a multi-ethnic, multi-disciplinary perspective.”
Junita’s work on the programme involved classroom readings and lectures; conducting leadership interviews with prominent figures in China and Hawaii; a seafaring navigation course; and volunteering to develop flora and fauna playing areas for local children.
Junita also had a great social time in Hawaii. “I got given an eight-seater, rusty surf wagon with heaps of shore cred, by a generous Phillipino-Japanese-Hawaiian musician. In it my classmates and I explored the Island of Oahu: hiking, surfing, jumping off (big) rocks, African dancing, stand up paddle boarding, snorkelling, sailing at sunset, whale watching from the shore and sampling the local cuisine. I went night clubbing with Kelly Slater and saw Russell Peters, the hilarious Canadian-Indian stand-up comedian live in concert. I also did some volunteering for a local church, helping to facilitate a camp for the children of parents who are incarcerated.”
In addition, the APLP course included two field studies: a ten-day journey to Washington D.C. and New York, and a three-week trip to Beijing and Sichuan Province in China. Junita also took up an internship working for the Australian Red Cross in Brisbane and surrounding areas during the Queensland floods. Her tasks there included managing welfare centers, doing targeted outreach and sorting donated goods. She then she moved on to an Incident Management Team (IMT) at the Red Cross headquarters in Brisbane.
After the Christchurch earthquake on 22 February 2011, Junita returned to New Zealand. She spent her first two days in the city delivering water to homes and shovelling liquefaction out of people's driveways. She continued working for the Red Cross IMT there and was encouraged by notaries such as Helen Clark, Phil Goff and his Excellency the Governor General.
In her long-term role as Appeals Disbursement Advisor and Bereavement Grant Coordinator for the Red Cross, Junita now provides advice on how NGOs operate and the specific role of the Red Cross in Christchurch, as well as working with bereaved families to alleviate financial pressure. She has been able to draw on her leadership skills and understanding of Asian and other cultures when working with the local community and catering to the various needs of affected individuals and their families.
Finally, regarding leadership, what would this multi-talented young leader advise other youth leadership network members? “Get good mentors and ask lots of questions. Get to know yourself, find out what motivates you and then lead out of who you are.”
Images: Junita in Hawaii
