UnionAID

As 2025 comes to a close, we reflect on a year of progress in worker organising and civil society youth leadership across our region.

From responding to crisis in Myanmar to a new union forming in Thailand, from expanding into the Pacific to nurturing change-makers through our Young Leaders Programmes, this year has shown solidarity and community building in action.

None of this would be possible without you; our supporters, volunteers, staff, partners, and the workers and communities leading change. ✊💞

Looking back on 2025: solidarity in action - UnionAID As 2025 comes to a close, we reflect on a year of significant progress in worker organising and civil society youth leadership across our region. From responding to crisis in […]

🚀 Applications are now OPEN for the 2026 Mindanao Young Leaders Programme!

In this programme, participants are able to further develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence as leaders and contribute to the sustainable and peaceful development of their communities and of the Mindanao region, more broadly.

We invite community leaders aged 23-30 from all areas of Mindanao who are currently working or volunteering with a non-government organization to apply. The application deadline is Sunday, January 25, 2026.

Be part of the 2026 cohort and join an inclusive network of young leaders in Mindanao.

To apply, complete the application form - see post comments 👇

Great speeches from the Myanmar community representatives, Stanley Saw, Phyo Sandar Soe from the CTUM and Ross Wilson from UnionAID today at Parliament calling out the Myanmar Junta and its sham elections.

Myanmar's military junta is planning to hold elections that lack legitimacy and fail to meet democratic standards.

New Zealand's Myanmar community is organising a protest to stand in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and reject this sham election.

📅 Saturday, 13th December 2025, 2 PM
📍 Parliament, Wellington

Please join to show your support for democracy and human rights in Myanmar.

When the 2025 cohort of the Mindanao Young Leaders Programme were called onto the marae ātea of Ōrongomai Marae, Upper Hutt through pōwhiri for noho marae (3-day stay), they carried with them the stories of their own communities – communities grappling with the legacies of colonisation, the erosion of Indigenous languages, and the struggle to preserve cultural identity. There, they would find their own stories reflected back to them and see the possibilities that emerge when communities reclaim their language, land, and identity.

Read their reflections👇

Finding home: Mindanao Young Leaders' Indigenous Connections at Ōrongomai Marae Reflections from the Mindanao Young Leaders Programme cohort 2025 on their noho marae visit to Ōrongomai Marae