Sam Johnson (activist)

Sam Johnson (born 14 February 1989) is a social entrepreneur from Christchurch, New Zealand.[1] Johnson is known as the founder of the Student Volunteer Army[2] which mobilised 11,000 students to assist the cleanup following the Christchurch earthquakes and has continued as a nationwide volunteering movement[3]

Johnson at launch of 2016 social enterprise, WeVisit

Johnson is an international thought leader in developing models of community that build resilience through volunteering and local action.[4][5][6][7]

Education and career

Johnson is from rural Canterbury and was educated at Christ's College and the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.[8] Johnson graduated from the University of Canterbury with a BA in Politics and Community Engagement in 2015.

Student Volunteer Army

Following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes, Johnson founded the Student Volunteer Army to assist residents with the clean up of liquefaction caused by the earthquakes.[9][10] The Student Volunteer Army was managed by a core team of 15 people and a wider administration of 70 people who managed the three core operations which the SVA focused on; battalions, squadrons and street teams.[11] There were 13,000 students volunteering per week.[12]

StudentArmy IlamSchool in March 2011

Disaster response and preparedness
Johnson in a Tsunami stricken home in Japan

In late April and early May 2011, Johnson spent two weeks in Japan following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami to set up a Student Volunteer Army at Waseda University.[13]

Johnson worked to assist mobilising young Nepalese volunteers following the Nepal earthquakes in 2015.[14]

Johnson and the Student Volunteer Army worked with other young people alongside the UNISDR in preparation for 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.[15]

Local leadership and politics

Johnson successfully stood for the Riccarton-Wigram Community Board of the Christchurch City Council in the October 2010 local body elections.[16] At the time, he was endorsed by Prime Minister John Key for his election campaign.[17]

Johnson declared in July 2011 that he had no intention to run for higher public office in the near future.[18] In January 2013, it was reported that he may consider running for Christchurch City Council in the October 2013 local body elections.[19] The Press reported on 20 April 2013 that Lianne Dalziel would challenge Bob Parker for the Christchurch mayoralty, and that she had asked Johnson to be her running mate, with a view of Johnson becoming deputy mayor. Johnson eventually decided against running, saying it wasn't the "right thing for me right now".[20]

Johnson is a founding Trustee of the Ministry of Awesome, a Christchurch-based idea incubator.[21]

Social enterprise and business

In 2016, Johnson launched a social enterprise focused on the alarming rates of social isolation in New Zealand [22] which then joined forces with technology platform Mycare to improve the New Zealand care and support sector.[23]

Awards and celebrities

Johnson has received a Special Leadership Award from the Sir Peter Blake Trust[24] and was named Young New Zealander of the Year[25] and Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) Communicator of the Year in 2012.[26]

Johnson and the Student Volunteer Army have hosted many international icons and celebrities who visit Christchurch including several members of the British Royal Family,[27][28] the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet[29] and organisers of the Never Again MSD gun control campaign.

Personal life

Johnson is openly gay and married to husband Tyler Brummer. The couple live in Auckland. In 2022, they announced that they were looking for a surrogate in order to have a child.[30]

References
  1. "10th Anniversary Edition". Latitude Magazine – Canterbury's Own Lifestyle Magazine. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  2. Jo Mckenzie-Mclean (9 June 2012). "Student Army Leader Sam Johnson Makes International..." Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  3. "Another Student Volunteer Army mobilises". Newshub. 3 August 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  4. "International Volunteer Day takes leaders across the globe | Volunteering New Zealand". Volunteeringnz.org.nz. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  5. "صحيفة عرب نيوز « مركز وارف لتنمية الشباب". Warif.org. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  6. "Google Events | Big Tent 2012". 2 July 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  7. "Kiwi of the year mobilizes world youth for disaster resilience – UNISDR". www.unisdr.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  8. Wilson, Janet (18 April 2011). "Sam the man". New Zealand Listener (3702). Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  9. "Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) : 14 September 2010". Parliament.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  10. Tina Law (31 December 2011). "Kohan McNab | It's A New World For Students". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  11. "About – Volunteer Army Foundation". Volunteerarmy.org. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  12. "Sam the man". New Zealand Listener. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  13. McKenzie-McLean, Jo (11 May 2011). "Japan to use Christchurch volunteer model". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  14. "Nepalese boy pulled from rubble 6 days after quake | World". 3 News. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  15. "Kiwi of the year mobilizes world youth for disaster resilience – UNISDR". www.unisdr.org. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  16. "Christchurch City Council – Riccarton-Wigram Community Board". Elections 2010. Retrieved 14 July 2011.
  17. MacDonald, John. "Prime Minister and Mayor come to UC to say thank you". University of Canterbury. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  18. "A special night for a hero". Sunday Star Times. 3 July 2011. Archived from the original on 4 July 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  19. Cairns, Lois (28 January 2013). "Johnson ponders running for council". The Press. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  20. "Student Army head won't run for mayor". 3 News NZ. 22 April 2013.
  21. Vicki Anderson. "Sam Johnson Proposes Ministry of Awesome". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  22. "Visiting service set up for the elderly to curb loneliness". Stuff. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  23. "Mycare & WeVisit Join Forces to Improve NZ Care & Support | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  24. "2011 Special Leadership Awardee: Sam Johnson". sirpeterblaketrust.org. 2011. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  25. Charles Anderson and Fairfax Auckland. "Sam Johnson Named Young New Zealander Of The Year". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  26. Sam Sachdeva (5 October 2012). "Sam Johnson Named 2012 Communicator of the Year". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  27. "Prince William: 'Grief is the price we pay for love'". TVNZ. 18 March 2011. Retrieved 8 August 2011.
  28. "Volunteer Army gets Royal approval". Newshub. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  29. "News | The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama". Dalailama.com. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  30. Gill, Sinead (5 March 2022). "Student Volunteer Army founder Sam Johnson and husband searching for surrogate to start family". Stuff. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
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