http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/news/5224829/A-special-night-for-a-hero
A special night for a hero – Sunday Star Times, 3 July 2011
When Sam Johnson first picked up a shovel and mobilised his student mates to help clean up Christchurch's streets after last September's earthquake, he never imagined his efforts would turn him into an international star.
But as the leader of Christchurch's Student Volunteer Army, 22-year-old Johnson is in demand around the world.
Organisations across the globe are lining up to learn the key to his success and next month he is heading to India to speak at a global change-makers conference.
On Friday night his remarkable leadership skills were acknowledged at the Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards, where Johnson received a special leadership award.
"It was a huge honour," Johnson told the Sunday Star-Times yesterday. "It's not just a recognition of what's happened in the past, it's more a welcome to a club or alumni of people and there's an incredible expectation of your future and what you'll achieve. That's daunting, but it's also really, really exciting."
So what does the future hold for the Canterbury University student?
Job offers have been flying in and there are opportunities aplenty for him on the international speaking circuit, but Johnson has decided his first priority is to finish his studies.
Part-way through a double degree in law and political science, he wants to get qualifications under his belt before he decides what his next move will be.
Although he sits on one of Christchurch's community boards, he doesn't harbour any secret ambition to be prime minister.
"I am genuinely interested in politics, but I won't go into politics until I find the footprint I want to leave here – I won't go into it for a career, or for personal gain. There is so much other stuff I want to do first," he said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/science/news/article.cfm?c_id=82&objectid=10735777
Sir Peter Blake awards: Sam Johnson – NZ Herald, Saturday 2 July
Today the Weekend Herald salutes the winners of the annual Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards, which honour one of the country's greatest leaders, the late Sir Peter Blake. Canterbury University student army leader Sam Johnson has put his law and political science degree on hold this semester. Photo / Martin Hunter
Special Leadership Award
As the general of his own army at the tender age of 22, Sam Johnson is using a new style to rally his troops.
Gone are the structured lines of command, the barked orders and the regimented structure. The Canterbury Student Volunteer Army (SVA), a team of 9000 students helping clean up the earthquake-ravaged city, runs off equality.
"[Youth] don't like being told what to do, we don't like heavy-handed authority with structure rules. I think of the army as a core group with other groups around it, each one equally as important as the rest."
Last night the Christchurch resident was awarded a Special Leadership Award for his approach and efforts, a new honour added to this year's Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards.
The award hadn't quite hit home yet, he said.
"It's an absolute honour and a true privilege being so young. I'm just really humbled to receive it. I just try to do my best and try to get other people to do it with me."
Following the September 4 earthquake, Mr Johnson organised a group of 200 friends on Facebook to help clean up liquefaction sludge and debris. Word quickly spread, and the number grew to 2500.
"When it first started out it was not too organised. Everything that happened was very organic. And that was the huge success of it, that it happened organically."
In February, the volunteer base grew to 9000, committing 75,000 volunteer hours over a month. Facebook support numbers keep on climbing with the aftershocks - 26,952 now "like" the SVA.
The volunteer group has grown past its social media origins to become an incorporated society, and now works alongside the Ministry of Social Development, the Earthquake Commission, and the Christchurch City Council.
But the group's enthusiasm was beginning to wane with every aftershock, he said.
"There's not the volunteer motivation now, people are just tired ... It's exhausting, it's really exhausting but it's so rewarding and so fulfilling to see the huge impact it's having on the residents out there.
"It just takes sheer hard work to keep going."
He has put his law and political science degree on hold this semester, to focus on the SVA and his Riccarton-Wigram Community Board duties.
"I like slow torture and don't sleep a lot," he joked.
"But I realised it's about delegation."
He said he believed the team had changed public perceptions of university students.
"People are taking stock and realising that students are doing more than just burning couches."
By Hayley Hannan
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1105/S00182/student-army-initiative-wins-over-freemasons.htm
Student Army initiative wins over Freemasons
Tuesday, 10 May 2011, 1:55 pm
Press Release: Freemasons
Caption Story from Freemasons New Zealand
Sam Johnson, the Canterbury University student, who initiated the Student Army in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquakes, won over Freemasons, A-grade university students from throughout New Zealand and their parents at a gathering in Hamilton where $220,000 in Freemasons Postgraduate and University Scholarships were yesterday presented.
Freemasons presented Sam with a cheque for $5,000 towards the operation of the Student Army, which has shoveled thousands of tons of liquefaction from homes and streets in Christchurch. Sam returned on Sunday from a fortnight in Japan where he spent time working along side and encouraging Japanese university students to pitch in following the Japanese Tsunami, as Canterbury students had done in Christchurch.
Freemasons Grand Master, Selwyn Cooper, pictured with Sam Johnson, said the community service displayed by the Sam and the Student Army deserved recognition.
“It is important that young people carry on the mantle of community service from their parents and grandparents generations”.
ENDS
May 2011
http://www.nznewsuk.co.uk/news/?ID=18033&StartRow=1&story=Student-Volunteer-Army-s-mission-to-Japan
Student Volunteer Army’s mission to Japan
21 Apr 2011
This weekend the leader of the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) and a colleague will head to Japan to set up a Japanese version of the Student Volunteer Army.
Sam Johnson and Jason Pemberton, who helped run the SVA’s Geo-Ops unit, will travel to Tokyo to help establish a self sufficient volunteer project made up of university students in areas hard hit by Japan’s massive earthquake and tsunami.
The SVA was invited to Japan by Global DIRT (Disaster Immediate Response Team) www.globaldirt.org. Global DIRT was contracted by the United Nations to measure radiation levels, and is now licensed in Japan as an official non-governmental organisation working on relief efforts.
Sam Johnson says two Global DIRT staff will assist the SVA in setting up the volunteer effort. He says they have established local connections through the relief structures running in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture and have informal support for the student volunteer project from the Nippon Foundation (http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/eng/).
“From the conversations I’ve had with people on the ground in Japan I believe that we will be able to initiate and assist in the co-ordination of a large scale volunteer clean-up programme similar to the two we ran in Christchurch.
“We’ll be teaching students how we ran the Army and train them to act as administrators and directors so they can run it themselves.
“I expect a new and very different SVA will be created however the work will be similar – one of the first missions will be to help clean mud out of houses in Ishinomaki.
“It’s especially satisfying to know that we will be assisting people from a country that sent rescue crews to aid Christchurch,” says Sam Johnson.
The duo will travel to Japan on Saturday and spend two weeks in Tokyo where they say they will be taking every necessary precaution given the circumstances.
The New Zealand Government, Japanese Embassy, Civil Defence and the Christchurch City Council have all been informed of the mission.
The SVA would like to thank Air New Zealand for sponsoring the return flights to Japan and Macpac, Untouched World and Cactus for supplying clothing and equipment for the mission.
(Student Volunteer Army)
Sam Johnson student clean up leader and Independent Citizens candidate gets endorsement from Prime Minister
Prime Minister John Key has named earthquake cleanup organiser Sam Johnson as a possible successor.
The Canterbury University student, whose Facebook page led to an army of students cleaning up Christchurch streets, is standing for election to the Riccarton-Wigram Community Board.
During a visit to thank the students yesterday, Key said Johnson had his backing.
"You are the first and only candidate I have endorsed. I can imagine you becoming prime minister one day," he said.
Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the students had received worldwide coverage and he believed their work went some way towards repairing the often negative stereotype of "youngsters".
Key and Parker made their comments at Canterbury University yesterday as a benefit concert for the region was announced.
Opshop's frontman, Cantabrian Jason Kerrison, and Auckland promoter Paul Ellis announced the free concert, titled the Band Together Concert for Canterbury, would be held in North Hagley Park on October 23.
Among those performing would be Opshop, The Feelers, Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn, J Williams, Dane Rumble and a re-formed The Exponents. The Exponents' Christchurch (In Cashel Street I Wait) will be the theme song for the event, which will be televised live.
"It's been overwhelming how many people have wanted to become involved in this project," Kerrison told The Press.
"I hope this concert will be a chance for the people of Christchurch to both let off some steam and know that the rest of the country is behind them 100 per cent," Kerrison said.
Parker had more good news for the students.
Promoter Michael Coppel had offered 300 tickets to heavy metal legend Metallica's shows in Christchurch next week, with 240 allocated to the cleanup volunteers.
Key, Parker and Kerrison also autographed shovels, which Johnson planned to auction on Trade Me to raise money for the earthquake relief fund.
Video link : http://www.samjohnson.co.nz/index.php?page=videos-links