Yani Johanson
Councillor for Linwood Ward
Yani Johanson
Councillor for Linwood Ward
Get in touch with Yani
About Yani
Yani has extensive experience in local government, being involved since starting as a member of the Christchurch Youth Council in 1996. He was elected for two terms as a member of the Hagley/Ferrymead Community Board (2001 to 2007) and has been serving as a Christchurch City Councillor since his election in 2007. Yani has spent time on both the Songpa-Gu (Korea) and Seattle (USA) Sister City Committees and deeply values people working together across cultures and countries.
Yani was instrumental in getting Christchurch to develop an International Relations Strategy and a Multicultural Strategy. He chairs the Council’s Civic Awards Committee and the Funding Committee of the Whole and holds the Council’s Sports Promotion portfolio. He also serves as the patron of Friendship Force which aims to foster peace and understanding by home hosting visiting delegations from various cities around the globe.
Having lived in four different countries (New Zealand, Australia, America and Mexico) by the time he was 13 years old, Yani believes the greatest gift his parents gave him was to see so much of the world at such a young age. This provided an important lesson in celebrating and cherishing diversity and difference rather than being scared and afraid of it.