Australia 21 reports on The Next Big Question
Earlier this year the AYF and Australia21 held an online discussion to gather your views on what you consider to be the Next Big Question for Australia. Australia21’s report to the Minister for Youth, summarises the issues raised. A copy of the report is now available on the Australia21 website.
Report on Youth Violence Inquiry
On Friday 16 July 2010, the House of Representatives Family, Community, Housing and Youth Committee released its report on the inquiry into the impact of violence on young people. The report, Avoid the Harm – Stay Calm, can be accessed from the Australian Parliament website.
The Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Youth, initiated the inquiry following feedback from young people, through the Australian Youth Forum (AYF), that violence and personal safety is one of their top concerns.
The outcomes of the 20 February 2009 AYF youTHINK event focusing on Violence and Safety were provided to the Committee as a direct channel between the views of young people and this important inquiry.
Productivity Commission Report
Recent Announcements – on 23 June 2010 the Australian Government released the 2010 Productivity Commission Report to into Gambling for consideration by States, Territories, industry and the wider community. The AYF discussion topic on Gambling, held between 4 September and 6 November 2009, contributed to the recommendations made by the Commission. The Report is available on the Productivity Commission’s website.
Response to the consultation on the Indigenous Education Action Plan
Thank you to all of the young people who took the time to post your ideas and vote, to help inform the development of the Government’s Indigenous Education Action Plan. Your comments were both thoughtful and insightful. I found that reading about some of your personal experiences of the education system was extremely useful.
The key message coming from your comments was that the Indigenous Education Action Plan should support school environments that celebrate and embrace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. You suggested that this could be achieved through a greater valuing of family and community, increasing the presence of Indigenous educators in our schools, better training of school staff and teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and languages throughout school for all students.
Some of your comments focused on pathways in education including the importance for learning before school, supporting effective transitions and achievement in university and vocational education and training, as well as secondary schools making better connections with local job opportunities. You also highlighted the need to offer flexibility in school services to accommodate different learning styles and a curriculum that can be tailored to the community.
The input that you have provided will be considered along with other submissions received as part of the broader public consultation process being conducted by Ministerial Council for Education, Early Childhood Development and Youth Affairs (MCEECDYA).
Once again, I appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas and views on the ways governments can work together in closing the gaps between the outcomes of Indigenous Australians and other Australians.
Kate Ellis
Minister for Youth
- Read the summary of posts on the consultation on the Indigenous Education Action Plan topic.
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PDF 121KB |
RTF 21KB)
Australia’s Human Rights Framework
Your ideas in action
In early 2009, the AYF hosted a discussion topic on Human Rights as part of the National Human Rights Consultation. Your ideas were provided to the Consultation Committee as a formal submission from the AYF.
Today, the Attorney-General, Robert McClelland outlined Australia’s Human Rights Framework - the Government’s response to the Consultation Committee’s report.
As part of the framework, the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard and the Attorney-General announced a number of key education initiatives to ensure all Australians have access to information about human rights.
The focus on education as ‘the highest priority for improving and promoting human rights in Australia’ is a reflection of your ideas through the AYF submission and the key recommendations of the Consultation Committee report.
You can read more about the education initiatives
in the
media release.
Next Big Question - Response from Minister Ellis
Firstly, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to this joint Australian Youth Forum (AYF) and Australia21 discussion topic the NEXT BIG QUESTION. This topic asked you to tell us what you think is the “next big question” facing Australia. It will come as no surprise that the topic generated a diverse range of views.
While many of the issues you raised are currently being addressed by the Government or are on the Government’s agenda, such as education, climate change and the nature of our democracy, the main purpose of this discussion was about gathering information for Australia21’s two-year project the NEXT BIG QUESTION. This project seeks to research issues of strategic importance to Australians in the 21st century.
All of your reflections on Australia’s future have been passed to Australia21 and will contribute to the essential thinking and responses to the unprecedented challenges we face as a society. I expect to receive a report from Australia21 in early 2010 which will identify the major issues and trends arising from your input and provide a social context against which your input will be assessed.
This report will be the second of four reports on the outcomes from Australia21’s next big question project. The first report is on their webpage.
All reports related to this project will be widely distributed. A major launch of the final report will take place to coincide with Australia21’s ten-year anniversary in March 2011. By contributing your question – you have joined Professor Peter Doherty AC - Australian Nobel Laureate; Professor Penny Sackett-Australia’s Chief Scientist; Professor Fiona Stanley - Director, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research; and Catherine Branson QC - President, Human Rights Commission of Australia, among others, in volunteering your thoughts on the next big question.
I will keep you posted on the outcome of this project. In the meantime, the AYF will look to incorporate some of the issues you raised into future discussion topics on the website.
Kate Ellis
Minister for Youth
Read the summary of posts on the Next Big Question.
Youth At Work – Response from Minister Ellis
Thank you to everyone who posted ideas on the Youth at Work web topic. There were some really useful suggestions that will help the Government make sure our new Young Workers’ Toolkit is effective.
The Toolkit will provide young people with information about employment issues and Australia’s new, fairer workplace relations system. It is essential that the Government gains feedback directly from young people about the best way to provide this information.
Your posts showed that you want more information about unpaid trials, managing safety hazards in the workplace and hiring and firing conditions. Some of you also identified a lack of information in other work-related areas such as taxation, superannuation and the rights of international students to work in Australia. The Government will take these suggestions into account as we develop the Toolkit in the coming months.
The next step in the development of the Toolkit will be for the Government to seek feedback from relevant agencies who work with and for young people. We will be talking with youth representative bodies, parents groups, business that employ young people, unions and other relevant government agencies and aim to release the completed Young Workers’ Toolkit in the second half of 2010.
The Government is determined to ensure that young people are treated fairly in the workplace and is also developing a National Code of Practice for Young Workers. The code will cover matters such as rostering arrangements during school, hours, training and mentoring in the workplace and safety.
Finally, your posts showed that some of you are uncertain about who you should contact about workplace rights. If you have a question about your pay or conditions or suspect you have been underpaid you can contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94 or use the live help service available on the website. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s website has a range of information for young workers which you may find useful.
Thanks once again for your input into the development of the Young Workers’ Toolkit, it will be a more useful and effective document because of your contributions
Kate Ellis
Minister for Youth
Read the summary of posts on the Youth At Work topic.
Gambling – Response from Minister Ellis - 08 January 2010
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the Gambling ideas board. There was a real breadth of views and opinions expressed on this topic. While some of you saw gambling as an avenue for entertainment, others were concerned about reducing its accessibility and about the devastating impacts it can produce.
There were some great ideas put forward about how we can address problem gambling. Many of these ideas are already being implemented by state and territory governments, such as education and awareness raising and counselling for those who need it. There were also some really interesting ideas like installing a national card system that tracks total gambling and allows individuals to set personal limits or decreasing the amount of money poker machines are able to receive.
All of your ideas have been compiled into a report an has been submitted to the Productivity Commission. The Commission will consider all views presented to them, including your posts on the AYF website in completing their final report. The final report is expected to be delivered to the Australian Government by 26 February 2010.
We will keep you up to date on further progress in relation to this inquiry through the AYF website. Further information on the Commission’s gambling inquiry process, including a copy of the draft report can be found at the Productivity Commision website.
Once again, I really appreciate you taking the time to share your ideas and views on this complex issue.
Kate Ellis
Minister for Youth
Read the summary of posts on the Gambling topic:
Proposed National Strategy on Body Image - 27 October 2009
The Minister for Youth, Kate Ellis, has accepted an advisory report to help the Australian Government tackle negative body image on 27 October 2009.
The Proposed National Strategy on Body Image, which includes a voluntary Industry Code of Conduct, was developed by the National Advisory Group on Body Image established by Ms Ellis earlier this year.
The group is chaired by former Cosmopolitan Editor Mia Freedman and also includes model and television producer Sarah Murdoch, who met with the Prime Minister and Ms Ellis to discuss the report.
The report encourages advertisers, the media and the fashion industry to promote more positive body image messages.
The report includes a Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image which recommends using healthy weight models, realistic and natural images of people and disclosure when images of people have been digitally manipulated.
The report also recommends building resilience in young people through a focus on peer interactions, parenting, and the role of schools and community groups.
More information can be found on the Body Image page.
Feedback on the findings from the National Strategy on Body Image Online Consultation - 13 October 2009
The Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth, launched an online body image survey to support the Australian Government’s efforts in tackling negative body image. The consultation ran between 6 May and 5 June 2009. The Online Consultation on Body Image was designed to gain insight into causes of negative body image and gather practical solutions for inclusion in the National Strategy on Body Image. This consultation was hosted on the youth.gov website, with 150 submissions received.
The consultation was divided into four main parts and we have summarised the responses below:
Part 1 asked what the issues are that should be included as part of ‘body image’.
Generally, respondents tended to be in favour of interpreting body image broadly. Responses indicated a real concern about the impact disabilities and ethnic diversity can have on body image. Respondents stressed the importance of including these issues when addressing negative body image.
Some respondents suggested a greater need for representation of people with characteristics such as scars and burns, which traditionally may have been concealed or not displayed in the media.
The response to this question is consistent with other themes that arose throughout the consultation about the need to promote a cultural view that places greater emphasis on what people can do and who they are in a more holistic sense, rather than have so much focus on people’s appearance.
Part 2 asked how we can increase the capacity and resilience of individuals
While the ideas and programs in Part 2 are reported individually, most participants chose a variety of themes and messages to be included as part of addressing body image. A key theme that came through was the interaction and relatedness of many of these messages. For example, focusing on a person’s health and wellbeing rather than their physical appearance is closely linked to respecting people as holistic and valuable individuals.
Importantly, there was not consensus on all issues. This was most noticeable in comments around the use of BMI as an indicator of healthy weight. Some people were strongly against the use of BMI while others tended be more supportive of the role it can play as a guideline for healthy weight. Broadly, it could be said that there was a guarded understanding that BMI can be a useful indicator, but caution is needed when interpreting the results and using this as a solitary measure without considering other factors.
With regard to ideas on body image programs and initiatives, many respondents also noted programs and initiatives that are already in existence, such as the ‘Go for your life’ program that is run by the Butterfly Foundation and Dove in schools. While these have not been listed individually as part of this summary, they are being looked at as existing and working initiatives in the context of developing the Strategy.
Part 3 asked how we can change the messages given by our culture about what is beautiful and promote a framework which encourages a healthy body image, including through a Code of Conduct
When addressing concerns about body image messages that are promoted from within industry, the majority of respondents preferred the inception of one broad code that is supported by additional guidelines that are specific to the media, advertising and fashion industries.
Respondents noted that measures could be used to increase the effectiveness of the Code. These included supporting the Code with an administrative body that could monitor the effectiveness of the Code and providing incentives and disincentives for businesses that followed the Code (noting that many felt that incentives were more likely to be effective than disincentives).
Part 4 provided an opportunity to share stories and thoughts on the issue, or outline concerns about any element of the strategy that is not otherwise covered in parts one and two
Overall respondents recognised the need to consider emerging technologies when addressing body image. Online resources were regarded as a potential source for harmful ideas on body image, but also as a means of promoting the positive messages on body image, including the Code.
The overall message was that there is a need for a holistic and national approach to addressing body image and that this must be done in partnership with both community and key stakeholders.
A full copy of the feedback on the findings from the
National Strategy on Body Image Online Consultation is available for
your review. ( 
PDF
223KB | 
RTF
628KB )
Global Poverty - Response from Minister Ellis
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the recent AYF discussion on Global Poverty. I was encouraged to see how passionate many of you are about this issue. Australia gives aid to developing nations because we want to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Nearly one billion people in our world live on less than US$1 a day. Two billion people have no access to clean water and 150 million children never get the chance to go to school.
All of your ideas have been provided to the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Global Poverty Project for consideration. At a Government level, I will continue to work with all of my Ministerial colleagues including Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Mr Bob McMullan MP to ensure that your ideas and views on global poverty are considered in future policy development and decision-making.
There were also some valid suggestions as to what all of us can do to help. You may be interested to know that the Australian Government supports the Global Poverty Project, which seeks to invigorate people all over the world to take action on the issue of global poverty. The Global Poverty Project is currently travelling around Australia to launch their presentation, ‘1.4 billion reasons’. The aim is to inspire audiences to take action and improve the lives of the 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty. The presentation demonstrates that, by making simple changes, everyone can help to be part of the solution.
To update you on where things are at in relation to international aid, in 2009-10 Australia will provide $3.8 billion worth of official development assistance, which equates to approximately 0.34 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI). This is an increase from 0.32 per cent in 2008-09. The Australian Government has committed to increasing Australia’s official development assistance to 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015.
The core principals of Australia’s aid program are:
- accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals
- a recognition that while economic growth is the most powerful long-term solution to poverty, economic growth, will not, by itself, deliver fair and stable societies
- a strong emphasis on the Asia-Pacific, while also increasing efforts in Africa and South Asia
- an emphasis on the power of education to promote development
- a commitment to continue to improve effectiveness.
The Australian Government, through Australian and International companies, delivers aid projects and trains local people to continue these projects long after their completion. Funds are provided to a number of not-for-profit organisations, such as World Vision and Oxfam, to deliver aid programs at the local community level, and to international organisations that help people in emergencies, such as the Red Cross. Support is also given through the United Nations to UNICEF and to the UN Development Programme for their work in developing countries.
Again, thanks for contributing your thoughts and ideas. I encourage you to check out the other topics open for discussion on the website.
Kate Ellis
Binge Drinking – Your Ideas - 16 September 2009
Thanks to all of you who contributed your ideas on the topic of binge drinking. We had 90 ideas and suggestions posted on this topic and over 291 votes on the ideas – it’s great to see so many of you taking part and having your say.
All of your ideas will be provided to the Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth for consideration. They will also be provided the Department of Health and Ageing and the Treasury for consideration.
There was some interesting debate around some of the suggested ideas, and it’s obvious that there is not a simple answer to this issue. One of the very strong messages was that there should be either strict guidelines around advertising of alcohol, or a complete ban on alcohol advertising. Many people suggested that the drinking age could be lowered, but there were a large number of posts suggesting this will not help the situation and that it could lead to young people experimenting with binge drinking at an even earlier age.
Another suggestion that a lot of you made was that there should be more safe places and organised activities for young people to lessen boredom, which can make people turn to alcohol.
For those of you that have a bit of time to have a read, we have attached a summary of all website posts, as well as an overview of the work the Government is currently undertaking in many of these areas.
Binge Drinking Report ( PDF 69KB |
RTF 2.7MB )
Again, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Response to Human Rights discussion – 31 August 2009
It was great to read your posts on the ‘human rights’ ideas board. There were many valid contributions to the human rights debate.
There appeared to be general agreement that we all should have the right to food, shelter, education, safety and the freedom to practice our chosen religion. Many of you drew attention to the important issue of discrimination, stressing the importance of fair treatment for all Australians regardless of age, gender, religion, sexual orientation or cultural background.
A summary of your ideas has been provided as a submission to the National Human Rights Consultation. The submission also included all of your original comments to ensure that your voices are directly heard as part of the consultation process. You can have a look at the submission ( PDF 55KB |
RTF 2.7MB ) made on your behalf.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has also produced a document to help young people contribute to discussions about human rights called ‘Let’s talk about rights’ which you may be interested in looking at.
Thanks again for your valuable contributions about human rights.
Kate Ellis
Minister for Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth
Violence and Safety – Your ideas - 19 August 2009
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the discussion on violence and safety. A report has been compiled from your input at the first national youTHINK event, held on 20 February 2009 and submissions to the AYF ideas board on the AYF website. In addition a number of young people hosted their own forums – their ideas and summaries were also incorporated into the report.
It is evident that the issues surrounding violence and safety are important to you. Even though different concerns were raised in each location, there were common themes from all submissions with many of the ideas interlinked, reflecting the multi-dimensional nature of the issue.
The Hon Kate Ellis, Minister Early Childhood Education, Child Care and Youth is concerned about what you have had to say, and your perspective on the impact of violence in your community and your own personal safety. The Minister has requested the House Standing Committee on Family, Community, Youth and Housing to make a formal inquiry on the impact of violence on young Australians.
The Violence and Safety Report has been submitted to the inquiry. As the inquiry will research the relationship between bullying and violence, the major themes that were drawn from your input into the AYF discussion on bullying has also been incorporated into this report.
The Violence and Safety Report includes ideas like:
- the need for better awareness among young people about the causes and consequences of violence
- the link between violence and alcohol
- personal experiences of violence in schools and in public places
- ensuring safe spaces and understanding authority figures.
A full copy of the Violence and Safety Report is available for your review. ( PDF 63KB | RTF 2.8MB)
Wings to Fly: Our World, Our Place, Our Future - Kimberley Youth Forum 1-5 June 2009
The inaugural Wings to Fly: Our World, Our Place, Our Future Kimberley Youth Forum was held on 1-5 June 2009
The forum was attended by the Hon Kate Ellis MP, Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth attended the forum and thirty five young people; most of whom were Indigenous students from Kimberley and Eastern State schools.
The forum focused on leadership building activities, human rights and sustainable development education.
Young people debated issues including youth views of the world and cultural and environmental consequences of unsustainable development. They undertook multimedia projects and discussed the roles they could play in their own community.
Minister Ellis answered a range of questions from ‘How to close the educational gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people’ to ‘What do you think are the main issues facing the Kimberley and what was being done to address them’.
A number of guest speakers from the area attended the forum including:
- Sermsah “Suri” Bin Saad a member of the Sydney based dance company, Stalker (aka Marrugechu) which toured in Switzerland 2008
- Pablo Lane, who after completing an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic, undertook a Cert IV Leadership Course and is currently working in employment and training
- Lawford Benning, Community Information Coordinator, Miriuwung Gajerrong Ord Enhancement Scheme, Kimberley Development Commission;
- Joe Ross, Chair of the Northern Australia Land and Water Taskforce
- Edie Wright who is an author and in 2008 was names Broome’s NAIDOC Person of the Year.
Ronita Bradshaw, a participant of the Forum, said she was inspired by the speakers’ stories of how they took on leadership roles. “They gave us tips on where to go and how to do it. It has been really helpful.”
Eunice Yu
Kimberley Institute
Response to bullying discussion - 30/03/2009
Thanks to all of you who posted ideas on the ‘Bullying’ ideas board. This is a new way for the Australian Government to communicate with young people and I am glad to see that you are willing to take part and have your say.
The overwhelming message from your posts is that bullying behaviours are destructive and can have an impact on people’s wellbeing both immediately and well into their adult life.
Bullying is totally unacceptable. Anyone who experiences bullying should to talk to a trusted adult or friend about it. This can be your parents, a teacher, an adult friend, a counsellor or anyone else you feel comfortable talking to. If you would rather to talk to someone who doesn’t know you, you can call the Kids Help Line on 1800 55 1800 or visit www.kidshelp.com.au, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Some of you said that you would like to see more bullying education in schools and the reinforcement of positive behaviour among students. Research commissioned by the Government backs this approach up – showing that Australian schools that focus on teaching values have students more engaged in learning and achieve better learning outcomes.
The Government believes that all young people have the right to be educated in a safe and supportive environment and feel good about going to school. The National Safe Schools Framework (NSSF) was developed in 2002 by a Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs Taskforce. The NSSF includes guiding principles for schools to follow that promote safe school environments, including having an anti-bullying policy, supporting teacher professional development and promoting care, respect and cooperation.
Since the NSSF’s inception in 2002, there have been significant developments in technology which has seen the scope of bullying activities widen to include the use of technology such as mobile phones and computers to bully victims both inside and outside of school hours (known as cyber-bullying). Given the NSSF was developed in 2002; the Government has initiated a review to incorporate emerging trends in cyber technology which have enabled new forms of bullying to develop. In February 2009 the Australian Education Systems Officials Committee (AESOC) approved the Commonwealth leading the review of the NSSF.
The review of the NSSF is expected to commence in early April 2009 and will be completed in late 2010. The review will examine potential linkages with other wellbeing areas such as social and emotional learning, values education and substance abuse and relational violence. It will also look at new legislation which has been developed in relation to cyber-crimes and how this relates to children who cyber-bully through online technologies and mobile phones. Once complete, the reviewed NSSF will then be submitted to MCEETYA for endorsement. You can find more information about the NSSF at www.dest.gov.au/schools/nssf.
While the NSSF has been a good starting point for addressing the issue of bullying in schools, the Government believes more can be done to stop bullying in our schools.
We have developed the Bullying. No Way! website in conjunction with state and territory education departments, catholic and independent education sectors, students, staff, parents, education officers and community members from schools around the country. This interactive website has ideas for young people, parents, and teachers on what to do about bullying, harassment and violence. I encourage you to visit this website, if you haven’t already. In the “Talk Out” area of the website you can talk about bullying with experts who moderate the website.
The Government is also dealing with new forms of bullying, including cyber-bullying. We have two research projects underway which examine this type of bullying and the results of this research will be released later this year. Keep an eye on the Australian Youth Forum website for announcements and links to the information. Some of you also felt that there was not enough education on values, tolerance and respect in schools, which contributed to the bullying problem. The Government has taken a leadership role in values education initiatives for Australian schools so that values are a core part of schooling and students can learn about how values influence their lives. The National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools guides schools in helping their students to develop self-esteem, optimism, and commitment to personal fulfilment. This supports students to develop their thinking skills so that they can make good decisions about their behaviour and interaction with others.
The Government’s Values Education Program gives school communities opportunities to talk about values, attitudes and beliefs in a positive way. The National Values Education website has more information. Again, thank you for your contribution to this discussion. Please continue to visit the AYF website to provide your thoughts on other discussion topics.
Kate Ellis
Minister for Youth
Response to AYF website discussion on body image
Thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas to the recent ideas board on body image.You have told us loud and clear that you are concerned about negative body image and the impact that it has on you, your friends and the community.
The level of interest on the ideas board confirms what I have heard already through Mission Australia’s National Survey of Young Australians in 2008 that body image is one of the top three concerns for 11-24 year olds.
More than one in four of the 45,000 respondents to the Mission Australia Survey identified it as a major concern.
There is also evidence that body dissatisfaction is approaching epidemic proportions among young Australians, with seven out of ten high school girls consistently choosing an ideal figure that is thinner than their own, and only 16 per cent of young women saying they are happy with their body weight.
Last year the Government allocated $125,000 to establish a Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image, which will include consideration of the following issues:
Recently I announced the membership of a new National
Advisory Group on Body Image that will help to develop the Code of
Conduct and provide advice to the Government on a national response.
Advisory Group members include model and media identity Sarah
Murdoch, Girlfriend magazine editor Sarah Cornish, former magazine
editor Mia Freedman, founder of the Butterfly Foundation, Claire
Vickery and body image researcher Susan Paxton.
Through the Advisory Group, the Government is working in partnership
with the media, health sector, fashion industry and young people
themselves to develop a national approach to tackle negative body
image in a coordinated and targeted way.
The Government is committed to tackling negative body image from a
national perspective, by helping young Australians to build
confidence and resilience against the body image pressures that they
face.
To complement the Code, the Government is also investing $500,000 to establish a National Eating Disorders
Collaboration. This initiative will bring together experts in
education, health promotion, public health and mental health, to
consider research and ways to start to address this issue using a
multidisciplinary health approach.
The Government is also considering a recommendation from a review of
the Textile Clothing and Footwear industry to develop a new
Australian National Sizing Standard for clothing and footwear. This
is the first time that a national response to sizing has been
considered, and the Government will respond to the recommendation in
2009.
Body image affects the lives of young Australians in very powerful
ways and the Government is determined to make a difference over the
long term.
Again, thank you for your contribution to this discussion. The
Government will continue to work in partnership with young people,
using your input and ideas to tackle this important issue together.
Kate Ellis
Minister for Youth
youTHINK 20/02/2009
On Friday 20 February, hundreds of young Australians from across
the country attended the inaugural Australian Youth Forum (AYF)
event – youTHINK – hosted by the Minister for Youth, Kate
Ellis.
Discussion topics at the event were “Violence and Safety” and
“Contributing to our Democracy”.
The
discussion topics are also online, so if you were not able to
make it to youTHINK on the day, you can still have your say.
In the discussion about “Violence and Safety”, participants spoke
about the need for better understanding between young people and
authority figures, like the police, through training. They also
talked about the need for awareness raising campaigns about
violence, and the links with alcohol abuse. Participants also said
that because young people are more exposed to the media than ever
before, they are also more exposed to violence and its impact.
In the “Contributing to our Democracy” discussion, participants
spoke about making our democracy relevant and accessible for young
people, including by learning more about it at school. Many talked
about the need to involve young people in decisions about their
shared future – as well as making our system of government more
relevant and meaningful to them. Participants also had a number of
suggestions to improve the participation of young people in the
electoral process, including through better enrolment process and
lowering the voting age.
As part of the next steps, all input on the 'Violence and Safety’
and ‘Contributing to our Democracy’ topics received through youTHINK,
‘Host your own forum’ and the AYF website will be analysed with the
outcomes published on the website.
These outcomes will also be provided, as appropriate, to relevant
Ministers for consideration.
As an example, the outcomes of the ‘Contributing to our Democracy’
discussion will be sent to the Special Minister of State, Senator
John Faulkner, as a submission to the Government’s electoral reform
process that is already underway.
Keep an eye on the website for further updates from youTHINK,
and don’t forget to provide your ideas on the current and future
‘Have a Say’ topics.
If you have any further feedback about the youTHINK event, you are welcome to email the AYF inbox at ayf@deewr.gov.au. All feedback will be considered in the planning of future events.
More topics to discuss
We really want the AYF to work for you, so we consider all feedback we receive and make changes accordingly.
In response to feedback from web users and the AYF Youth Engagement Steering Committee, we have reduced the running time of each ideas board to 60 days. The Bullying discussion will be the first to close in 60 days, with Body Image remaining open for the original 90 days. Following the closure of the Body Image discussion, all future topics will close in the new 60 day timeframe.
This means that more topics will be discussed and all topic suggestions will be given to the Steering Committee for consideration.
We encourage you to keep providing us with your thoughts on the current topics and your suggestions for future discussion topics.
There's more to come
As you provide us with ideas through AYF events and when you ‘Have a Say’ on this website, we will post summaries and feedback on this page.
But first, we need to know what you think - click here to have a say.
