AYF Youth Engagement Steering Committee Report
There are few opportunities in life that allow YOU to tell the government what you THINK. Or so we thought…until October 2008 when the Australian Youth Forum (AYF) was launched! Many of us initially thought that as one of eleven committee members, it was our role to gauge what the youth of Australia thought about particular issues and present this to the Government. No way! This role is only partly ours -because every single young person in Australia has the opportunity to voice their concerns to the Australian Government. Whether it be through one of our Youth Forums (the first of which was held in February this year around Australia), by posting your views on the AYF website or being lucky enough to have Minister Kate Ellis visit you in your community (through the outreach component of the AYF), there are a multitude of ways in which you can tell us what youTHINK.While our role as committee members is a lot of fun and a great privilege, we’re just simply there in an advisory capacity. This has allowed us to provide input to the program of Youth Engagement activities that form part of the AYF, provide thoughts and feedback on AYF proposals based on our own individual experiences in engaging young people, identify the range of obstacles that currently exist to the engagement of some young people and provide new and creative ways of addressing various barriers. We are currently in the process of providing advice on the selection process and membership structure of the steering committee beyond its first term so stay tuned for how you can be involved.
There are a lot of interesting things written about Generation Y – our generation – and much of it is negative. Given Gen Y’s purported ‘look at me’ reputation, many people would be surprised to learn that many young people live life as today’s leaders, choosing not to wait till they finish school or university or start full time work before making a personal commitment to being a citizen responsive to the needs of the world. More and more young people are not only recognising that the world is bigger than themselves and that of their friends and family – but are actually demonstrating this through their own actions – such as participation in the AYF.
The success of the AYF in its first term – through the turn out at big events, the use of the web and the upcoming outreach component- is indicative of the fact that young people do see that they have a role to play in contributing to our democracy. We’re excited to have the opportunity! The issues and advice that the Government wants to hear from you suggests that your input is valued – what are you waiting for? Have YOU told the Australian Government what YOU think?
The 2008/09 Committee
