Working partner: Department of Home Affairs
About
In Australia, people have the power to participate in decision-making.
Members of the Civic Engagement Youth Advisory Group work on practical civic engagement initiatives. These will help young people to understand:
- how they can have their voices heard
- what their rights are in a democracy
- how they can create change in their community.
Members
Emma is currently living in regional South Australia.
Originally from a remote cattle station in the Northern Territory, Emma brings a perspective of remote living, self-reliance, and a strong sense of connection to community.
Emma believes the Civic Engagement Youth Advisory Group aligns with her own personal values and interests.
Through involvement in the group, Emma wishes to be surrounded by young people who are inspired to achieve things in their communities.
Faaiza is currently a university student studying law and working part time as a high school tutor and paralegal.
Faaiza is incredibly passionate about listening to and sharing the multitude of voices and opinions that young people hold, she believes there is so much diversity to celebrate and revel in through conversation and storytelling.
Through involvement in the Civic Engagement Youth Advisory Group, Faaiza hopes to harness this strength and power to unite the community of young people in Australia and continually empower them to use their voices for action.
Faaiza is an avid lover of cats and literature.
Isabelle is in year 12 and lives in regional Victoria.
Over the last year, Isabelle has engaged in opportunities to help her ignite her interest in bettering her community, which has led her to this Youth Advisory Group.
Isabelle is interested in encouraging youth participation in the wider Australian community and her own small town.
Isabelle hopes that this experience will lead her to further organisation and leadership skills.
Jeremy is a proud Ngaanyatjarra and Pitjantjatjara man living in Adelaide on Kaurna country.
Jeremy is in his penultimate year of studying a double degree in International Relations and Arts, majoring in Indigenous Knowledges and Society at The University of Adelaide.
Outside of studying, Jeremy volunteers at a youth drop-in centre as a mentor for at-risk young people.
Jeremy is passionate about community development and hopes through participating in the Civic Engagement Youth Advisory Group to gain valuable experience working with other like-minded people.
Jeremy wants to provide advice on how to engage young people in the community as their voices matter.
Joshua has an extremely diverse wealth of lived experience, including being a young carer for his sister with severe disabilities for 10 years and having been raised in poverty.
Joshua has spent his entire childhood living in various towns in regional and remote Western Australia.
Within this group, Joshua hopes to share his countless ideas informed by the diverse, unique struggles and experiences he has encountered throughout life.
Joshua is eager to engage with other members from different walks of life, listen, learn and incorporate the valuable perspectives they offer.
Joshua hopes to contribute valuably and provide feedback of significance to support the government to achieve an informed and comprehensive plan to improve the lives and opportunities for young Australians from all walks of life.
Kuba has lived in Tasmania for most of his life but had the opportunity to live in Poland for 18 months with his family.
Kuba has just started studying Law and International Relations at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Kuba would like to see more in-school teaching about the electoral process. Throughout his schooling, Kuba only learnt about voting in Grade 5 and had to remind many of his friends to enrol to vote for the 2023 referendum.
Kuba believes in the age of social media it's hard to avoid the news, but we need to do more to figure out how to turn that digital excitement into in-person engagement.
Kuba likes public speaking, bushwalks and wombats.
Tobias wishes to contribute to the work of the youth advisory group through his deep passion for civic engagement.
Tobias has dedicated his personal time to opportunities such as Rural Fire Service and Toastmasters, alongside involvement and work with politicians and political offices to gain a further understanding of Australia’s system of government.
Tobias believes that if he can assist the government to work with young people and give youth the opportunity to give back through engagement with community organisations then his time will be well spent.
Tully lives and studies in Brisbane, Queensland. Tully spent the first 15 years of her life living in Gladstone in central Queensland and her experiences of living in a regional town has ignited her passion for community work.
Tully believes her recent move to the city has led her on a pathway to fighting for the rights of regional kids, with a particular interest in ensuring more access to extracurricular activities, specifically humanities and political opportunities.
Tully’s other passions include volunteering, loving life and reading.