By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
THEY’RE young, articulate and passionate for change.
Arif, Arnold, Ky and Robina are part of Greater Dandenong Council’s youth-services think tank.
Their voices are resonating in the ears of politicians and council officials as well as their peers.
The Greater Dandenong Youth Think Tank provides a forum for local young people to discuss and share ideas about important issues that impact on young people.
Its 15 participants provide advice and feedback to local, state and federal governments and other relevant organisations on important issues.
And they don’t mind rattling the cage.
Albert spoke out at a youth employment forum last year about employers whose racial discrimination was cruelly affecting young jobseekers’ chances.
The comments made front-page news on the Journal and led to kudos from his peers.
The good news was that after the forum, some of the long-frustrated participants landed jobs.
“But more needs to be done,” says Albert.
The four inspire one another. They want to inspire more young people to get involved, to find their voices – the last thing they want is for their think tank to be a goldfish bowl.
Ky rails against the “misconception that young people don’t care about the world going on around them”.
“Young kids care about the future and how they, as a community of young people, can resolve that.
“The level of engagement is rising.”
On the think tank, the 15 members survey other young people and plough their ideas into three identified local issues – homelessness, community safety and jobs.
The crew recently presented to Greater Dandenong Council’s community safety committee, advocating the need for more street lights and youth-targeted programs.
“We have to work on the perception of Greater Dandenong in the media,” Arif says.
“Community safety is not as bad as portrayed and perceived.”
They have also broadened their gazes onto state, national and international affairs. Ky and Robina want to work for the United Nations.
Robina is part of a Youth Affairs Council Victoria cabinet of young people who are incubating policy ideas ahead of the state election.
They are set to pitch agenda items such as mental health and sexuality.
Locally she sees the need to build relations between people of different backgrounds.
Recently Arif and Ky were among 60 young people who hurtled questions on international affairs at a panel of young leaders at Moordialloc College on 28 March.
Arif’s insights on the plight of refugees and asylum seekers were born from close experience.
They impressed panellist Laura John, who is gathering views of young people as Australia’s youth representative to the United Nations.
He was the only one in the forum’s room to know when the last asylum seeker was processed on-shore in Australia.
There had been none since 19 August 2012; since that time 30,000 people would have been processed had there not been this policy of “deliberate delay”, according to Arif.
“I come from a background where people don’t have access to justice so I’ve always wanted to serve people.”
Ky, who is studying politics and developmental studies, aims to work for the UN but says: “If you want to build a better world, you start in the local community and build upwards.”
Arnold, studying youth work, wants to work “hand in hand” with young people with migrant backgrounds in Greater Dandenong.
Since July, these ambitious members have been spurring each other into more action and ideas.
They are excited by the doors that have already opened.
Robina says: “If the start of this is so huge, the future will be even brighter.”
