AYF Steering Committee Update: Jamie | Australian Youth Forum

AYF Steering Committee Update: Jamie | Australian Youth Forum
AYF Steering Committee Update: Jamie – 15 March 2011

In all honesty, a lot of young people wouldn’t think it’s cool to share their opinion on big issues like foreign policy, high school curriculum and climate change. A lot of young people today will even keep quiet about issues that affect them in their very own cities like Indigenous policy, sexuality or financial problems. But if we really think about it, if we as a group remain silent then who is going to be in control of our future?

That is why I am a part of the AYF Youth Engagement Steering Committee, I come across young people every day who have amazing ideas, incredible passion and the power to bring about change, but perhaps lack the confidence or the direction to share their thoughts. I hear many young people complain about the state of Australia and the world we live in but I want to see more of them creating change by volunteering or TALKING and spreading their ideas.

I knew the other 10 members of the Committee were all going to be incredible people but I was blown away by what many of them have achieved in such a short time. As a Committee we will be out there throughout 2011, gathering the ideas and opinions of young people and sharing them with the Australian Government. The voices of this country’s 4 million young people are a powerful resource that Australia would be foolish not to listen to.

If you are a young person with an idea, thought or opinion - don’t hold back, go on the ‘have a say’ page and voice your opinion now!