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AUSTRALIA Youth Participation and Empowerment As the YMCA of Australia pursues its youth development, participation and empowerment programmes, it is constantly working to gain a better understanding of the dynamic social and economic contexts in order to meet the real needs of young people today. In our work, we have found ample diverse evidence of some typical personal reactions to rapid social change, which Emile Durkheim, the great 19th Century French social scientist calls anomie - rootlessness or lack of perceived meaning in life. Growing youth suicide and substance abuse are common. However, other less obvious but important evidence is also there - a burgeoning interest in finding meaning in spirituality rather than simply material success; a strong belief that our political and social institutions are either no longer relevant or incapable of solving the major problems they created in the past; a questioning of the relevancy of education. Key themes running through are the need for self-identity and leadership. Australian YMCA Youth Parliament: Biennially the National Council of YMCAs of Australia runs a unique programme for youth - the Youth Parliament, an apolitical programme designed and conducted by young people. The Youth Parliament provides young people, 15-18 years of age, an opportunity to understand the parliamentary process and the formation of Bills. It is run by a "Task Force" comprising dynamic, committed and dedicated young volunteers, all former participants, devoting up to 500 voluntary hours each to the programme. Two days of Parliamentary Debate, strictly adhering to Federal Parliamentary Protocol and Parliamentary Etiquette, are con-ducted at Parliament House Victoria. Youth Parliamentarians address issues with great conviction, strong factual well-researched argument and a sense of humour. Members of the public who attend the parliamentary debates are most impressed with the Youth Parliamentarians. Three years ago, sixteen Bills covering a wide range of issues of concern to the Australian youth were debated during the two days of sitting, including the Youth Voting Rights Bill, Fair Standards for Secondary Education Bill, Teenage Parenting Initiatives Bill. The Acts of the Youth Parliament were given assent by the Youth Governor General and then handed directly to a representative of the Federal Government for policy ideas. This flagship YMCA youth programme is based around young people developing their own parliamentary bills in conjunction with peers, and coming together formally to debate them under the Westminster Systems of Government followed in Australia. The five states and the Australian Territory conduct their own Youth Parliaments annually. The Biennial National Youth Parliament takes place in Canberra with up to 500 young people from all over Australia. The Youth Parliament experience provides young people with a serious opportunity to impact on youth policy development, and to develop substantially on a personal level. Bills passed by this Youth Parliament are then formally handed over to the Federal Minister for Education, who disseminates them to the appropriate Ministers for their attention. A number of ex-Youth Parliamentarians have gone on to forge impressive careers within the political arena. A substantial number of Youth Parliament generated ideas have found their way into actual legislation. Contact Person: Mr. Bob Nicholson |
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