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I don't know about anyone else, but I think the most important thing that I want to see in a National Strategy for young people is the VOICE of young people.

So young peeps out there ... here's your chance ... get involved in the convo - otherwise the National Strategy might only have the voice and thinking of the not-so- young people in Canberra!

Wow...to quote Janice 'this is kind of a big deal'!  This is a fantastic opportunity for folks to get involved in determining what this new strategy looks like. 

Me?  I'd love to see the federal government acknowledge that young people are not a homogenous group.  Each young person brings special skills and experience, but some require special support and attention due to their life experiences.  For example, young people who take on caring responsibilities - these young people play an important role in supporting those who have a chronic illness, disability or drug and alcohol problem. 

If I could tell the Minister anything, I would love nothing more than to tell him the following story:

Back in 2004, I was in highschool and was lucky enough to be selected to go to Canberra for the National Youth Parliament which was a jointly funded program of the Federal Government and the YMCA.

The National Youth Parliament was an apartisan, non-factional body made up of young people from around Australia who authored their own bills, debated them, made up our own minds about the value of the proposed law -- and voted accordingly.

The 'bills' were then presented to the Prime Minister, Minister for Youth, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate -- for their consideration.

This was easily one of the best civics education progams available in Australia. Young people from all walks of life learnt about how Government works -- and learning a little about themselves and their beliefs in the process.

However, after 2004, the program's funding dried up. The Minister for Youth (Larry Anthony) said that it was to put funding into the Prime Minister's Youth Roundtable. The Roundtable according to Senate Estimates, spent more money on PR than on implementing young people's recommendations -- and most of the recommendations were already Liberal Party policy.

I understand that this is not in the Minister's portfolio, but I would ask the Minister to please talk to Kate Ellis about funding the program again.

That way the Government can have a regular annual dialogue with young people, instead of just a once-off on the ReachOut.com forums (as awesome as this is).

Interesting ideas Matthew!

Alrighty... I would love to see the Government recognise the skills and experiences that Young People bring with them and that each Young Person brings different skills and experiences with them (like Michelle!).

I think there needs to be more effort put into certain areas however, areas like young carers, youth mental health and youth access to health - particularly in rural areas.

I'm a Young Person who lives in a rural area. I battle along each day with a few different diagnosed mental illnesses and I used to have to travel (and still do) 3 and a half hours to get treatment and support that I could afford. Now we have a local Headspace site however, they have had to stop taking on new clients because they do not have enough money to be able to expand their services (I'm a Headspace YA as well). Neither of these situations are positive for a Young Person at all.

Also I believe that something has to be done to look at how many Young People are homeless or live under the poverty line. Living off less than $100 a week to pay all bills, food, accommodation, petrol etc. because I'm apparently ineligble for youth allowance is a joke - and I know I'm not the only young person that is in this situation. A Young Person can not develop positively unless they are able to not have to worry about whether they can afford food next week, whether they will have a roof over their heads that night.

I have no idea how any of that answers the questions... but I guess my main points are; I'd love to strategy to include more access to mental health, money to be able to live, initiatives to be put in place to help combat the increasing rates of youth homelessness and access to health services in rural areas. Also that each Young Person is different, has different experiences and skills and that Young People have a voice :)

Also - to add on to something that Mathew said. I know the AYF exists - I've attended YOUTHink events - but I think something more needs to be done to consult with and engage the Young People of Australia.

- Jen :)

@ JoD. Thanks for the comments

@ Jen. I know that the AYF exists too, but I don't think it offers the same wholistic experience as the National Youth Parliament (NYP) did for a number of reasons.

1. NYP was run by a non-political not-for-profit, so it was free from government control and interest. It was allowed to be it's own free thinking institution.

2. NYP brought together people from across Australia for a week of intensive communication, discussion, and debate. It was as valuable for the personal sharing of stories, and network building as it was for anything else.

3. NYP built skills of young people, so they could take their ideas back home and work to lobby for the change they wanted to see. NYP helped developed public speaking skills and confidence in a crew of people who might have not normally engaged in politics in this manner -- particularly those who are intimidated by 'party politics'.

... I could go on and on...

:)

@Mathew: I totally agree with you there! :) I don't believe that the AYF necessarily contributes to the positive development of Young People, just from my experiences from participating in AYF events.

I'd also like to see the Government engage Young People in different ways. Not just through AYF but through face-to-face events, through more online discussions with RO and the like etc.

Hi everyone!

Today i attended one of the National Youth Stratefy Events at Parliament House focusing on youth with a disablity and youth from non english speaking backgrounds.
I was so intrigued by the passion and committment being shown by those in attendence! I really encourage you all to try to get involved in any way possible! Even host your own event, Im sure some of you might even be suprised by the really compelling stuff some of your freinds might have to say!

I find Jen's comment about the AYF really interesting and will definately take that on board ans back to the AYF as I am a Steering Committee member. I hope these new strategies as well as the work we are doing will help to push us into the more active direction you are looking for.

(:

@Sandrine29: sounds like today's event was pretty awesome!

One of the main things about my point above is the way in which the youthink events run. From my experience Young People didn't get to necessarily discuss the issues and points they wanted to get across in the topics as it was more of a "state your issue and we will write it down and report back to the Minister", even then, Young People didn't get the chance to put out what was important to them about the topic - I hope that kinda makes sense! :)

I think that the fact that we have all these youth forums that the government says they listen to is great, it really is-but I just don't think its really being all that effective.

What I would love to see is the government trying to set up some kind of NGO or non-biased body that aims to get youth interested and involved in politics. The way that these youth forums work, the only people that really go are the ones that are already interested, and that's normally because of their parents or their education.

If we could see more youth actually becoming aware of the political processes that affect them and what it all means would be excellent. At the moment we just see Kevin Rudd's media machine pulling in young people because he trys to look 'cool' by using social networking sites, and even programs such as this, where the government says they are going to listen to what is said. Here young people are just blindly following whatever looks 'popular' at that point in time, and get so caught up in that that they don't actually bother to pay attention to or understand the actual hard policy that is being enacted.

That's why I think the government really needs an initiative to start getting youth interested in and understanding politics.

young ordinary Australians doing extraordinary things with thier life..is what inspires a nation!
Qualities such as determination, perseverance, enthusiasm and committment can cause a 'domino effect' to those around that individual.
A strategy the government should be using is putting more emphasis on young Australians shining these qualities everyday of their lives.
Is it the young Australians that are the future isn't it? The ones that need words of affirmation to persevere in the difficult times. To be reminded that difficult times WILL come but to know they WILL get through it with the helping hand of the community.

I have no idea why I think this will work but I will try again. I have tried writing letters, emailing, networking government for 2 years now with no success (unless you include recieving generic letters back as success).

I'm 22 and I'm passionate about prevention of violence in young peoples own relationships and so I should, its my job. I'm sick of seeing money go to programs that are made to prevent violence in adult relationships, or violence against children rather than recognising that the majority of victims of violence in romantic relationships are young women themselves. It isn't of a silent nature, it isn't behind closed doors. It's quiet public and embedded in the social realm.

The Howard government has scrapped a campaign that had already cost the government $2 million aimed at stopping violence in young peoples relationships. This government will probably just ignore it. We will never prevent violence until we look at violence in relationship where it starts, which with very little irony is the same place where people learn to develop romantic relationships, in their youth.

AND non of this one day, whole school program rubbish. That's not how you get people to change attitudes, that's a free day out of class. There are programs out there in NSW and VIC that are actually multiple workshop programs but hey they cost money so lets fund the cheap ineffective option.

May I say I was a lot nicer in my letters at the beginning of last year. Now I know I'm not going to be heard. Domestic violence in relationships may cost Australia 2 million per person in rehabilitating the victims, but the government won't fund an effective solution because more short term project means more ongoing recogintion

I think I can add my 2c in here

In terms of Strategy I think government needs to realise that young people have a very real contribution to make to what is seen as "non-youth issues". For example it is the debt that is created today that will affect our capacity to provide social services when we are running the country in a decades time. Almost every area of policy directly affects young people in Australia, either now or in the future.I feel more needs to be done, especially this government which has been all talk and no action. A good example is to look at the result of the youth 2020 summit where few ideas had even been looked and considered.

In previous posts there seems to be a lot of disparaging comments made about politicians here. So I would just want to point out that the generation most of the politicians come from is a generation of talking, and I feel that our generation is a generation of acting. I think one of the things a lot of us need to realise is there is a merit in talking (and I don't feel that our generation does it as much as we should), and there is merit in acting (you can't effectively act until you have had a detailed discussion about what is needed and what you are trying to do). It just highlights the intergenerational differences that exists and the paradigm that youth will have to work through for real policy change.

So its time to play it on the older generations terms and beat them - as young people we need discuss issues but propose pragmatic solutions to those issues. I know Ministers and Shadow Ministers are receptive to new ideas and good policy - so make sure your views are known. For example, writing a letter about your local MP outlining how bad the history curriculum is may get you a standard response, but proposing a solution to that problem will differentiate yourself from the hundreds of other letters that a politician receives each day. Politicians from all sides are looking for pragmatic policy to sell at the next election, and that ultimately has to come from the people, its up to young people to step up to the plate.

Politicians love good, well-written policy, so come up with a coherent policy document in the form of a motion and supporting evidence and send it to your local MP, the Minister and the Shadow Minister (but make sure you are writing to the right level of government)... They do actually care and are genuinely interested in constituent concerns (I'm talking about all sides here).

Too many political problems in this country are not addressed because people don't voice their concern in the right forum.

Furthermore, I'd encourage people to act inside of their communities. This could be voicing a new policy idea at a progress meeting, or setting up your own litter clean up in your local school. Not everything needs to be done by the government, and in some cases it is good to not have the government involved.

However, get out and be active! It only takes one to change the world!

Hi @ Eliza WW, not sure whether you have already made a submission but the Senate is currently undertaking an enquiry into the impact of violence on young Australians.  More info can be found here: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/fchy/youthviolence/hearings.htm

@JordanL - do you have any ideas about how government could make policy accessible and relevant for young people?

I'll throw an idea in the hat...
Young people in Australia clearly have good ideas for the whole community and not just young people. A federally administered small grants program that gives matching grants of up to $5000 for community engagement projects would go a long way in proving young people can succeed in developing their respective communities.

Each year, similar to the Direct Aid Program of the Department of Foreign Affairs, there would be a theme (for example, community health and projects that focused on community health would be funded in a highly competitive process).

The money would be given as a 1:1 matching grant available immediately once the other funding is available. This decreases the idea that it is a free handout and puts the onus on  young people to obtain the skills necessary to fund raise and run projects.

This would encourage 'out of the box' young people with great ideas to apply and part funding for specific projects that they perceive to be for the betterment of community. It would encourage social entrepreneurship among youth and also address problems that youth see in their communities. It will take their immense passion and give them the skills to convert that to change.

I'd like the government to actually pay attention to us. I think we'd surprise them with how many great ideas we have, and how willing we are to help others.

xx

Woah, so many good points here. I'm still new to all this but I'll have a go.

I'd like the government to try to reach young Australians and find their opinions of both general and youth-related issues. While it's good to have some of us who are interested to take the initiative and have our say, I also think that youths who are not interested in the 'political scene' have a valuable say in many of the issues we face day to day. I don't really believe that many young Australians have their say because the voices the government does hear is often an observer who does not have a personal insight of the matter.

Workshops and widespread education can help. From personal observations, I think that many young Australians do not even know that they can have their input as to what the government does. It's almost like youths assume that everyone else will know what they want and policies are strictly left to their elders.

I think one of the crucial things that I would say and I have noted that others have said similar things is the government needs to work on ways to empower young people to make change for themselves. Matthew's idea was a great one and would be a great start but think there needs to be a wider consultation than that. I think the key aspect is a change in behaviour from gpovernment so be inclusive of young people and to consider YP issues rather than discarding them as most YP can't vote. I think as a part of this lowering the voting age to 16 would help. Giving YP aged 16-18 the opportunity but not the obligation to vote if they so wish and having incentives for those who do.

I think that would go a long way to starting some change.

Thanks for your comments Nick.  What sort of incentives would you offer to encourage people to vote?

Hello,

Great to hear from Sandrine--I attended one of the National Conversations in Canberra too, so I was interested to hear about the one you attended. Mine was focussed on Rural and Regional youth.

I was on Reach Out's Regional and Rural forum a few days ago and was asked what I would do with government power (wow, the imagination could go wild, here), or what I suggest the government can do to help young people in the bush. I have a few ideas for how the government can support bush kids and encourage people to choose a rural lifestyle.

I hear the government is reviewing Centerlink's youth allowance and looking for ways to give better financial support to rural youth who have to move to the city to study. I have high hopes for this. More financial support to help rural youth with their educations would certainly help.

We need more services in the bush. Eg. Doctors, dentists, teachers. As an example, I live north of Jericho in central Queensland and my nearest doctor is 2 hours drive away. He is the doctor for 3 towns, spanning about 300km. We really need another doctor because ours covers a huge area of land, goes on call-outs, takes emergencies and is run off his feet. It's hard to get in to see him. People might be happy to live regionally if they didn't feel they might be medically disadvantaged by living away from the city. Similar applies for teachers. Shortage of education facilities in the bush means we have to go to the city, which is expensive (as suggested previously).

I think Pastoral Colleges are a great way to educate interested young people about living on the land, and encourage them to do so. However, several Colleges in Queensland have been amalgamated and some of the boarding facilities have been closed down. I think this is really sad. Fewer Pastoral Colleges means less opportunity to learn about the agricultural industries. If Colleges have been forced to amalgamate because fewer students are taking courses, perhaps we need to create incentives for people to go to Pastoral Colleges. Does the government offer Agricultural scholarships? Can they?

These are just a few thoughts. I think it is a tough issue -- how to get young people to return to the bush, or how to encourage people to be primary producers. I am wracking my brains. Anybody have any other ideas?

hi JoD - Inspire Crew

I have had a look and I have sent them our evaluation report. I looked at their survey too, sadly the survey is very limited. It seems to look at street and gang violence and again, not domestic violence. They have present answers to this survey which will predict the outcome of the surveys. I have a bet it will say, males under 18 the worst offenders, alcohol an issue and more police needed. The multiple choice format is very limiting.

If I could talk to Kevin Rudd face to face about anything it would have to be about what young youths are taught at school. There is so much mental illness, suicides, drug and alcohol issues! If they brought in a subject that was taught everyday and mandatory in all schools, based on building self-esteem, how to redirect thoughts in a positive way, taking responsibility for your life, how to make choices that are best for your own life and goal setting. These factors are such a big part of how we live our life. This could work, and would change the life of millions.......

Inspiring the Young Adult Spirit...

Totally agree Bella & Inspiring the Young Adult Spirit!

I wish there wasnt so much focus on being "smart"... I wish the person mattered more than what they knew ........

Bluebird.

Regarding psychological wellbeing strategies:

1) let there be a place for second opinions, where the young person can be reassessed without the influence of any previous diagnoses. unfortunately there's still a lot of stigma even when the younster obviously failed to respond to treatment of the misdiagnosis. The second opinion may decrease the time between initial symptomology and effective treatment.

2) Respect the young persons confidential medical information, rather than using it against them.

3) Listen to the young person. validate.

I like the points you have made James and agreed to be honest.

Some amazing suggestions everyone!

James - we're running a Youth Mental Health feature forum tonight from 6pm so you can share your ideas with the Government about youth mental health.  Would be great to have you (and all the other fabulous people on here) as part of the conversation!! :)

tonight's (Thursday 12th) conversation is here:

http://au.reachout.com/connect/forums/features/national-conversation-youth-mental-health-12-11-09

See you there at 6pm!

I think one thing that's really missing at the moment in mental health treatment (and I am refering specifically to inpatient, acute care) is separate treatment for young people and older people.

I was hospitalised for 4 months of this year in a general psychiatric unit and for most of my stay there I was the youngest by at least 15 years, for a week I was the youngest by about 20 years. It was awful, and it's extremely hard to heal when you have old men leering at you, saying derrogatory things and talking openly about sexual abuse they've partaken in. The other part of that being that in a psychiatric unit, patients are not often very inhibited and often are not aware of hygeine, dressing, etc. So often times patients would walk around the ward naked, etc. This is extremely uncomfortable, espeically when these are older people.

I guess from my experience it was awful
a) being in a grotty, seldom cleaned properly psychiatric unit for an extended period of time with extremely limited leave
b) not having anyone my own age around (often times the closest in age to me were the nurses in their 20s)
c) not really having anyone to talk to
d) not being in a very 'youth friendly' space. The only things to do were colour in, read magazines that were really old, colour in, sleep, colour in. sleep, colour in...etc.

I really think we need to give young people the best chance at healing and give them treatment in an environment appropriate to their age and illness.