Page 1682 - Week 06 - Tuesday, 7 June 2022

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understanding of what makes an inclusive community. The resilience, rights and respectful relationships forum aimed to explore ideas around resilience, rights and respectful relationships—and the issues surrounding these concepts—for all young Canberrans. The forum also explored what effective respectful relationship programs look like for young people.

The youth employment forum aimed to improve, promote and advocate for fair and respectful employment opportunities and conditions for young workers in the ACT. This forum aimed to identify key issues that affect young people when looking for, or during, employment and to establish effective strategies and avenues that young people can utilise when facing any of these issues. The environment and sustainability forum aimed to address the question of how young people can be active citizens in schools and in their community, to contribute to a safer, cleaner environment.

The council worked with young people to provide recommendations on better management of food waste, recycling and innovative transport options, as well as sustainable schools. Our ACT Youth Advisory Council members co-facilitated each forum to explore creative solutions for each issue. Through group work and discussions, participants explored the issues and developed recommendations across the four forums for the ACT government’s consideration.

The ACT Youth Advisory Council compiled the 2021 ACT Youth Assembly Our Voice, Our Impact report, highlighting the key information from the Assembly, in particular the recommendations made by the young Canberrans who participated in the Assembly. Young people believe these recommendations will help the ACT to meet the current and emerging needs of young people in our community.

The report contains 18 recommendations from across the four forums. The inclusive society forum identified five recommendations to improve and promote safety, welcoming and inclusion, and to combat discrimination. The resilience, rights and respectful relationships forum identified four recommendations to promote respectful relationships and increase the availability of reliable and accessible information in the community. The youth employment forum identified five recommendations to improve and promote fair and respectful employment opportunities and conditions for young workers in the ACT. The environment and sustainability forum identified four recommendations on better management of food waste, recycling, innovative transport options and sustainable schools.

Madam Speaker, I believe the Youth Assembly provides an important platform for young people in the ACT to engage with issues that affect them. We have seen genuine youth participation and expanded partnerships between young people, government and the community. The 2021 ACT Youth Assembly and the ACT government response to the 2021 ACT Youth Assembly Our Voice, Our Impact report reflect our commitment to improving policy, services and programs for young Canberrans. As a result of the Youth Assembly, the ACT government can now direct resources, activities and opportunities to young people in the places and ways that best meet their needs.


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