"I think for a long time the voices of Indigenous Australia have gone unnoticed and unheard and I think it's time for that to change," says Jade Colgan, State Co-ordinator for VIYAC.
VIYAC stands for Victorian Indigenous Youth Advisory Council and it's trying to give a voice to young Indigenous youth. "We aim to find ways of bringing the broader community and Indigenous youth together," Jade says. "It's time for the elders, the government, and the wider community to listen to young Aboriginal people".
Jade is a 23-year-old Indigenous Australian, her tribe are the Barkindji Tribe (the "River People") from the Mildura and Wilcannia area. She took on the top job at VIYAC because she feels she has "a strong passion and drive to see [her] people do well and make positive choices and changes in their lives".
When VIYAC put the call out for inspired young people to get behind this new project, it asked for them to stand up the front and lead it. "One of VIYAC's goals is to help support and develop all of the young people who get on board as best we can," Jade says. "This is a youth run program, the agenda and tone of the program will be set by the youth, for youth".
As far as Jade knows there are no other groups like VIYAC in other parts of Australia. She realised she needed to show her support and help get things started because VIYAC is giving young Indigenous people a really simple and accessible way to make changes. "Indigenous youth make up half, possibly even more of the Australian Indigenous population today," she says. "Youth need to be involved in decision-making on issues concerning them”.
As VIYAC's State Co-ordinator, Jade leads a team of Regional Representatives—young Indigenous people who want to speak on behalf of their local communities. There's two reps for each of six regions in Victoria. VIYAC has also created a Reference Group of people who can represent the Aboriginal community, including individuals from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, the Office for Youth and the Department for Victorian Communities. This group will meet regularly to talk about the problems Indigenous Australians face and what can be done to help. They will keep in touch with the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and make sure that the government hears from the Indigenous community.
Jade hopes VIYAC will provide support and guidance to help young people act on issues affecting Indigenous Australians. "If we want to preserve what little culture and beliefs we still have, then it’s up to the youth to make sure it’s achieved….it’s up to us, as young Indigenous Australians, to stand up and be heard," Jade says.
Jade has an Arts degree in Recreation Leadership and says joining VIYAC seemed like the right step to take next, a chance for her to make the most of her skills and act on issues she is passionate about. VIYAC is an opportunity for Indigenous youth to develop their skills, make new contacts and train up to become leaders in local communities and in Victoria.
Want to get involved? Get in touch with your local community organisations to find out if there are existing programs that you can tap into, to help you achieve what you want. There's VIYAC in Victoria and the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Group works on similar issues for all of Australia.
Find out more about VIYAC at the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria's website:
http://www.yacvic.org.au National Indigenous Youth Leadership Group (NIYLG) is at:
http://www.thesource.gov.au/involve/NIYLG/home.asp
