ActNow: After meeting with thousands of young people on your national Youth Engagement tour, how would you describe Australian youth?
Chris: If you walked in my shoes and saw the incredible impact young people from all walks of life are having on our communities, you would know that today’s generation of young Australians represent hope for better communities and a better Australia.
People reply to this with, “Chris, you’re kidding yourself with your idealism. Young people are apathetic.”
Young Australians give a damn about their communities. We are excited about what our vast and yet young country can become. We know that we’re young and have so much to experience, but we don’t see huge success coming from the decisions of our leaders, and we think our fresh leadership can help. So my reply to the cynics is to wake up and realise that while you have been rolling your eyes and saying “young people are apathetic,” young people have actually been thinking and driving change.
ActNow: Why should young people ‘take action’?
Chris: I have always believed that young people should take action because young people are a valuable part of the community and in my mind hold the key to building stronger communities. The reason they ‘hold the key’ is because young people have a unique energy and enthusiasm about them.
ActNow: Why should organisations get youth involved in delivering and shaping their programs?
Chris: Youth have a right to have a say in decisions that affect them. In the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 12 talks about our right to be heard and can be interpreted as saying that we are to be included as an equal partner in processes that will impact us, instead of being viewed as a ‘not-ready-yet’ entity.
For organisations working for, with or through young people it is imperative they understand child and youth participation. I say this not just from a rights-based perspective, but also looking at the effectiveness of organisations and their positive impact on youth. Young people have a better idea of what their generation likes, appreciates, will respond to, etc. No one can ignore that basic notion. It extends to saying that programs for youth are going to be better if they are created by youth.
We can do much more to ensure marginalised and socially excluded young people experience full and effective participation in the community. I heard a lot how young people just want to enjoy their full rights and feel valued by our community. What is exciting is that we can break the ‘cycles of discouragement’ that these young people find themselves in by involving them in community. This is the best way to change young people’s lives for the better.
ActNow: How do you juggle the diverse range of opinions that Australian youth represent?
Chris: I’m no master of the juggling act, but I have learnt a lot! It was important to me to be effective in my role and identify the youth concerns I heard the most often as my core mandates. In doing so, I had to be sure to represent youth opinion broadly. For instance I would not be doing my job properly if I only acted on the concerns of senior high school students, or the concerns of only one particular cultural group.
ActNow: What do you feel is the best way to engage youth who see having their say as pointless, either because they feel they won’t be listened to or don’t have the ability to make a difference?
Chris: Youth empowering youth is the key. Personally, I like sharing stories of positive contributions young people have made to their communities. I find this is the best way to empower other young people to see how they can make a difference. People are naturally inspired by what others have done in the face of similar adversity.
