Youth Participation

Involving Young People in Decision Making

Listen to us!

WYPIN has a ten-year history of having young people actively involved in the management of the group. Young people are represented in the Committee of Management. A vast amount of time and training is involved in developing young people so that they are able to participate in the decision making process. Resources need to be allocated to groups to train young people so that they can better participate in identifying and directing policy. Most young people, especially those of CLD backgrounds are extremely busy, with studies and employment. Their participation at a policy level needs to be financially remunerated to encourage more young people to play a greater role.

Government should thus encourage community agencies to have young people more involved in management structures and support organisations to train these young people.

WYPIN supports a Children and young people's commission. There is an increasing recognition of the need to improve the status of children and young people in the community. This is evident in the establishment of Commissions for Children and Young People both overseas and in several Australian states. The Commission would have a unique responsibility for protecting and promoting the rights of children and young people at a state level. It would also have a broad overview of the issues affecting children and young people in government, non-government and commercial sectors.

The Commission would further the Victorian Government's commitment to placing children and young people at the centre of government policy, providing a vital mechanism to promote a 'whole-of-government' approach on issues relating to children and young people.

To Contact the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues, please click the following link:

http://www.cmyi.net.au/