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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-09-15 Daily Xml
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INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF YOUTH

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:54): I rise today to recognise that we are in the United Nation's International Year of Youth, which started in August this year, and to talk about the fantastic contributions being made by young people in Australia not only to human rights but also to the pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals. Members would be aware that there are eight goals, and they include such wonderful things as:

to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;

to achieve universal primary education;

to promote gender equality and empower women;

to reduce child mortality;

to improve maternal health;

to combat HIV AIDS, malaria and other diseases;

to ensure environmental sustainability; and

to develop a global partnership for development.

I recently had the good fortune of coming into contact with two groups of young people that I would like to commend for their work in pursuit of these Millennium Development Goals. The first is the group of girls who were at the camp I attended at the weekend, the Be the Change camp run by the Girl Guides of South Australia. That was a group of 13 to 18 year olds who were focused not only on learning more about the Millennium Development Goals but also on undertaking their own personal projects to pursue those goals within their own lives. I would particularly like to commend the workshop leaders Emma Sheard, Ruth Waterman and Miranda McGlaughin. I would like to acknowledge that Steph Key also attended that conference this past weekend.

Of course, the Girl Guides are well known to us all, and I was very grateful for my Girl Guide biscuits. It was the first time I have ever received them, and I am looking forward to eating them later this week. Another group we would all be aware of—

The Hon. J.S. Lee interjecting:

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS: I can share them with honourable members; indeed, I will bring them to an appropriate place at some stage. The United Nations Youth Association would, of course, enjoy those Girl Guide cookies, but of greater importance is the role its members are playing in improving and pursuing human rights globally and in South Australia. For those who have not encountered the United Nations Youth Association before, these young people are an inspiration. They are acutely aware of their role in society and are active in advocating for change.

In July this year the association held its national youth conference in Perth. It was the largest residential youth camp in Australia, with more than 150 delegates attending the conference from all states and territories—including, of course, South Australia—as well as New Zealand and South Korea. These amazing young people produced a document called the '2010 Youth Change Document', which covers areas as diverse as development, education, environment, Indigenous affairs, international relations, trade and commerce. I highly recommend reading it.

Some of the ideas and initiatives in this document are truly inspirational. They reflect the thoughts and visions of our future leaders and nation builders. The overwhelming message from this inspirational document was one of compassion and cooperation—social, national and international responsibilities that Australia must meet. The document called for Australia to make more of an effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and I commend them for this. I do not think we have talked enough about the Millennium Development Goals in Australia, and I do not think we have taken our commitments there seriously. I would hope that this future generation will see that change.

The document that UNYA has produced recognises the key role of education, and also recognises the considerable disparities that currently exist within our own country in areas such as closing the gap between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. Equality in educational access and quality was forefront in the minds of these young people when crafting this document as well, of course, as consistent concern for the environment with regard to not only climate change but also the need for a real awareness of the finite nature of our natural resources. Other areas touched on in the document covered the wide range of Millennium Development Goals.

I believe this document serves as a vision of the future generation, and it demands to be heard and taken seriously, just as the youth of Australia demand to be heard and taken seriously. Despite negative media portrayals, we know that young people are not lazy, are not disengaged or uninterested in politics and the national interest. They can add a vibrant and valuable voice to the national debate, and I believe that they must and deserve to be heard to a larger extent than they are currently. In this International Year of Youth I call on my colleagues in this chamber to encourage young people in their electorates around the state, and young people around the nation, to increase their participation in public life, as it can only enrich our society.

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