YOUNG VOICES NEEDED TO SHAPE FUTURE
YOUNG people wanting to make a difference in their community and influence decisions at a government level can find out how to make their voice heard at a special recruitment drive in Cairns this weekend.
Sarah Deeb, 22, is helping to create a child rights monitoring framework and a few months ago, consulted on the Queensland Women’s Health Strategy.
They’re just a snapshot of the opportunities available to her as a Youth Advocate with the Queensland Family and Child Commission (QFCC), who are on the lookout for the next raft of Youth Advocates (aged between 14–25) to influence decisionmaking.
Ms Deeb, who grew up in Cairns before moving to Brisbane for higher education, has been part of the team for six months and said it was important to be in the same room as people making decisions about you.
“The fact that it is a casual employment role, you get paid, you are not just here as a token, sets it apart,” she said.
“You get great one-on-one opportunities to raise your concerns and be listened to at the governmental level, which is really powerful.”
Sarah-Kate Butler, QFCC engagement support officer, said the recruitment drive in Cairns specifically aimed to get more young people from regional and remote areas, those with lived experience with the youth justice system and the perspectives of First Nations young people.
“We have gone to Cairns Safer Streets, Chamber of Commerce, also Cairns Regional Council to see what opportunities are here in the regional space and to expand our network,” she said.
QFCC Principal Commissioner Luke Twyford said he had concerns on how our community talks about its young people.
“A strong community recognises the value young people bring,” he said.
Some of the critical things youth advocates had done in the past included sitting with the minister for housing to talk about their experience of being a homeless child, leading to the QLD homelessness strategy, Mr Twyford said.
“Any young person who has a story about their life that they are happy to share, we want to hear it and see how we can make a change Queensland.”
Interested youth are encouraged to apply for an advocacy role via the QFCC website.