Page 1288 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 5 May 2015
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community as well as some fun giveaways and entertainment. There was popcorn from Belconnen Community Service, green slime from Headspace, free water bottles from ACT Health, wristbands, sports socks and USB sticks from Youth InterACT, and a free sausage sizzle put on by the Youth Coalition.
I had the honour of being involved in the healthy eating cook-off against Diane Joseph from the Education and Training Directorate and Emma Robertson from the Youth Coalition. Cooking in front of a crowd of young people in Garema Place on a Friday night is something I had not thought I would ever see myself doing, but it was great fun and we got a great reception. My Austrian burgers, which were a hit with my mates when we were backpacking around Queensland on a tight budget, unfortunately were outdone by the fine chicken satay dish from Diane on the night. I must say, there were still some greens left over, though.
I also had the pleasure of listening to several young bands performing in the city centre as part of the expo, and I can say that live music is well and truly thriving with the current generation of young talented performers. The expo was just one of more than 15 events throughout the week at various venues across Canberra. One of the most spectacular events was an exhibition of over 10,000 self-portraits and messages from students attending over 50 ACT schools, called Right Here Right Now. The self-portraits were stuck onto hundreds of cardboard boxes and arranged into the shape of a double helix to symbolise young people being a part of the DNA of Canberra.
This art project was organised by Alasdair Roy, Commissioner for Children and Young People, and commenced in November 2014 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Through this art project the ACT’s young people have told us what is important to them and why their contribution should be recognised as important to the Canberra community. The old adage that children and young people should be seen and not heard is one that is rightly being challenged. For too long, younger voices have struggled to get the ear of those in authority. This is not the way that an inclusive community should operate and it is why we want to build a society where everyone is able to participate and realise their goals.
It is one of the main reasons behind a step up for our kids, the ACT government’s new strategy for out of home care. We believe family and community play a vital role in the promotion of children and young people’s rights through the provision of a positive and caring environment that listens to and supports their needs. This supportive, positive environment was clearly on display during National Youth Week.
Some of the other National Youth Week events included a three-ring circus extravaganza, hosted by Belconnen Community Centre, featuring carnival games, circus performances, workshops, bands and food. In Tuggeranong, young people hurled wet sponges, shot some hoops and grooved to tunes spun by a DJ at the Gugan Gulwan Aboriginal Corporation. This event highlighted the need for us as a community to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are not overlooked but given every opportunity to have a voice and access to appropriate services and supports.
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