On 22 June 2026, MYAN and the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) met with the Parliamentary Friends of Young People at Parliament House to discuss social cohesion. Co-chaired by Kate Chaney MP, Angie Bell MP and Senator Charlotte Walker, Parliamentary Friends of Young People provides a platform for young people to engage directly with policymakers and contribute to important national conversations.
Representing MYAN were Mich, MYAN FUSE 2025 Alumni, and Ruba, a current MYAN Youth Council member from the ACT, alongside Raghu from South Australia, representing AYAC. The discussion built on multicultural young people’s lived experience and informed by findings from AYAC’s Building Social Cohesion WITH Young People report, which explored how 1,186 young Australians experience belonging, fairness and having a voice in society.
Young people at the centre
The session showcased the value of young people’s lived experience in policy discussions.
Drawing on her experience as a multicultural young person, Ruba reflected on what social cohesion means beyond ideas of assimilation or conformity.
“Social cohesion is feeling connected to and a valuable part of Australian society.”
She encouraged policymakers to embrace diversity of thought and ensure young people are genuinely involved in shaping decisions.
“Diversity in leadership and decision-making spaces would look like getting young and multicultural people involved in policy development and co-design for what affects them most.”
Mich spoke about the impact of racism, online extremism and digital spaces on social cohesion, highlighting the need for stronger action to address harmful content online and involve young people in conversations about digital regulation.
“This racist, extremist rhetoric argues that it wants to defend Australia’s social cohesion, but if anything, it threatens that very social cohesion.”
They also reminded attendees that social cohesion cannot exist where discrimination and exclusion are normalised.
“There is not strong social cohesion if mistreating and dehumanising groups of people within Australian society is seen as acceptable behaviour.”
More than consultation
A strong message emerged throughout the discussion: young people are not just affected by policy decisions, they have valuable expertise to contribute to them.
The contributions from Mich, Ruba and Raghu demonstrated the insight, leadership and lived experience young people bring to complex policy issues. Their participation reinforced the importance of creating ongoing opportunities for young people to inform and shape decisions that affect their lives.
Learn more
- Find out more about Parliamentary Friends of Young People
- See MYAN’s Submissions related to Social Cohesion
MYAN thanks the Parliamentary Friends of Young People, AYAC and all participants for helping ensure young people’s voices remain at the heart of conversations about Australia’s future
