Congratulations and Happy International Youth day to all our wonderful youth!
The 12th of August every year, we celebrate International Youth Day (IYD). This year’s theme, set by the United Nations is ‘Intergenerational Solidarity: creating a world for all ages’. Young people navigate through the world in a very unique way, and together with other intersecting identities, they are a powerful force for positive change and meaningful contributions in society.
MYAN wants to take this opportunity to raise awareness on youth issues by letting the young people share their own opinions. The vision is to let the youth lead, particularly when creating policies and narratives about them.
Fatima from NSW says that IYD is important as it “celebrates the contributions the youth has made towards society and to ensure that our issues are heard”. Ratu from TAS highlights that this is an opportunity to “self-reflect on the things young people around the world have achieved in creating a better future for all of us”
The Youth Ambassadors at MYAN want to highlight the age-related barriers in various aspects of their life, particularly employment and political participation. Mimona from SA shares a message of hope and says that “if you feel like you are screaming all the time and you are not being heard, continue screaming, one day someone will actually listen; be the voice for other young people.”
Click on the videos above to hear our youth.
MYAN's Youth Ambassador Nayonika wishes everyone a Happy International Youth Day!
She writes "being a young person is no easy task. You are told that there is a whole world full of opportunities out there for you but there are also so many barriers that prevent you from being your true honest self and pushing for a world that reflects your needs, the needs of your community, and one that leaves no one behind.
The theme for the International Youth Day in 2022 is: 'Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages'. The message this year is to remember that we have inherited a beautiful world from your Elders, and we must make sure we do not leave them behind as we move forward and think about those after us.
MYAN comprises of several youth groups which include Youth Ambassador Network (YAN), Youth CALD Disability Collective (YCDC) and Youth Reference Groups (YRG).
YOUTH AMBASSADOR NETWORK (YAN)
Supported through MYAN Australia and our state and territory partners, YAN members are active advocates and actors working to influence the national agenda for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds.
Special thanks to all our YAN members from the previous years! Please see below for the profiles of the YAN 2022. Read here
YOUTH CALD DISABILITY COLLECTIVE (YCDC)
YCDC work with organisations, groups and community members by using their lived experiences to offer training, consultations, public speaking and advocacy. Read more
YOUTH REFERENCE GROUP (YRG)
The Youth Reference Group (YRG) for the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout is coordinated by MYAN and funded by the Department of Health to support the COVID-19 Vaccine Communication and Engagement Strategy for CALD Communities. Read more
MYAN members love working with our team of youth members. Kate Yeung, MYAN's project support officer says
"As a young person myself, I feel very passionate and connected to key young people issues.
Engaging with young people in the advocacy space while working at MYAN has fostered a real sense of community and hope for the future. My role supporting projects for multicultural youth allows me to be part of the movement as we hope to make this sector more effective, proactive, and accessible. "
To learn more about our youth, activities, opportunities, and updates please login to our website and social media pages.
