As part of the Young People Direct program, the Victorian Government organises forums where young people can come together to discuss issues of importance to them. The very first forum was held in April 2008, and in 2009 there will be another forum in a regional area.
2009 Forums
The second Young People Direct forum was held in Benalla on Saturday 25 July 2009. People between the ages of 12 and 25 from all areas and all walks of life came along to have their say.
The Benalla forum involved young people from all over the state coming together to talk about issues that are important to them and to provide advice to the government about how they can be addressed.
The Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino, was there. The forum was co-facilitated by the Office for Youth and young people on the Ministerial Youth Advisory Committee (MYAC).
On the day there were group discussions with all forum participants. Some questions that were asked included:
- What do you think about body image issues for young people?
- What projects, led by young people, work best in regional and rural Victoria?
- What do you, and other young people, need to feel safe, healthy and comfortable?
- What do you think are the best ways for young people to get involved in the local community?
- How do you think young people cope with drug and alcohol issues?
But it wasn't all talk - there was lots of fun stuff, information and freebies, plus a free lunch and afternoon tea!
YPD Statewide Forum 2008
The first YPD event was the Young People Direct Forum, which took place on 5 April 2008 at the start of National Youth Week. The forum involved group discussions with all participants, covering the issues including:
- Education and training
- The environment
- Employment and jobs
- The cost of living
- Drugs and alcohol
- Mental health
Roving reporter Jenelle was there to check things out - you can read about what she thought in her article, "Young people speak up."
A series of videos were also generated for the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs, James Merlino, to respond to. You can check out the videos and the Minister's responses on the Young People Direct voxpops page.
YPD Online Forum
From 8-16 April 2008 all young Victorians who were unable to attend the forum on 5 April were invited to participate in the Young People Direct Online Forum. All of the issues and comments raised at the forum were presented online for feedback.
Contributions to the online forum were added to the material produced by the 5 April forum and are being used to generate a final report about the Young People Direct Forum, which will appear on youthcentral when it is available.
How do I find out more?
For more information about YPD forums past, present and future, contact the Office for Youth on youth@dpcd.vic.gov.au or 9208 3200.
