Victoria’s second ever youth summit gets underway today, with hundreds of young people set to poetry slam, network, debate the hot issues and have their voices heard on what matters to them.
Minister for Youth Affairs Jenny Mikakos will open the Youth Summit at the Melbourne Park Function Centre, where the key theme to be discussed is Harmony through Diversity.
More than 300 people aged 12 to 25 are expected at the summit, where they will discuss issues surrounding acceptance, inclusion and equality in creating strong and welcoming communities.
From 9.30am, attendees will hear from a range of inspiring young speakers, participate in workshops, and share their ideas to strengthen social cohesion and community harmony.
The summit will be hosted by spoken word poet and author Abe Nouk, while 2018 Commonwealth Games star Isis Holt will give the keynote address.
The 16-year-old para-sprinter, nicknamed ‘Lightning Holt Bolt’, took home gold in the T35 100m just last week.
She will be joined on the speaking podium by film makers Ayan Yusuf and Daniel Schultheis, AFLW player Emma Kearney, and spoken word poetry workshop leaders Zaynab Farah and Bobuq Sayed.
The Victorian Youth Summit is the flagship event of the state’s first ever Victorian Youth Week and has been co-designed by a Summit Design team featuring Victorian Youth Congress members and young people from peak youth associations.
The Summit is a key part of the Labor Government’s Youth Policy: Building Stronger Youth Engagement in Victoria, providing an opportunity for young people to influence policy, services and programs that affect them.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Youth Affairs Jenny Mikakos
“This is a summit for young people, by young people – it’s about creating an opportunity for them to raise the issues they care about.”
“Young people overwhelmingly make a valuable contribution to our state and I’m proud to support them, unlike the Turnbull Government, which scrapped National Youth Week.”
“We’ve stepped in to hold the first ever Victorian Youth Week, with hundreds of events celebrating our vibrant youth.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020