UNYA NATIONAL POLICY PLATFORMS
- Natalie Garcia de Heer
UNYA denounces policies of cultural assimilation as thoroughly reprehensible and proclaims multiculturalism as the basis for its policies. UNYA believes that immigrants should be able to bring their customs, cultures and belief systems to Australia to enrich our society. In this process, all Australians should embrace the process of acceptance and tolerance of all.
The major aim of the United Nations Youth Association of Australia is to empower young people and give them opportunities to realise their capacity not only as tomorrow’s leaders but also as today’s. UNYA attempts to achieve this through direct youth participation in decision-making. UNYA national policy provides a vital avenue for the thoughts and opinions of Australia’s youth to contribute to those of our political and interest group leaders.
The United Nations Youth Association has an active policy creating function. This involves the creation of policy through national discussion email groups in seven separate areas. A National Policy Co-ordinator heads each platform, and is responsible for the facilitation of discussion, the major drafting of policy, and the leading of policy discussion groups. The national policy coordinators must also draft a letter to the editor, release a fact sheet and a press release each month to ensure that the ideas of the policy groups reach the Australian population at large.
ON UNYC- The Hon. John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia
“The Conference has a well-deserved reputation as a significant annual gathering of youth representatives from Australia and New Zealand. This very much reflects the commitment and efforts of the United Nations Youth Association of Australia, as a national community-based organisation, to increase youth awareness and participation in international issues and political processes.”
UNYA policy has also had a prominent role in advising political decisions in the past and is one of the few mechanisms by which the youth of Australia can make an impact on decisions of the powers that be.
After significant restructuring in July 2003 the National Policy areas of the United Nations Youth association are: Economic Sustainability, Environment, Human Rights and Diversity, Health and Social Development, Peace, Security and Disarmament, United Nations Systems and Youth Participation and Empowerment.
There are also Divisional Policy Officers in every state and territory Division are responsible for the promotion of the policy-formulating process, and for lobbying at the Divisional level. Recently these coordinators have been organising divisional policy focus sessions, the conclusions of which contribute to the national policy areas. In recent monhts there have been divisional policy sessions at Monash and Melbourne Universities and also at the University of Tasmania.
UNYA recognises the crucial role education plays in rebutting racist myths, which can lead to stereotypes and misunderstandings about particular community groups. In extreme cases, these lead to community tensions and racial violence.
The UNYA human rights and diversity policy group has been particularly prominent in the past twelve months. UNYA is the only youth run, non-governmental organisation with a representative on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Human Rights Consultations headed by Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. It is also the only non-governmental organisation with a place on the Australian delegation to the Committee for Human Rights in Geneva. The United Nations Youth Association’s Human Rights and Diversity policy group has also been involved in senate inquiries such as the Submission to the Inquiry into the provisions of the Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Bill 2003.
UNYA human rights policy deals with the important areas of Australia’s domestic and foreign policies as well as more universal human rights issues. The extensive policy on issues of asylum seekers highlights the importance of this issue to Australia’s human rights reputation, and the domestic cultural nuances of our society. In general, UNYA calls for increased acceptance, improved processing (ending mandatory detention) and more effective and open welcoming of asylum seekers to reflect its dream of a more open community and greater acceptance of diversity.
Currently all National Policy groups are compiling policy focus papers to be disseminated to all federal politicians, many other Non Governmental Organisations and large cooperate bodies by May 2004. The Human Rights Focus paper will concern many crucial human rights issues pertinent in pre-election debate in Australia, and will sure to be an effective lobbying tool.
For more information
For more information about UNYA's national policy platforms, visit the UNYA website at www.unya.asn.au and click on 'Policy'.
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