Seeking Support for a Pilbara Youth Council
Robe River Kuruma Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC (RRKAC) and the Robe River Kuruma Youth Council are seeking support from Pilbara Traditional Owners for the establishment of a regional Aboriginal Youth Council.
What is it?
The Pilbara Aboriginal Youth Council would be the collective voice for the youth of the Pilbara, and be representative across all language groups. We know that young leaders have the vision and passion to create meaningful change within their communities, and RRKAC proposes that the development of a regional Youth Council would provide a forum to equip them with the skills to do so.
The Pilbara Aboriginal youth are the emerging leaders of our community and we need to empower them with skills in leadership, organisation, governance, advocacy and negotiation to fulfil their future roles. The Youth Council will also provide a forum to engage with and discover the issues most important to young people in the Pilbara. It is imperative that young people in our community have a voice when it comes to decision-making that directly impacts them. Youth issues are community issues and we must provide a forum for our young people to share their experiences and perspectives.
What will they do?
A Pilbara Youth Council will have opportunity to engage with Local, State and Federal government, along with other Pilbara regional representative bodies to consult on matters that directly affect them, and seek to co-design solutions. The Youth Council also has the opportunity to engage with bodies such as the Youth Affairs Council of WA and UN Youth Australia to consult on issues directly impacting Aboriginal youth in the region. RRKAC will provide support by actively engaging with leaders in the field of youth participation best practice to establish a leadership training program which meets the needs of the Youth Council as emerging leaders.
In a recent meeting with the RRKAC and Kuruma Marthudunera Limited (KML) Chairs, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon. Ken Wyatt MP voiced his support for the Pilbara Youth Council and requested an invitation to a future meeting. We look forward to accepting the Minister’s offer and providing Pilbara youth a meaningful way to engage on a Federal level.
What is the design model for the Youth Council?
RRKAC proposes the Youth Council representatives be within the 16 – 30 age group. The inaugural Youth Council will be developed to establish a Terms of Reference and immediate strategic objectives for the coming year, along with a calendar of activities and proposed meetings. Re-election terms for the Youth Council will be established in the Terms of Reference, and RRKAC will provide initial secretariat support to the group as they establish their foundations.
RRKAC seek input from community representative bodies and PBCs around the co-design of the Youth Council and propose to undertake a roadshow to consult with these organisations throughout the region, commencing with the 2019 Yule River Bush Meeting.
RRKAC can visit organisations across the Pilbara, and make presentations at your AGMs upon invitation.
RRKAC’s own Youth Council has been working over the last 12 months to actively engage in our community, and was successful in securing a place as a 2019 ABC Heywire Trailblazer, with two delegates spending a week in Canberra developing their vision and engaging with mentors, change makers, Government Ministers, and community leaders. The RRKAC delegates have identified their vision to “…take our model of what the Youth Council is to other communities and corporations and empower them to do the same thing, and to encourage youth to become leaders in their communities by speaking up and having a voice”.
Funding the Youth Council
The initial consultation for co-design of the Youth Council will be funded through the RRKAC Youth Council, with support sought via external grant funders, and sponsorship from those organisations who have capacity to provide financial support. All funding will be transparently acquitted.
If your organisation has an interest in discussing the Pilbara Aboriginal Youth Council, please contact RRKAC Chief Executive Officer, Aoife McMahon at a.mcmahon@rrkac.org.au or Member Services and Operations Manager, Brooke St James at b.stjames@rrkac.org.au
You can also reach either contact at our office at (08) 9185 5005.
You can find out more about the RRKAC Youth Council here;
How an Indigenous Youth Council is connecting young people with culture
RRKAC Youth Council in Canberra
