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Auckland City Youth Council Submission on Auckland City's Long-term Council Community Plan 2006-2016Every year Auckland City creates an annual plan which is a budget which guides their focus for the next year. Every few years they create a long-term council community plan which is a 10 year plan. ACYC always makes a submission on these documents to ensure that a youth perspective is heard. This year ACYC did things a little differently. The project team led by Guanting Liu decided that they wanted to make sure that more youth views were heard. This was through using ACYC networks to invite youth to attend the Auckland City LTCCP Youth Stakeholders Forum, and to run discussion workshops at the forum to promote youth dialogue, and to gather views for the submission. At the hearings (verbal submissions) to city councillors on Tuesday 6 June 2006, Mel Cripps introduced the ACYC verbal submission with: "This year was a groundbreaking year for ACYC and City Council. This year at the LTCCP Youth Stakeholders Forum we had a dramatic increase in numbers attend! We had over 50 youth come and learn about the LTCCP, and comment on it during discussion workshops that ACYC members facilitated. ACYC members then took the views of the young people and compiled them into the submission you have received. We also added the views from over 50 surveys that ACYC members distributed throughout their youth community networks. So this year is a breakthrough because of the move towards a ‘youth participation' approach to informing and consulting youth at the forum. Also because ACYC's submission represents so many young people's views. So I would like to make the point that this submission does not necessarily represent ACYC's views, but the views of many young people...." Other ACYC members Zachary Castles and Guanting Liu also presented the verbal submission on behalf of ACYC, and other ACYC members came to support. Submission: To the Law and Order Select Committee on the Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Amendment BillIn 2005 this central government bill was proposed to raise the liquor purchasing age from 18 years of age back to 20. It also sought to restrict advertising on alcohol. A group of ACYC members in 2005 decided to make sure youth views in Auckland City were heard on this issue by making a submission. They surveyed their youth networks on their views of raising the liquor purchasing age, and the effect of alcohol advertising. In this submission the project team endeavoured to reflect the diverse (and often conflicting) views of young people in Auckland City. They felt this was fairer than focussing on one view or the majority view. The project team did come to a consensus on the issue of alcohol-related advertising restrictions. As ACYC members said in the verbal hearings 'Alcohol advertising doesn't affect youth: Yeah Right.' The Liquor Bill hearing was on Thursday 25 May 2006. Sam Beanland, Louise Phyn, and Aritra Ray presented the submission verbally to the select committee on behalf of the project team and ACYC. To illustrate the diverse views represented in ACYC and youth in Auckland Sam wore his drinking club t-shirt, Aritra wore his suit and tie, and Louise wore everyday uni clothes! Afterwards they encouraged other ACYC members and youth to make verbal submissions in the future because it wasn't as intimidating as they thought it would be! Anzac Day 2006Why ACYC members got involved with Anzac Day this year:
What the ACYC Anzac project organised in 2006:
Reflections on Anzac Day 2006 Despite the torrential rain at the Dawn Service this year many people, including ACYC members, woke up early and got a bit soaked. This however was a small sacrifice in comparison with those who gave their lives before us. It was an honour and a privilege to lay a wreath on behalf of ACYC in the Civic Service. In a sense I felt more moved being a part of the crowded many on the sidelines in the last two years than I did this year. I think there is a power in people gathered to remember. We will remember them. Mel Cripps, Chairperson, ACYC. Something that touched me during the Dawn Service this year was the enormous turn out despite the dreadful weather. In particular, the veterans that marched on parade in the pouring rain. It was also touching to see a fair turn out of young children, at such an early time of morning, especially those wearing medals of their relatives. I also attended the ANZAC Day service at my local RSA, Orakei RSA, and a particular part of a speech caught my attention; one of the speakers told us a short story which made me realize how far society has come in less than 100 years of the two greatest wars. The speaker told us that a couple of months ago he attended his friends grandson's wedding. His friend was a returned soldier from the Second World War and had fought in the Pacific. He asked his friend that when he was at war in the Pacific whether he had ever thought he would be attending his grandson's wedding to a Japanese woman. Overall I found the ANZAC Day services really interesting and moving. I would strongly recommend it to all youth, even if you have no specific relation to ANZAC' s, I think in some way everyone feels some connection to the words and songs played at ANZAC Day services. It is also very educational and you are bound to learn something new and of some interest. I think it is also an eye opening experience and a reminder to appreciate all the things in our day-to-day lives we take for granted. It's a day to admire and show respect to all veterans, particularly those present, who otherwise seem to go unnoticed. It is a chance to affirm those words "We will remember."Natasha Sarkar (Year 13), Member of ACYC. Why Anzac Day is relevant to young people - an article ANZAC Day is an important New Zealand occasion, for honouring those who died for us and for recognizing the extent of the horrors of war. Unfortunately, there are many young people in Auckland City who think that the ANZAC Day dawn service is for old people, boring, or at any rate not worth waking up at 4am for. First of all, ANZAC Day is not just for old people. After all, what will happen if in the future, when we are the older generation, and we have all grown up, gotten wrinkly and had great-grandchildren, and we don't know what ANZAC Day is about? Then the future won't know about ANZAC Day at all. But why, you may ask, is this so important? Simply because it is important to recognize those who died so we may live. Therefore, it is important for youth to know about ANZAC Day so when it is our turn we can pass down the knowledge. The dawn service is well worth going to. It is on the 25th of April, and begins at 5am outside the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The Auckland City Youth Council, including myself, will attend the dawn service and stay at the venue until the noon service. The Chair (Mel Cripps) and Deputy Chair (Sean Taylor) will lay a wreath at the cenotaph. ANZAC Day is also relevant to youth because many of our ancestors died at the Gallipoli battle. Even those of us from different backgrounds may have ancestors that died at Gallipoli. For instance, my great great great grandfather, William McNaught fought and died on the 12th of July at Achi Baba, a hill on Gallipoli as a member of the British army at the age of twenty eight. He was killed in the unsuccessful attempt to seize Achi Baba. As the future generation, we have the responsibility to remember the tragedy at Gallipoli so that when it is our turn we may pass down the knowledge. By Jayran Mansouri (Year 9), Member of ACYC. |
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