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Youth empowerment a ‘rising trend’ despite Australian shortcomings
“There is still some way to go” for children and young people to have their dignity and rights fully achieved, despite their recent mobilisation and well publicised protests, according to a human rights lawyer.
Grace Ormsby
Philip Chan, a lawyer and human rights adviser for the United Nations, was commenting on child empowerment when he said that Australia needs to address “the high levels of Indigenous youth incarceration, the treatment of child refugees, children in out-of-home care, youth homelessness, cyber bullying and the lack of meaningful participation of children and young people in decision-making” when considering the rights of the country’s children.
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This is despite Australian children “generally” having their rights protected, he said.
Calling recent student protests against government inaction on climate change “unprecedented in recent history”, Mr Chan said it is “powerful for young people to be engaged on important issues such as climate change, as well as being active and engaged citizens in their communities”.
“It’s important for children and young people to be taken seriously,” he explained, highlighting that “decisions made today will disproportionately impact children and young people”.
“Young people are often described as apathetic and disengaged,” the lawyer said, “but these protests are a testament to their civic engagement, intelligence and leadership in uniting their peers across the country to advocate on climate change.”
He believes that “youth empowerment will continue to be a rising trend in the world as young people mobilise and demand a better future for themselves and the planet”.
“This trend will grow because of technology and the decentralisation and emergence of new forms of power,” Mr Chan said.
“With rising conflicts and challenges on a global scale, young people are inheriting an increasingly uncertain world.”
Examples he provided included anti-gun protests in the US, as well as advocation that has occurred against gender-based violence.
“Our world requires more young people to have the courage to step up, raise their voice, lead in their communities, and to find innovative solutions to pressing global problems,” Mr Chan said.
Philip Chan’s perspective on modern slavery risks and the passing of the Modern Slavery Act has previously been covered by Lawyers Weekly.
