NIYLG 2003 Participant Summaries

Fiona Cornforth - Fadden ACT

22-year-old Fiona is employed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She is actively involved in her community and attended the fifth World Indigenous Youth Conference as the ACT representative in 1998.

She has been involved in the ACT Torres Strait Islander Corporation and various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural events.

Fiona is a keen sportswoman and she captained the ACT Under 21 Indigenous basketball team. She has received many awards for touch football, athletics and hockey at representative level.

Fiona is a young mother and, at NIYLG, she hopes to discuss education, employment and welfare issues and services for remote communities.

Lluwannee George - Lyons ACT

Lluwannee, 18, is studying Journalism and Politics at the University of Canberra.

She is also undertaking a cadetship with the NSW Legislative Assembly. She contributes to her community through the Seventh Day Adventist Youth program and the Ngunnawal Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. She is an accomplished sportswoman who enjoys basketball, athletics, soccer and football and she has represented NSW in tennis.

Lluwannee is interested in promoting Torres Strait Island culture and language and hopes to encourage Indigenous representation in Parliament.

While participating in NIYLG, she wants to encourage Indigenous Australians to consider tertiary education as an option, and to improve their financial management skills.

Fiona and Lluwannee are working together to design and develop a website for Indigenous young people which contains profiles of everyday achievers – famous and not so famous – which is accessible to all students Australia-wide.

The website will also contain useful information, facts about history, myths to be exposed and will focus on highlighting celebration of culture and other positive messages.

Stacey Kelly-Greenup - West Kempsey NSW

18-year-old Stacey was named Kempsey’s Young Citizen of the Year in 2003.

She is a volunteer mediator for the Reconnect program through Regional Extended Family Services Inc and she is Chairperson of her local Youth Advisory Committee.

Stacey is a volunteer with the West Kempsey Neighbourhood Improvement project and she has contributed to a website for Indigenous youth. At NIYLG, Stacey wants to discuss youth homelessness, crime prevention and youth justice issues.

Stacey aims to set up a Goori committee in Kempsey to advise local organisations on youth issues and how they can best provide services to the local young people.

She plans to organise camps to build confidence, self-esteem and leadership skills.

Warrick Wright - Cardiff NSW

Warrick (Wok), 23, is currently employed as a Project Officer for Youloe-Ta Indigenous Association.

He has been active in his community as a director of a Community Development Employment Project program and as a former regional representative for his Aboriginal Land Council.

He is currently a member of the ATSIC Regional Youth Advisory Committee and the youngest director of his local Aboriginal Medical Centre.

He is passionate about using NIYLG to continue to be an advocate for the Indigenous Youth in his community.

Wok wants to address the issue of cultural identity by educating the young Indigenous people in the Hunter region about both past and present inequalities.

He believes that it is important for the young people in his area to learn about traditional practices to instil confidence in their Aboriginality and cultural identity.

Luke Penrith - Wagga Wagga NSW

Luke, 20, is a Field Officer with the Central Southern Aboriginal Legal Service in Wagga Wagga.

He is also studying for a diploma in National Indigenous Legal Studies at Tranby College, Sydney.

He is the chairperson of the Riverina Medical and Dental Aboriginal Youth Group and the Binaal Billa regional representative on the Aboriginal Youth Justice Advisory Network.

He is an active sportsman and he enjoys basketball, Australian Rules, touch football and golf. At NIYLG, Luke hopes to discuss law and justice, drug and alcohol issues and Indigenous unemployment.

Luke is going to make a film documentary about youth justice issues for Indigenous young people in NSW to highlight how issues like boredom and loss of identity can lead to young people offending.

Nigel Browne - Wagaman NT

Nigel, 24, works for the NT Director of Public Prosecutions and has participated in the 2002 Chief Minister’s Round Table of Young Territorians and co-authored an employment and education working group report.

He has been actively involved in his community as a volunteer for National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week and is a supporter of the Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness committee (ASSPA).

He was also a student under the Aboriginal and Islander Tertiary Aspirations Program (AITAP). At NIYLG, Nigel wants to discuss education in remote communities, alcohol and drug awareness and scholarships and cadetships in communities.

Nigel aims to highlight the need to establish a permanent alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation centre in Arnhem Land that focuses on petrol sniffing and is suitable and culturally-appropriate for young people.

Jonathon Collins - Stuart Park NT

Jonathon, 21, works for the Northern Territory Department of the Chief Minister’s Office of Youth Affairs and has a two-year-old daughter.

He is currently very actively involved in his community as a Youth Grant Maker for the Foundation for Young Australians, a member of the National Planning Committee for National Youth Week 2003 and a secretary and youth representative on the Darwin National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee (NAIDOC).

Jonathon wants to discuss education, sexual health and well-being and family support for young parents.

Jonathon wants to create more awareness about educational tools and programs to empower Indigenous young people by engaging Centrelink and Job Networks and asking them to implement information sessions about available programs.

John Rawnsley - Malak NT

22-year-old John is currently studying for a combined degree in Law and Indigenous Studies at the Northern Territory University. In 2001, he was a member of the NT Chief Minister’s Round Table for Young Territorians and was convenor of the Bullying and Harassment working group.

In 2002, he established the Yurwang Indigenous Law Student Society at the Australian National University and he is now working towards establishing a national organisation to represent Indigenous law students across the country.

At NIYLG, John wants to discuss ways of empowering Indigenous young people and look at how Governments respond to progressive ideas.

John believes that economic equality is a priority in empowering Indigenous young people. He wants to create more opportunities and freedom to give greater scope for self-determination and Indigenous decision-making.

Nelson Leon - Logan Central QLD

22-year-old Nelson is currently studying for a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Queensland and works as an Employment Consultant at Sarina Russo Job Access.

He is an active volunteer with sporting organisations within his community, including the Murriland Boxing Program and as a scout for an Indigenous scholarship/development program linked to the Australian Rugby League.

Nelson is a regular participant at Indigenous and youth forums and he has been acting as a mentor to young Indigenous men in his community. At NIYLG, Nelson wants to discuss education, employment, training, cultural development and sport and recreation.

The focus of Nelson’s project is ‘education, empower, employ.’ He would like to use this slogan as a tool to influence corporate organisations in the private sector to establish partnerships for community recruitment projects and training – helping to create more future Indigenous leaders in the corporate.

Shannean Mawn - Roma QLD

Shannean, 20, is employed by the Queensland Department of Health. She is actively involved with the young people in her community through activities organised by the Roma Town Council, Queensland Health and the Roma Police.

She plays basketball and netball and was a member of the steering committee for the development of her local skate park. Shannean wants to increase the opportunities and alternatives available to young Indigenous people from rural and remote areas.

Shannean wants to deter young Indigenous people in south west Queensland from re-offending by introducing penalties like apologies and community service so that they learn to respect laws and avoid harsher penalties.

Jessica Munn - Sippy Downs QLD

Jessica is a 19-year-old university student, studying Sport and Exercise Science.

She has been an Ambassador for the National Indigenous Literacy and Numeracy Program and a member of the selection panel for the Queensland Youth Advisory Committee.

Jessica was a member of the National Youth Roundtable 2000, where she highlighted the lack of access to sporting facilities for young people living in rural and remote areas. She is a talented sportswoman who enjoys swimming, netball and water polo.

The issues Jessica wants to discus at NIYLG include strategies to ensure Indigenous young people understand their culture and have equal opportunities in sport.

Jess wants Indigenous young people in rural areas to have the opportunity to become elite athletes. She will be exploring existing elite sports programs to see how they can be best promoted as sustainable opportunities to talented young people in the bush.

Des'ree Shepherd - Charters Towers QLD

Des’ree, 23, is the youngest member of the ATSIC Regional Council in Townsville.

She is a young mother who is actively involved in her community in previous roles such as Chairman of the Charters Towers Community Development Employment Projects Committee (CDEP), as well as current responsibilities like being a member of the Charters Towers Sports and Recreation Board National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee.

In 2001, Des’ree helped establish CDEP in Charters Towers after she became concerned at the low employment rate within her community. As a result of her efforts, the Charters Towers CDEP now provides employment for 50 participants.

Des’ree wants to use NIYLG to look at education and address service delivery by Government departments to Indigenous Youth.

Des’ree aims to encourage students in Charters Towers to successfully complete secondary school by setting up homework programs and activities for student engagement like dance workshops and mini sports carnivals for Indigenous people.

Jade Wilson - Port Augusta SA

18-year-old Jade works at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. She is active in her community as a member of her local ASSPA committee and the Port Augusta Youth Centre Committee.

Jade was concerned about the amount of vandalism in her town and the lack of positive activities for young people and, as a result, she began organising youth discos, which are now averaging 150 participants each night. She also coaches junior softball for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people.

Jade has been awarded the South Australian Regional Youth of the Year and the Port Augusta National Aboriginal and Islander Day of Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Youth of the Year. Jade wants to use NIYLG to encourage young people in the Port Augusta area to become involved in community events.

Jade is organising community events like discos to relieve boredom for the young people in Port Augusta. She wants to better promote these events to other communities and encourage the young people to become involved in their management and organisation.

Bronwyn Dillon - Kingston TAS

Bronwyn, 21, works in the Hobart Regional office of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and attends Indigenous women’s forums.

She is also a volunteer for Red Cross and the RSPCA. At NIYLG, Bronwyn wants to discuss alcohol and drug addiction, family violence, health, unemployment and strategies to improve the links young Indigenous people have to their families and the community.

Bronwyn is going to set up an ongoing camp for Indigenous children in Tasmania to keep the culture alive for young Palawas.

She wants to encourage young Indigenous Tasmanians to celebrate their culture and be proud of who they are.

Michael Hayden - Wilson WA

Michael, 20, is a field officer for the Noongar Country Region with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.

He is a member of the South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council and the National Indigenous Youth Movement. Michael is the leader and didgeridoo player for the Njaki Njaki Dancers.

At NIYLG, Michael wants to discuss the implementation of culturally appropriate programs to address issues affecting young Indigenous people. These issues include education, employment and youth empowerment.

Michael is aiming to establish a youth group in WA so that young people have an avenue through which to influence government on policies, programs and services that impact on their lives.

He has often thought to himself, how do governments and Indigenous organisations seek the views of their young people? He believes that a grass-roots approach would make service delivery more effective.