This year marks the 20th anniversary of the most popular political event for youth, who are well on their way to culminating their national concerns in front of political leaders.
After two seasons of the event being forced online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the influential Youth Parliament is back with force.
The annual camp was held on the Easter weekend, which prepared participants for the major upcoming event. It gave more than 80 students from NSW and ACT the opportunity to train for a mock take-over of the Legislative Council at NSW Parliament this year.
The big group of aspiring leaders combined their passionate voices on a shared platform, which has become an educational venture for young people to gain insight into political journeys.
The students participating unite for a common cause, to have their perspectives shared and listen to each other's views on matters that concern each of them, as they strive to be powerful advocates for their communities.
They find their feet in political advocacy, within an inclusive space where they can express their opinions and develop skills in discussion, debate and public speaking.
Youth Parliament has traditionally drawn strong interest from St George and Sutherland Shire students, and this is year no exception.
Year 12 student and school captain, Om Karki, wanted to join the program to empower his community. He is a member of the The Sutherland Shire Youth Reference Group, were he works closely with the council in improving the relationship between young people and the community.
"My family and I are immigrants from Nepal. I have come to recognise that people from my community are not well educated in the matter of government, and I would like to be the one to start bridging the divide to build a strong connection," he said.
He is passionate about improving public transport access for youth.
"Most of the time are only option is to travel via public transport for events," he said. "I want to increase the accessibility and availability of public transport to become more active within the community instead of being isolated on our devices."
Year 11 student Era Sharma of Oatley was elected as Shadow Minister for Women's Affairs in the 2022 program. Also involved in the program included Bethany College student Kata Bukovac of Rockdale, and other Sylvania High School students, Mischa Holden, Sophie Ormonde, Gabriele Gomes. The girls spoke of their desire to bring environmental issues to the fore and target mental health concerns.
Students' hard work will be recognised on a wider arena as they gather at the biggest political stage in the state, the floor of NSW Parliament, to debate their bills in a four-day sitting week in July.
