Youth Affairs Network Qld (YANQ) | Non-profit organisation

Youth Affairs Network Qld (YANQ)

Phone: 07 3844 7713

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25.01.2022 Heres another example of teachers working outside the box to engage kids with learning.

25.01.2022 NEW BEGINNINGS YOUTH MARINE CONSERVATION PROGRAM LAUNCHED ON 29 JULY Yesterday, YANQ member organisation, New Beginnings, launched their much-anticipated Youth Marine Conservation Program. New Beginnings will work in close collaboration with Sea World Gold Coast to implement parts of this new program. The aim of the program is to educate young people on the context and importance of global warming, the need for conservation of our pristine Australian marine environment, and... the impacts they can personally have on the future of our planet. Further information on the Youth Marine Conservation Program (including a video description of the program) is available on the organisations website.

23.01.2022 COVID_19 young people & the youth sector in Qld Please join us for a conversation about the impact of COVID_19 on young people and the youth sector in Queensland. Collectively, we have a chance to put youth issues on the government agenda and ensure young peoples wellbeing is prioritised in the COIVID-19 recovery plan.... Topic: Qld Youth Sector COVID-19 Zoom Meeting Time: Jul 29, 2020 11:00 AM Brisbane Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81477656268 Meeting ID: 814 7765 6268 Password: 048394 One tap mobile +61731853730,,81477656268#,,,,0#,,048394# Australia +61861193900,,81477656268#,,,,0#,,048394# Australia Dial by your location +61 731 853 730 Australia +61 861 193 900 Australia +61 8 7150 1149 Australia +61 2 8015 6011 Australia +61 3 7018 2005 Australia +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Meeting ID: 814 7765 6268 Password: 048394 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/ksFQraiBn

21.01.2022 Federal Minister for Youth, has announced the Youth Action Project Grants Scheme (YAPGS) this morning. The YAPGS is offering grants of up to $20,000 to smaller grass-roots or community-led projects that aim to improve the outcomes and wellbeing of young people, with a particular focus on employment, mental health, transportation, and the impacts of COVID-19 and the Australian Bushfires. The Department of Health has engaged the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) to admi...nister the scheme. FYA is a non-profit organisation deeply committed and passionate about improving the outcomes and life opportunities for young Australians. Projects need to be either new initiatives that recognise and response to the hardship young people face now and will face in the future, or existing initiatives, which already provides a valuable on-going service to young people, but which need further funding to continue. Funds can be used to pay for any type of project including but not limited to staffing, equipment purchase, consumables or marketing. Further information on the YAPGS including the application form can be obtained by visiting the FYA website, at: www.fya.org.au/yapgs.

21.01.2022 Today the Australian Council of Attorneys-General, once more, abdicated their responsibility to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility. State sanctioned child abuse continues across Australia. Utterly disappointing.

21.01.2022 Class action to stop planned coal mine extension filed by climate action-focused Australian teenagers

19.01.2022 The reason why were not making much progress on youth crime is that both sides of politics try to be perceived as tough on crime. That means instead of tackling systemic issues and the ongoing neglect and abuse of our children, they become contributors to the problem. To her credit, our current Minister for Youth Justice has tried to move the emphasis to prevention and support for young people but she has been under enormous pressure from the media, opposition and the conservative Labor members. This has meant one step forward and three steps back. Its really a sad situation for children and young people in Queensland.

18.01.2022 MEDIA RELEASE 20th August 2020 Call for releasing children amid COVID fear... Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ) has urged the Queensland Government to release all young people held on remand in Queenslands youth prisons. With the news of a detention centre worker testing positive to COVID-19, it is a matter of urgency for the Government to act now and protect children who are not even convicted of any crimes. Protection of children must be the priority of the State Government. Holding large numbers of children in a prison facility during a pandemic is highly dangerous and a potential recipe for disaster, said Siyavash Doostkhah, Director of YANQ. We see the release of children on remand as a first step and would like to see all children released into community care as soon as possible, said Mr Doostkhah. In March this year, YANQ wrote an open letter to all Queensland Parliamentarians highlighting how the evolving COVID-19 crisis is putting many lives in danger. In particular YANQ raised concerns about children who are locked up in Queenslands youth prisons as being at greater risk, and urging the Government to consider releasing them as a matter of priority. There has been a deafening silence from the Government in response to our call for releasing children from prison. For all intents and purposes, it looks like the Government has abdicated its responsibility for protecting this particular group of children during this crisis., said Mr Doostkhah. All Queensland children deserve the best possible service from the Government. A COVID-19 death sentence in a youth prison is now a possible reality for many children in this nightmarish scenario. CONTACT Siyavash Doostkhah 0407 655 785 [email protected]

18.01.2022 Great news for children in ACT as the Parliament there voted to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14. Queensland children deserve to be treated as children as well. They dont belong in prison cells. Free them NOW.

17.01.2022 Online Youth Forum Thursday, 10 Sep 2020,6:00 Pm - 07:00 Pm Young people are being devastated by the impact of this pandemic and recession. We cant let shocking unemployment, declining mental health, disrupted education & training, social isolation, and severe housing stress become the new normal.... Join Terri Butler MP and the Shadow Minister for Youth Amanda Rishworth MP for an online youth forum, to talk about these important issues. You can register your interest by following this link https://terributlermp.com/events/online-youth-forum/ The Zoom link will be provided before the event.

17.01.2022 Thank you to all the 84 people from across the State who completed the Online Forums Topics Survey over the past 10 days. You can access the findings report here: http://www.yanq.org.au//youth_work_online_forums_survey_re YANQ will now work with Office for Youth to plan the first three online forums to be held in the remainder of 2020 and hopefully continue these sessions in 2021.

15.01.2022 Plz email if youre experienced in youth law in Queensland & would like to be part of a legal term to free children from Wacol youth prison. Approx 70% are on r...emand & 70% are First Nations children. We must ensure they are safe from #COVID & free them from solitary. [email protected] Thank you

15.01.2022 A former top cop has pitched a radical plan to help steer Townsville children away from a life embroiled in drugs and crime, saying locking them up was a complete failure. Former Northern Territory Police Commissioner Mick Palmer said the only way to be tough on crime was to fund initiatives to change and prevent bad behaviours, including a proposed Street University. Mr Palmer said his time in the police force proved to him that the traditional methods were not working.... As a police officer, I spent decades dealing with and sometimes prosecuting young people embroiled in drugs and crime, said Mr Palmer. It sadly took me a while to work it out, but the strategy was a complete failure. Mr Palmer said detention was not designed to help child offenders. Too many walk free only to fall into the same destructive cycle and get locked up again, because they werent given the support they needed to rebuild their lives. The campaign is an initiative of the Ted Noffs Foundation, the largest provider of drug treatment services to young Australians, which has been pushing to expand its non-residential Street University program to Townsville for years. Acting CEO Mark Ferry, said southeast Queensland Street Universities have seen amazing outcomes helping young people turn away from drugs and crime by helping them build their skills in music, dance and other creative pursuits that interest them, as well as access to counsellors, social support and treatment. The good news for Townsville is its struggles with youth crime are not unique, he said. North Queensland deserves the same initiatives to tackle this issue as the south. Townsville needs its own Street University to get its young people off the streets and support their journey to a more fulfilling life. The lock them up approach has failed. Its time to try something we know works and help Townsvilles youth thrive and give back to their community. (Source: Townsville Bulletin)

14.01.2022 Queenslands economic response to COVID-19: what it means for the community and family services sector On Monday, 14th September at 7.30am QCOSS will host a budget breakfast online event where Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning, Hon. Cameron Dick MP will join QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh and a panel of sector leaders to discuss the COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review and what it means for the community sector. ABC presenter Matt Wordsworth will MC the event an...d pose your questions to the panel, which will be comprised of: Aimee McVeigh, Peter Selwood, Executive Director of Centacare in the Archdiocese of Brisbane; Nance Haxton, The Wandering Journo; Kevin Mercer, CEO St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland; and Professor Sue Harris Rimmer, Director of the Griffith University Policy Innovation Hub. The event is free for QCOSS Members and $65 for non-QCOSS Members. Find out more and register: See more

14.01.2022 Please pass on this information to young people and help make sure young people are not criminalised due to their inability to pay fines. SPERs Hardship Partner Program The hardship partner program gives people in genuine hardship realistic options to resolve their debt with the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER). As a hardship partner, organisations can help their clients deal with their SPER debt by enabling them to do a work and development order (WDO).... Work and development orders allow people in hardship to resolve their eligible SPER debt by working with an approved community organisation or financial or health practitioner a hardship partner. Activities may include: . undertaking treatment or counselling programs . attending educational, vocational or life skills courses . completing unpaid work with an approved hardship partner. These orders help people who cant pay their debt due to: . mental illness . domestic and family violence . homelessness . intellectual and cognitive disability . substance use disorder . financial hardship. Rates start at $30 per hour, and people can reduce their debt by up to $1,000 per month. To undertake a work and development order, people will need to have the support of their hardship partner and meet the eligibility requirements. Find out more at qld.gov.au/sperpartner or contact the SPER Hardship Partner team at [email protected].

13.01.2022 Visa Status is not a barrier to coronavirus (COVID-19) testing To support Queenslands response to COVID-19, people who do not have adequate insurance coverage and are not eligible for Medicare will not be charged out of pocket expenses if they present to any Queensland Health facility for assessment in relation to COVID-19 infection. More information is available from Queensland Health below:... https://www.qld.gov.au//stay-inf/testing-and-fever-clinics

13.01.2022 YANQ Director, Siyavash Doostkhah, spoke with Stephen Stockwell on JJJ HACK Program about specific measures needed to assist marginalised young people in the COVID-19 recovery process. You can listen to the program here: https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/hack/12608792

13.01.2022 Inspirational hybrid education story from Woorabinda. Its high time schools had a good look at themselves and instead of blaming and expelling children, focus their work on answering one question: what would it take to excite, inspire and engage students with learning?

12.01.2022 Today when the Australian Council of Attorneys-General meet, they have a responsibility to do the right thing by our children and raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility. We expect that they would put the interest of children first and not fail this critical responsibilitity.

12.01.2022 MEDIA RELEASE 12th July 2020 LNP policy position amounts to child abuse... Youth Affairs Network of Queensland (YANQ) has slammed LNP leader, Deb Frecklingtons opposition to raising of the minimum age of criminal responsibility as irresponsible. It is very clear that LNP is playing politics with the lives of our children and the safety and wellbeing of the community, said Siyavash Doostkhah, Director of YANQ. LNPs position, that despite any decision by the Council of Attorney-Generals later this month, they would maintain the status quo and continue locking up children in prison, if they were to come to power in the October state election, simply amounts to neglect and abuse of children at a systemic level. Putting children in prisons has proven not to be a deterrent so its absolutely disingenuous for the opposition leader to say they will reduce crime by maintaining the status quo and the incarceration of children. The barbaric and outdated practice of abusing children by locking them up in prisons instead of supporting them must stop. YANQ is demanding that LNP stop playing politics with this issue. This is about our childrens lives and it is much more important than a few seats in Townsville. There is a need for a bipartisan approach which is based first and foremost on the best interests of our children. It is about supporting our children to heal and to take their rightful place in society, not pushing them through the criminal justice system which is nothing other than a pipeline to adult prisons and a life of crime. Research has clearly demonstrated that the earlier a child has contact with the youth justice system, the more likely that child will end up in the adult criminal justice system. Youth prisons are simply a training facility for turning children into career criminals said Mr Doostkhah. The most simple, logical, humane, cost-effective and proven action will be for the government to immediately act and raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility and divert the resources to supporting children, their families and communities. Anyone that opposes this is simply an advocate for child abuse. If you lock up your own child, for whatever reason, in a cold concrete room for days or weeks to teach them a lesson, your child can and will be taken away from you and your action labelled as child abuse. There should be no excuse for anyone to treat any child in this abusive manner and this includes government departments. Mr Doostkhah has vowed that, once the decision has been made by the Council of Attorney-Generals to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility, YANQ would utilize all available means through international instruments such as the United Nations, to insure Queensland children do not continue to suffer abuse by being locked up in prisons. CONTACT: Siyavash Doostkhah 0407 655 785 [email protected]

11.01.2022 "We will move forward when government, funders and charities work more collaboratively together, with open dialogue and joint commitment. "

11.01.2022 Last chance - Please complete this one minute survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9NYLLJL YANQ, in partnership with Office for Youth, is planning to run a number of online forums over the next few months. The forums aim to provide a vehicle for transfer of knowledge and sharing of learnings amongst youth sector members. It is anticipated that discussions at these forums will inform youth sector policy development which in turn should enhance program design and delivery.... The one-hour sessions will include a 10 -15 minute introduction by subject matter expert to set the scene followed by a 45 minute facilitated discussion. Ideas and outcomes from each session will be recorded by YANQ and outcomes shared with the sector and other relevant agencies. To assist us with prioritising relevant topics for the upcoming forums, please take a minute to complete this brief survey.

11.01.2022 During 2019, on average, over 400 students were suspended or expelled from Queensland state schools each day. Education Queensland data indicates that there were 77,167 short suspensions, 3132 long suspensions and 1674 expulsions in 2019. Schools must be held accountable for this monumental failure.

10.01.2022 Did you study a Bachelor of Youth Work? If so we need your help. The Federal Government has introduced the Higher Education Support Amendment Bill 2020. The proposed changes will significantly increase the cost of youth work courses. We are looking for a youth worker who studied a Bachelor of Youth Work and would like to meet with their representative in Parliament. If this is you, please email [email protected] with your details. You will be required to attend one or two online meetings with Senators. You will be briefed in a 30 minute meeting beforehand.

10.01.2022 COVID-19 doesnt discriminate. In fact, the most prevalent age group to contract it in Queensland is people aged 20-29 years. While most people recover from COV...ID-19, not everyone does, with some research now suggesting that the lasting impact could take years off your life. Thats why during these times, you should always remember to: Wash hands thoroughly. Cover ALL coughs and sneezes. Avoid touching your face. Stay at home if youre sick. Get tested if you have any symptoms. For all the latest on COVID-19 visit https://bit.ly/33sGiVS Queensland Health

10.01.2022 Queenslands moratorium on evictions is due to end on September 29, right when reductions to both JobSeeker and JobKeeper payments take effect, plunging around 740,000 Australians into poverty as a result. Many renting households lost incomes because of COVID-19 and have on-going rent disputes or accrued debts. they fear becoming homeless. Help us call to extend the moratorium on evictions by sending an email to Mick de Brenni for Springwood . Use our quick link here https://tenantsqld.org.au/extend-the-moratorium-on-evictio/

05.01.2022 Here is the link to the latest Queensland Youth Sector News https://mailchi.mp/6d00e23b233d/yanq-e-bulletin-may-9406656

03.01.2022 Please complete this one minute survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/9NYLLJL YANQ, in partnership with Office for Youth, is planning to run a number of online forums over the next few months. The forums aim to provide a vehicle for transfer of knowledge and sharing of learnings amongst youth sector members. It is anticipated that discussions at these forums will inform youth sector policy development which in turn should enhance program design and delivery.... The one-hour sessions will include a 10 -15 minute introduction by subject matter expert to set the scene followed by a 45 minute facilitated discussion. Ideas and outcomes from each session will be recorded by YANQ and outcomes shared with the sector and other relevant agencies. To assist us with prioritising relevant topics for the upcoming forums, please take a minute to complete this brief survey.

03.01.2022 JOBSEEKERS ARE BACK BELOW THE POVERTY LINE The Federal Government announced some changes to JobSeeker and JobKeeper this morning. Weve had a quick look and p...ut together the key facts but its not good. 1) JobSeekers rate has been reduced The JobSeeker supplement payment is being reduced from $550 a fortnight to $250 per fortnight. This is staying until 31 December 2020. We can expect an announcement on the Federal Governments long-term plans for JobSeeker before then. 2) Mutual obligations are back From 4 August, if youre receiving JobSeeker you will need to connect with unemployment services and undertake four job searches a month. This also means youll have to take a job youre offered or your payments will be penalised. 3) JobKeeper is changing JobKeeper is being reduced come September to $1200 per fortnight, and then again in January 2021 to $650 per fortnight. There will also be separate rates for full-time and part-time workers introduced from September. If you were working less than 20 hours a week in February this year, your payment will drop to $750 a fortnight. So what does all this mean? These changes mean young people on JobSeeker are back below the poverty line, and in a labour market that doesnt do them any favours. People searching for a job deserve a liveable income for a short while, we had that. We need to #RaisetheRateforGood. So what can you do? *Join the Raise the Rate campaign* https://raisetherate.org.au/ *Use the Raise the Rate website to call your Federal Member of Parliament* https://raisetherate.org.au/national-day-of-action Not sure what to say on the phone? Here are some notes to guide you: tinyurl.com/yy8sabd9 *Sign the statement of support here * https://buff.ly/2ZsVTTg