Australian youth have a new international voice in Mordialloc local Laura John.
Australian youth have a new international voice in Mordialloc local Laura John.
Ms John has been competitively selected by the Department of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with UN Youth as the sole 2014 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations.
Beginning in May, Ms John will consult with young Australians across the country about issues that most concern them. At the end of this five-month tour, Ms John will join the Australian United Nations Mission in New York to convey those views to world leaders in a UN General Assembly chamber speech.
Federal Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus QC welcomed Ms Johns selection.
I congratulate Ms John on this outstanding achievement. At just 24, Laura is already a strong advocate for social justice and human rights in our community, Mr Dreyfus said.
It is wonderful to see an Isaacs resident and Mordialloc local selected for this prestigious international role for a young Australian.
Ms John has previously been appointed by the Australian Office for Youth as the Victorian Young Member in their national program that shapes and promotes National Youth Week celebrations. She has also completed internships with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and human rights organisations at home and abroad. Last year, Laura was awarded Young Citizen of the Year for the City of Kingston.
Im proud and excited to represent Australian youth in 2014, Ms John says.
As the daughter of migrants, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to represent the diversity and passion of Australias young people on the international stage.
The Australian Youth Representative is appointed annually by UN Youth Australia in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to one young Australian between the ages of 18-25 years. The program has been running since 1999 and the Youth Representative holds an extensive, nationwide consultation tour called the Listening Tour, to engage with and discover the issues that are most important to young Australians.
Ms. John is currently seeking partnerships and financial support for her Youth Representative responsibilities. She can be contacted at: [email protected].
For more information on the Youth Representative Program, please visit www.unyouth.org.au/youthrep.
