Youth parliament > Press gallery > Cindy Kiro by Storme Sen

Cindy Kiro by Storme Sen

As a Youth Press Journalist, and hence a representative of the youth of New Zealand, I came to Youth Parliament 2007 for an experience, an opportunity and like all youth, fun.

By Storme Sen

However, upon coming here I of course expected to find people motivated and committed to making a difference, but what I found was so much more.

The difference between watching a movie and being IN the movie if you will. The most appropriate word I can use to describe my experience and the people here is inspiring, it is inspiring to know that in these times of largely negative stereotypes of youth, and jaded opinions of humanity in general, there are still idealists out there who know with all their being they are not a number in the crowd and that theirs is a voice worth listening to.

But what exactly do the youth mean to the community? And, equally as important, what are the attitudes of the youth to the community?

Upon attending a lecture about the youth of today from the Children’s Commissioner, Dr Cindy Kiro, the first three points that she chose to discuss were in fact centred upon adults.

That the youth should be respected by adults, listened to with consideration by adults and valued by adults. We live in a modern age, one where the archaic belief that children should only be seen and not heard has hopefully been made redundant and where we are all equally respected as people.

Even so, parents are still universally respected and revered more than most in a child’s life.

Although the youth are arguably more independent than they used to be 50 years ago, parents still have a commitment to raise their child to the best of their ability and try to set a good example.

Life is busier now, every thing is faster, but in the words of the commissioner it is the “pattern of the parents” that makes a difference.

The ‘age factor’ should not be considered a metaphorical brick wall, instead it should be considered an advantage.

Living in a different level of the civil system the youth have different, and often insightful, points of view about issues that affect us all.

These are not views that should be ridiculed or ignored because they come from a young person, young not necessarily meaning immature, but taken into consideration because the viewpoint may pave the way for a modern solution, one inspired by a different perspective.

A controversial topic involving age, and specifically the youth, is the power to vote.

According to the youth group formed by the Children’s Commissioner (containing youth of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds), and as is obvious, a major concern is the inconsistency of the laws the youth have to obey.

Why is it that by age 15 you are able to drive, at 16 allowed to have sex and leave school, although only at 18 are you allowed to have the power to vote and influence how your country is run (also the legal age you are allowed to drink without your parents present).

Being able to drive and have sex are mature responsibilities, ages where the government deems you intelligent enough to make the right choice.

So why not vote? Why are we not considered mature enough to make our choice of political party known? Surely age does not necessarily equal maturity or the strength of informed opinions of individuals on politics?

In saying that, out of Youth Parliament in the broader community, I am disappointed to report that the majority of people under age 18 that I ask are indifferent to politics and “can’t be bothered” to sign up to vote for when they reach 18, or have an opinion but simply do not care to vote.

However, must the majority dictate what every single person feels and do we all mature at the same age? I think not. The minority of youths that have an opinion concerning the different political parties have an astounding depth to them that is, quite frankly, highly intelligent.

Should these people, who probably know more about the government than a lot of adults and who want to take part in their community and their country, be shunted to the side to agonizingly wait until they reach age 18 to finally vote?

Voting goes on the basis that every vote counts, the minority may just provide the votes to change the government. In addition, if the voting age is lowered and other youths see their friends actively voting, there is a good chance that they might follow suit.

On the 21st of June 2007, Green Party MP Sue Bradford proposed a Civics Education and Voting Age Bill, which effectively lowers the voting age to 16 and makes Civics a compulsory subject in the school curriculum. If the community is really so concerned with the apathy of today’s youth, isn’t the answer to enable them to be more involved and increase their sense of civic duty? This bill was not passed.

Furthermore, not only do the youth of today need to have opportunities to be heard, they need to be taken care of and educated as well.

Poverty levels in New Zealand and overseas show that the poorest are also the youngest (based on household income). Perhaps to combat this the age when you are allowed to leave school should be raised while the voting age is lowered.

In addition, the sense of civic duty produced by allowing youth to vote, along with other steps to ensure activeness in the community, might make them more positive about finding sufficient employment.

These days, a more holistic view of health is taken regarding youth, called Hauora, which states that health is spiritual and mental as well as physical. Although the government needs to include the youth more and provide better systems to support them, it is also the youth’s responsibility to “organise ourselves to be heard”.

Youth Parliament is an outstanding example of one such initiative of the government to include the youth in its processes.

Not only are the Youth Parliamentarians educated about how Parliament works, but they actually take part and perform debates according to normal House regulations.

The youth are the future, so therefore we should lift the black veil of negativity and despondency towards them to open their eyes and keep the future bright. 

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