Act Up! Youth Newsletter | June 2024

Edition 1 | June 2024

Hey Activists!

As fellow Youth Members, our Working Group are very excited to be launching an amazing project – by youth, for youth! After meeting online during an Amnesty forum, we all wanted to get together to talk about how we can encourage youth to be more involved and confident in activism. We came up with the idea for…

Act Up! Youth Newsletter: Empowering Youth in Action!

The founding working group consists of five activists, Keira (she/her), Vex (they/them), Thomas (he/him), Asha (she/her) and Akanksha (she/her). If you want to find more information about any of us, we each have a blurb that can be found in the newsletter below.

The newsletter aims to provide the space for stories, conversations, inspiration, and connection for the current (and future) youth activists in Amnesty International Australia. The reason that this all came about was that we all realised the mass discrepancies in youth accessibility within the activism space here at Amnesty and how many young people find it hard to get involved with activism as they don’t know where to find events, meetings or even know where they can showcase their hard work. The newsletter will provide activists opportunities and ways to get involved with Amnesty, activists’ stories from fellow youth activists, and stories or opportunities for activism outside of Amnesty Australia.

We want this newsletter to be a space where you can learn the different ways of activism, to know that there are so many different ways to get involved, whether it be standing at a protest, or signing a petition. With hard work and dedication from both you and us, we can make this newsletter a form of tangible change within the youth activism space by displaying your hard work and effort. We believe that the young people of today are imperative tools in pushing activism in a positive light and making changes in our world. That is why it is so important for young, passionate people to know where they can harness those tools and display their efforts or peek interest in upcoming events. We believe that it was important that we created something that you all would enjoy as much as we do making it.

So please, let us know if you have an idea for the newsletter or want to add something to it to share with others. As you are all Youth Members, this newsletter is for you, so please get involved in whatever way you’d like. If you have a question, feedback, general inquiry, send us a message through the form below!

We look forward to hearing from you all!

In Solidarity,
Your Working Group

Keira (she/her)

Hello everyone!! My name is Akanksha (she/her) and I am based in Melbourne (VIC). I became an Amnesty Youth member – quite recently – because I was always passionate about helping people, getting involved with activism and helping make a change with the issues involving human rights! For the longest time I wanted to be able to make an impact on Human Rights. However, it is quite hard for young people – such you all and myself – to play an important role in activism. Our voices are barely heard over adult activists. This is one of the major reasons why I became part of the ‘ACT UP’ Youth newsletter Group, to help create a community where young activists voices are heard and their stories are shared, appreciated and acknowledged by other like-minded people. ACT UP is THE newsletter for youngster’s to get involved in activism, make it accessible and hopefully make an impact with the youth movement.

Asha (she/her)

Hi all! My name is Asha (she/her) based in Sydney, I have been a youth member since late 2022 and am now a new interim YAG member for NSW. I have been passionate about human rights and activism ever since I was a little kid, giving me opportunities to talk to activists worldwide. Our team’s goal and mine is to encourage young people to get more active in activism, to make it accessible and engaging with our Youth Newsletter! We want you all to be informed about what is happening within the activism space for young people and also hear what you might be doing within your school or community! We can’t wait to hear what amazing work you all get up to, whether it’s behind-the-scenes research or marching for something you’re passionate about in the big city. Remember to Act up! And look out for exciting stuff in the Newsletter!

Vex (they/them)

Hey! My name is Vex (they/them) and I’m based in Meanjin (Brisbane), QLD. I became an Amnesty International Youth member in early 2023, but have always had a passion for activism and human rights. Through Amnesty, I’ve had some incredible opportunities to talk to activists across Australia (and the globe!) and have recently become an interim YAG member for Queensland. Young people are an integral part of activism, and that’s why we decided to start Act Up! We’re hoping to create an amazing community of young activists, and stay up to date with your achievements via this newsletter! There are lots of exciting things to come, so keep an eye out for the next issue of Act Up!

Thomas (he/him)

Hi everyone! My name is Thomas (he/him) and I live in Sydney on Wangal land. I’ve been an Amnesty International Youth member for a couple of months but involved in activism and human rights since I was young. This has brought with it some amazing opportunities, not least of which is being involved with this newsletter, through which we hope to strengthen this incredible community of young activists. I’m really looking forward to seeing a place for all the work and passion that we as youth members contribute to Amnesty, and can’t wait for the first issue of Act Up!

Akanksha (she/her)

Hello everyone!! My name is Akanksha (she/her) and I am based in Melbourne (VIC). I became an Amnesty Youth member – quite recently – because I was always passionate about helping people, getting involved with activism and helping make a change with the issues involving human rights! For the longest time I wanted to be able to make an impact on Human Rights. However, it is quite hard for young people – such you all and myself – to play an important role in activism. Our voices are barely heard over adult activists. This is one of the major reasons why I became part of the ‘ACT UP’ Youth newsletter Group, to help create a community where young activists voices are heard and their stories are shared, appreciated and acknowledged by other like-minded people. ACT UP is THE newsletter for youngster’s to get involved in activism, make it accessible and hopefully make an impact with the youth movement.

Learn about what other young people are up to, what they have to say and what they care about in the Amnesty Movement!

Lessons in the Power of the Woman

Written by Anna Aquino (Grade 12, Amnesty Group at St Hilda’s School Southport)

In proving ignorance wrong again and again, a path towards empowerment is sturdily paved.

The month of March heralded one of the most important days on the global calendar, a day of universal recognition for fundamental human rights: International Women’s Day. I am lucky enough to attend St Hilda’s girls school on the Gold Coast. It is undeniable that at an all-girls school this day is a crucial opportunity to showcase the incredible changemaking power held by a community of women.

At our school we are fortunate to have a brilliant student Amnesty group that has become part of the tradition of the school, running long before my time! And International Women’s Day, in our eyes, would no doubt provide a platform for all of us to showcase the power of female changemaking. The main event, therefore, for our school on this day was a series of inspiring guest speakers who provided powerful messages of female empowerment.

Below are some universally important lessons they offered that I believe provide the foundation of female-driven global humanitarian change:

1. Female leadership empowers everyone:
It was clear listening to the guest speakers that the concept of leadership takes on a whole new meaning through the female lens. Whether an authority on faith, science or society, female leaders are able to express a refreshingly humanitarian insight that has historically been overlooked in favour of male-dominated power. Female leadership arguably allows more voices to be heard, lives to be better accounted for, and, in the face of a patriarchal society, one must wonder how different the world could be if, for every man in charge, there was a woman instead?

2. Fighting for your voice to break down barriers:
No change can come about through shying away from difficulty. Indeed, all of the women readily revealed confronting experiences of those refusing to accept their leadership or blatantly demeaning their intellectual prowess or abilities on the basis of being a woman. But, if they made one thing clear, it was to never settle for less than you deserve. Find a space in the room for your voice to be heard.

3. On finding your own purpose in a world of confusion:
Perhaps the most resonant message taken out of the assembly was the power of an individual’s purpose in this world. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the enormity of the future, but these inspiring women offered stirring advice. Your true purpose lies in the thing that both brings you the most joy and is lacking in the world. Privileged experience should inspire action to help those less fortunate. Passions that spark joy should be harnessed to do good in the world. It must never be forgotten that our influence on this earth is both irreplaceable and invaluable. Use it.

Find out what’s happening soon at Amnesty!

What else can you expect from the Act Up! newsletter?

As a Working Group, we are committed to publishing an edition of Act Up! once a month.

Going forward, here is what you can expect from this newsletter:

• Sharing any UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES for fun & exciting things that are happening in the movement (i.e. Youth Action spaces, campaign events, rallies/protests, training workshops, Members Forums etc.)!
• YOUTH ACTIVIST SPOTLIGHTS where we will highlight the personal activism stories of youth activists in our movement. Every story is important and valuable so get in touch if you want to share your story!
• Sharing what young people are doing within Amnesty, in their local communities, schools, universities or at Amnesty events in our YOUTH ON THE MOVE section! Get in touch if you have been doing some cool things!
• GET IN CONTACT via the form below to have your say, share your piece or even join our working group!

We want YOU to get involved and share your experiences, stories and creative works in the human rights activism and advocacy space through the Act Up! Youth Newsletter.

Thank you for being comfortable and confident enough to share what you and your community are doing for human rights. See you next month with our next edition!