NEWSFLASH – The Blank Page Summit Hard Yarn Youth Mob 2011 is over – click Blank Page Summit Hard Yarn Youth Mob 2011 Communique to read about the Summit.

_______________________________

At the Blank Page Summit Hard Yarn Youth Mob 2011 in July, we gathered on spring country in the Kimberley to turn our hearts and minds to our young people.

In the style of the Blank Page Summit, we started afresh …….. and asked ourselves:

How can we ensure that our young people can lead long, strong and confident lives?

What is ‘success’ for young Indigenous people?

We heard their stories of initiative, resilience and unique problem solving.

Joining the Summit were Indigenous youth from across Australia along with representatives from the not for profit, government, private and community sectors.

No longer children, some of them already mothers and fathers, our young people are the adults of the future.

They will decide many things when we are old.

No single sector, program or government initiative is responsible for improving the prospects for young Indigenous people – we’re all in it together.

What sort of conversations can we be having with our youth?

What ambitions are we encouraging our youth to hold?

How have waves of rapid policy change influenced the expectations of young Indigenous people?

How can we ensure our young people have the opportunity to thrive?

Is an economic framework enough to build a future?

How can we approach the transition from school to training to work?

Many Indigenous youth in remote communities are only one or two generations on from a non-cash economy – how do we help them build a bridge to financial security?

As we speak about familiar issues – culture, land, governance, economic development, politics, constitutions and educating the rest of the world about the uniqueness of Indigenous Australians – we face an ongoing pattern of personal and community dysfunction.

Sometimes life itself is at grave risk. In the Kimberley during the last year, up to twenty young Indigenous people have taken their lives – all preventable tragedies.

What shifts do we need to make for conditions to change?

How do we ensure our young people are not left behind in 21st century Australian society?

How will we make sure we’re good ancestors?