We have joined with the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition to bring you a directory of services that allow you to Own the Issue! These youth led organisations invite you to get involved and help create your vision for change.

The directory is split into the following key headings, however many of the organisations work across a number of areas so be sure to check them all out.

• Youth Advisory
• Student Rights
• Public Policy
• Regional Youth
• Gender and Equality
• Arts and Media
• Volunteer - Make a difference
• Climate Change
• Sexual Health
• Mental Health

Youth Advisory Groups

Perth Youth Advisory Council

The Perth Youth Advisory Council (PYAC) are a recognised channel for communication between the Perth City Council and young people in and around the city and regularly participate in and organise youth-oriented events in the city.

The PYAC has established itself as a significant stakeholder in youth affairs. Through their efforts they have created a respectable profile with Federal and State governments, Ministers, youth peak bodies, non-government organisations and their peers in the community.
The PYAC members are leaders in the community, representing and advocating for those who may be unable to contribute to the decision-making processes of society.

In parallel with the ongoing efforts at the local level, which has included the initiation and implementation of unique and important forums and events for young people, the PYAC see themselves as being fitting representatives of the City of Perth in youth affairs at a national and international level to contribute to the City’s goal of Perth being a city of international significance.

Website: www.perthyac.com.au
Email: info@perthyac.com.au
Contact:  Lia Ursich, Chair
Phone: 0404 048 460

Student Rights

National Union of Students

Nation Union of Student (NUS) is the peak representative body for post-secondary students in Australia. Representing nearly one million students, it is made up of several departments: Education, Womens, Welfare, Indigenous, International, Queer, Environment, Ethnocultural, Small and Regional Campus at both a state and national level. NUS exists to ensure that the voice of students is heard by those with the power to fund ongoing and necessary change.

We believe in student control of student affairs - that nobody knows what students need more than students. We believe that we can achieve change through a collective voice. Each department coordinates and runs campaigns around certain issues that affect students, or that students are passionate about. Our campaigns support lobbying decision makers with coordinating grassroots support through rallies, stunts, petitions and creative actions to shape policy and practice within society.

• Jesse Marshall, National President, 0411 606 808, pres@nus.asn.au
• National Education Department: education@nus.asn.au
• National Women's Department: womens@nus.asn.au
• National Small/Regional Campus Department:sr@nus.asn.au
• National Indigenous Department:indigenous@nus.asn.au
• National Welfare Department: welfare@nus.asn.au
• National General Secretary:gensec@nus.asn.au
• National Environment Department: environment@nus.asn.au
• National Queer Department:queerofficer@nus.asn.au
• National Ethnocultural Department: ethno@nus.asn.au

Public Policy

Left Right Think Tank

Left Right Think-Tank empowers young people by providing a platform for them to be heard in public policy. Participants are trained in aspects of policy development through the biannual Fellowships Program, where they work as a group to develop a policy paper. The Fellowships Program is being run in Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia in semester one, 2011. Left Right also partnered with the Australian Government to bring about the inaugural Australian Youth Led Convention and with Shell to run the Ennovate Conferences, and is a leading source of independent, non-partisan policy produced by young Australians.
Email info@leftright.org.au

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Regional Youth

Rural Youth WA

We are run by young adults for young adults so we make sure what we do is fun and relevant for the youth of today. We bring young people together from geographically or socially isolating environments to interact with their peers as well as participate in skill development sessions for future life. We also provide young people with experiences in corporate governance, leadership and financial management so that they can contribute to their local communities now and into the future.

www.ruralyouthwa.org.au
Executive Officer Karina Desmond: Tel: 08 9079 2009
Email: admin@ruralyouthwa.org.au

Gender & Equality

Young UN Women Australia - National Committee

Young UN Women Australia is a diverse network of young people committed to promoting gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide.

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Young UN Women Australia aims to:

• Engage young people in gender and development issues
• Develop the leadership capacities of young women;
• Raise funds for selected UN Women Projects; and
• Build a sustainable organisation.

Check out their great videos in the section above.
admin@unwomen.org.au
(02) 6225 5810

Young UN Women Australia  - Sydney Committee

Young UN Women Australia is a diverse and dynamic network of engaged and active young women and men who are passionate about gender equality and the empowerment of women both in Australia and around the world.

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Young UN Women Australia aims to:

• Engage young people in gender and development issues;
• Develop the leadership capacities of young women;
• Raise funds for selected UN Women projects; and
• Build a sustainable organisation.

The Sydney Committee organises events such as panel discussions, film screenings, cocktail soirees and leadership forums, in order to raise awareness of issues facing women around the world and raise much-needed funds for UN Women projects.
We aim to encourage the involvement of young women and men in women's development and security, build-up young women's leadership capabilities and contribute and support the work and priority areas of UN Women Australia. We are enthusiastic and excited about the work we do, and keen to share it with you!

The Young UN Women Australia Sydney Committee seeks to reach young people in Sydney, be they secondary students, university students or young professionals, and offers them the opportunity to develop their own skills, talents and leadership potential while getting involved in projects to promote gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide.

If you are interested in finding out more about who we are and what we do, and meeting like-minded passionate young people, you can find us on the web, on Facebook and on Twitter, or join us at a meeting and get involved!

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Girl Guides

Guiding is about empowering girls and young women to be their best. We’re dynamic, relevant and constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of today’s girls and young women. The values girls gain through Guiding set them up for life.

With more than 22,000 youth members, we’ve been an integral part of Australian society for the past 100 years. Being in a safe, girl’s only space is fun and supportive. Girls are encouraged to try new things in a non competitive environment – experiencing adventure as they step outside of their comfort zone. We encourage teamwork, help girls to grow in confidence and inspire girls as young as five to speak up and be heard.

At a critical time in a girl’s social and personal development, Guiding gives girls a chance to be around like minded girls. It’s a place where girls make new friends, grow in self confidence, learn new skills and experience adventure.
Guiding is girl-led. Our girls have a say in what they do. From camping and abseiling to community projects, Guides learn about the world in a fun way. Our focus is on empowering girls and young women. Best of all, Guiding opens the door to new friendships, new adventures and new challenges.

Diversity and equality underpin Guiding. We encourage all girls and young women to be their best and reach their potential, whatever their ability or background.

www.girlguides.org.au
Fiona Krautil, National Executive Officer 02 9311 8002  neo@girlguides.org.au

Arts & Media

Express Media

We provide support and development opportunities for young people in writing and media. Express Media is recognised as the peak organisation for young writers in Australia, and we present an annual artistic program that aims to develop creative skills and build capacity among young people, including:

• Publications, including Voiceworks national youth literary magazine and Buzzcuts arts reviewing website
• Awards, including the John Marsden Prize for Young Australian Writers
• Training and development opportunities, including the NEWS National Editors Workshop and Skillshare and workshops and panel sessions in diverse writing and media forms
• Resources, including the Write In Your Face grants program and information for young writers

Website: www.expressmedia.org.au Email: info@expressmedia.org.au Phone: (03) 9094 7886

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Smart Artz

Smart Artz is a not-for-profit creative agency specialising in youth messaging. We develop concepts and messaging for clients wanting to engage youth audiences, through workshops with young people themselves. We produce creative concepts by putting the challenge right in the hands of the key audience.
Our purpose is to engage with young minds and give them the opportunity to work on real life projects, learn new skills and develop their creative potential.
Smart Artz projects are brief based and concepts are developed through intensive one-day workshops with young people.

Contact Ben at ben.hamley@smartartz.org.au if you would like to become involved.

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ASIF

ASIF Apologies ASIF is a website to inform Cairns Youth of opportunities and shows happening in Cairns. ASIF has begun its first work, Munted.

ASIF has gone into schools to talk about youth theater projects and plug ASIF.
Email: brett.walsh@asifcairns.org.au|
Check out their video above

Volunteer - Make a Difference

InterAction

What if young people from all backgrounds & beliefs came together ...to change the world?

InterAction is a network of inspired young people from diverse cultural, spiritual & religious backgrounds working side by side to build a better world. An entirely youth-run organisation, we draw on our personal inspirations while coming together with others on projects of common action for the common good.

We subscribe to the principle that acting collaboratively on shared values is the best way to harness the strength of our diverse society, for the benefit of all. By doing so we aim to replace cultures of conflict and competition with one of co-operation and peace.

We are not afraid to get out hands dirty, rolling up our sleeves through volunteering and community service. And we are doing it together, side by side. In this way we feel that InterAction is fanning the flames of a social movement, where people no longer feel divided by culture or belief but come together to build bridges of mutual understanding and co-operation.

Freeman our Architect of Togetherness on 0431034254 or info@interaction.org.au

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Live Below the Line

LBL is a 5 days campaign, where we challenge you to spend just $2 on your food and drink costs, for 5 days from May 16th to May 20th. By doing so, you will be able relate to some of the challenges faced by 1.4 billion people of the world today. With that, you can ask friends, family and colleagues to pledge donations in return for taking on this achievement.

The raised money will go to fund an education program (school building, teachers' training programmes and scholarships) at small region in Papua New Guinea called Yangis. Yangis faces lack of access to quality education at any level, due to the challenging geography, as Yangis is particularly isolated. Because of this cultural isolation, teachers would quickly leave, preventing the children from obtaining an education, and therefore, obstructing any kind of development.

Visit  www.livebelowtheline.com and SIGN UP to our Live Below the Line Challenge. Promote LBL in your workplace, and create a team for the challenge.

Climate Change

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is building a generation-wide movement to solve climate change. We are Australia's largest Youth-led organisation with over 58,000 members and local groups all over Australia. Our power combines our youthful positivity, creativity, energy and use of technology together to leveraging our collective power to create change for a clean, efficient, just and renewable energy future. To achieve the future we all want the AYCC inspires, educates, empowers and mobilise's young Australians to take action on climate change at a local and national level. This produces through short-term political impact and long-term cultural change that bring us closer to the renewable energy dream we hold strong.

Some of our major projects include:

• Switched On Schools – delivering hands-on climate change workshops to high school student groups
• Re-Power – mobilising people using social events and flashmobs, with profits used to re- power local businesses
• Power Shift – a massive youth climate summit, part conference, part festival, all exciting climate action.

You can find out more at our website www.aycc.org.au where you can sign up to get involved.
Also remember to follow us on facebook to keep up to date with all our activities

Check out there high energy Flash Dance video above and some pics in the clips section.

Sexual Health

YEP Crew (Youth Educating Peers)

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YEP Crew is a WA-based group of young people aged 16 to 25. YEP Crew aims to address the issue of STIs and BBVs in the community by actively engaging with young people and encouraging them to make safer and informed choices. Through campaigning, running activities and reaching out to young people at events and schools, YEP Crew hopes to make an impact on young people’s sexual health. Check out the video above which shows their great work. Also visit the sexual health section right here on TINO for some more of their peer created stop-motion videos.

Contact Details
Website: www.facebook.com/yepcrew
Contact: Alexis Bartz (YEP Crew Officer)
Phone: 08 9227 5440 (Mondays)
Email: yepcrew@yacwa.org.au

Mental Health

HYNRG

(headspace Youth National Reference Group) are a group of young people who are passionate about youth mental health and raising awareness of headspace services to all young people. The role of HYNRG is to work together to deliver national and local projects that will have a positive impact on young people across Australia.
HYNRG believe that youth participation is vital when delivering a service for young people.

According to HYNRG, youth participation is:

• Youth contributing to acts within society to improve, expand or aid projects, goals or ideas.
• Young people participating within the community, with the vision to improve the current services and with the goal of improving the future.
• Young people meaningfully engaged in decisions which affect them and the community.
• Young people being supported to give input at local and national level in governance, planning and delivering of services which will have a positive impact on future generations.
• Young people feeling a sense of power and motivation in decision making.

Visit headspace to meet the HYNRG team or to get involved with your local headspace centre  see http://www.headspace.org.au/headspace-centres