From Anonymous to Ambassador
Every year, UNICEF runs the Young Ambassadors program giving young Australians the opportunity to engage with children and young people in order to speak up for their rights.
The Ambassadors do this by meeting with thousands of young people in their communities to discover what matters most to them; issues that are then raised to ‘key decision-makers’.
With the latest program now over, we reached out to three Young Ambassadors from the 2019 program, Jacob, Daphne, and Rhett, to learn all about their experience.
What was it that made you decide to apply?
Jacob: I hold a strong passion for safeguarding our environment for the current generation, and advocating for climate action. Previously, I had been involved in some grassroots activities back home in Newcastle. A few friends and I co-founded a local branch in the global Earth Guardians movement, where we ran community clean up events and fundraisers for local environmental charities. I was seeking a way to broaden my impact and gain some new skills in advocacy with a particular focus on climate and environment. The UNICEF Young Ambassador application came up on my Facebook feed, so I applied and was fortunate enough to be chosen.
Daphne: I was 15 years old when I decided that I wanted to become politically active and try to make a difference in my community. I decided to do this by joining a youth wing of a political party until I realised that the overwhelming majority of members were university students. You can imagine that that felt quite intimidating, especially for a Year 9 student. I decided to help engage with other high school students within my community and together we formed a high school group, where we could discuss issues and work on campaigns. This really struck me because I recognised the power that young people have and that we really should be entering into “adult conversations” around policy and big decision making. This led me to apply for the Young Ambassador program due to its ability to help me elevate the voices of children and young people.
Rhett: I’ve always wanted to help people and I definitely have catered my studies and career path toward that, but I find the time in between, while learning and growing, to be frustrating, in the sense that there’s not much young people can do to get involved. So when I saw the Young Ambassadors program I was like, ‘Oh yeah I’ll give it a crack.
What surprised you most about the program?
Jacob: How much politicians were willing to listen. I was apprehensive at first to meet with federal parliamentarians, knowing that many of them were overloaded with work, and that many of our requests touched on contentious topics such as climate. There’s also a strong distrust for elected leaders that perhaps I shared with the wider Australian society. However, many politicians were thankful for our visit and appreciated the report that we presented to them. I genuinely felt listened to and left most meetings feeling like the conversation was constructive.
Daphne: I was surprised by the knowledge and wisdom that so many children and young people have. From a Year 6 student explaining the science behind climate change, to Year 9 students debating on government policies, to a group of Year 12 students coming up with solutions to national issues - it was amazing to listen to such a diverse range of children and young people. I would also say that the commonality between many experiences of children and young people was quite interesting, particularly during the midst of the pandemic. There were many similar experiences regarding stress levels, online schooling etc.
Rhett: The span of the work we did. We of course wrote our report and did lobbying based on our findings, but we also worked on a joint International Children's Day campaign with our UK counterparts (Youth Advisory Council.) I also did some work with the media team, taking portraits for one of the earlier reports in 2020 around the COVID pandemic. We really got to get involved all across the UNICEF spectrum.
What was the biggest takeaway from your experience?
Jacob: It’s an obvious one, but bottom up grassroots change is just as important as the top down policy change. I think I entered the program believing that the top down stuff was the most impactful. But they’re not mutually exclusive and both are just as important as each other. The work that my fellow Young Ambassadors and I are already doing in the community, and the work of very high paid politicians in parliament hold the same value. In fact, in the community you often get more done and quicker, with much less yelling.
Daphne: My biggest takeaway would definitely be the importance of holding consultations with key stakeholders. In our case, it was the children and young people of Australia. But I think on a wider scale - whether it be those with disabilities, First Nations peoples, women - we need to have those stakeholders in the decision-making room when decisions are being made that impact on their lives. We need to be making smart policy decisions so consultations with key stakeholders is absolutely imperative.
Rhett: A better understanding of politics in Australia, and where we are in terms of community/social development.
What advice would you give others looking to apply to the program?
Jacob: Know your worth as a young person. I often look around the room in social change settings and question my value as someone with less experience. We may not share the same years of professional experience as our older counterparts, but that can be an advantage. We’re not caught up in systematic thinking and a ‘business as usual’ mindset. We’re driven by passion for the world we want to grow up in. We do hold valuable perspectives and can be advocates for a large cohort of the population whose voices are normally not heard. Also to be yourself! People respond well to authenticity.
Daphne: I would say to use the application as an opportunity to talk about what you’re passionate about. Think about your own lived experiences as a young person growing up in Australia and use that to express why you think children and young people's voices should be elevated, and why you should be the one to help do it!
Rhett: It definitely takes you into the real world of non-government organisations, politics and rights. Which, on one hand, is electric to be a part of, but on the other hand can be quite disheartening. Definitely go for it, the program is very much what you make of it. So I would say to anyone wanting to apply that the role itself is the baseline, everything else is then up to you and I would encourage you to be bold and ambitious.
While the 2021/22 program dates have yet to be announced, you can stay up to date on the latest information and meet the other Young Ambassadors on the UNICEF website.
