2020 Summit Australia: Here Come the Yoof (youth summit)

OMG Australia 2020 Youth Summit FTW kthnxbai

*waves* hi to those people who have been sending links to their 2020 Summit communities online. I’m sorry I can’t respond to all of you in person – though by the looks of these sites, you’ve been doing some great work.

• OzIdeas on WetPaint
• Bang The Table
• 2020Summit (I’m involved with that one)
• Bloggerati.com.au (mine)
• and some guy who wants us to have a new flag flagoz.com

Who else is missing – not blogs, communities please, or at least group blogs – social networks for social change?

For those network creators, I’d like to ask you to also get behind the Youth Summit. Here’s what they need:

• Collaborative Knowledge Management – OpenSource MediaWiki will do (Runs wikipedia, should work) or webwiki
• Blogs – WordPress probably – Opensource? In depth discussion by attendees. One-to-many journey stories.
• Forum – VBulletin $120? Many-to-many discussions to cross pollinate ideas.
• Social Voting – Pligg (see my bloggerati.com.au for example). Open Source for social voting on issues.
• Tangler plugin for real time chats. Let them stick the widget wherever they want them.
• Some SMS to Mobile and back communication. Like Twitter and so on.

You might be able to do most of this stuff with one social network CMS like Drupal or Joomla! and some plugins. Remember they are 15-24 year olds but still vulnerable to predators. Have proper system profiles in place, lock down public and manage private profiles and so on.

If you give the youth their own online community so they can co-create the world they want to live in, they’ll have it all done and dusted while we are still working out who will sit where at the Grownups Australia 2020 Summit. Bags me right hand of Kevin Rudd. Or near the coffee. I can’t make up my mind. And yes, I did nominate myself. At the very last minute – women can’t whinge about not being included when they don’t stand up to be counted when they are given the opportunity. Even when I have buckleys chance of being there, it would be fatuous of me not to at least stick the form in. And I would add such good entertainment value…

Here’s the Youth Summit stuff:

What is the 2020 Youth Summit?

The 2020 Youth Summit will be held in the lead up to the Australia 2020 Summit in Canberra on 12 and 13 April 2008.

100 young people (15 to 24 years of age) from around Australia will discuss the ten critical areas on the agenda for the Australia 2020 summit, as well as options for the establishment of an ongoing Australian Youth Forum.

The Australian Government is committed to young people being ‘at the table’ when the long-term challenges of our country are discussed.

The ten critical areas of discussion are:

• Future directions for the Australian economy – including education, skills, training, science and innovation as part of the nation’s productivity agenda;
• Economic infrastructure, the digital economy and the future of our cities;
• Population, sustainability, climate change and water;
• Future directions for rural industries and rural communities;
• A long-term national health strategy – including the challenges of preventative health, workforce planning and the ageing population;
• Strengthening communities, supporting families and social inclusion;
• Options for the future of indigenous Australia;
• Towards a creative Australia: the future of the arts, film and design;
• The future of Australian governance: renewed democracy, a more open government (including the role of the media), the structure of the Federation and the rights and responsibilities of citizens; and
• Australia’s future security and prosperity in a rapidly changing region and world.

The Summit will be co-chaired by the Minister for Youth, the Hon Kate Ellis MP and Hugh Evans, Young Australian of the Year for 2004.

Where will the Summit be held?

The Summit will be held in Canberra at Parliament House.

Who will pay?

Delegates will volunteer their time and the Australian Government will meet all accommodation and travel costs.

What will be expected of delegates?

The delegates will be expected to:

• Prepare for the discussions prior to the Summit by reading the material that will be provided to them; and
• Actively participate in the Summit discussions.

During the Summit, delegates will be supported by a group of support staff, which is expected to include Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries, secretariat and chaperones for those under 18.

Ten delegates will be chosen by the Youth Summit to attend the Australia 2020 Summit on 19 and 20 April.

How do I nominate?

Anyone between the ages of 15 – 24 can nominate to be a part of the Youth Summit.

Just download the nomination form and either send it to the postal address below along with a copy of your proof of age or you can scan and send your nomination and proof of age via email to youth2020@deewr.gov.au!

More here.

Actually, I’ve changed my mind – can I please please please join the Youth Summit. Probably will be more fun. Heh.