CMY urges investment in young people ahead of Victorian State Election

Ahead of the Victorian State Election on 26 November, the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) has launched its Election Policy Platform outlining the key issues that require immediate action from an incoming government, as well as existing CMY programs that need sustained support.

Among CMY’s key priorities for investment are multicultural youth workers and mental health initiatives, addressing racism in local communities, investment in youth justice and crime prevention programs, and support for disadvantaged multicultural students’ education which has fallen behind due to Covid-19.

CMY Chief Executive Officer Carmel Guerra said it was crucial that any incoming government commits to greater support of young people.

“Victoria leads the way in valuing and promoting multiculturalism as one of our greatest strengths. CMY is calling on all parties to commit to strong policies so that young people and their families can strengthen their sense of belonging and proudly contribute to Victoria’s multicultural community,” Ms Guerra said.

“The targeted investments we are calling for are critical for the prosperity of our young people. Against a backdrop of unprecedented social and economic upheaval over the past few years of the pandemic, this is a crucial time to support young people.

“This state election we appeal to the political parties to seriously consider funding initiatives that impact positively on our young people.”

CMY is calling for new investments in:

  • Multicultural youth workers
  • Addressing adolescent family violence
  • Multicultural youth mental health
  • Tackling racism in local communities
  • Multicultural youth justice
  • Strengthening diversity through sports initiatives
  • Addressing Covid-19 and disrupted education
  • A multicultural youth employment initiative.

CMY is also calling for the following programs to be sustained and/or expanded:

  • A CMY Centre of Excellence (CoE) and an embedded Innovative Futures Digital Centre
  • The Pasifika young people project (Le Mana Pasifika Project)
  • The Regional Presence Project (RPP)
  • Centre for Multicultural Sport (CMSport)
  • Refugee Education Support Initiatives
  • The South Sudanese Community Support Group
  • The Youth Referral and Independent Person Program (YRIPP)
  • The Seat at the Table (SAT) program.

For more detail, download the full 2022 Victorian Election Policy Platform at: https://www.cmy.net.au/victorian-election

ENDS

About Centre for Multicultural Youth: CMY is Australia’s largest organisation for migrant and refugee youth, providing specialist knowledge and support to young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds in Victoria.

MEDIA: Interviews with spokespeople are available including CMY Chief Executive Officer Carmel Guerra, staff from existing CMY programs (Le Mana Pasifika Project, the South Sudanese Community Support Group and CMSport), and multicultural youth representatives. Contact Jackie Hanafie on 0493 393 416 or jackie.hanafie@humankindadvisory.com.