Young people give Voice to their ideas about sustainability and the environment

Three-year-olds with ideas about sustainability and the environment? It’s not a fairy tale but reality, according to the organisers of a sustainability conference for young people being hosted by Southern Cross University in Lismore this week (November 1).

‘Our Voice: Inaugural Sustainability Conference for Young People by Young People’ will bring together more than 200 children and young people, from three to 16 years of age, to express their ideas and concerns relating to sustainability and the environment in regional Australia using a range of formats, from song, photos, virtual worlds, drama to activities like gardening.

“People’s reactions are, ‘Three-year-olds, what on earth would they know?’” said conference co-convenor Dr Marianne Logan from the School of Education.

“But when you work with them (as I have as an early childhood educator) they’re capable of so much. Yet we have a low expectation of what children can do. You give them the opportunity and they have power. We need to respect that they have something to say.”

The pre-schoolers’ activities include: using water conservation models in sand, growing plants in recycled milk containers, teaching the audience to sing a song, and performing a short play involving the audience.

The focus of Our Voice is to spark conversation through the exchange of diverse perspectives, ideas and experience.

“We hope that this conference will encourage children to think critically about sustainability in their local region, share solutions and identify pathways for change in the future,” said conference co-convenor Associate Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie, also from the School of Education.

Keynote speaker Amelia Telford was still at school when she was empowered to make a difference in the world. The 19-year-old Bundjalung woman (NSW North Coast) grew up with a passion to care for and protect the future of the environment.

“Getting involved with my school environmental committee sparked a long-lasting commitment to the climate movement,” said the former school captain of Lismore’s Trinity Catholic College.

“I became aware of the positive influence young people can have and how working together as a team achieves much more.”

Amelia was accepted to study medicine at university but deferred to work in Melbourne as the Indigenous coordinator at the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) where she reaches out to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth to encourage climate action and provide them with opportunities share their voice.

Earlier this year Amelia experienced the fragile Antarctic landscape first hand as part of the ‘2041 Antarctic Youth Ambassador program’, an expedition of young people from around the world led by polar explorer Robert Swan.

“During my keynote address I’ll be focusing on the positive things I have learned during my activist career and encouraging them to embrace any opportunities,” Amelia said.

“My experience of standing up and taking action on climate change has been a really positive one, even though the issue can be overwhelming. If you set yourself small goals and work towards achieving them then you can push for solutions in everyday activities, especially within a school environment.”

The Our Voice conference is a collaboration of Southern Cross University, Rous Water and Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre.

Photo: Amelia Telford in Antarctica.