29.02.2008
As the Government announced the chair of the Youth Citizenship Commission today (29th February), the UK Youth Parliament welcomed the announcement and called for the opportunity to be seized.
Luke Springthorpe from the UK Youth Parliament (18 years old) said, “It’s great to see that young people will finally get their say on how they are governed. This chance must be seized and we must make sure our democracy evolves as fast as its people.”
Kate Parish, Head of Programmes at the UK Youth Parliament commented, “Involving young people in new and innovative ways is key to ensuring long lasting, meaningful engagement as citizens. Being an organisation that already enables and supports thousands of young people from all walks of life to be active citizens through their participation in political processes, the UK Youth Parliament knows that all too often young people are crying out to be involved but aren’t always given the means to do so.
“The UK Youth Parliament welcomes the Government’s announcement concerning the details of the Youth Citizenship Commission and looks forward to work with the Commission closely to enable young people to have their say specifically on the Commission’s three areas of focus.”
The Youth Citizenship Commission will focus on young people aged 11 to 19. It will;
- Examine what citizenship means to young people.
- Consider how to increase young people's participation in politics; the development of citizenship among disadvantaged groups; how active citizenship can be promoted through volunteering and community engagement.
- Lead a consultation on whether the voting age should be lowered to 16.
For details of the Youth Citizenship Commission please see http://www.justice.gov.uk/news/newsrelease290208a.htm |
