Youth delegates Zainab Zaki, Heritier Kasanda, summit organiser Fatema Shalemie, Sabrah Imtiaz and Liaqat Sultani.
Camera IconYouth delegates Zainab Zaki, Heritier Kasanda, summit organiser Fatema Shalemie, Sabrah Imtiaz and Liaqat Sultani. Credit: Supplied/Martin Kennealey www.communitypix.com.au d471175

Darch: State Budget must recognise youth migrant, refugee needs

Mark DonaldsonJoondalup Times

THE Youth Affairs Council is hoping young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds will benefit from next week’s State Budget.

The council’s pre-budget submission said youths often found it difficult to seek help from areas such as the health system because care providers lacked the necessary cultural understanding.

It suggested a $1 million commitment towards a training strategy for Government departments and portfolios dealing with culturally diverse young people.

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The council looked to give migrant youth the opportunity to raise these types of concerns through its Catalyst Youth Summit at ECU Joondalup earlier this month.

The three-day event, being held for the second time, had delegates from a variety of backgrounds building relationships and raising social issues important to them.

Darch resident Fatema Shalemie (20) helped organise the 2017 event after being a delegate last year.

Ms Shalemie said her attendance at the 2016 summit was one of the first times she saw the power of bringing together a diverse group of youths to tackle shared problems.

“Events like Catalyst remind young people that their concerns are valid and creates a sense of belonging,” she said.

She said there was a lack of opportunity for refugees and migrant youth to have their voices heard in WA compared with the eastern states.

“WA often gets left out,” she said. However, that in itself creates a demand for a collective call for action.

Nominations for this year’s awards close tomorrow.

Visit www.yacwa.org.au to nominate.

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