The inaugural QFCC Youth Summit was held in Brisbane on 10 and 11 April 2024, as our way of honouring Queensland Youth Week. This event amplified the experiences of young people from across Queensland, aged under 25 years, providing a platform to voice ideas for positive change. 38 young Queenslanders delivered compelling speeches on topics that are important to them to more than 200 attendees.
Charis Mullen MP opened the event, with heartfelt and considered reflection speeches delivered by Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath MP, Leeanne Enoch MP, QMHC Commissioner Ivan Frkovic, QFCC Commissioners Luke Twyford and Natalie Lewis, Deputy DG Phillip Brooks, TQKP Convenor Michael Hogan, and Q Shelter Lead and Child Death Review Board member Murray Benton.
Thank you to all attendees and speakers who participated in the QFCC Youth Summit. We look forward to seeing how the amplification of these young people's voices makes an impact on the safety and wellbeing of children, young people, their families and communities.
The summit served not merely as a two-day platform for amplification but as a catalyst for sustained change and actionable initiatives.
This report encapsulates some of the collective impact made by 38 young participants from across Queensland. Their relentless dedication to advocacy has significantly contributed to the safety and wellbeing of Queensland’s youth.
Moreover, the summit has facilitated the establishment of enduring connections between youth speakers and key stakeholders. These connections have laid the groundwork for ongoing dialogue and future actions inspired by the initiatives and discussions initiated by these young leaders.
SESSION 1: IDENTITY AND CULTURE
Blake, 19, Rockhampton
Watch Blake's speech: Empowering child safety through cultural transformation: a personal journey
Huda, 19, Acacia Ridge
Watch Huda's speech: Shifting focus: transforming our approach with culturally and linguistically diverse families within the family safety intervention process
Priya, 18, Gold Coast
Watch Priya's speech: Diverse changemakers
Rhea, 18, Middle Ridge
Watch Rhea's speech: We Are Not Alone
Shraddha, 14, Brisbane
Watch Shraddha's speech: Racism and bullying
Tobyn, 18, Rockhampton
Watch Tobyn's speech: "From Classroom to Community: My Journey in Cultivating Cultural Leadership"
SESSION 2: LEARNING
Caspen, 17, Mango Hill
Watch Caspens's speech: Let's reconnect
Sara, 18, Merrimac
Watch Sara's speech: School or suffering
Lani, 16, Bargara
Watch Lani's speech: A gateway to a better nation
Zeblon, 23, Bamaga
Watch Zeblon's speech: Educational inequity
Anika, 16, South Brisbane
Watch Anika's speech: Higher education inaccessibility for humanitarian visa holders, refugees and asylum seekers
SESSION 3: VALUED, LOVED AND SAFE
Oliver, 21, Toowoomba
Watch Oliver's speech: Child safety reform
Ruby, 16, Hope Island
Watch Ruby's speech: Domestic and family violence - closing the gap for children and young people
Charis, 15, Yarrabilla
Watch Charis's speech: Racial discrimination
Caroline, 23, Gold Coast
Watch Caroline's speech: Sibling carers – putting parental responsibility on young people. How can government help older siblings provide care to their younger siblings and navigate their own lives as young adults?
Abbey, 17, Surfers Paradise
Watch Abbey's speech: Young people feeling value within communities
Muskaan, 13, Yarrabilla
Watch Muskaan's speech: How spending time with your family can reduce youth crime and create safer communities
Malakai, 20, Toowoomba
Watch Malakai's speech: Make it happen today!
SESSION 4: MATERIAL BASICS
Max, 11, Rochedale
Watch Max's speech: Fairness isn't giving everyone the same, it's giving people what they need to have
Hanna, 17, Coolangatta
Watch Hanna's speech: Enhancing community transportation - Let's make a change
Samuel, 17, Brisbane
Watch Samuel's speech: Life literacy: why we need to teach life skills in Queensland State Schools
Elma, Bamaga
Watch Elma's speech: Housing issues: a holistic view
DIYDG, 18, Cairns
Watch DIYDG Group's speech: Uplifting our youth
SESSION 5: PARTICIPATING
Ryan, 18, Varsity Lakes
Watch Ryan's speech: Eco-anxiety and the necessity of youth voice
Jack, 17, St George
Watch Jack's speech: War on Waste
Maddie, 21, Zillmere
Watch Maddie's speech: A youth-centric approach to youth participation and engagement
Aaron, 15, Pullenvale
Watch Aaron's speech: Raising our voices, for others to raise theirs
Jozette, 17, Longreach
Watch Jozette's speech: Powering the change for youth in 2024
SESSION 6: HEALTH
Grace, 22, Logan
Watch Grace's speech: Beyond Band-aid Solutions: Challenging the Status Quo in Mental Health
Alice, 16, Camp Mountain
Watch Alice's speech: Minimising isolation during cancer treatment
Miles, 16, Gold Coast
Watch Miles's speech: Beyond Accessibility: Addressing the epidemic that dismisses the human rights of students with a disability
Siobhan, 14, Redlands
Watch Siobhan's speech: Changing the Alcohol Culture - The Affects On The Community and Our Lives