YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS SUNDERLAND have agreed what issue Sunderland Youth Parliament should focus on in the year ahead.
Children from every school and youth organisation in the city were invited to attend the annual Young People’s State of the City Debate at Sunderland Civic Centre on Friday 27 November.
They debated five issues on the agenda decided by 6000 young people from across the city, who voted earlier this year on what they thought were young people’s main concerns.
The issues debated were :
1. Living Wage
2. A curriculum to prepare us for life
3. Mental Health
4. Transport
5. Tackling Racism
After all five issues were debated young people were given the opportunity to vote for the most important issue to them.
The votes were counted and the issue that Sunderland Youth Parliament will focus on this year is ‘ Mental Health.’
Councillor Smith said: “Everyone who has attended this and previous year’s debates, will be as impressed as I am at the passion, commitment and political eloquence and understanding of our young people.
“More than 100 young people from across the city attended this annual event in the council chambers, and there was the usual high standard of debate.
“The debate saw discussions on a number issues with the main priority identified as ‘mental health.’ Over the next nine months Sunderland Youth Parliament will work to prepare a report for next year’s event on existing provision and how it might be improved.”
Councillor Smith added: “The annual ‘Young People’s State of the City Debate’ demonstrates how they can influence political debate in our city, and help shape council policy as a result to provide the type of services they want to see provided to meet their needs.”
Members of Sunderland’s Youth Parliament meet every week to provide young people (11-18) with the chance to debate issues affecting their lives.
Their views are also represented at the UK Youth Parliament and in annual debate in the House of Commons by Sunderland’s two MYPs.
Chair of the Sunderland Youth Parliament and Sunderland MYP Luwam Habte,17, from Washington said: “It is the fact that this annual debate is organised by young people who also set the agenda, which makes it so special and important to attend.
“Who better placed to identify the issues affecting young people than young people themselves, and who better to debate them.
“Being staged in the Council Chamber at the Civic also helps to demonstrate that our views and opinions are valued and appreciated by the decision makers and senior leadership at Sunderland City Council.”
