'Hoodies', 'Yobs' and the 'ASBO generation'

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The local youth gets the chance to talk back.

 

Local youths are calling on the government and local authorities to provide more facilities and gain more understanding from the public about crime and negative perceptions.

Last Thursday the London region of the UK's Youth Parliament launched its 2006 manifesto in front of senior politicians, police and young people.

A statement from the Youth Parliament read “In recent years young people have been generally portrayed as yobs with no respect for their community. Young people are often judged by what they wear or how they talk. We are not all bad and not all on ASBOs and the vast majority of us care deeply about our communities and feel we are unfairly stereotyped.

Our manifesto sets out our views about our city and how it could be improved. The key areas we would like to see improvements are:-

- Youth provision: We feel there is a lack of youth facilities in London.
There are not enough youth centres or entertainment venues accessible to young people. As a result large groups of young people congregate on the streets, which can sometimes lead to anti-social behaviour. Where good provision exists it provides great benefit to the whole community, however they need more support and funding.

- Negative stereotypes and images: We feel that young people in London are perceived in a negative light. A small proportion of young people give the rest of us a bad name. We may not show it all the time but we DO respect our communities and families.

- Crime: A small proportion of young people commit crime, but it should be noted that we are more likely to be the victim of crime than any other group. We should be tackling the causes of crime at its roots.”

Members and deputy members of the UK Youth Parliament have created the manifesto drawing on the opinions and views of young people from all over London. There has been extensive consultation with youth councils, community groups and ordinary young people to make sure that it addresses all their needs.

Speeches were accompanied by performances from the Youth Music Theatre: UK (YMT:UK) and a short film written and produced by young people will be premiered. 'Project:Consider' is a hard-hitting film which shows the consequences of carrying weapons and how such actions can lead to devastating effects upon the individual and their family.

Mohammed Iqbal, Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) for said "Young people for so long have been ignored, their voices forgotten, and their views unheard. The purpose of this manifesto is to tell London precisely what young people want".

The UKYP aims to give the young people of the UK, between the age of 11 and 18 a voice, which will be heard and listened to by local and national government, providers of services for young people and other agencies who have an interest in the views and needs of young people.

Launched seven years ago, there are currently over 300 elected MYPs who are young men and women, including those from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, and with physical and learning disabilities. Each local education authority represents one constituency.

                                                     

July 18, 2006