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We, the undersigned Victorian young people and youth organisations, write to urge the government to exert all diplomatic power to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and an end to the genocide in Palestine.
Young people in Palestine and Israel have a right to live peaceful and healthy lives, with their friends and family around them.
The Israeli Government is committing a violent genocide against Palestinian people, disproportionately impacting children and young people.
Around Victoria, young people from many different communities, faiths and backgrounds are actively calling for an end to the genocide. The Australian Government must use their diplomatic power to intervene and send a message to Israel that Australians support an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and the free flow of humanitarian aid into Palestine.
Why is it important for young Victorians that the Australian Government acts?
Of the two million people in Gaza, over 50 per cent are under 18. We are deeply disturbed at the images, stories and impacts of this ongoing conflict disproportionately impacting Palestinian children and young people. As of 15 April, over 13,000 of the 30,000 Palestinians killed have been children.
We are distressed by the loss of all those who have been killed in Palestine and Israel.
Here in Victoria, our state government partners with Israeli military manufacturer Elbit Systems, producing deadly weapons. Young people in Victoria, and the workers who support them, will not stand for the production of weapons in our home state, possibly used to disproportionately kill and harm children and young people in Palestine.
According to recent polling, 61 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds want the government to do more. Further, of the broader Australian population:
- 89 per cent of Labor voters support a ceasefire, with 62 per cent supporting more government action.
- 74 per cent of Coalition voters are in favour of a ceasefire, with 45 per cent supporting more action.
“The atrocities in Gaza is making young people look at their own government with fresh eyes, and mostly we don't like what we see. And if the future, literally the future, is asking for peace in a louder voice, there's no reason for those in power now to ignore us. Each day we are confronted by the painful reality of Palestinians, and it becomes difficult to not fall into a hole without taking action.” — Hanienah, YACVic Young Member
We are calling on the Government to act now to:
- Demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire, including the release of all hostages.
- Support adequate and unobstructed humanitarian aid into Palestine.
- Cease all military cooperation with the Government of Israel until a ceasefire occurs, and cease weapons development and manufacture in Australia until a ceasefire occurs, including here in Victoria.
- Uphold Australia’s commitments to human rights and international law, including the Genocide Convention ratified by Australia.
Israel has no right to commit genocide, and how Australia responds matters.
Signed,
Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Khan Churchill, Youth Worker
Dylan McBurney
Imogen Senior
Thomas Feng, Media and Communications Manager in community sector, Human Rights Law Centre
Alexandra Veljanovski, Youth Development Officer
Thomas White, Multicultural Youth Worker, Centre for Multicultural Youth
Nur Sharikul Huda
Riya Rajesh
Kraanti Agarwal, Policy and Lived Experience Advocacy Advisor, Former employee at Children and Young People with Disability Australia (CYDA)
Casey Ash, Youth facilitator of a mental health preventative program, The Flourish Journey
Thea Sydes
Aimee Platts
James Bush, H.E.Y Project Facilitator
M Mackenzie, Youth Outreach Worker
Kelsey McGowan, Senior Human Rights Advocate, Youth Disability Advocacy Service
Tien Tran
Amy Wooller, Youth Affairs Council Victoria and Youth Disability Advocacy Service
Maggie Cai
Olive Petrovski
Lily Rose (Day)
Amy Liddy, Community Engagement Officer
Rhani Dean-Talbett, LGBTIQA+ Youth Worker, Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health
Laura Farrell
Jamil Nabole, youth lived experience advisor and consultant, headspace
Lucy Demant, Policy and Advocacy Manager, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Katia Pellicciotta, Media & Communications Coordinator, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Rose Evers
Mehak Sheikh, Program Manager, Foundation for Young Australians
Emily Shaw
Carla Russo
Jane Chen, Board Member, Youth Affairs Council of Victoria
Lucy Ruchel, Community Engagement
Heather Stewart, Youth work lecturer, Women and Mentoring and Australian Catholic University
Kristy Missios, HoMie
Olivia Trevor
Rebecca Shaw, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Sarah McCamish, Youth outreach and peer worker
Anhar Al-Shameri
Chelsea Daniel, Communications Officer
Natasha Swingler, Consumer/Survivor Academic and Lived Experience Lead
Kirsty McKellar, Community worker
Charlie H
Atifa Asghari, Disaster Resilience Coalition Project Coordinator, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Finnley Stirling, YACVic
Heather Ryan, Human Rights Advocacy Manager | Acting Co-Head, Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS)
Tanashvi Raghuwanshi
Daniel Munter
Ananya Ananya
Sneha Challa, Facilitator, YACVic
Joannie Lee, Democracy in Colour
Nanditha Hareesh
Harmony Carmichael, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Charlie Bates
Rubab Bstool
Ayda Arya
Ruvee Ratnayake
Alberto Giglia, Coordinator Youth Services
Derm Ryan, Head of YACVic Rural, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Ainslie Jacqueline Hunter
Ezra Burnett, Peer support worker, Orygen and CYDA
Jennifer Rowan, Youth Participation Officer, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Cecil Lowi
Hans Gao
Cherry Blyth
Amiel Bowen
Sam Champion, Participation & Development Manager, YACVic
Jessie Tang, Youth Worker, South East Community Links
Aoife Ryall
Husna Amani, Board Member, Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Alexandra Claire McKay, Youth Worker
Kashifa Aslam
Madeleine Clarke
Chelsea Marangu, Youth Advocate
Ciri Stanek
Lux S
Mackenzie Bennett, Young Leaders Program Facilitator, YDAS
Laura Robbins, Student Intern, YACVic
Hanienah
sophia ezad
Laura Sykes
Grosvenor Francis, Manager, YLab
Johnathon Mulholland, Community Engagement
Eamonn Moriarty-Gray, Youth worker, headspace
Kai ashley
Hadis Rahimi, Youth Peer Worker, Headspace/Each
Johannes (Hans) Gregory - Youth Work, Youth Development Officer, City of Whittlesea (Youth Services)
Holly Teagle, Youth Worker
Jasmine Ouaida, Youth worker
Paige Ji Huabei Harrington
Paul Holgate, Program Facilitator, CREATE Foundation
Alma Signal, Program Facilitator, CREATE Foundation
Nat C
Ann-Vu Ngo, Project Support Officer, Centre for Multicultural Youth
