Disempowered? Disenfranchised? Disgusted? - ActNow
In the barrage of mass-media spin and the ideological peak hour of the information superhighway, too often young people feel ineffectual and disempowered, in particular when it comes to issues which affect them. This disempowerment comes not from the fact that they are too insignificant to make a difference or that they are apathetic, rather, that they simply do not know where to turn for information, explanation or a path to follow.
Enter www.actnow.com.au
ActNow was created by the non-profit and politically impartial Inspire Foundation with a view to giving 16-25 year olds access to information as well as the impetus and modus operandi to take action. ActNow now boasts over 700 members tackling over 100 different issues including homelessness, the environment, body image and multiculturalism. In a time where knowledge is indeed power, The Dwarf took the opportunity to speak with one young person who has chosen to act now.
Zulejha, is a 22 year-old originally from regional Victoria who moved to Melbourne in 2002 to study a Bachelor of Media & Communications. Since completing this degree in 2004, Zulejha has been working primarily in the aged care, community media and education sectors. After hearing about ActNow via a group email, Zulejha was inspired to get involved.
When asked about this motivation, Zulejha is forthcoming.
"I really wanted to get involved because it sounded like a fantastic program that would really inspire young people to take action on matters that are important to them. I am very enthusiastic about encouraging young people to become more involved in their community and knew that ActNow would be one of those programs that would do just that and even more! It also sounded like a great opportunity to use my knowledge of web design and internet communications to make a contribution to the way ActNow would influence how young people use the site and what benefits they could gain from ActNow.”
As a member of an ActNow Incubator, which included young people from all across Australia, Zulejha was instrumental in the development of the ActNow website. Formulated by the ActNow Incubator over a twelve week period the group devising the site with a strong focus on the sites usability, construction and design with a view to reaching its target audience both physically and ideologically.
As Zulejha reveals, the process of working with ActNow is beneficial not only to users of the website, but to the designers themselves, ActNow provides me with space to connect to other people who want to take action within their communities. ActNow is about creating dialogue, generating ideas and giving young people access to tools and resources that will help them act on issues they are passionate about. I love writing and researching aspects on current issues, and ActNow allows me to do both of these things at the same time. I also love taking action on the issues that are important to me, and ActNow provides me with a gateway to other people, organisations and resources to help me to take action’.
From being a part of ActNow Zulejha now has new motivation and purpose, explaining ‘I want to take everything I've learnt and skills gained from being apart of the ActNow team and use it in both my professional and personal life. Professionally, I want to be able to use all the skills I have gained from ActNow and use it to further establish my career in a communications role within a not-for-profit organisation. Personally, I want to stay involved with ActNow program as long as I feel that what I contribute is helping the program. But most importantly, I want to keep taking action in my own life and inspire others to act also’.
If you are between 16-25 you too can pick up the gauntlet and ActNow. Visit www.actnow.com.au for more details about how you can make a difference.
