Strategic Planning and End of Year Celebrations THIS MONDAY

With exams past us and the new year just around the corner this is our chance to celebrate a great year and plan for the next 6 months. If you're at all interested in getting involved in things like UNYA's education program, running conferences, writing unya policy and media releases or just want to find out more then this is for you!

Afterwards we can all hit the town for some late dinner or ice-cream!

When: Monday 21st December, 6:00pm
Where: YAC Vic Offices - Level 2, 172-192 Flinders St, Melbourne (just opposite federation square)

Let us know you'll be there via the facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10538863992&ref=ts#/event.php?eid=203656979791&ref=mf

Call for Applications

The United Nations Youth Association of Victoria (UNYA Vic) is calling
for applications for their annual Policy Internship.

If you are a student who is interested in policy formation and want to
gain valuable experience in research and report writing, then this
internship is for you! This internship
will set you apart from the rest and demonstrate your initiative and
engagement with the community.

The internship involves contributing to UNYA Vic’s annual Policy
Campaign, which has a focus on Indigenous wellbeing. The internship
will involve conducting policy research, collating data and helping to
write UNYA Victoria’s Blue Paper. Opportunities to advocate and
promote the document are also open to interns.

Interns will be required to work for 1-2 days during January and early
February and will be given formal acknowledgement of their
contribution to UNYA Vic.

Interns will be selected on the basis of familiarity with and interest
in social issues generally, research ability and experience and
willingness to engage with UNYA Vic. Neither formal research
qualifications nor specific familiarity with Indigenous issues are
required.

Applications are due at 5:00pm on Monday 30 November 2009. Please send
a letter of application and CV to

vicpolicy@unya.asn.au

.

If you have any questions or require any further information please
email

vicpolicy@unya.asn.au

or call 0421 617 430 for more information.

UNYA Vic is a not-for-profit youth organisation which aims to educate
young people about local, national and international issues; provide
an outlet for expression of youth opinion and empower young people to
engage with society.

Last Call for Applications - UN Youth Representative

Vic - apply now! We want one top VICTORIAN (!) to be chosen!

Applications close Monday, November 2, for a young person to attend the United Nations General Assembly as part of the Australian Mission to New York in 2010.

Since 1999 the United Nations Youth Association and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have partnered in the Youth Representative program, providing a young Australian with the opportunity to give a voice to Australia’s youth at the United Nations and contribute to Australian foreign policy.

UNYA National Vice-President and Coordinator of the Youth Representative programme, Hannah Stevens, says, “We are looking for an enthusiastic young person who is passionate about youth advocacy to gather the views of Australia’s young people and bring these matters to the attention of national and international policy makers’.

The 2009 Youth Representative, Chris Varney, conducted consultations in schools, detention centres and youth groups right across Australia before leaving for New York last month. In his statement to the General Assembly, Chris said, “Throughout my travels, one thing was constant; the inspiration I felt from seeing the leadership young people were giving to the movements behind climate justice, poverty elimination, and to their local communities”.

Expressions of Interest for the position close on 2 November 2009, and can be submitted through UNYA Australia’s website, www.unya.org.au/youthrep.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reserves the right to withdraw the Youth Representative position at any time

UNYA National Policy Campaign: The Voting Age and Electoral Reform

The government want answers to the following questions, and we want to offer them!

- Who should be entitled to vote?
- How should we maintain the electoral roll?
- Are our current electoral arrangements satisfactory?

Date:	Tuesday, 13 October 2009
Time:	18:00 - 20:30
Location:	172 Flinders St, Melbourne. YacVIC

Come along on Tuesday night and discuss what these questions mean for young people, and help shape the submission made by the United Nations Youth Association of Australia.

Picnic Fun

Come PICNIC with your favourite UNYAns and enjoy the fantastic spring weather! Don't hibernate with your books - come and enjoy the wonderful scenery that is the Abbotsford Convent and the AMAZING food at Lentil as Anything! Feed your brain and feed your soul!

When: 1pm
Where: Lentil as Anything
What: crazy twister picnicy pre examy fun with all your favourite peeps (bring them along :P)

NOTE: GIANT TWISTER WILL BE INVOLVED

Its close to Victoria Park Train Station - Give Beck a ring on 0433955560 if you get lost, want a walking buddy or otherwise just feel like it!

Speaker Night - Julian McMahon barrister to Van Nguyen and the Bali Nine

Julian McMahon, barrister to Van Nguyen and the Bali Nine, and Kelly Ng, one of Van's school friends and organiser of the grassroots campaign in Australia to save him, talk about their personal experiences of the death penalty, a practice still occurring in many Asian and other countries.


When: 6:45pm, Monday 28th September
Where: Youth Affairs Council, Level 2, 172 Flinders St Melbourne

Indigenous Wellbeing Policy Launch

UNYA Vic's 12-month Policy Campaign on Indigenous Wellbeing kicks off this Monday - come along to hear from representatives of the Victorian Indigenous Youth Advisory Council, find out what the campaign will involved, contribute your ideas and have some pizza!

When: 6:45pm, Monday 21st September
Where: Youth Affairs Council, Level 2, 172 Flinders St Melbourne (just opposite Fed Square)

Bring $5 for Pizza!

Hope to ssee you there!

UNYA-Oaktree Leaders of Change Conference

The United Nations Youth Association of Victoria in conjunction with The Oaktree Foundation are running the inaugural Leaders of Change Conference on September 9 in Melbourne’s Parliament House. The conference will include a Model United Nations debate and a number of notable speakers including Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations; Chris Varney and Young Victorian of the Year 2007; Tom O’Connor who was instrumental in the Make Poverty History movement in Australia. The conference aims to empower young people to become catalysts of change, focusing on ways young people can influence policy change on local, national and international arenas.

Register now while there are still places available!

Contact the Conferences Director for more information.

We hope to see you there!

New Exec and other news

Hi UNYA Vic,

It's your new President, Ruvini Leitan, writing to say hi,to introduce you to your new executive and to let you know about all of the fantastic things happening in UNYA Vic at the moment!

Firstly, welcome to what is sure to be an amazing year in the division! I can't wait to get stuck into a fresh new policy campaign, a revitalised education program, pulling off some amazing conferences and competitions, generally enjoying the fantastic company and opportunities of UNYA Victoria and so much more.

I hope you're all as excited about the year to come as I am and I certainly know that the newly elected Executive of the division are. After our AGM on Monday night I am proud to announce that they are:

President

: Ruvini Leitan (Me!)

Vice-President

: Beck Fiala

Secretary & Communications Director:

Stefan Lodewyckx

Conferences Director:

Damien Patterson

Competitions Director:

Andrew Murray (who will not be available on an UNYA email until our current competition, the Thant Trophy, has concluded)

Policy Director:

Mary Quinn

Education Director:

Robbie Nyaguy

Member Services Director:

Tom Martin

I'd encourage you all to get in contact with the new exec if you are interested in any of the above areas of UNYA Vic - if you have questions, ideas or just generally want to show your interest they would all love to hear from you.

Strategic Planning - Sunday 2nd August

To kick off the new UNYA year we will be having our Strat Planning Day this Sunday (August 2nd) from 9:30am to 4:00pm. It will be held at the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria's office space on Level 2, 172 Flinders St, Melbourne (just opposite Fed Square).
Strat Planning is a chance to discuss UNYA Victoria's priorities, goals and plan for the year ahead - and the division is run for and by its members (you!) so you should all come along to get the exciting ideas you have heard and acted on! This is a unique opportunity to understand UNYA's workings better and have a say in them, so I hope to see you all this weekend.

Treasurer Applications now open!

The new exective is looking for a Treasurer to join our ranks. If you have accounting and bookkeeping skills and want to get stuck into the world of UNYA Victoria, send an application through. For legal reasons there are a few requirements for this position - you must be 18 or older, a Victorian resident and not bankrupt. In addition to handling the treasury, the Treasurer is the Public Officer of the organisation when we are incorporated, which involves some specific legal responsibities, especially formulating our annual financial report.
If you fit the bill you can send your written application to me vicpresident[at]unya.asn.auand Stefan at vicsecretary[at]unya.asn.au Your application should include your personal details (including contact details), your experience within UNYA and externally, your reasons for applying and your view of and vision for the position. They need not be long, about 1-2 pages is fine.
If you have any questions feel free to shoot me an email, or

contact

current treasurer Claire Toner. Applications close Tuesday 18th August 2009.

Thant Trophy Competition Coming Up

Our Model Security Council Competition, the Thant Trophy, kicks off in August. We have a record number of teams signed up (it's the biggest competition in Australia, perhaps the world...). If you are interested in facilitating there is an

online form

to register.

That's it from me for now, but I'll be in touch about all of the exciting things going on soon! If you have any questions or just feel like a chat call me on 0433086585 or

send me an email

!

With lots of love,
Ruvini

Thant Info posted

We have now posted info about the 2009 Thant Trophy on the website. People who have registered can get all the information they need by clicking the "Thant Info" button above.

If you have registered, you should also be receiving an email from us soon telling you all the necessary details of your placements.

We have also closed the online registration page. For schools who have not registered, and would like to still participate in the 2009 Thant Trophy,

contact the convenor

for late registrations.

UNYA AGM Details

Hey Folks,

It’s that time of year again: the UNYA Vic Annual General Meeting.

This is where we reflect on the year that has been, where you hear from all of the outgoing exec and where we get a chance to celebrate this great division and organization. It is also where we will officially vote in the candidates that were endorsed at the SGM.

This will be a great chance to get to know how the organisation works a little better and catch up with people old and new.

Any changes to the constitution can also be made by way of special resolution and passed at the AGM. If you want to suggest any changes to the constitution please

send them to myself

by Friday the 24

th

July.

On a personal note, it has been a great being able to represent the division as your president this year and I really hope to see lots UNYAns at the AGM so we can celebrate the last 12 months together and  also get excited about the year ahead which will be bigger and better.

Details:
When? Monday 27

th

July
Where? Yac Vic level 2/192 Flinders St, opposite Fed Square
Time? 6pm

Email me with any questions you have I am always happy to take them.

Stay Classy Victoria

Peace


Giselle

UNYA SGM coming up!

Hey UNYA Vic!
Hope you are  all surviving exams moonth if that's what plagues you in June or the cold weather if that's what plagues you even more in June. As much as you love this current exec all good things must come to an end. It is almost the end of this UNYA term and we need your help in either selecting the new one or being a part of it.
 
In the past the new exec has been elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and it is often a lengthy process so we’ve decided to break it down. What we have decided to do this year is create a Nominations Committee. The UNYA Vic executive have the constitutional ability to create committees and it just so has it that anyone and everyone in UNYA Vic can be a part of this committee.
 

What is this Nomination Committee?

The meeting of this committee will basically be a Special General meeting of all UNYA Vic members. The job of the committee or the purpose of the meeting is to select a group of nominees for the next executive. These nominees will then be approved at the AGM. At this meeting we will hear speeches from candidates for all exec positions. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates as well. It looks like and election, smells like an election but those elected still need to be approved at the AGM which will be held in late July. This means come AGM time all we will have to do is report back from the last year and approve the next exec. Shortest AGM ever! We need at least 20 people at this nominations rumble for it to be constitutional and the more UNYAns we have in one spot at one time the better.
 
We will be holding a

Special

General Meeting on Saturday June 27

th

at 4pm

ad we want to see you all there to help us nominate the slate of candidates who will be approved at the AGM as the new executive.
 

Positions Open:

Written applications will be due on

Sunday 22

nd

June at 11.59pm

so they can be sent out to the e-group and printed for the meeting. You can of course nominate on the day but it is your responsibility to provide members with some form of application or speak on you suitability for the role and your vision. Applications should include your details, your UNYA or non UNYA experience and your vision for the role over the next 12 months
 

Positions up for nomination:

President

Vice President

Secretary and Communications Director

Policy Director

Education Director

Conferences Director

Thant Trophy Convenor

Member Services Director

 
Applications need to be sent to:
Giselle at vicpresident[at]unya.asn.au or
Dale at vicsecretary[at]unya.asn.au
 
Treasurer is the only position that is appointed by the executive as per our constitutional requirements. For more information on the position of treasurer please contact Claire our current treasurer

here

.
 
If you would like some more information on the positions just flick the current exec member an email or myself one. We are all more than happy to chat to you about our positions.
 
If you are a little confused about this process or have any questions I would be more than happy to take calls and emails. If you want to have a look at the UNYA Vic constitution (if constitutions float you boat) I can email you a copy.
 
I look forward to seeing you classy kids on the 27th of this month
 
Peace out Victoria
 
Giselle

Thant Trophy Registrations Open!

We're pleased to announce that registration for the Thant Trophy 2009 is now

open

!

The Thant Trophy Competition takes the shape of a simulation of the United Nations Security Council, where teams of two students from Year 10, 11, and 12 represent member states of the Council in a series of debates on UN-style resolutions, emulating the process of decision-making carried out by the real Council in New York. Students are required to independently research their assigned country before representing their nation’s foreign policy in debate sessions, which are run almost entirely on the real Security Council’s rules of procedure.

Thant focuses on critical, relevant issues of our time, including the Iraq War, climate change, and free trade. Moreover, Thant is part of the only national schools debating competition in Australia – the top two teams in Victoria will represent their schools at the national finals (the Evatt Trophy).

Don't delay - go to the

Thant website

for more information or go straight to the

registration form

!