Archive for the ‘social change’ Category

A great new resource available through your local public library is Points of View Reference Centre.  This database provides students with an overview of a topic then 2 points of view for and against.  Each article is researched and written by experts.  One topic available on this database is Surrogate Mothers.  There are 4 main articles: Surrogate Parenting is a Useful Practice for Couples who are Unable to Conceive a Child.  Surrogate Motherhood Attacks Human Dignity by Buying and Selling Children.  Surrogate Mothers: An Overview and a Guide to Surrogate Mothers.  This is a fantastic source for topics in Family and Community Studies.  To get to the Points of View Reference Centre check your local public library website – you can access the database from home but you will need a Library card.

Louise McMorland, Youth Librarian, Manly Library

Work with purpose and passion for a social cause? 18-29 years old? Apply now for Young Social Pioneers 2010. Applications close June 11.

 The Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) is now calling for applications to Young Social Pioneers 2010, an exceptional year-long training and development program for social change-makers.  Drawing on international best-practice, the program is designed specifically for young Australians working with purpose and passion for a social cause. Fourteen social pioneers will land a place on YSP 2010 and can benefit from skills development, mentoring, intensive group and individual training and access to a global network of social innovators. 

 Applications are now open and close Friday 11th June,   Applicants must be between 18-29 years old and have been actively working on an idea or project for six months, Ø  Areas of work can include: education, environment, health and wellbeing, human rights, media and technology, performing and visual arts, politics, and science.

“YSP has made me feel like what I am doing has great value in the world and is worth taking seriously. The program has also had a profound impact on my organisation.” Tim Kenworthy, founder of Youth Tree and participant in the 2009 YSP program.

 For further information, profiles of past recipients or to apply visit http://www.youngsocialpioneers.org.au/

Louise McMorland, Youth Librarian, Manly Library

Are you looking for studies done on Australian Youth? 

The  Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) is a research program that tracks young people as they move from school to post-school destinations.  Various of their reports are summarised on their website.  http://www.lsay.edu.au/research/reports_search.html

Louise McMorland, Youth Librarian, Manly Library

This interesting website “History and Evolution of Social media” covers 9 major social media topics:  Precursors to Social Media, early Social Media, Advances, Niche Networks, News & Bookmarking, Real Time Updates, Lifestreaming and Lifecasting, Concerns and Criticisms and the Role of Social Media in Pop Culture.  This article was found on an interesting website called webdesignerdepot

Louise, Youth Librarian, Manly Library (from a news item on a SLNSW e-list)

       Applications are now open for the 2010 Australian Youth Representative Position!   
Each year since 1999 the United Nations Youth Association and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has chosen one young Australian to be the Youth Representative in Australia’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.  
In 2010, this could be you!  
The Australian Youth Representative is responsible for representing the views and interests of Australian young people to the United Nations. The Australian Youth Representative will have the amazing opportunity to journey around Australia to further understand the depth and breadth of the opinions of young Australians, before travelling to the Australian Mission. Once in New York they will work in the UN as a fully accredited member of the Australian Delegation, working closely with Australian diplomatic personnel. They will also work with fellow Youth Representatives from other Member States to advance the youth agenda and meet with UN staff to formulate new projects for young people around the world! 
 
Young Australians between the age of 15 and 24 are strongly encouraged to apply for this exciting position!

Applications will close on the 2^nd of November, 2009.

 For more information and to apply, go to http://www.unya.org.au/youthrep/

Louise McMorland, Youth Librarian, Manly Library (from a Youthgas post)

The United Nations Youth Association of Australia (UNYA) is proud to launch Perspective, a new journal of youth writing on international affairs and domestic policy. Perspective aims to provide an outlet for the views of young people who have a unique perspective and an intrinsically fresh approach to a range of global issues. Perspective volunteer managers, editors and designers have high hopes: wanting it to become the cornerstone of youth opinion and intellect.

The new issue is jam-packed with some incredible articles that were handpicked from approximately 80 submissions. Each article offers the reader a highly intelligent and inventive approach to some of the most complex problems our world faces today, such as climate change, human rights, war crimes, child prostitution and gender issues.

Individual articles and the whole journal are available to download from the UNYA Australia Site

These are the example articles from the current Winter edition:

Louise McMorland, Youth Librarian, Manly Library

Do you need some facts/figures/statistics for your assignment? – this new publication has just been produced -

The People of New South Wales – Statistics from the 2006 Census

The People of New South Wales is a major compilation of statistics on birthplace, language, religion and ancestry from the 2006 Census of Population and Housing.   This gives a very complete picture of the diversity of each Local Government Area in NSW.  Included are data on

• Age-gender profiles for the most common birthplace, language and ancestry groups in New South Wales showing the diverse structure of our population.
• Detailed ancestry data by birthplace of parents, giving a clearer picture of the extent of our migrant communities.
• English language competency by age, presenting the differing levels of English language competency amongst different language and age groups.

There are 2 volumes and they are available on-line at the NSW Govt Community Relations Commission website

http://www.crc.nsw.gov.au/publications/documents/ponsw

Louise, Youth Librarian, Manly Library

Welcome to the e-FESTIVAL OF IDEAS!
Join for 5 days of online discussion around democracy, media, arts and social change, live and unmediated with special guests from around the world and, most importantly, you. From 8-12 April 2008 This year’s e-Festival of Ideas forum discussions will feature some of the most interesting guests that our global media and arts landscape has to offer. Not to mention a whole stack of leading thinkers on the Internet, social change and democracy. check the website at http://www.vibewire.net/efestival (Vibewire.net is a project of non-profit youth media and arts organisation Vibewire Inc and is designed to provide young Australians with a forum where they can comment on matters pertinent to their lives)