Scottish Youth Parliament workshop B4 at the 20th IAVE World Volunteer Conference, Panama 2008
An Introduction to the Scottish Youth Parliament
Jonathan BenjaminMember of Scottish Youth Parliament for Inverclyde
What is the SYP?
The Scottish Youth Parliament was launched in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh in 1999, the day before Scotland’s other new parliament! Now into our eighth year, we are a group of around 150 elected young people aged between 14 and 25 years, who aim to be a collective national youth voice for all young people in Scotland.
Why a Youth Parliament?
Young People have similar rights to their elders
Article 12 of the UN Rights of the Child
Community Planning
Young people want to be listened to
Established political systems do not engage with Young People
Different range of pressures
A significant percentage of the population
The present as well as the future
What does it do?
The Scottish Youth Parliament meets at least four times a year the length and breadth of the country, discusses issues which affect young people across Scotland and tries to propose innovative and sometimes radical solutions to these problems and situations.
Our vision is:
“To have a Scotland in which young people realise their potential, become full and active citizens and play a key part in all decisions which affect their lives.”
Projects: “our scotland”
In March 2007, the SYP launched its second manifesto, in time for the Scottish Parliament elections.
The manifesto was approved by over 6,000 young people.
Three campaign days were held in Scotland’s major cities
A futher 3,500 signatures in support were collected
Responses were received from all parties in the Parliament
We now have meetings established with MSPs to discuss issues
Membership
The SYP has members from 2 categories:
- 2 young people per Scottish Parliamentary Constituency
- 2 Young people per national youth voluntary organisation
Organisational Structure
The SYP is the only entirely youth-led organisation of its type in Europe - no major decisions are taken by anyone over the age of 25!
The organisation is managed by a board of 14 directors, elected by the Parliament, made up of the conveners of our Subject Committees and four elected Office Bearers.
A Finance and Audit Committee, also including professionals, deals with finance, legal issues and staffing.
Projects: Roars not Whispers
The SYP, working with Oxfam, successfully bid for funding for a project called “Roars not Whispers”
The project has two elements: a peer education project on social justice and the organisation of 2 CIVICUS Youth Assemblies
Four staff work on the project and are based within SYP
Projects: International
The work of the Scottish Youth Parliament is not confined to the borders of Scotland, we have already built up a substantial reputation across Europe and even the world!
MSYPs have been involved in showcasing the SYP model to countries as diverse as Sweden and Bangladesh and have actually trained other young people and workers from these countries in delivering workable youth participation structures.
Document: 3.Jonathan Benjamin.ppt
