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Lisburn girl meets Minister to express young people's views

Rachael Dumigan (second from left) with Parmjit Dhanda, the Minister for Children, Young People and Families and other members of Respect? Young People's Advisory Group. US1707-Rachael Dumigan

Rachael Dumigan (second from left) with Parmjit Dhanda, the Minister for Children, Young People and Families and other members of Respect? Young People's Advisory Group. US1707-Rachael Dumigan

LISBURN girl Rachael Dumigan, a young activist with the British Youth Council, has met with Parmjit Dhanda, the Minister for Children, Young People and Families to secure his support for an ongoing campaign that tackles negative stereotypes of young people.

21-year-old Rachael, who is a member of the Respect? Young People's Advisory Group met with the Minister on Wednesday 18 April to express young peoples' concerns that they are not being listened to by decision makers.

Respect?, alongside the British Youth Council (BYC) and online charity YouthNet, aims to change the way young people feel they are portrayed,.

Launched last year with a study that exposed the shocking extent to which young people feel they are viewed, the Respect? Campaign empowers its young supporters to challenge the degree to which they feel they are misrepresented.

Rachael said: "It was good to be able to air young people's views to a Minister - the main concerns being that decision makers don't listen to us and we lose respect for older people when we get labelled as 'yobs' and 'hoodies'."

Mr Dhanda said: "Young people are all too often targeted unfairly and linked automatically with anti social behaviour. It was encouraging to meet a group of young people with such strong ideas and opinions on how to challenge negative stereotypes in the media."

Ulster Star
04/05/2007