QAIHC Youth Hub Network Coordinator Taeg Twist had the privilege of attending the United Nations Headquarters in New York this April for the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) with a delegation of five other young Indigenous Australians.
Taeg applied for a spot through the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME). The application process involved a detailed expression of interest (EOI) which included a three-minute video and a proposal for a ‘custodial economics project’.
“I developed a proposal for a project called ‘Youth Guardians’ which would encourage young people’s environmental stewardship of country,” Taeg said.
Taeg’s EOI led to an interview with AIME and from there, they were selected.
The next step was a two-day diplomacy training program with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the National Indigenous Australians Agency, that informed delegates on expectations when in the UN, networking techniques, and how to prepare ‘interventions’ for presentation at the Forum.
In UN-speak, interventions are discrete pieces of the discussion going on and could be presentations, proposals, speeches, documents, demonstrations or even events.
Taeg described the trip as a two-week whirlwind of meetings, discussions and cultural exchanges.
Taeg’s delegation took part in a panel discussion with Australia’s Ambassador for First Nations People — Ambassador Justin Mohamed. Kaurna woman Jakirah Telfer, who coordinated South Australia’s “Yes” campaign for the Voice to Parliament referendum, discussed her disappointment and hurt at the outcome of the Voice to Parliament referendum.
Taeg said they came away with a renewed sense of purpose in working to improve outcomes for Indigenous Australians.
“The Forum was super inspiring, with powerful speeches and workshops showing how resilient and innovative indigenous people are around the world,” they said.
“Hearing and learning the stories of different mobs’ struggles and successes really moved me. It was empowering to see everyone so unified in their commitment to human rights and sustainability.
“Outside the formal sessions, the connections we made over coffee and at cultural events really highlighted the strength of unity and our shared goals.”
