Australia Speaks
How Do You Actually Get Exposure?
From Lucy Lamb
Young Australians are told that they are the future. But do they genuinely have a voice in shaping Australia’s future? As the world faces increasingly complex challenges, states are wondering how they can best protect their national security. In the last five years, Australia has dealt with cyberattacks, natural disasters, economic crises, environmental degradation, aggressive regional actors – and many people feel as if the nation is unprepared for a future crisis. Nobody is feeling this more than young people. They know that the future is already here. Journalist Lucy Lamb sits down with young professionals and industry experts to uncover what young people feel we should be preparing for, and how young voices can be better brought to the decision-making table. Because the decisions made today will shape the world they inherit tomorrow.
Lucy Lamb is a freelance journalist and editor from Wiradjuri country and is currently based on Ngunnawal land in the nation's capital. She is a final-year student at the Australian National University studying a Bachelor of International Relations. Lucy works as a journalist for The Y Australia's digital, youth-led storytelling platform 'WhyNot', and has been published by Regional Arts Australia, the NSW Regional Arts Network, ANU Bossy Magazine, FORE Australia and the U.S. Embassy in Australia on YouTube. Lucy's work covers politics, public affairs and the arts, engaging primarily with youth and women's issues.
Why did you choose to tell this story
As a student of international relations, security and preparedness deeply fascinates me. However, my work with The Y Australia as a journalist for their digital platform ‘WhyNot’ has fostered my love for youth-centred storytelling. I have a wide and diverse network who feel as if young people are not being heard. It is not uncommon for young people to see their participation as purely tokenistic, and it is deeply troubling when this is the case for important national conversations such as this. I chose to tell this story as young people’s lived experiences perfectly highlight why they need to be brought to the table – and in a way that is meaningful and creates real change.
What do you hope audiences take away from your project
I hope that audiences understand that the conversation around national security is for everyone to participate in. Security challenges impact every aspect of daily life, and have ramifications well into the future. I also hope that people will understand that the future is already here. These issues are not something for young people to figure out when the time comes. They need a real seat at the table today, as young people bare great costs when a crisis hits. Young people are already interested in issues that impact our national security, but they desperately need support to help bolster the nation’s resilience.