Concurrent with the fiftieth anniversary of the indigenous vote, the YMCA in partnership with the Australian Electoral Commission is hosting the first National Indigenous Youth Parliament in Canberra this week.

The seven day program will include the opportunity for participants to have their say on issues that affect them and their communities. The Youth Parliament consists of six selected representatives from each state and territory and two from the Torres Strait Islands, engaging fifty young Indigenous leaders.

The National Indigenous Youth Parliament (NIYP) is a pioneering initiative of the Australian Electoral Commission’s Indigenous Electoral Participation Project (IEPP) team. The YMCA will share its experience in facilitating youth opinion to government by conducting the parliamentary components of the NIYP on behalf of the AEC.

To follow live conversations as they happen please use hashtag #NIYP for the YMCA National Youth Parliament Program and for National Reconcilation Week #NRW2012