Halifax Regional Municipality’s Youth Advisory Committee is stepping up its efforts to amplify youth voices in government, outlining a new community engagement plan during its Nov. 21 meeting.
After brainstorming potential projects at the last meeting in October, the committee met to discuss which projects it would focus on in 2025 and how to put those plans into action. They agreed to prioritize engaging with and involving more community members by increasing their social media presence, visiting high schools in HRM, working with Halifax Public Libraries and doing more volunteer work in the community.
“We have to let people know that we exist,” says YAC chair Zoya Hussain. “Even though we’re the Youth Advisory Committee for HRM, not a lot of youth in HRM actually know what we do.”
The committee also discussed planning a youth summit where youth, or anyone from HRM, can come and meet the committee to ask questions, give their opinions and make their voices heard.
“I think a lot of youth aren’t aware that they can have a voice in government,” Hussain says. She says the main goal of the YAC is to empower and platform youth voices.
Cyril Jurdak O’Brien, chair of the committee from 2022 to 2024, explains that the YAC amplifies youth voices by working to identify problems young people care about and making recommendations to the executive committee, a subset of the HRM regional council.
“City Council created the Youth Advisory Committee to bridge the gap between youth and the municipality,” O’Brien says. “And I think that the youth as a whole have been able to give a very unique and incredibly important perspective.”
Amelia Penney-Crocker, a student activist involved with Vote16, a national campaign to lower the voting age to 16, shared her perspective on engaging youth in government.
“People who are 16 or 17, they’re the ones that are actually going to inherit this country,” Penney-Crocker says. “They should have a say in the things that are going to impact them and their future.”
Penney-Crocker says she believes allowing youth to participate in government is “healthier for democracy” and gives young people a sense of hope.
“A lot of young people feel like the government doesn’t care about them and doesn’t listen to them and that politics don’t matter because their vote and their voice doesn’t matter,” says Penney-Crocker. “But engaging in politics instead of just tuning out can show them that they really do matter.”
Hussain echoes this, urging youth to get involved and take action on issues they care about.
“Take chances and reach out to people and resources in your community. We’re the ones who are going to be here in Halifax, and everyone benefits from youth engagement, from our engagement,” Hussain says. “There is a place for your voice, and for you.”
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