Thursday, December 29, 2011

Youth engagement all for show?

At the Council AGM this year the Labour lot made a big fuss over their decision to create posts for a Youth mayor and Deputy Mayor “as part of the Council’s work to engage with young people and involve them in the democratic process.”
Great idea, we’re all for engaging with people of all ages – it’s called equality don’t you know.
But this from a bunch of hypocrites who really haven’t got the faintest idea of how that works in practice.  Who, for instance, dismissed the protest by Rhydfelen students against the school name change because, in the words of one of their Cabinet Members at the time “you’re not old enough to have an opinion.”
As my colleague Mike Powell pointed out at the time, the appointments should not be a matter of paying lip service or ticking a box, but should lead to proper engagement.
So just what has happened since?
The only mention of them on the RCT Council site is of their appointment.  Likewise on the WICID site.  A Google search brings up only the same report – that they were appointed last May.
A search of Wales Online reports that the Youth Mayor presented certificates to schoolchildren in July.  There is no mention of his Deputy.
Yet another bit of show from RCT Labour?

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