Have you seen ElectionWIRE? Vibewire is sending teams of young reporters and media makers across Australia out to cover the federal election from a new perspective — a youth perspective!

But the Portal team want you to get a slice of the action too. Whether you’re a budding political journalist, commentator or Australia’s next satirical master, the Portal Election Feed is a space where you can share your take on the federal election. We want your opinion and reportage on the candidates, the parties, their policies, slogans, what issues they’re missing, or stats on who out of Gillard and Abbott has kissed the most babies.

As a Portal Election Feed contributor you will receive support and editorial direction from the ElectionWIRE managing editors and access some of the resources available to the ElectionWIRE reporter teams. Not only will you see your work published on Portal, but your work may also be chosen to feature in the Vibewire Quarterly Anthology, on the Youthscape website, and to accompany ElectionWIRE reporter videos on our YouTube channel!

All you have to do to get involved is send your expression of interest, or completed contribution to editor@vibewire.org.

If you havn’t seen ElectionWIRE yet check out our YouTube channel to watch the first round of ElectionWIRE reporter videos, or head to Vibewire’s Youthscape website to meet the reporters, hear from experts, or to learn from industry heavyweights first hand in our resources section.

The electoral roll closes shortly after an election has been called, but did you know that it can close as early as 8pm the same day?

The Australian National Audit Office claims that around 1.1 million eligible voters were missing from the roll at the 2007 federal election. The AEC also reports that 70 per cent of voters currently missing from the roll are aged 18-39.

For a democracy to operate effectively, people must have the power and opportunity to elect their representatives. In a country as diverse and multicultural as Australia, it is essential that those in power are aware of the population’s vision for the future – that every voice is heard. Democracy gives you a voice, but if you’re not on the roll, you won’t get the chance to use it!

Australia’s current political climate is chaotic. We recently watched as a new Prime Minister came into power overnight, and have been faced with the roll out of mass sledging campaigns, obscuring the debate around issues like immigration, health, and tax. With all this, it’s little wonder the media are predicting the election will be called sooner rather than later.

A federal election will give us the opportunity to have our voices heard, to vote for policies addressing issues that matter, to participate in the operation of democracy, and to incite positive change. If you’re not enrolled to vote when the election is called, you may miss your chance.

Head to the AEC website now to check your enrolment status and listed address. If you’re not signed up, GetUp! are making it easy by giving you the chance to enrol online, head to www.ozenrol.com from July 16. It only takes three minutes and all you need is your driver’s license.

Once you’re enrolled, stay informed. The more you know about local issues, the greater your ability to incite positive change will be. Follow ElectionWIRE, or the Express Media Electioneering blogs, and stay up to date on issues that matter to the youth of Australia.

It’s compulsory by law, but enrolling to vote will also give you the chance to let politicians know what your priorities are and what theirs should be. Don’t miss your chance — enrol now!

I once heard someone liken the issue of climate change to that of smoking 30 years ago. The vast majority of evidence demonstrated that smoking caused cancer, but there was some evidence (mostly from research funded by tobacco companies) that this was not the case. This is analogous to the current debate over climate change. The vast majority of research shows that human activity, specifically the emission of greenhouse gases, causes climate change; there are a few theories and some evidence (mostly from research funded by major polluters) that this is not the case. The question that we must now ask ourselves is, do we act now on the evidence that we have, or do we wait, and potentially give the world the environmental equivalent of cancer?

It is this moral, economic and social trade of that makes climate change such a huge issue politically. Each and every person around the world will be affected by a changing climate, but we do not all contribute equally to the problem. Regardless, we will all have to shoulder the burden of both mitigating the problem, and adapting to the unavoidable climate change already underway.

Research over the last 20 or so years has shown that we are currently facing an unavoidable rise in global temperatures of 1-2 degrees Celsius by 2100. The international consensus seems to be that countries should work together to restrain global temperature rises to 2-3 degrees to avoid environmental catastrophe and the economic and social consequences of that. To this end, Australia needs to reduce its carbon emissions by 60-90% of that released in 2000 by 2050.

That is a lot of work to be done in a relatively short period of time. It becomes even shorter when we put that number, 40 years, into perspective. In 2050, I will be younger than my mother is now- to me that really drives home the point that climate change is not some distant problem for future generations to deal with- the problems that it poses are immediate and will only intensify in the future. Climate change is our problem to deal with, or to live with the consequences.

Indeed, there is considerable support within the Australian population for immediate and significant action on climate change. According to research recently conducted by Left Right Think Tank, this is especially true for young Australians. Indeed, the research showed that young Australians wanted substantial action on climate change, which aimed to reduce current emissions and fund research into renewable technology, and most were willing to “pay more” if such action was take. The study showed that many young Australians were dissatisfied with the current policies as they are perceived as not doing enough to combat the problem. Respondents also expressed real fears that there would be too much delay in passing legislation that would have a substantial impact, resulting in irreversible damage to the environment.

Despite this, neither of the major political parties seems capable of summoning the will to really act on climate change. Watching the leaders’ debate on Sunday, I couldn’t help but notice the distinct lack of leadership on this issue. Neither Julia Gillard, nor Tony Abbott where ready or willing to lead in the difficult task of setting a cap on carbon and ensuring that we meet that target. On the contrary, the policies that Labor and the Lib/Nationals have offered are smokescreens for their lack of commitment to real action on climate change. Both have stated that they aim to reduce emissions by 5% by 2020, with a possible rise to 15% if there is international commitment to a climate change agreement.

Under Gillard, the Labor Party has taken a massive step back from the Emissions Trading Scheme proposed under Rudd. Instead, Gillard has proposed a “citizen’s assembly” to encourage community consensus on a cap on carbon. For many this flies in the face of the mandate given to Labor at the last election to act on this issue. Labor’s political stasis was further emphasised during the leaders’ debate when Gillard refused to outline what sort of deadline we are on to take action on the issue before it is too late to meet our target of 5% by 2020.

Just as disappointingly, Tony “Climate-Change-is-Crap” Abbott has put forward a policy that does practically nothing to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by Australian firms. Instead, the Coalition’s policy aims meet targets through measures such as green infrastructure, planting trees and funding incentives to business and industry to reduce emissions if they should so choose. The problem with this plan is that we will eventually have to put a cap on carbon emissions if we are to meet the targets required to keep climate change to a manageable level. Not dealing with current emissions means that we are not dealing with the problem.

The longer that our government delays the implementation of such a scheme the more extreme the action we will need to take when one is implemented. This shows how shallow the climate change policies of the major parties are; rather than creating a policy that allows us to slowly adjust to changes required to mitigate climate change, both parties are creating a situation in which later governments will need to step up and make even more difficult choices to address the challenges that we will inevitably face.

As such, I would suggest to both leaders that they stand up and show some courage on the issue of climate change. We need our leaders to explain to the Australian people that the cost of mitigating climate change will be less if we pay now, as higher costs in the immediate future will reduce costs in the long run. Indeed, it should also be noted that even with significant curbs on our emissions our economy is projected to continue to grow (and not at dissimilar rates to that if we did not act to mitigate climate change). We need our leaders to explain the extreme costs of not acting, both economic and environmental.

Most importantly, we need leaders with moral courage and the integrity to take action now.

Radioactive Multicultural & Indigenous Youth Media Conference is for young people from all backgrounds to engage in community media and become informed about media career pathways. Get along to this two day event from August 14 – 15 in Canberra for your chance to learn from industry heavyweights like Faustina ‘Fuzzy’ Agolley, Auskar Surbakt and Paul Bongiorno as well as other young broadcasters about what it means to be a media maker.

Whether you want to build connections within the media community or just find out about training and internship opportunities, Radioactive is your chance to get connected and get your voice heard!

At the conference you’ll have the opportunity to take part in information sessions, workshops and presentations that explore the importance of youth participation and representation in the media as well as themes of language, intercultural dialogue, heritage and identity.

Members of the Vibewire crew who are also taking advantage of this fantastic opportunity will be out in force, building up our own community connections and letting young media makers know about a variety of writing, film and media opportunities. But we want to see our contributors there too. You don’t even need to have experience in media, just show up and see how you can get involved!

Put together by The National Ethnic and Multicultural Broadcasters’ Council (NEMBC), the Australian Indigenous Communications Association (AICA) and 1CMS, Canberra’s multicultural community radio station, Radioactive is an opportunity not to be missed.

Places are limited so get in quick to confirm your place at the conference. Download the registration form here.

When:
10am-5pm
August 14th-15th

Where:
Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre
2nd Floor, 180 London Circuit
Civic, Canberra

Cost:
$30

Speaking of tweets or twits, or whatever they are called – the internet and social media are going to play an increasing role in the Australian Federal Election.

In 2010, Vibewire is covering the election race by getting young people to tell it how they see it. Teams of talented young video reporters have been assembled from all across Australia to tell the political story their way. ElectionWIRE, hosted on YouTube, will be a space where you can watch their reports unfold.

With videos posted daily on the ElectionWIRE channel (www.youtube.com/youthscape) see what our team make of the new contenders and their attitudes to the environment, global affairs, education and the future.

Kevin Rudd captured the imagination of young Australians, booting Howard out of Bennelong and achieving victory in 2007. Is this election going to have the same buzz for young Australians?

Right now I’m heading up to Brisbane to train four third-year journalism students about how to shoot videos for the project. See these bright minds on electionWIRE before they make it big as news presenters, which I’m sure they will some day. Then I’m back to my hometown in Melbourne to see our team there who have been busy bees making a video with a very local flavour. I can’t say any more . . . but I hope you’ll log in and see this innovative project evolve. I know as one of the managing editors, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

Main page image “grandmaster FLAX ~ II” courtesy striatic @ Flickr.com

It also houses an initiative called Student Voice 2010 which allows 15-18 year olds to participate in a mock election. The results of this election will be tallied the week before the federal election and mapped against the final election results. The Greens have campaigned for optional voting for 16 and 17 year olds but neither Labor nor the Liberals have indicated any intention to lower the voting age. What do you think? Should younger Australians be able to vote?

The Google event brought together members of the #electionWIRE team, school students from Sydney and politicians. ALP Senator Kate Lundy and Liberal Member for Bradfield Paul Fletcher bickered about whether or not the National Broadband Network was a good idea or not – and the journalists present had a few questions on the matter too. You can read Senator Lundy’s speech here.

The audience also heard from Greens Senator Scott Ludlam who compared old style electioneering – the soporific leaders’ debate – to the new style campaigning which takes place online. He argued that politics is far too important to leave to the politicians – and we here at #electionWIRE couldn’t agree more. The campaign thus far mightn’t be interesting, but there real reasons to participate and liven things up.

And finally, Doug Orr of the Australian Electoral Commission was also on the panel and he stressed the need to give people enough information to participate fully in the elections. His stress on the importance of active citizenship for young people is something that resonates with the ethos of Vibewire and the #electionWIRE project.

Check out your electorate on the Google election page and tell us what the big issues are for you!

Vibewire needs young reporters from the states of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania to cover the federal election (we got a huge response from all the other states and territories!).

To get involved with electionWIRE, email your interest to applications@vibewire.org

For further information please call Dan or Justin on (02) 9660-6591.

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It’s election time. The airwaves are a buzz with politics. Who will win? Who do they represent? Who
cares?

Vibewire Youth Media Inc is partnering with a major media organisation to be at the forefront of this Federal Election finding fresh, exciting and diverse perspectives from Australia’s young people. This has yet to be released and we are currently recruiting young video reporters for the project which will be launched in July.

ElectionWIRE, will be a national repository of news, views and opinions.

The site will be a space where user-generated content will meet incisive, hard-hitting journalism. Whether it is youth unemployment, immigration, the ETS, homelessness or health, the ElectionWIRE reporters will be on the ground asking tough questions and getting unpredictable answers. They will be guided by their peers to find the stories that haven’t been told in a new, bold and unexpected style.

The teams, comprised of a journalist and a multimedia producer, will be stationed all around
Australia. They will be trained, supported and guided by a senior editorial team, ensuring the delivery
of quality journalism.

We are currently recruiting the reporters and looking for representation from Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

Please circulate this through your networks.

Main page image “Les jump des People of Marseille Gens du Sud” courtesy Elvire.R @ Flickr

Our friends at Niche Productions have given us an A Tribe Called Quest Gift Pack to give to one lucky reader!

Send an email to editors@vibewire.org and in 140 characters or less tell us why this prize should be yours. (”Spaces” count as characters!) Alternatively you can send us your response by Direct Messaging @vibewire on Twitter, or by sending a message to Lucy Wire on Facebook.

The gift pack includes the ATCQ best of CD, poster and stickers.

You have a few weeks to dream up a creative response – the winner will be announced on the Vibewire Facebook Fanpage on Friday 30th July.

The legendary A Tribe Called Quest are heading our way for their long-awaited, first ever Australian tour. Without a doubt, A Tribe Called Quest are the biggest, most seminal hip-hop group in history, with legions of fans all over the world. Originating in 1985, the group signed to Jive Records and released five studio albums from 1989 – 1998 before disbanding. Since 2004 the trio have reformed to play a handful of shows across the US and now The Tribe are heading down under – they play the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Wednesday August 11 and Festival Hall in Melbourne on Thursday August 12.

You can book VIP tickets to ‘A Tribe Called Quest’ here.

On the morning of the June 25 event, the Vibewire team was greeted with a large bag of tadpole shaped stress balls – a gift for our guests courtesy of Sydney IVF – but also with the sad news that Anna Rose was no longer able to speak at, or even attend the event. It was a disappointing turn for many of the Vibewire staff and guests who were looking forward to meeting the 2009 Environment Minister’s joint Young Environmentalist of the Year and founder of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, but we hope that she is now feeling better.

Luckily, the Boiler Room Mezzanine would soon be filled with an abundance of young creatives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders, all primed for a morning of innovation. Left with four speakers and a room full of potential, MC Tristan Ap freed up the stage open-mic style, giving members of the audience the opportunity to take up a soap box and fire off their answer to ‘what now?’ The twist was, two speakers then emerged from the crowd. Those two brave souls were Stuart Cook, CEO of a Mexican restaurant chain and co-founder of the E-magine Foundation, and Rachel Botsman, author of Collaborative Consumption.

For those lucky enough to get their hands on tickets to the fifth fastBREAK event, it was a morning of innovation, inspiration, energy and diversity. For those who missed out, here are some photos, and here are some highlights:

Lauren Anderson – The concept of now is one that is difficult for our generation to grasp. We are always looking for more, craving the next experience.

Last year, Lauren Anderson had a full time job, was the as Managing Director of Bright Young Minds (after hours), and somehow managed to juggle university, international travel, and a kitchen renovation at the same time. Her life was a constant stream of activity, leaving her with no down time, no time for reflection.

In March, Lauren attended her first fastBREAK and left inspired. Knowing she would be speaking at Vibewire’s June event, Lauren devised a plan to make her next appearance with a letter of resignation in hand. But as it often does, fate stepped in and Lauren was offered the opportunity of becoming the Project Director for Collaborative Consumption, and she did, resigning her job anyway.

But the last year of her life was by no means a waste of time. Rather, each challenge built up her skills and experience, and without them she wouldn’t be the same. Now, she doesn’t know what tomorrow will hold ,“All I know is I want to take in each experience, because they are all we’ve got.”

You can find Lauren on Twitter @socialadvoc8

Sebastian Chan – How do I get closer to my expectations for the future.

Sebastian Chan has always been engaged in music but “Every 10 years or so, I find myself asking ‘what now?’” Now is one of those times. As Editor in Chief of Cyclic Defrost Magazine, Sebastian is getting ready to pass the torch on to a new group of people. He also recently aired his last radio show on 2ser after 20 years.

Sebastian is admittedly obsessed with the idea that people don’t change fast enough. But as one of the youngest members of the Government 2.0 Taskforce, which examined ways of improving citizen engagement with government, Sebastian learned that when it comes to working across generations, it’s not always helpful to push your youthful enthusiasm onto everyone else.

Sebastian is currently leading the Digital, Social and Emerging Technologies department at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, as for what’s next, Sebastian wants to “figure out how to make a graceful generational transition from youth to someone who’s old and grey.”

You can find Sebastian on Twitter @sebchan

Heather Scott – When you ask ‘what now?’ you really want to be asking ‘what next?’, because what’s next is really exciting.

Heather started her career as a neuroscientist and quickly earned herself a PhD from the University of Queensland for investigations into the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease.

Heather currently works at Sydney IVF and is in the process of creating a human stem cell model of Huntington’s disease, a degenerative neurological disorder. If researchers can find the genetic cause, not only can an improved, more rational drug design for Huntington’s be developed, but the same can be done for diseases like Cystic Fibrosis and breast cancer.

When it comes to stem cell research, ‘what now?’ can be a loaded question. But after working Sydney IVF, Heather sees the possibilities as endless, and endlessly beneficial.

Stuart Cook – “Asking the second question and beginning conversations with the people around me has allowed my business to grow.”

Stuart Cook is the CEO of the Mexican restaurant franchise Zambrero, the director of E-magine Foundation Australia, and was the first of two impromptu June fastBREAK speakers.

In 2008 Stuart was on a bus bound for the Taj Mahal and struck up a conversation with the man next to him. Eighteen months later this man was his business partner. Years later, Stuart was in Sri Lanka building schools. In his search for a meal with some semblance of home, he went to KFC and began chatting with a man wearing a New Zealand Rugby Jersey. This man turned out to be VP of Hewlet- Packard, who then donated 100 computers to the project. Stuart is living proof that you can inspire the people around you just by living and sharing your dreams.

‘What now?’ Stuart suggests that we all start exploring the synergies between our work and lifestyle, because amazing things can emerge.

You can find Stuart on Twitter @stuartcook

Rachel Botsman – If you step outside of your own boundaries, your brand and what you’re working on will come into danger.

Three years ago, Rachel Botsman decided she wanted to write a book about how technology is changing consumer behavior and allowing people to share in new and exciting ways. But when she approached potential publishers, she was laughed out of their offices.

So, Rachel redeveloped the pitch, her book would look at how we are moving away from the hyper consumption that defined the 20th century, and how peer-to-peer lending platforms are tapping into ancient trading customs and transforming consumption in the 21st Century. On her second attempt approaching publishers, Rachel was faced with a bidding war.

Her forthcoming book Collaborative Consumption is now at the centre, and may one day be considered the defining text, of a global movement. At 32 she has achieved her big goal and is inundated with opportunities. Now, Rachel must intuitively filter these opportunities based on the knowledge of exactly who she is and what she stands for.

You can find Rachel on Twitter @rachelbotsman

Steve Crombie – We are the architects of our own fate.

In his relatively short career as a professional explorer, Steve Crombie has amassed and recorded a plethora of experiences. He has travelled to the grand and intimate corners of the globe in order to share it with people who don’t have the time or the money to see it themselves, but more importantly, so he can change people’s perceptions of what is possible.

Steve has an MBA, is an ambassador for the Inspire Foundation, and has created adventures covering over 40 countries across the globe for Lonely Planet, Discovery Channel, Yamaha, Honda and various magazines and websites. Steve has ticked off a few of his life goals, and has significantly affected the lives of young people around the world. But apparently that’s not enough, as he hopes his forthcoming book, Lost on Earth, will do even more.

So you have a good idea, what now? What is stopping you from making your idea a reality? Nothing. Everyone has good ideas, big visions and passions. But it takes infrastructure and contacts to successfully get an idea off the ground. To make a serious impact and create fundamental change, you need to share your experiences, collaborate and work with a team.

You can find Steve on Twitter @stevecrombie

The next fastBREAK event will be held on July 30 in conjunction with Sydney Design week, the theme is ‘what’s your story?’

BOOK HERE NOW

— ‘For the Union Dead’ by Robert Lowell

After the success of his first play 2,000 Feet Away, Griffin Theatre Company asked Australian-born playwright Anthony Weigh to create more. Co-produced by the Sydney Theatre Company, his second play Like a Fishbone is set to stage from 16 July to 7 August at the Wharf 1 Theatre.

Vibewire is awarding double passes for 5 lucky contributors to see this production while it’s here in Sydney.

Inspired by the noise and construction of the Freedom Towers (a replacement for the Twin Towers) during a visit to New York in 2006, Anthony Weigh’s play explores the difficulties in memorialising a tragedy.

A mother’s response to the design of the 9/11 memorial is mirrored in Like a Fishbone. In the aftermath of a school massacre, an architect plans to design a memorial in remembrance of the people lost. Her design and her perspective are challenged upon the arrival of a grieving mother.

The meaning of memory and faith is debated between these two strong characters, their encounter unravelling secular and spiritual points of view.

Intrigued? All you need to do to have a chance to win is think back to an encounter that changed your life. Write about your experience (200 words or less) or send in an artwork of the other person and a description of how they’ve influenced you.

Send your submissions to editor@vibewire.org using the subject line:  Like a Fishbone Competition – Your Name

Entries close Monday, 19 July