The Youth Alliance works with the Voices in Action Youth Council and supports their processes and meetings, and when themes and topics arise that young people would be keen to progress we support them to have their voices heard with providers and statutory bodies in Derby city and beyond.
The Voices in Action Youth Council is run by Derby City Council and chaired by Derby Youth Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and Munti who is our current Youth Mayor has invited us to share his election speech with our audience via our blog as part of National Youth Work Week 2023!
So without further ado, allow us to introduce you to your current Youth Mayor, Munti! 😀
Good evening all,
My name is Muhammad Muntasir, you can call me Munti, and it is an honour to be standing here again to showcase why I am a worthy candidate to be your Youth Mayor.
A role which I have decided to run for as I’m tired of voices being heard but action being absent and what little is heard is seldom enacted. I want to enact real change for the future our youth deserve, the future we deserve.
I’m delighted to be here to share my 3 priorities for a prosperous future for our posterity, our communities, our city and our futures. I like to call these the 3 Es (Environment, Egis (safety) and Equality).
First I will focus on Environment. My voluntary work with the humanitarian charity Islamic Relief sparked my passion for our environment. Residents of our city have spoken to me about their ‘disappointment’ and ‘shame’ towards how our local areas are treated with litter and rubbish ravaging the local greenery with very little being done in response. I feel a sense of guilt listening these concerns, thinking if this is the outlook of the city our current generation have then what will our next generation think? This is our home we are talking about (a place of comfort and warmth), where we should thrive, where communities should be built and where our futures are decided – not a dump for our empty cans to reside in. As studies have shown, those who reside in clean, nurtured environments have better mental health – this is an opportunity to promote success within our city. I was elected as Chair of Children’s Parliament by the MP for Nottingham North to host meetings with schools across the East Midlands chairing discussions on how to improve our communal environments in school. We implemented green spaces into our schools as a place to divert ourselves from the stresses of student life. To further this, I will collaborate with schools and other groups across Derby to improve our local areas and allow our futures to flourish.
In regards to our safety, I attended a Community Talks Event for Stephen Lawrence Day on behalf of the ViA Youth Council where we liaised with community organisations such as PREVENT and the Derbyshire Police Force in a collaborative effort to make Derby safer – particularly for our minority groups. This allowed us to make clear how fundamental education is towards a deferential, society and what can be done to promote this, thereby promoting success for our young people. To make Derby a safer city for us all, there is pressing need for communication between these organisations to raise awareness of key issues such as drugs, theft, knife crime and other such contemptible crimes. As Youth Mayor, I will continue to work with schools and organisations like those mentioned to help raise support and campaign for our young people, to protect our bright futures.
Finally, to build a thriving and progressive city: we need to ensure their is equality in the opportunities our young people are offered. As a Muslim, I am proud to have delivered assemblies to my peers about Islam. Educating young people about different faiths and cultures roots out misconception, it allows young people from any background to be proud of their heritage. I encourage everyone here to share the knowledge you have and the legacy you carry whether that is in a one to one conversation or on a stage – the inheritance of knowledge is our entitlement. Thus, I will work with young people across many social demographics to support them in sending their message, amplifying their voices for all to hear.
I hope to expand further upon these 3 Es as your Youth Mayor, through your vote. But why chose me? I’m driven to make sure intention meets action, my vast experience and network with youth organisations across the East Midlands will be the making of a cleaner, safer and equal Derby. A Derby for us all.
For more information on Derby Youth Mayor please visit their Instagram page.
For more information on the Voices in Action Youth Council please visit their webpage or email via@derby.gov.uk