MOUNT Gambier’s Ally Finnis has been selected from a nationwide field of over 450 applicants to be a UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador.
The 21-year-old was among nine young ambassadors announced at a ceremony in Melbourne last night and will spend the next six months consulting with children around Australia from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds.
UNICEF Australia ensures the Federal Government works to fulfill its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The team of young ambassadors – aged between 15 and 24 – consult with children and young people nationwide to speak up for children’s rights.
The young ambassadors develop skills and knowledge in children’s rights, government advocacy, public speaking, media interviews and engagement with young people.
The team will compile a report on their research, which they will submit to UNICEF, send to the Federal Government and discuss with politicians.
Ms Finnis is no stranger to volunteering and has been working with young people since she was just 17.
“Volunteering is one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made – I’ve worked with my local council and headspace and now UNICEF,” she said.
“It is a really big part of my life.”
Ms Finnis said she believed in upholding children’s rights and was passionate about working with and for children and young people to collectively shape a future where everyone feels safe, valued and accepted.
“I wanted to become a young ambassador for a pretty simple reason – to make a positive difference,” she said.
“I want to work with and for young people to create a world where everyone feels safe, accepted and valued for who they are.”
Ms Finnis said the program would provide her with a platform to speak up on behalf of children across Australia.
“I would love to work within the disability sector and also with mental health because – through my work with headspace – that’s where a significant part of my current advocacy lies,” she said.
“As a person with a disability, it is an issue that is very close to my heart.
“I think that no one knows what it is like to be a child and what a child needs better than a child themselves.
“In order to assist children in the way UNICEF and other organisations aim to do, it is crucial to include the child’s voice at the centre of every discussion you have and every action that you take.”
