Voting Starts for MOVEMENT’s Final Five
28 October 2013 at 9:57 am
Music TV industry MTV's MOVEMENT campaign has announced its final five candidates vying for the role of the inaugural Millennial Leader, the new voice for the generation, who will now face a public vote.
MOVEMENT, launched by the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E), MTV Australia, and Deloitte Digital, highlights the issues that matter to young people and aims to lead social action to improve the future of Australia. As part of the campaign, MOVEMENT also seeks a Millennial Leader who will become the voice of the generation (born 1983-2003).
The five finalists will campaign until November 13 to capture the most public votes at mtvmovement.com.
Finalists are:
Natasha Akib who is passionate about empowering people and communities to use media and turn ideas into positive action. She's worked with socially conscious change organisations including StartSomeGood.com and at the Social Change Film Festival in New Orleans.
Jamie Green who works for a social enterprise that tackles the issue of youth homelessness through training programs in cafés. Green is focused on encouraging investment in youth entrepreneurial activity; believing that if young entrepreneurs were given more support and infrastructure, we would see a much brighter future for Australia.
Sam Lara, an avid filmmaker who knows how to make powerful ideas connect with an audience. She cares about the environment, youth empowerment and political justice. Lara attended both the Bali and Copenhagen Climate Change Conferences, took part in Australian Youth Climate Coalition events and has campaigned in her own community for forest protection and climate action
Jess Miller, a Fellow of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership who, in 2012, co-founded Grow It Local to encourage backyard, balcony and windowsill farming. Miller believes that healthy, organic and Fair Trade food should be accessible to all, not just the wealthy, and that focusing on sustainable living is the key for a better future.
Olly Tripodi, Head of the 2013 Youth Parliament of Victoria for 16 to 25-year-olds, who uses the punchy motto “Stand Up – Talk Hard – Be Heard”. Tripodi extensively advocates for the beliefs of younger Australians and says young people are interested in politics and policies but not necessarily politicians. Tripodi also volunteers at the YMCA.
“The calibre of the Millennial Leader candidates is exceptional,” M.A.D.E. Director Jane Smith said.
“They are thoughtful, considered, well informed and motivated to represent their generation to the wider world.
“Giving a voice to those who can't be heard has been a constant theme and, with more than 40000 views of the nominations, we know we are reaching an audience.”
In choosing the Final Five, the judging panelists considered a range of factors including candidates’ breadth of concerns, experience dealing with meaty issues pertinent to Millennials and their leadership potential.
The MOVEMENT panelists are singer-songwriter Missy Higgins; Claire Harman of Oaktree Foundation; MTV Presenters, Kate Peck and Keiynan Lonsdale; Nick Allardice from Change.org Australia; Yassmin Abdel – Magied from Youth Without Borders; Alannah Dugdale of Reach Foundation, April Long from the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence; Dean Delia from High Resolves and Nic Mackay, M.A.D.E representative and founder of Key Change Music.
The elected Millennial Leader will give voice to youth issues and receive things money can’t buy such as access to a “Brains Trust” of sports stars, media figures, business people, social justice leaders, entertainment industry figures, entrepreneurs, health specialists, youth and wellbeing experts, innovators and policy specialists who will help the Leader achieve his or her goals.
Along with the search for the Millennial Leader, Movement will also work to gather information and opinions about what young Australians value and their sense of empowerment – encouraging participating in conversations around values and promoting social action.
To do so MOVEMENT has joined OurSay to find out what questions Millennials most want candidates to be asked when the candidates are in a Google Hangout at 6pm (AEST) on November 6.
The House of Representatives at Australian Parliament House in Canberra will also host the Leader so he or she can provide a Millennial perspective to Parliamentary proceedings and meet key movers and shakers. The Leader will have the opportunity to curate content for MTV and create a fortnightly blog and video diaries for MTV.com.au.
MOVEMENT runs from UN International Day of Democracy, September 15, 2013, to November 14, 2013 when the Leader will be voted into office. The Millennial Leader’s term lasts until September 15, 2014.
