Policy Manager at the Inspire Foundation. She is also a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of

upon some exploratory work on the question of community engagement and political participation by younger Australians. That work is taking shape under the banner of Young People Imagining a New Democracy. This report marks the first stage in this process of exploration. It has been authored for us by Philippa Collin, Policy Manager at the Inspire Foundation. Philippa is also nearing the completion of her PhD in this field. We have great pleasure in commending the report to you. It not only provides a comprehensive picture of the relevant Australian and international research, it also offers some very valuable insights into the aspirations of young people, their experience and the changes in how they do participate in community and political life. It highlights several powerful questions; not least of which is the extent to which these emerging forms of participation influence particular decisions or the political environment more generally. These are matters we will be pursuing further. We have been aided in this project by advice and support from a number of people and organisations, including: Inspire Foundation and ActNow; Vibewire; the NSW Commission for Children and Young People and the Youth Coalition of the ACT. We are most particularly grateful to the Foundation for Young Australians for their advice, and for the financial support which has made this report possible. Should you have any comments or feedback on the report, we would be very interested in hearing from you. Simpl