Lewisham Deputy Young Mayor Naz Ramadan and Luziane Tchiegue-Nouta, the former position holder, attended the Green Party spring conference in Reading this weekend to discuss how to involve young people in politics. They were joined in the debate by Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London, and Darren Johnson, Leader of the Lewisham Green Councillors.
The position of Young Mayor is hotly contested in Lewisham with annual energetic campaigns aimed at 11-18 year olds, all of whom are entitled to vote. The turn-out for the last election was 43%, significantly higher than for the local elections.
Luziane Tchiegue-Nouta, former Deputy Young Mayor, began by explaining why she decided to run in the contest:
"Young people are the future and we cannot plan the future without their input. Sadly, the media often portrays young people negatively, even though we can do so much if we have a chance.
"I wanted to break down barriers and build bridges. Our communities are diverse and our authorities should reflect that diversity."
Naz Ramadan, the current Deputy Young Mayor, continued:
"Young people often feel their opinions are not heard in the local community and I think more of us should be involved in policy-making. At the moment I’m working on a project to tackle gun and knife crime. It’s a project for the youth by the youth because often adults don’t communicate messages in the right way."
Jean Lambert MEP, who was a teacher in Walthamstow before becoming a politician, gave her support to the Young Mayor scheme, saying:
"To get young people involved it’s vital that politics is practised outside of the classroom. Campaigning and voting for representatives can be far more motivating than lessons in citizenship.
"This project gives young people a voice on a range of issues, not just where there are problems. It provides them with a recognised status and the confidence to affect change."
London Assembly Member and Lewisham Councillor, Darren Johnson, concluded the session by praising the young representatives for their commitment and performance. He added:
"Having elected young people in this position rather than appointed representatives is central to the success of this project. I would like to see councils across the country adopting this model."
As well as playing a valuable role in the decision-making process in the Council, the Young Mayor is given a budget of £25,000 which they can decide how to allocate for the benefit of their constituents. Lewisham was the first borough to set up the Young Mayor position and other boroughs such as Lambeth, Tower Hamlets and Camden have followed suit. To find out more go to www.lewisham.gov.uk