Advocate encourages youngsters to engage in politics to see change

Resident Oumi Karenga - Hewitt works with youngsters in the community on a regular basis and says there is no shortage of limitations and barriers for them.

But when it comes to democracy, she believes young people can go a long way to creating change and is encouraging them to inform themselves of their local members, political groups and what they stand for.

"I was surprised attending the Voices of Farrer meeting as there was an interesting mix of ages," Ms Karanga-Hewitt said.

"I was expecting to only see older demographics attend so it was great seeing a broader mix.

"Essentially I think we need more younger people in more of everything," she said.

"From an arts and education perspective, it's important young people have a grasp of our local electorates.

"While they have probably heard these terms, I wonder how many know more than that," Ms Karenga - Hewitt said.

"I would be interested to find out how many have passed by an electorate office or have seen our leaders at events and have wondered what our politicians do and their potential."

She feels many young people in Griffith are disengaged with politics and says the power of local leaders should never be undervalued.

"It's important for young people to understand because government policies affect their lives in lots of ways," she said

"Understanding how policies effect life and who has the power to change the course is important.

"There's a tendency not to see all tiers of government; I think local government gets blamed for a lot of decisions made on a state or federal level," Ms Karenga - Hewitt said.

"But while there might be barriers there are always opportunities to remove them.

"Young people are part of the system; they should know who to speak with and who to vote for because every individual has the ability to make an impact."