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 | |
| Company type | Company limited by guarantee |
|---|---|
| Industry | Youth empowerment/representation |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Area served | Scotland |
| Key people | Chair:
Derek Couper MSYP Vice Chair: David Leitch MSYP Trustee Directors: Kris Sinclair MSYP Claire Ewing MSYP Danielle Rowley MSYP Grant Costello MSYP |
| Website | syp.org.uk |
The Scottish Youth Parliament, also known as SYP, is a democratic, politically independent, inclusive, charity set up as a national voice for young people in Scotland.
Its mission statement says, "Our vision is of a stronger, more inclusive Scotland that empowers young people by truly involving them in the decision making process". In more detail, the SYP lists its aims as offering young people in Scotland a collective national youth voice; making a difference in society by increasing young people's participation by promoting a positive image of young people; connecting the processes of policy making and development with young people; being an independent and youth-led organisation free from influence where young people can give their views to policy makers without hindrance, fear or barriers.
Since its inception the SYP has been committed to being an organisation which involves young people across the whole of Scotland and, holds its 3 annual meetings in various locations throughout the country; From the Shetland and Orkney islands to venues in the City of Edinburgh. The work of the SYP is centred around involving young people in the decision-making process, particularly in consulting with young people and campaigning for these views to be adopted by the relevant decision-makers.
Structure
Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYPs) are elected for two year terms, must be aged 14–25, and are elected in one of two ways:
- As a constituency representative (two for each Scottish Parliamentary Constituency to a total of 146 MSYPs)
- As a representative of a national youth voluntary organisation such as the YWCA, LGBT Youth Scotland and Down's Syndrome Scotland (two for each organisation to a maximum of 54 MSYPs)
Constituency MSYP elections are organised by the local authority responsible for that area and it is the responsibility of the local authority to support their elected MSYPs. MSYP elections are organised by the relevant local authority and use either the STV or FPTP voting systems. Voluntary Organisation MSYPs must be elected from an organisation that represents young people from the whole of Scotland and once more that organisation is responsible for supporting their MSYPs.
The SYP is youth-led, and holds internal elections annually to appoint a Board of Trustees, consisting of a Chair, Vice Chair and Three Trustee Directors. Also elected are 10 Subject Committee Conveners, who form the organisation's Conveners Group and select a further Trustee Director to join the Board. The Committee Convener takes on responsibility for co-ordinating the work of their Subject Committee and becomes the lead spokesperson on in that area. A Deputy Convener is also elected.
These two groups of board members & Conveners help to lead the organisation. Youth empowerment being a fundamental key to the organisation, no major decisions are taken by anyone over the age of 25.
History
The Scottish Youth Parliament was launched on the 30th June 1999 in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, one day before the first meeting of the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Youth Parliament has previously held Sittings in the General Assembly Rooms (former temporary home of the Scottish Parliament) in Edinburgh and also within the new Scottish Parliament building. It meets 3 times a year in different locations throughout Scotland.
Partner organisations
The Scottish Youth Parliament works with many other organisations, including Scottish Government, Oxfam Scotland, CIVICUS, Scottish Local Authorities, UK Youth Parliament, Funky Dragon, Northern Ireland Youth Forum, Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, Young Scot, YouthLink Scotland, and the British Youth Council.
Chairs
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| Years of Office | Name | Constituency/Voluntary Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 | Steven Jack | STUC Youth Committee |
| 2001–2002 | Katrina Greig | Hamilton North and Bellshill |
| 2002–2004 | Steven Kidd | Motherwell and Wishaw |
| 2004–2005 | Paul Kane | Glasgow Springburn |
| 2005–2007 | Rajiv Joshi | Glasgow Govan |
| 2007–2008 | John Loughton | Edinburgh North and Leith |
| 2008-2008 | Kieran Collins | Edinburgh South |
| 2009-2009 | Sam Kerr | LGBT Youth Scotland |
| 2009–Present | Derek Couper | Livingston |
Coverage in the Media
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (March 2011) |
1 November 2010. Andrew Deans, North East Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament (MSYP) gains support from Public Petitions Committee in the Scottish Parliament. He told MSPs that the use of the Mosquito device was discriminatory because it punished all youngsters – even babies and those suffering from autism who could not speak up for themselves – because of the actions of a minority.
“Let us imagine for a second the reaction if a device were created which served a similar purpose but could only be heard by black people or women,” said Andrew, who represents West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine in the Youth Parliament.
“There would be outrage. Would a government ever allow that device to be used? Absolutely not.”
22 July 2010. Austin Sheridan MSYP for Glasgow Govan, Convener of External Affairs showed his on-going support for the campaign for human rights in The Gambia to improve. Sheridan said "The struggle for human rights in The Gambia should be sustained to raise more awareness about the situation and get more decision makers involved. “Back in 2009 the NUJ organized a protest when seven Gambian journalists were arrested, which for me was a real experience. I would have never known the problems faced by the Gambian people if I had not attended that protest”. He added: “I also commend the work that all politicians are doing from different political parties to ensure that the Gambian situation is given a priority. I will continue my support for this cause and I congratulate Alieu Ceesay for campaigning for the human rights of Gambians."
27 March 2010. Derek Couper, 19, of Livingston, who is currently chairman of the Scottish Youth Parliament, was named as the 'Top Politician of the Future' at the Scottish Sun-sponsored Scottish Variety Awards .
11 March 2010. Midlothian's Scottish Youth Parliament representative Danielle Rowley (19), from Dalkeith, was fronting a Facebook campaign, which had more than 750 members and an online petition in a bid to persuade Midlothian Council to reconsider primary school music tuition cuts .
1 January 2010, 14-year-old Graeme McGhee MSYP was among 164 young people who gathered in Copenhagen to decide what should be done about climate change. The S3 pupil won a Unicef competition he had spotted on YouTube, impressing judges with an essay about climate change .
3 February 2010. A steering group was established to set up an official Dundee City Youth Council. Representatives from Dundee City Council’s education and leisure and communities departments met with members of Dundee Youth Voice and the Scottish Youth Parliament to decide on how the process should move forward .
A controversial device designed to tackle antisocial behavior could be banned by the Scottish Government after Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill voiced concerns about it “indiscriminately” targeting young people. The is a small white box which can be fixed to walls and is designed to irritate young people so much that after several minutes of the noise they have to leave the area. Many businesses and residents across Scotland have turned to the Mosquito, which works by emitting a harmless ultrasonic tone that generally can be heard only by people aged 20 and under, to scare off troublemakers. There is a growing campaign against the equipment, and the Scottish Youth Parliament recently backed a motion presented by Andrew Deans MSYP calling for it to be banned .
16 February 2010. Claire Ewing, 19, member of the Scottish Youth Parliament was listed as one of Scotland's most eligible women; #21 by the Scotland on Sunday paper. Described as "a woman going places, Claire is one of the most prominent figures in the Scottish Youth Parliament, representing Dunfermline West".
18 December 2009, a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament joined his local neighbourhood partnership. John Beaton, (16), hopes to get young people's views heard by working with councillors and community leaders on the board of the Almond Neighbourhood Partnership. He hopes this will encourage more of his peers to take an interest in their community .
On August 13, 2009 Austin Sheridan MSYP attended a protest in support of Gambian Journalists who have been imprisoned on charges of sedition. Austin Sheridan said "it was a ‘learning experience’ for him"
Austin Sheridan MSYP for Glasgow Govan was also criticised for supposedly saying he would never work without any BNP member or supporter while in office, the story made the youth BNP website, Austin Sheridan MSYP denies such claims and said that he listens to all of his constituents and treats everyone fairly.,
The Scottish Youth Parliament was also accused of trying to stop MSYPs expressing views by a constituent of Austin Sheridan MSYP, the constituent said "the SYP do not like members speaking against them, But well done Austin for standing up for what he believes in!" the constituent then went onto say "I don't understand why MSYPs cant speak their mind!"
On 8 October 2008, The Scottish Sun reported on the suspensions of SYP members, including Chairperson Kieran Collins and Health Convener Daniel Robertson after an alleged alcohol-fuelled party the evening before an SYP sitting. This report came just after the Scottish Government's plans to raise the legal age to purchase alcohol to 21 were rejected in Parliament.
See also
References
General Information comes from "Guide to SYP" available on the Scottish Youth Parliament's website
- http://www.shetland.gov.uk/community/news/documents/Pressreleasesyp.pdf
- "Scottish Youth Parliament Meeting in Orkney, September 2007 - by Christopher Blakesley (Blakes) MSYP - Young Scot". Youngscot.org. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- SYP Voting System
- http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/pdf_res_notes/rn01-100.pdf
- "Photocall and public meeting: Scottish Youth Parliament meeting in Scottish Parliament chamber for first time". Scottish.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- "Scottish Parliament - News - Youth Parliament To Sit At Holyrood". Scottish.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- Mosquito
- http://www.localnewsglasgow.co.uk/2009/08/glasgow-fair-vigil-for-jailed-gambian-journalists/
- http://youth.bnp.org.uk/archives/340
- http://govan.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/my-msyp-stands-up-to-bnp.html
- "Youth Parly booze shame". The Scottish Sun. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
- http://www.scottishyouthparliament.org.uk/portalbase/pages/download.aspx?locationId=b7bbf130-b31b-4d5a-98e0-f90f0808314f
External links
- Official Website
- Youthlink Website
- YoungScot Website
- UK Youth Parliament Website
- Funky Dragon Website
- Northern Ireland Youth Forum Website
- Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People Website
- The Scottish Government Website
- Oxfam Scotland Website
- CIVICUS Website
- British Youth Council Website
- Misplaced Pages neutral point of view disputes from October 2008
- Articles with trivia sections from March 2011
- Youth empowerment organizations
- 1999 establishments in Scotland
- Politics of Scotland
- Youth organisations based in Scotland
- Youth-led organizations
- Youth model governments
- Youth organisations based in the United Kingdom
- Political organizations