Perth Voice Interactive

SOUTH Fremantle’s Charlotte Carles has been selected to be UNICEF’s Young Ambassador for Western Australia.

It’s a proud moment for the 22-year-old who joins the group of 11 new Young Ambassadors, aged between 16 and 23 years old, from across the nation.

A total of 350 folk applied to be a young ambassador and Carles had to go through a lengthy and rigorous application process with individual and group interviews. In her role, she will advocate for the rights of children.

Carles has a long history of volunteering and helping the disadvantaged, including leading an initiative for UNESCO in Jakarta, where she promoted Indonesian youth voices in policy making and helped sew sanitary products for women in poverty.

Recently she founded Gen Z Abroad, a not-for-profit that connects and supports young people in the community.

“Our financial literacy program aims to support young locals in the cost-of-living crisis,” Carles says.

“We recently ran a community event, supported by the City of Fremantle, at the Local Hotel in South Freo where 50 young locals attended to receive education and support on topics such as investing, budgeting and superannuation. 

“Our second program provides professional mentorship to newly arrived refugees in Australia.

“We also facilitate connections between young people across borders through articles written by our Gen Z Abroad ambassadors, who are inspiring young people in 12 countries.”

As part of her 18-month ambassadorial role, Carles will receive training from UNICEF on how to advocate effectively at the highest level.

“We will implement these skills in forums such as the ‘A Generation Online’ Webinar which connects young Australians to key stakeholders,” she says.

“I’m really looking forward to consulting with young people across the country and presenting these findings to policymakers.

“In the Digital Wellbeing portfolio, my particular advocacy focus will be on how my generation can move into the digital future in a way that is safe for young people.”

With the WA state election held today (Saturday March 8) and the federal election looming, Carles says she is concerned about unregulated AI and the impact of technology on young folk in Australia.

“As Gen Z, we’re entering adulthood in unprecedented times with technology changing the world in ways that we never imagined,” she says.

“Young people today are growing up in a different world to the one that our parents grew up in, so I’m hoping to see governments across Australia come together to enact legislation which protects young people from the dangers of technology such as unregulated AI.

“With the upcoming elections, I’m hoping to see our next governments at the state and federal levels enshrine young people’s voices into policymaking.”

UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart said to effectively advocate for the rights of children, they must first listen to what they have to say. “From all corners of the country and each with unique life experiences, we want to know what is important to Australia’s young people and how we can address the issues that impact them,” he says.

“That is why our Young Ambassador program is central to our mission, and to our ability to reach the young people who don’t feel heard.”

UNICEF operates in more than 190 countries in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children. 

It relies entirely on voluntary donations to improve health, education and nutrition, and to respond to global emergencies.

To find out more about UNICEF Australia or to donate, see unicef.org.au.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK