Perth, Western Australia April 12, 2008 Home News Time Out Letters Write a Letter Special Coverage Walsham Classifieds Search Real Estate Trades & Services Submit About Contact Us Advertising Legal	Listen up, United Nations, this is our Elizabeth Bound for New York: Claremont's Elizabeth Shaw will be the voice of Australian youth. Claremont's Elizabeth Shaw will soon realise the dream of many young women - living in a New York apartment and representing the youth of Australia. The 24-year-old UWA law student is one of two Australians chosen as 2008 youth representatives to the United Nations. She said the amazing opportunity was advertised nationally, for young people aged 15 to 24, through the UN Youth Association, and created by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. After an online application, essays and two panel interviews, Elizabeth was offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "There were 200 applications this year. I was pretty excited about being chosen," she said. "It was all very surreal and I still don't think it has sunk in yet. "I think when I start talking to schools and politicians around Australia it will sink in." Elizabeth is about to start an Australia-wide tour, where she will meet young people, youth organisations and local and state government officials. She will travel to New York, home of the UN headquarters, in September as an accredited member of the Australian UN delegation. "We get to meet the Secretary General and address the general assembly," she said. "It definitely makes me nervous. I've done public speaking before but the prospect of standing in front of the UN is petrifying." She said the big issue was climate change. "We need to have our finger on the pulse in relation to youth issues," she said. "I think it will be really important to get the information first-hand on the Australian tour. "We are extending our time in the Northern Territory this year. We are going to get off the beaten track and go into communities and then down to Alice Springs. "I'm excited about going into regional communities. It's important to let them know they have a voice and can be heard on an international level." Elizabeth said she wanted to have an open mind about youth issues and see what came up during the tour. "It's hard - there are so many issues facing young people. Issues such as body image, stress and mental health are dominant in surveys, but I'm not sure how relevant that is to the work of the UN." She said she was passionate about young people feeling a sense of belonging and engagement in politics. "Getting young people in decision making is paramount," she said. Elizabeth will finish her law degree in July and hopes to specialise in public-interest law. She has been working at the State Solicitors Office. She said she moved from Melbourne to Perth four years ago to study at UWA. "Opportunities in Perth meant I have been able to get this position," she said. "I've been involved in campus life at UWA and I'm chair of the Perth City Council youth advisory council." -Fiona Ross-Edwards Do you have something to say? Write to us and we may publish your letter next week. BACK TO TOP < PREVIOUS - HOME - NEXT> Copyright © 1996 - 2009 Post Newspapers Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.