Brimbank Youth Council: Binusha Pathirana

 In Brimbank Youth Council

It’s with great pleasure to introduce your 2022 Brimbank Youth Councillor Binusha Pathirana!

Name: My name is Binusha Pathirana. I am 15 years old and I am a 2022 Brimbank Youth Council Member.

Pronouns: She/Her

Suburb: Taylors Hill / Keilor Downs

Tell us more about yourself!

You can usually find me watching the latest tv shows, keeping up with the media and all of the world’s events or listening to music. In school I involve myself in debating, choir and student voice as those are some of the things I’m most passionate about. I also enjoy spending time with my family (I have two sisters who I always do movie nights or go shopping with) and we all enjoy trying new things together even if they scare us. I hope to one day in the future do something business related as my career while also juggling all of the hobbies I have. 

Why did you join the BYC? OR IF THIS IS YOUR SECOND YEAR: Why did you decide to stay on in the BYC?

This is my second year on the BYC, and I decided to stay on as I thoroughly enjoyed the previous year and the #BYCWASTEFREE campaign we all collaborated on. I am looking forward to another year of inspiring change and working together on a collaborative youth focused project. 

What are you passionate about?

Youth voice is the issue I am most passionate about, being one of the reasons I joined the BYC in the first place. I have been involved in student and youth voice initiatives basically my whole life, which is why I’m so passionate about people having the right to speak up and share their ideas which can lead to actual beneficial change. Communities often struggle with this, but Brimbank has shown a lot of promise in delivering on youth opportunities and voice, an example being how I am actually able to be part of this council that provides my and others’ ideas and voices. Despite this, society still has a long way to go with the inclusion and presence of youth voices and I hope that we can slowly change this for the better.

What are you hoping to achieve as a BYC member this year?

This year as a BYC member I am hoping to contribute into creating a more positive and inclusive environment in Brimbank to all, especially youth. Last year was unpredictable, but I hope this year can be a step forward and that even more opportunities can be provided to those seeking them. I also personally hope to get back into attending, leading and participating in in-person events, consultations and meetings as a Brimbank Youth Council member this year.

What does a better Brimbank look like to you?

The ‘best’ Brimbank is a broad picture, we all have different views of how we want to see our community in the long run. Despite this, I believe that better Brimbank to me would look more safe, joyful, community and youth involved, clean and most importantly fun. Everyone should enjoy living in the community they are in, which is why I think a better Brimbank is somewhere everyone is involved and connected, and a place that is maintained to keep the general vibe pleasant looking and positive.

What’s one piece of advice you have for young people who want to create change in their community?

My advice would be to take risks and try new things in your community. In our day and age, there are so many different outlets to create change. You may start by joining your school’s student voice team or applying for council, only to then end up attending speaking to large groups about the change you want to see happen. There’s so many opportunities and more than one way to take part, so finding the right one for you but also trying new ways that may be more challenging is the key to creating change in your community. 

 

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