Joining the Youth Voice in Parliament campaign, Senator Mehreen Faruqi (NSW) amplified the voice of 13 year old Yehansa on diversity. Speech transcript is below -

"My name is Yehansa, I’m 13 years old. I live in Meadowbank, Ryde, NSW in the Bennelong Electorate.

What do I want Australia to look like in 20 years?

In 20 years, I want kids' faces to light up, as they see dolls in ranges of skin colors, and find one that looks exactly like them.

In 20 years, I hope that kids can have Band-Aids that match their skin tone.

In 20 years I hope that racially diverse characters in tv shows, movies, and media are shown in a better light, and are shown often.

In 20 years I hope that job opportunities and pay are equal for everyone, no matter what skin color, religious background, or identification.

In 20 years, I hope Australia is an equal place, starting with band-aids and dolls. Though it may seem little, this is important. Knowing what it means to be accepted, means that children can recognize racial discrimination as they grow up. They will understand racism is not right and will learn to educate others - standing up against it. This is the key to a kinder Australia.

A kinder Australia is the start to a kinder world. My hope in 20 years is that the differences we have, shouldn’t be masked, but celebrated."

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