austraLasia 755
AUSTRALIA: 'YOUTH OFF THE STREETS' 3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE
DRAWS INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS
SYDNEY: 22nd November '03 - Salesian priest and
'Aussie icon', Fr. Chris Riley, in efforts on behalf of abused,
neglected and drug-addicted young Australians, held his third 'Youth off
the Streets' (YOT) Conference in Sydney from 17th-19th November. The
Conference was dubbed 'A celebration of Australian Youth'. Three
experts from the USA and two Canadian detectives who have made major inroads
into dealing with child prostitution, joined forces with local experts who also
share a passion for neglected young people often abandoned to or led into
situations of vice and corruption.
YOT has become a major charity organisation,
drawing funds from high profile donors and patronage from some of Australia's
best known political, social and media figures. It gained early patronage
from the erstwhile and revered Australian Governor General Sir William Deane, a
prominent Catholic layman. Fr. Riley has preferred to develop the
organization as a non-denominational, non-profit entity. Its early
beginning, however, were under the auspices of the New South Wales branch of the
St. Vincent de Paul Society. Fr. Riley's own personal story became the
subject of a book released this year: MEAN STREETS KIND
HEART.
YOT features an impressive array of
programmes: the food van service, which was amongst the very first
initiatives 12 years ago is the only Sydney service operating 365 days a
year. The Streetwalk initiative begun last year has trained community
volunteers physically walking targeted streets in Sydney between 10 pm and 3 am
each evening. Don Bosco House, Marrickville (inner city) provides
short-term accommodation for homeless adolescents. Young people -
the house holds 18 and is always full - may attend school at the internal Don
Bosco Key College, where they are given opportunities to resume studies in ways
appropriate to their needs. Dunlea Adolescent Programme for substance
abuse, named after the founding figure of the now Salesian-managed Boys Town,
Fr. Tom Dunlea, is a residential 2-4 week programme for 13-18 year olds.
Mirvac House Treatment Programme, Sutton Forest NSW is for male adolescents who
have sexual behaviour problems. it is the only programme of its kind in
Australia. Additionally, but in some ways very typical of Fr. Chris
Riley's own rural upbringing and training, are the four rural-based farms.
These target homeless youth and provide residential programmes - farm life/work
experience, education and employment opportunities. Lois House and Debra
Benson House in Sydney are for teenage girls.
The list goes on - several more Houses for early
offenders, school programmes, and a further House for teenage girls due to be
opened soon. There is even a Vocal Ensemble Programme and what is called
the 'Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Programme' which is offered to
magistrates as an alternative to State institutions for young
offenders. It came about in response to media coverage of young people
involved in lighting devastating fires on the city outskirts a year
ago.
All in all an impressive set of responses to the
needs of the poor and abandoned young people of Australia's most populous State
and city.
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