Around 100 young Scots to debate how to create fairer society at event

Around 100 young people aged 16 to 24 will lead debate attended by MSPs and the police.

Around 100 young Scots to debate how to create fairer society at Glasgow event iStock

Young people are set to make their voices heard on some of the most pressing issues from housing and education to equality at an event in Glasgow on Friday.

Around 100 young people aged 16 to 24 will lead debate on how to create a fairer society with an audience of decision makers including MSPs, local government and police.

The topics were chosen by young people as an attempt to get at the root causes of violence, changing the conversation from the common focus on knife crime and gangs.

The Hope Collective Hackathon will stage the event to mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Damilola Taylor, who was stabbed to death in November 2000 as he walked home in South London.

Before his death, the 10-year-old dreamed of being a doctor, and had written in his diary about hope and wanting to make the world a better place.

The Hope Collective is currently carrying out a project which asks contributors to imagine what a fairer society looks like for young people, and to identify the change needed to happen to achieve this.

It is the second event in Glasgow, with one held in November last year, and this year Orwell Prize winning writer Darren McGarvey will speak at the event.

The Collective brings together youth organisations, justice, business and statutory bodies who have committed to making positive and long-lasting change for young people across the UK.

Charles Fernando, who sits on the collective’s advisory board, said: “We are going to picture a fairer society and express our hope for opportunity and aspiration to be provided to the next generation.”

Niven Rennie, chairman of the charity, said organisers aimed to build on the first event’s success and those held in other cities in the UK.

Mr Rennie, who is also director of the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, said: “A more positive representation of our next generation is on view throughout these hackathons. Participants describe a fairer society, one in which they wish to live.”

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