About

Our mission is to place young people at the forefront of change and development.

Our vision is to live in a socially just world where young people are supported in their central role in development

Our key objective areas are:

• Wealth creation and productive work 

• Sexual & reproductive health and rights, in particular the prevention of HIV  
  

• The crucial role of young people as active citizens – particularly in accountability of governments to its citizens and civil society, and in the prevention and reduction of conflict

As Restless Development in Australia, whilst working towards the global strategic framework, we base our work on local circumstances and situations and the passions of young Australians.

We always work within existing structures, have a firm belief in partnership and co-operative learning and understanding and use long-term, holistic approaches in all our projects and programs.

We focus our work on under-served areas as a priority both in Australia and overseas.

OUR APPROACHES

As experts in youth-led development we recognise that we have to continue to deliver direct impact at the grassroots, and share our knowledge and skills with our civil society and government to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. 

We take five main approaches to our youth-led development work:  

DIRECT DELIVERY

We deliver grass roots programs that directly impact on preventing HIV/AIDS and improving the livelihoods opportunity of the most excluded and marginalised young people in targeted countries.  

WORKING THROUGH PARTNERS

We focus on developing the capacity of organisations who work with and for young people in order to improve the ability of civil society organisations to engage in development in an impacting, accountable and constructive manner.  Support includes strategy and planning, monitoring and evaluation, advocacy and understanding policy processes, fundraising and marketing, and finance management. As a small organisation, this is a way for us to best benefit a larger pool of young people.

PUSHING FOR CHANGE

In addition to direct delivery we work with and advocate to government bodies, bi-lateral agencies and policy makers to ensure that young people have a voice and a recognised role in development efforts.

SHARING AND LEARNING

We believe in informed and evidence-based work. We therefore develop research, guidance and modules for sharing our experience and broader youth-led development best practice for use by practitioners and policy makers as part of our commitment to a respect to the young people we work with and a commitment to sharing our research and learning broadly.

A NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS

We are creating a network of our former ex-volunteers and all those who have been involved in youth-development through Restless Development and our partners to create a resource of professionals, students and development workers dedicated to the mission of the organisation.

ABORIGINAL YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME

We recently formalised our exciting new partnership with the Central Australian Youth Link Up Service (CAYLUS) where young non-Aboriginal Australians will work in solidarity and partnership with Aboriginal young people. Volunteers will be working with youth who are and/or were previously engaged in petrol sniffing or other unhealthy practices in positive diversionary activities, leadership training and diversionary programs. In addition to the work being conducted in the communities, this project provides an important opportunity for two-way exchange, mutual respect and understanding and to provide a forum for young people to engage in reconciliation in action. Initial placements commence at the end of November 2011, and will run for 6 months.