Gopa Kuteeram Children in the Youth Parliament

With the grace and blessings of Sri Guruji , STEM Incubators, a visionary organization founded by Mr Karthikeyan and Ms Harini Karthik, partnered with Global organization for Divinity to launch the inaugural Active Citizenship & Leadership program, funded by the Victorian Electoral Commission. This initiative successfully selected six students to represent Victorian Youth Parliament. It has been a journey of discovery, learning, and empowerment for all participants. Dr Janani Vasudevan ji was the primary mentor and coach for the youth in public speaking , debating and communication skills, aiming at inculcating the teachings of Sri Guruji coupled with purpose of giving back to the community bring to life the words of “Humanity and Divinity are inseparable”.

The program involved 20 teenagers from diverse backgrounds, nearly half of whom were students from Gopa Kuteeram Weekend Heritage School, an initiative by Global Organisation for Divinity to nurture moral, social and spiritual values in children. The youth team received direct coaching and mentorship from Dr Janani Vasudevan during her visit to Melbourne in September 2024, with support from Mr Ashok Mysore, Mr Subramaniam Sangameswaran, Mr Deepak Vinod and Mr Vasudevan from the GOD Australia team. Over eight weeks, participants engaged in intensive workshops and hands-on activities focusing on leadership, debating, public speaking, democracy, and voting.

Participants drafted three bills addressing civic issues after rigorous debating and public speaking sessions.

They put forward value-based education, mental strengthening and nurturing mindfulness as the simplest and most appropriate way to solve the prevalent increase in youth crimes and drug abuse, thereby enabling the future generation to achieve inner excellence and in turn contribute to the betterment of the society and nation as responsible individuals and future leaders.

The selection of our team from numerous strong applications is a testament to the dedication of the students, mentors, and volunteers who contributed to its success. The winning team, who will represent youth parliament by drafting bills on civic issues, includes Mr Sricharan, Ms Aneka, Mr Gautham, Mr Nissim, Mr Rehaan, and Ms Charvi. Notably, four of these students have been with Gopakuteeram since their primary schooling years.