The Resilient Alpine Youth Squad (RAYS) recently contributed to the HowWeSurvive Disaster Recovery Almanac, an independently funded initiative within UNSW Sydney.
The Disaster Recovery Almanac brings together community leaders, policy makers, practitioners, and researchers to discuss the most pressing issues in disaster recovery.
Taylor Atherstone, Zoe Gray, Kira Mack, Geordie McEwan, Jenna Stephens, and Fox Williams collectively wrote 'Everything relates back to mental health: The need for ongoing, trusted, and in-person mental health supports for young people in disaster-impacted rural communities' for Volume 2 of the Disaster Recovery Almanac.
Through their contribution, RAYS emphasised the connections between disaster and mental health, and the detrimental consequences of not having access to reliable support services in rural and regional areas.
Alpine Shire Mayor, Cr Sarah Nicholas, congratulated RAYS on this considerable achievement.
"It is a credit to Taylor, Zoe, Kira, Geordie, Jenny, and Fox that they were selected to contribute to the Disaster Recovery Almanac, and are now published alongside global leaders from organisations such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience," she said.
"Through RAYS, they have shown themselves to be capable, collaborative leaders who champion positive change through their collective voice.
"It is a privilege to watch them demonstrate, again and again, how powerful we can be when we work together to drive action within our communities."
RAYS member, Taylor Atherstone, said that the inclusion of their logo, a phoenix, is an example of how young people can rise from disaster, a story that is reflected in RAYS’ contribution to the Almanac.
"Our contribution to the Almanac proves that we are more than just kids," they said.
"By telling our story, we can show that our voices need to be heard."
Council's Community Development Officer (Youth), Lara May, was also published in Volume 2 of the Disaster Recovery Almanac alongside peers, Ella Cheeseman and Nicole Danks.
Their contribution, entitled 'What are you afraid of? Involving young people (in research)', detailed the immediate need to change the one-way, tokenistic relationship often seen between researchers and young people in disaster recovery.
Community members can access Volume 2 of the Disaster Recovery Almanac by visiting https://howwesurvive.com/disaster-recovery-almanac