When we think of national security, images of border control and multi-billion-dollar defence capabilities often come to mind. We also imagine white, middle-aged men debating on national TV about the best way to protect Australia. Speaking from experience and as one of the 42 co-authors of Australia’s first youth-led national security strategy, national security means a lot more than the defence-heavy side to security we see in the media.  

But why do we need a new approach to national security?

The public debate about national security has often zoomed in on the voices of public servants, politicians, and commentators in the Canberra ‘bubble’. However, contemporary security challenges show adopting a broader perspective of security in today's rapidly changing world is essential if we are to keep Australia safe. With over 300 policy recommendations, the Youth National Security Strategy (YNSS) provides a next-gen vision for Australia’s security from the viewpoint of the country’s emerging young leaders, including CEOs of youth not-for-profit organisations and New Colombo Plan Scholars. 

The strategy focuses on what national security means today: it departs from the traditionally defence-heavy focus on security and additionally explores rising challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, and social cohesion. There is another big difference when compared to the White Papers and other policy documents churned out by the government. Aside from being a strategy written by youth, the YNSS consciously offers an intersectional and inclusive approach by ensuring First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) Australians and women, were included among the 42 co-authors. 

Birthing the country’s first Youth National Security Strategy

When I first learnt the YNSS application process had opened, I knew I had to get involved. As a Master’s student studying International Security at the University of Sydney, and as a former Department of Defence Graduate, here was the opportunity to voice my opinions on national security instead of listening to university professors or meekly following instructions from work bosses. 

Admittedly, participating in weekly Zoom meetings over a 10 week-period and reviewing drafts of the strategy was at times both mentally and physically draining. At the same time, the journey and the outcomes have been immensely rewarding. Apart from discussing and debating policy ideas with fellow co-authors, the Zoom meetings provided a chance to hear from eminent keynote speakers including former Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Varghese, and former Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop. 

But what does the strategy truly mean for Australia? 

After months of policy workshopping, drafting, and editing, the final strategy in the form of a carefully curated set of over 300 policy recommendations was released through an interactive web app in June this year. 

The implications of the YNSS are clear for all Australians: if we are to navigate the complex security challenges of our modern world, focusing on issues like border control and shoring up our defence is not enough. Equally as important to national security is for Australia to address environmental, economic, and societal challenges.

For example, three years ago I would have never guessed a global pandemic would result in months-long lockdowns, thousands of deaths, and ongoing mask mandates in our own country. If we take security to mean protecting the personal safety and wellbeing of all Australians, then we should frame COVID-19 as one of the country’s biggest modern security challenges. And while we continue to navigate the effects of new waves and strains, a new set of compounding security risks face Australia. Climate-induced natural disasters continue to cripple Australia, with some communities recently weathering four floods in eighteen months. The rising cost of living due to inflation has increased economic pressures for all and has worsened the vulnerabilities faced by low-income Australians. 

To deal with the wide gamut of threats plaguing Australians, the YNSS emphasises looking outward is equally as important as looking inward. In contrast to a protectionist lens, Australia must cooperate with regional and global partners to achieve a secure future for all. Climate change is a clear example where recommendations relating to the resettlement of climate refugees and the adoption of clean energy across the Indo-Pacific foreground the role of regional cooperation. 

Diverse voices in national security 

While empowering youth voices in public policy issues such as national security is important, I’ve noticed that the voices of youth who are white, highly educated, upper-class and often male have tended to be at the front. For a country that preaches gender equality and multiculturalism, where nearly half of Australians have at least one parent born overseas, it shows to me as a young woman of colour the tokenism associated with incorporating the youth perspective in this country. 

As a result, what pleasantly surprised me was the genuine commitment to diverse representation reflected through the 42 YNSS co-authors. By drawing from every state and territory and including the voices of First Nations, CALD Australians and women, the strategy is an inclusive vision for security which aims to meet the interest of all Australians. 

For me, one key focus in the strategy drafting phase was ensuring national security policy works with minority communities rather than against them. For example, an issue that has long concerned me has been the disproportionate targeting of Muslim Australians through anti-terrorist legislation such as the Terrorism (High Risk Offenders) Act 2017 (NSW). The climate of racist, anti-immigrant and Islamophobic sentiment which has accompanied anti-terrorist efforts shows the way minorities such as Muslim Australians are often othered through security policy. For one, the events and aftermath of the Cronulla Riots continue to stand out to me. As an eight-year-old at a very white, Anglican school in Newcastle, I clearly remember my mother’s instructions: do not tell anyone at school about your religious background. 

In the past, I often felt disenfranchised and even gaslit when raising my voice about racism and Islamophobia. Even when I have engaged with policymakers and journalists in my current role as a Youth Ambassador with the Multicultural Youth Affairs Network NSW, issues relating to racial and religious-based discrimination have often been perceived as social problems rather than threats to our country’s security. So, for me, participating as a YNSS co-author was empowering as I had the chance to frame issues like social cohesion and right-wing extremism as integral parts of security. 

Securing the road ahead 

Apart from being a forum for young people to express their views on national security, I believe the YNSS leaves a powerful legacy. Ever since the strategy was launched this year, the YNSS Executive team and co-authors have been reaching out to government and private sector stakeholders to broadly disseminate the strategy. By including policy recommendations on the topics of state, societal, environmental and economic security, the YNSS provides tangible proof from a young and diverse group of Australians that we need to reform the way this country thinks about national security. 

You can read the Youth National Security Strategy here: strategy.ynss.org

The views and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author.

Afeeya Akhand is a co-author of Australia’s first youth-led national security strategy. She is currently completing a Master of International Security at the University of Sydney and is a Youth Ambassador with the Multicultural Youth Affairs Network NSW. She has prior experience in the national security space, having worked as a Graduate in the Department of Defence and as a Research Intern in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.