The National Youth Agency: Comment - Act by right on community debate

Alex Farrow, a young trainer with The National Youth Agency since the age of 16, says in a new foreword to the forthcoming edition: "Act by Right is a fantastic tool which allows young people to make lasting change in the heart of their community through an accredited and easy to follow toolkit. It has combined the practical and energetic fight for change with the solid framework of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This makes it one of the strongest and fiercest community action tools for young people around today."

Over the past five years many journeys have been undertaken through Act by Right, and it has supported a new generation of activists to develop the knowledge and skills to help make change happen. You can read some of these stories at www.nya.org.uk/whatschanged, but I hope some will also pop up in the latest HeadsUp debate, the Hansard Society's web forum where under-18s can debate issues with various legislators and policy makers. Until 3 July, with the Youth Citizenship Commission, it is looking at engaging young people in citizenship and politics, and, in particular, the crucial role of community engagement. The Commission will report the findings to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and forum users will respond to recommendations.