Mia Handshin
Encyclopedia
Mia Handshin is an Adelaide
-based political activist and a former columnist for The Advertiser newspaper in South Australia
, contributing a weekly column to the opinion section from 1997 to 2007. She is an associate director of the consulting firm
Government Relations Australia, and an adviser in the Adelaide office of federal sports minister
Kate Ellis
. She was the unsuccessful Australian Labor Party
candidate for the 2007 federal election in the electorate of Sturt
.
Handshin was born in Adelaide in 1978. At the age of fourteen she wrote a speech on the concept of a Children's National Council, which was delivered in Federal Parliament, Canberra by Rod Sawford MP. In 1992 Handshin was one of the instigators of a Youth Action Group, Tangent, in her local council area. In 1992 she was awarded an Australia Day Young Citizen of the year for her work in facilitating the involvement of young people in council decision making. In 1994 she became involved in the campaign to have the voting age lowered to 16 and the National Children's and Youth Law Centre's National Conference. That same year she attended the Queen's Trust National Capital Seminar with 100 other young Australians.
In November 1997 Handshin won the Community Service Award in the SA Young Australian of the Year Awards. She again won this award, being named the 1999 Young South Australian of The Year and was a national finalist at the Awards in Canberra.
Handshin was chosen to attend The World Summit of Children held in Taiwan in 1997 and as Australia's representative to the First International Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Youth Parliament in Manchester at which she was elected Prime Minister. In the same year Handshin was elected Youth Governor through the YMCA Youth Parliament Program. She went on to be joint co-ordinator of the program in 1998 and was later appointed Governor General of the National Youth Parliament. Mia was appointed by the Prime Minister to be the South Australian youth delegate to the Constitutional Convention on Australia becoming a republic in Canberra, February 1998.
She held the position of Vice President of the Youth Affairs Council of South Australia from 1998 until 2000 and was a member of the Management and Executive committees of YACSA from 1995 until 2002. In 2000 Handshin graduated from the University of Adelaide
with a Bachelor of Law (with honors) and a Bachelor of Arts. Handshin was a Board member of the Constitutional Centenary Foundation in 2000 and 2001 through which she participated regularly in debate, discussion and formulation of Australia Constitutional reform possibilities.
She was co-chair of the Federation Centenary Youth Advisory Committee. She was the SA UNESCO
Youth Network representative from 1999 until 2001. In 1999 she attended the first National Youth Roundtable, the Millennium Young People's Congress in Hawaii and the UNESCO General Assembly Youth Forum in Paris. She represented Australia at the Racism: Stop It! Action 2000, Tour and Forum in Canada and was a delegate to the Young People's Conference on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Manila
, The Philippines.
In April 2003 Handshin completed a 2 month internship with the International Crisis Group in Brussels, Belgium. In 2005 she attended the first Social Artistry Training Intensive on Fraser Island, Australia, the first non-UNDP training program in Social Artistry outside the United States of America and was an elected member of the Governing Council for the University of Adelaide. Handshin is currently a member of the Friends of Plan Australia (SA) committee.
Handshin's founded Mana of Speaking in 2005 as a public speaking and consultancy business.
Handshin was nominated as a high profile candidate in the 2007 Federal Election, standing for the Australian Labor Party
(ALP) in the Federal seat of Sturt opposite the incumbent, Christopher Pyne
. Prior to her nomination she had been a member of the ALP for three years. Although she was unable to win the seat, the Handshin saw a strong swing to the ALP of about 5.6% – only 1% short of the required number of votes to unseat Pyne. In August, 2009, Handshin announced that she would not be contesting the seat of Sturt in the next Federal election.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
-based political activist and a former columnist for The Advertiser newspaper in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, contributing a weekly column to the opinion section from 1997 to 2007. She is an associate director of the consulting firm
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
Government Relations Australia, and an adviser in the Adelaide office of federal sports minister
Minister for Sport (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Sport is Mark Arbib, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election. The ministry is located within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio.-List of Ministers for Sport:...
Kate Ellis
Kate Ellis
Katherine Margaret "Kate" Ellis, MP is an Australian politician, representing the federal division of Adelaide since 2004 and is currently the Minister for Employment Participation and Childcare and the Minister for the Status of Women in the Gillard Government.-Early life and career:Ellis was...
. She was the unsuccessful Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
candidate for the 2007 federal election in the electorate of Sturt
Division of Sturt
The Division of Sturt is an Australian Electoral Division in South Australia.First proclaimed for the 1949 election, Sturt was named for Captain Charles Sturt, nineteenth century explorer and the first European to discover the Murray River...
.
Handshin was born in Adelaide in 1978. At the age of fourteen she wrote a speech on the concept of a Children's National Council, which was delivered in Federal Parliament, Canberra by Rod Sawford MP. In 1992 Handshin was one of the instigators of a Youth Action Group, Tangent, in her local council area. In 1992 she was awarded an Australia Day Young Citizen of the year for her work in facilitating the involvement of young people in council decision making. In 1994 she became involved in the campaign to have the voting age lowered to 16 and the National Children's and Youth Law Centre's National Conference. That same year she attended the Queen's Trust National Capital Seminar with 100 other young Australians.
In November 1997 Handshin won the Community Service Award in the SA Young Australian of the Year Awards. She again won this award, being named the 1999 Young South Australian of The Year and was a national finalist at the Awards in Canberra.
Handshin was chosen to attend The World Summit of Children held in Taiwan in 1997 and as Australia's representative to the First International Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s Youth Parliament in Manchester at which she was elected Prime Minister. In the same year Handshin was elected Youth Governor through the YMCA Youth Parliament Program. She went on to be joint co-ordinator of the program in 1998 and was later appointed Governor General of the National Youth Parliament. Mia was appointed by the Prime Minister to be the South Australian youth delegate to the Constitutional Convention on Australia becoming a republic in Canberra, February 1998.
She held the position of Vice President of the Youth Affairs Council of South Australia from 1998 until 2000 and was a member of the Management and Executive committees of YACSA from 1995 until 2002. In 2000 Handshin graduated from the University of Adelaide
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a public university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third oldest university in Australia...
with a Bachelor of Law (with honors) and a Bachelor of Arts. Handshin was a Board member of the Constitutional Centenary Foundation in 2000 and 2001 through which she participated regularly in debate, discussion and formulation of Australia Constitutional reform possibilities.
She was co-chair of the Federation Centenary Youth Advisory Committee. She was the SA UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Youth Network representative from 1999 until 2001. In 1999 she attended the first National Youth Roundtable, the Millennium Young People's Congress in Hawaii and the UNESCO General Assembly Youth Forum in Paris. She represented Australia at the Racism: Stop It! Action 2000, Tour and Forum in Canada and was a delegate to the Young People's Conference on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, The Philippines.
In April 2003 Handshin completed a 2 month internship with the International Crisis Group in Brussels, Belgium. In 2005 she attended the first Social Artistry Training Intensive on Fraser Island, Australia, the first non-UNDP training program in Social Artistry outside the United States of America and was an elected member of the Governing Council for the University of Adelaide. Handshin is currently a member of the Friends of Plan Australia (SA) committee.
Handshin's founded Mana of Speaking in 2005 as a public speaking and consultancy business.
Handshin was nominated as a high profile candidate in the 2007 Federal Election, standing for the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
(ALP) in the Federal seat of Sturt opposite the incumbent, Christopher Pyne
Christopher Pyne
Christopher Maurice Pyne, MP , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since 13 March 1993, representing the Division of Sturt, South Australia.-Early years:...
. Prior to her nomination she had been a member of the ALP for three years. Although she was unable to win the seat, the Handshin saw a strong swing to the ALP of about 5.6% – only 1% short of the required number of votes to unseat Pyne. In August, 2009, Handshin announced that she would not be contesting the seat of Sturt in the next Federal election.