Founder of HYA

[Guest guest]

For those interested, this is the website of Prashanth Shanmugan, Founder of the

Hindu Youth Association in Sydney:

http://www.geocities.com/mr_shanmugan/

Some excerpts and pics (the biography of this highly intelligent, diligent and

talented young man says it all for youths who try to make a difference):

A Biography on Master Prashanth Shanmugan

In these troubled post-modern times, there are still a few people who believe

that the individual can make a difference. One of these people is 19-year-old

Prashanth Shanmugan.

In 1999, Prashanth was School Captain at Homebush Boys High School, where he was

involved in the Student Representative Council and various leadership programs

and excelled in sports, academia and public speaking. He was editor of the

student newspaper and school magazine for many years.

Prashanth is involved in several community projects including Australian Vision:

2020 and the Hindu Youth Association, both of which he Founded and Heads. He is

also a member of the Strathfield and Auburn Council Youth Advisory Committees

and is on the Working Group for the Foundation of Young Australians. Prashanth

is a volunteer correspondent with Hinduism Today magazine and works with many

other charitable organisations such as the Red Cross International, Amnesty

International and the Salvation Army.

He attended the Australian International Space School in 1998. Australian

Student Mineral Venture in 1999. During December of 1997 he studied abroad at

the Himalayan Academy in Hawaii. Since 1997 he has participated in the

Inner-West Eisteddfod where he came 1st consistently. In 1999 he came 7th in

the state in the Sydney Morning Herald Plain English Speaking Completion. For

the past two years he won the open age speech division in the City of Sydney

Performing Arts Challenge. Prashanth has achieved numerous academic, sporting

and cultural awards both locally and nationally.

In 1999, Prashanth was awarded the State Education Minister’s Award for

Excellence in Education, Leadership & Student Achievement, for his excellence,

achievement and contribution to education. Also in 1999 the Human Rights

Commission awarded him its inaugural Human Rights Youth Medal for his services

to humanity and for advocating unity and solidarity among Australians. On

Australia Day 2000 Prashanth was named Young Australian of the Year for the

Strathfield Community for his services in the local community. The Sydney Tamil

Society declared Prashanth as the 2000 Young Achiever for his vast contributions

to the Tamil & Hindu communities.

Prashanth is regularly invited as a guest speaker by various organisations such

as Rotary International. Recently Prashanth was invited by The Association of

Childrens Welfare Agencies to give the final keynote address at the World Forum

2000, alongside such international dignitaries as Dr. Jose Ramos Horta. The

Professional Association of Student Representative Teacher Advisers also

invited Prashanth speak on leadership, peace & unity in diversity at its

International Student Representative Conference 2000.

GreenPeace asked Prashanth to contribute a personal testimony and to launch

their Get Active website. ABC-TV’s Compass programme interviewed Prashanth on

the renaissance of Hindu Spirituality in Australia. Flim Australia sought His

views on the Future of Australia, for a documentary to be shown at the National

Museum in Canberra. Conversations for the 21st Century invited him to speak at

its Youth Views Forums on the dangers of apathy.

The NSW Premiers Office asked Prashanth’s input on legislation for the new

Community Relations Commission. The Federal Department of Education, Training &

Youth Affairs selected him as a member of the National Planning Group for Youth

Week 2001. Also this year Prashanth was selected by the Commonwealth Government

as one of 50 young Australians to participate in the prestigious National Youth

Roundtable.

Prashanth’s many articles and essays have been published in various publications

such as The Daily Telegraph, Hinduism Today, City/Living Ethics Journal, Civil

Liberty, Soul Centred, Veda Vani, Blitz Magazine and Thuranka.

Prashanth is currently studying Politics & International Relations and Human

Resource Management at the University of NSW where he is an active member of

the Student Guild and University Union. Ever proud of his Saiva Tamil Hindu

heritage, he is fiercely Australian. He is an outstanding student leader and

advocate, a fine public speaker, a representative sportsman and diligent

academic.

- Expanded from the original. Commonwealth Department of Education, Training &

Youth Affairs, Youth Bureau, Voices of Youth Section. Ph: 1800 624 309

Photo Gallery

Centenary of Federation: National Conference of Young People 2001 • Perth

Australasian Model United Nations Conference 2001 • University of Technology, Sydney

Sydney Youth Forum Against Racism 2001 • State Parliament House, Sydney

The National Youth Roundtable 2000 • Parliament House, Canberra

Australia Day Awards 2000 • Strathfield, Sydney

Human Rights Awards Presentation 1999 • Hotel Inter-Continental, Sydney

Ministers Excellence in Education Awards 1999 • Powerhouse Museum, Sydney

Miscellaneous Events

 

Giving Opening Address at the National Youth Roundtable.Dr. Kemp, Minister for

Education; Prashanth; and Trish Worth Parliamentary Secretary.

Education Topic Group from Roundtable

Giving the Last Word at the National Youth Roundtable: 'Arise! Awake! And Stop

Not Till the Goal is Reached'

The Prime Minister addressing the National Youth Roundtable

Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games