Joseph Haweil: Supporting the empowerment of diverse communities in Hume City Council
Written By Bianca Goebel
At the age of 27 Joseph Haweil was elected to Hume City Council as one of the Victoria’s youngest municipal Councillors. He was elected on a platform advocating for multicultural affairs, community development, arts and culture and gaming reform. These platforms have a common underpinning – Joseph’s passion for settlement, integration and empowerment of new and emerging communities to reach their full potential.
Joseph’s strong platform was underpinned by background of active participation in the betterment of local, regional and international communities. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History and Honours degree in History and a Master of International Relations degree – both from the University of Melbourne. This home grown expertise has been complemented with international roles including studies at Indonesia’s Universitas Gadjah Mada, a youth cultural exchange program in Moscow and participation in the Regional Youth Interfaith Forum hosted by the European Union and Australia - to name just a few.
What inspired you to run in Hume Council?
I believe strongly that an active and informed citizenry is vital to the success of local communities. I ran for Council in 2016 after many years of active community involvement in the hope that a seat at the Council table would give me a direct say on policy and decision making. Being incredibly passionate about my community and having a vision for its future, I was confident that I could make a difference to my City and its people. Much of my inspiration also came from friends, family and those whom I had worked with in the community who encouraged me to throw my hat into the ring.
“…an active and informed citizenry is vital to the success of local communities”
What are the key causes and impact areas you are championing?
During my time on Council I have worked actively on advocating for local infrastructure, including State Government investment in upgrading critical local arterial roads in our City. For many working people in the outer metropolitan suburbs, good road infrastructure is critical to quality of life and this has motivated my advocacy efforts in this regard. I have also proudly been one of the strongest voices in Victorian local government on gambling harm minimisation and reform, exposing the negative impacts of gambling harm on my City’s residents and championing reforms in Council’s gambling harm minimisation policies. Building the capacity of young people, multicultural and new and emerging communities through a range of programs and initiatives has also been one of my priorities and I have championed efforts to provide greater access and equity opportunities for these groups.
What is your message to other young people who might be thinking about running too?
Putting it simply, run! Local communities desperately need engaged, community-focused candidates. Young people deserve to be heard directly in the decision-making process. I often recall the words of Pericles who says “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you”. Those representing the community in elected positions at all levels of government have a real influence and impact on people. Young people around Australia are engaged, energetic and concerned about the future of their communities and their country. And they have so much of value to contribute to policy making and to the future of their communities. Therefore, I believe strongly that young people should get involved in the process. If young people wish their voices to be heard and shape their own futures, they must be engaged in the political process, whether deciding to run for office or not.
