KIDS OFF THE STREETS

Law alumnus, Matautia Phineas Hartson (B. Law '07), is a legal advisor and youth worker who is no stranger to adversity. A Pacific Islander, Matautia Phineas, or Phin as he's known, understands the difficulties faced by minority groups, and that's why he volunteers his time at non-profit organisation Straight Off da Street (SOS).

SOS is an early intervention and crime prevention program for Pacific Islander youth at risk, which uses music and creativity to analyse and deter anti-social behaviour.

One of the biggest problems facing the Pacific Islander youths at SOS is having nothing constructive to do with their time. In response, SOS started a 'learning how to learn' program, allowing kids who were not at school to receive an alternate education.

Phin said, "There is a level of isolation that one feels as a child of migrants. Both of my parents worked extremely long hours full-time, but fortunately still managed to connect with us. They taught us the importance of education and having goals and achieving those goals. We were also taught the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from. Unfortunately, the youths we deal with come from families that, for whatever reason, are not connected and these lessons are not being taught."

The general legal program developed by Phin relates specifically to individual legal rights and teaching the children how to self-articulate in Australia's legal framework. "There is a focus on actions and consequences. I take situations in the kid's lives or in the news where a crime has been committed and we look at the legal process that takes place - who is involved, the victim and the perpetrator, the penalties for these crimes and the legislation behind it," he says. "But more importantly, through my program, we look at the social, emotional and financial consequences for everyone involved."

Phin believes that popular culture and media are responsible for the negative perceptions that exist in the wider community about Pacific Islander youth culture. "The hardest thing is making these kids realise their real worth. It is difficult to change their mindsets when the world tells them that they are worthless and have no future."

"They're told 'cool' when you're 'of colour' (means) being a 'gangster' or a 'thug', involved in crime. These kids' heroes are based on fantasy. One of my challenges is to shift their hero ideal to real people who are doing positive things in their own community or families."

Though it may seems like hard work, Phin says a motivating force is seeing the SOS youths' hard work pay off. "Hearing about kids finding work, or settling down is rewarding. Some have even gone on to record albums. I'm still waiting for someone to go to University - UTS, of course, but that day will come.

"Education is definitely the key to freedom on every level. I believe that anything and everything is possible and that these kids have so much to give to society and have so much potential. All that is needed is a change of perception on everyone's part."