Robyn Higgins

Program Officer (Grants)  

Robyn has been connected to the OIYP Network for the past 5 years. In that time she has experienced a lot in her activism for change that have reinforced her initial attraction to the vision for a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable world that OIYP represents.

Robyn attended the OIYP2000 as a volunteer after working on logistics prior to the event. Since then she has worked on various Oxfam fundraisers including Walk Against Want and Trailwalker and has been an active member of the Sydney Social Forum, Amnesty International, The Wilderness Society, Refugee Action Coalition, and the UNSW OCAA group. Before volunteering with OIYP Robyn joined a youth program for three months in Nepal withWorld Youth International’s and upon return participated in Youth Leadership training.

Robyn completed a Bachelor of International Studies (Development Studies and Sociology) at the University of New South Wales and spent six months on her degree studying in India. She also completed a 6 month Internship with Dakshinayan, which was an tribal organisation working on informal education projects in Jharkhand.She returned from India in 2004 to complete her studies and volunteered for OIYP2004 assisting in the facilitation for Education and then continued as a Grant Manager with OIYP from that time.

 Currently Robyn’s focus in the Grants Program. She really enjoys her work as she believes it has a direct impact on youth and their capacity to engage in social change activities. “The work is really exciting as it enables direct action whilst maintaining an awareness of long-term strategic change objectives”.

Robyn believes the unique structure of OIYP’s Grants Program endeavours to enhance youth capacity and skills for development and change and that it specifically targets youth led and run innitiatives and has a strong focus on capacity building for emerging young leaders and their communities.