About APEN
Closing the gap between wanting to take part and knowing how.
The gap
Australia has one of the world's most stable democracies. But too many young people and culturally and linguistically diverse communities feel locked out of it - not because they lack ability or interest, but because no one ever explained how the machinery actually works, or how an ordinary person gets a hand on it.
Political knowledge should not be the privilege of insiders or the university-educated. It belongs to everyone.
APEN exists to close that gap. We do it the unglamorous way: by turning up, explaining plainly, and pointing to the real pathways in - the branch meeting, the council chamber, the community campaign, the ways power is actually built and used in this country.
Our charter
Five things we hold to.
Drawn from the APEN Brand Charter, Mission and Messaging Guide.
- 01
Non-partisan, by design
APEN explains the system; it does not sell a side. We don't endorse parties or candidates.
- 02
Community-led
Rooted in Western Sydney and the communities we come from, not handed down from the outside.
- 03
Plain English, no jargon
If it can't be said plainly, it hasn't been understood well enough yet.
- 04
Action-oriented
Not knowledge for its own sake - knowledge you can actually use to take part.
- 05
Respectful of difference
Built for a diverse country, in a way that respects culture, faith and language.
Who we serve
- Young Australians
- Culturally and linguistically diverse communities and new citizens
- Community and faith leaders
- Anyone who wants to take part
A note from the founder
I started APEN because, over years of work in Cumberland and Western Sydney, I kept meeting bright young people, and capable community leaders, who told me the same thing: "I'd get involved if I knew how."
That gap - between people wanting to take part and not knowing how - isn't an accident. The political system was built by insiders, for insiders. APEN is one attempt to close it, by sharing what I've learned plainly and without partisan pressure.
If you, or someone in your community, wants in, get in touch.
Enver Yasar
Founder, APEN
A note on independence. APEN is a separate, non-partisan community initiative. It is not a council program, not a government body, and not affiliated with any political party. Its founder is an elected Labor councillor; APEN's work stands apart from that role and takes no party's side.