Proud Yarrabah role model Petition calls for action against Tik Tok policies Teen’s animal cruelty crusade

l REDLYNCH | Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

A SCHOOL student and his friend have launched a petition against animal cruelty that garnered over 500 signatures in a week.

l YARRABAH

| Isabella Guzman Gonzalez

AN INNOVATOR of the Indigenous aerospace industry, Gunggandji Aerospace Consultancy founder Daniel Joinbee, has become the first winner of the Indigenous Space Leader of the Year award at the Australian Space Awards last month.

A proud Yarrabah descendant and Defence Force veteran, Mr Joinbee was awarded for his work providing career opportunities in the aerospace industry for

First Nations people across Australia through nontraditional pathways.

The 2023 Space Connect’s Australian Space Awards, held in Sydney last month, celebrated up-and-coming leaders and stakeholders driving the development of Australia’s space economy. This year, the awards added the category Indigenous Space Leader of the Year.

“It was quite humbling,” Mr Joinbee said.

“As the inaugural award winner, I feel like there’s a lot of responsibility on my shoulders to work across Australia to represent, not only the space industry, but our First Nations people and champion our engagement in the industry.

“For Gunggandji, this is a recognition of our non-traditional pathways approach to workforce solutions for the space industry and awareness that there’s an Aboriginal business out there that’s pushing the boundaries and creating generational change.”

Mr Joinbee last visited Cairns in April and said his eyes were set on FNQ and its promising emerging aerospace industry solidifying a partnership with Space Centre Australia.

Trinity Anglican School year 8 student Noah Solomon, 13, and his friend Holly Finch are on a crusade to get more policies and restrictions in place against animal abuse on platforms like TikTok after a video of a Chinese food blogger allegedly torturing kittens went viral on the platform.

Both teens researched if justice had been served for the man, identified as Xu Zhihu, a food blogger and Weibo influencer. Still, after finding out he had only received a threemonth jail sentence, they decided something needed to be done.

Launching a Change.org petition on May 9 directed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden and TikTok’s chief executive Shou Chew, friends and family have backed it up, and the petition has now gath- ered over 500 signatures. “I despise animal abusers, and what pulled me to this case was the fact that the man showed no care about it,” Mr Solomon, of Redlynch, said.

“I’m working with two friends.

“We did some research and started the petition.

“I shared the petition with all my friends, and in the past two weeks, we have had over 500 signatures.”

Mr Solomon said that if the petition received more attention, it could lead to policy changes, not only in Australia, but internationally.

“The outcome of the petition is to put the man in jail for a long time ideally, but this might be too difficult to achieve,” he said.

“Our main goal is to highlight that animal cruelty and abuse will not be tolerated in the world, and the governments in developed countries should put more restrictions in place.”

Still promoting his petition and advocating for more legislation on animal cruelty and animal cruelty content online, Mr Solomon encouraged Cairns residents, especially young people, to support the cause.

“Teenagers should fight for what they think is right and try to change the world before it’s too late,” he said.

“I might be young, but at this moment, it is up to young people to change the world, as other generations haven’t taken action themselves.

“I encourage you all to step forward and do what you think is right no matter the cost.

“Take Greta Thunberg as an example.”

To support Mr Solomon’s petition, go to: https://bit.ly/43urd2y