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- The Citizen Voices Team
CWY Alumnus Discusses the Edmonton Youth Dialogue
by Marie-Claude Poirier
These Youth Dialogues are powerful because of the reconciliation that emerges from them. When we get agitated, we speak our minds and get to the heart of what really matters. Expressing one’s existence is also an act of faith.
Created by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean, the Youth Dialogues are the result of a reflection on the human condition. They address the need that young people have to express themselves and our desire to reconcile with them.
The discussions are a successful way to begin addressing the issue of young people’s participation in public life. As an alumnus of Canada World Youth, I can certainly testify to that. I see a parallel between the focus of the dialogues and discussions on a global scale. By giving young people a voice, their full participation in helping to build a world of peace becomes a reality. It is dynamic way to improve young people’s skills so they can play a role in our society.
That is the challenge presented to us by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean. We not only have to break down the solitudes faced by our parents and their parents before them, we also have to question the social structures that perpetuate inequalities and poverty. We must address this Canadian uneasiness head-on, with open hearts and minds.
To even talk about it is already a step in the right direction; it is absolutely essential.
