"MOMENTUM: Mission, Passion, Expression" is a youth-led magazine and a website dedicated to helping youth become more informed and engaged in society. The co-founders of this project are Yassir and Ilyes El Ouarzadi, two young laureates of the Millenium Excellence Scholarships. These young leaders both participated in the leadership program Shad Valley as well as in the 2008 World Youth Congress and in the Dictée des Amériques and they wish, through this project, to give the opportunity to hundreds, even thousands of young people from Canada and abroad, to live such live-changing experiences. Therefore, MOMENTUM is a by-youth, for-youth network dedicated to social change.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MOMENTUM MAGAZINE ?

We welcome your submissions (on current events (economic crisis) or on any topic related to youth engagement, global issues, and leadership) in the form of articles, interviews, poetry, personal reflections, short stories, photography, etc.

Your written submissions should be no longer than 1000 words in length.
Please email all submissions by July 31st to info.momentum@yahoo.com in Word format.

NEW DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:
July 31st, 2009

Thanks !

------------------------------------------------------------

«MOMENTUM : Mission, Passion, Expression» est un magazine jeunesse accompagné d'un site web qui a pour but d'aider les jeunes à être bien informés et bien impliqués dans la société. Les cofondateurs de ce projet sont Yassir et Ilyes El Ouarzadi, deux jeunes lauréats de la Bourse d'excellence du millénaire. Ces jeunes leaders ont tous les deux participé au programme de leadership Shad Valley ainsi qu'au Congrès Mondial des jeunes 2008 et à la Dictée des Amériques et qui désirent, grâce à ce projet, donner l'opportunité à des centaines, voire des milliers de jeunes du Canada et d'ailleurs, de vivre de telles expériences qui pourront changer leurs vies. MOMENTUM est donc un réseau de changement social, par les jeunes et pour les jeunes.


COMMENT PARTICIPER AU MAGAZINE MOMENTUM ?

Envoyez-nous vos articles, poèmes et textes d'opinion sur le thème: comment les jeunes changent le monde ? et comment vous faites en tant que jeunes la différence dans vos communautés ? Vous pouvez aussi partager votre expérience personnelle pour inspirer d'autres jeunes à s'engager et à réaliser des projets dans leurs communautés. Vous pouvez également traiter de sujets d'actualité (crise économique), de problèmes qui affectent les jeunes ou encore des problématiques mondiales comme les changements climatiques.

Les articles ne devraient pas contenir plus de 1000 mots.
Faites-nous parvenir vos écrits en format Word à info.momentum@yahoo.com

DATE LIMITE D'ENVOI: la date a été prolongée
Le 31 juillet 2009

MERCI !

Yassir et ilyes
Co-Founders of MOMENTUM: Mission, Passion, Expression
Join us at: http://momentumweb.ning.com/

"MOMENTUM: Mission, Passion, Expression" is a youth-led magazine and a website dedicated to helping youth become more informed and engaged in society. The co-founders of this project are Yassir and Ilyes El Ouarzadi, two young laureates of the Millenium Excellence Scholarships. These young leaders both participated in the leadership program Shad Valley as well as in the 2008 World Youth Congress and in the Dictée des Amériques and they wish, through this project, to give the opportunity to hundreds, even thousands of young people from Canada and abroad, to live such live-changing experiences. Therefore, MOMENTUM is a by-youth, for-youth network dedicated to social change.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MOMENTUM MAGAZINE ?

We welcome your submissions (on current events (economic crisis) or on any topic related to youth engagement, global issues, and leadership) in the form of articles, interviews, poetry, personal reflections, short stories, photography, etc.

Your written submissions should be no longer than 1000 words in length.
Please email all submissions by July 31st to info.momentum@yahoo.com in Word format.

NEW DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:
July 31st, 2009

Thanks !

------------------------------------------------------------
«MOMENTUM : Mission, Passion, Expression» est un magazine jeunesse accompagné d'un site web qui a pour but d'aider les jeunes à être bien informés et bien impliqués dans la société. Les cofondateurs de ce projet sont Yassir et Ilyes El Ouarzadi, deux jeunes lauréats de la Bourse d'excellence du millénaire. Ces jeunes leaders ont tous les deux participé au programme de leadership Shad Valley ainsi qu'au Congrès Mondial des jeunes 2008 et à la Dictée des Amériques et qui désirent, grâce à ce projet, donner l'opportunité à des centaines, voire des milliers de jeunes du Canada et d'ailleurs, de vivre de telles expériences qui pourront changer leurs vies. MOMENTUM est donc un réseau de changement social, par les jeunes et pour les jeunes.

COMMENT PARTICIPER AU MAGAZINE MOMENTUM ?

Envoyez-nous vos articles, poèmes et textes d'opinion sur le thème: comment les jeunes changent le monde ? et comment vous faites en tant que jeunes la différence dans vos communautés ? Vous pouvez aussi partager votre expérience personnelle pour inspirer d'autres jeunes à s'engager et à réaliser des projets dans leurs communautés. Vous pouvez également traiter de sujets d'actualité (crise économique), de problèmes qui affectent les jeunes ou encore des problématiques mondiales comme les changements climatiques.

Les articles ne devraient pas contenir plus de 1000 mots.
Faites-nous parvenir vos écrits en format Word à info.momentum@yahoo.com

DATE LIMITE D'ENVOI: la date a été prolongée
Le 31 juillet 2009

MERCI !

By Ben Powless

The rhetoric was sharp enough to cut down Amazonian hardwoods. Yesterday, Sunday June 7th, after a number of ministers had been paraded out Saturday and the day before, Peru’s el Señor Presidente, Alan Garcia decided to make it personal. After a joint police-military operation aimed at stopping an Indigenous protest had gone awry, leaving many dead on both sides, Garcia declared the Indigenous elements to be standing in the way of progress, in the path of national development, wrenches in the gears of modernity, and part of an international conspiracy to keep Peru down. In a troubling statement on the resemblance of the Indigenous protesters to the infamous Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) armed insurrection, Garcia seemed to imply the Natives were a band of terrorists as he stood in front of hundreds of military officers in a nationally televised speech. He continued to decry the Indian barbarity and savagery, and called for all police and military to stand against savagery.


Indigenous and non-Indigenous protesters confront the police on the highway outside Bagua PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen


Clearly, the battle lines were being drawn. Garcia demonstrated he is not about to allow anything to get in the way of “our development” of the oil and mineral resources the Amazon has to offer. Especially by a bunch of confused savages (his words) who are pawns to the international market and to Indian elites and therefore have no real reason to be resisting. At this point, it was obvious he thought nothing of the Indigenous cause, and what they actually stood for. There is too much money to be extracted from oil, from minerals, from logging, and from possible agriculture in the Amazon region, the 2nd largest stretch outside of Brazil. All on land with less than 200,000 Indigenous people. All now supposed to be open for business, as a result of a series of laws passed under the auspices of Free Trade Agreements signed with both Canada and the United States.

All those who lost their lives – certainly more than the 30 or so officially cited – have in the end given their lives for these free trade agreements and their domestic implementation. After wresting a concession from Congress – a la Bush – Garcia was able to push through 99 changes to the law of Peru. A number of these were ruled unconstitutional later, one dealing with property law standing out. Indigenous groups disputed from the beginning that these laws threatened the integrity of the Amazon, its cultural and biological diversity. Since the beginning, they were ignored. Living up to their Amazonian warrior mythology, they decided to take action.


Police clearly seen with automatic submachine guns, not fit for use against civilians PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen


Protests have lasted now over 50 days, only recently erupting into bloodshed when Garcia suspended civil liberties, declared a state of emergency, and decided to send in the military to end the dispute. This was all done in the name of Garcia’s idea of ‘democracy,’ which should be farcical to anyone who has the least idea what democracy means. Indigenous groups have maintained they want to be included in this so-called democracy, meaning they have a say over what happens in their lands, and that their rights be respected. This is clearly within international law now, after the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was approved two years ago.

The Declaration lays out provisions that clearly establish the rights to free, prior and informed consent over development projects in Indigenous territories, and the right to be involved in any decision making processes that would impact on Indigenous Peoples’ lands, resources or rights. Repeated demands have called for there to be dialogue with Indigenous groups. Garcia’s response? Yes, there has been dialogue – within the government, by elected officials. Obviously, this hasn’t done enough to safeguard the rights, the lives, and the livelihoods of Amazon peoples, and a number of the new laws have been shown to be unconstitutional. Indigenous leaders quickly condemned the tragic loss of lives as the fault of the government, who was not committed to dialogue, but arms. Even the ex-president has placed the blame on Garcia for not seeking dialogue with Indigenous representatives.


Police take away identified ‘terrorist’ PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen


Lamentably, this whole situation could have easily been prevented, had the government cared enough about its own citizens’ lives and effective dialogue more than getting its own way. Instead, on Friday morning, police and military descended on an Indigenous encampment near the Amazonian towns of Bagua Chica and Bagua Grande. Reports from the ground contradict the government version, in which security forces, reluctant to use force, were ambushed and had to defend themselves with bombs, helicopters, and machine guns. Other reports establish that a private meeting was held between the military, the Indigenous leadership, and a local bishop, among others, the night before the violence. Indigenous groups were reportedly given until 10am to make a decision to leave or stay, and were guaranteed that nothing would happen until then. In response, many decided to go home. But the government apparently lied. The operation started around 6am.

Local sources instead claim they were sleeping, unarmed, when bullets were fired in their direction. When the police finally arrived to physically remove protesters, it was then that many police were disarmed, killed, or taken prisoner by the masses of protesters, probably numbering over 2,000 in days prior, now down to a few hundred. By now, the war had been declared, and wouldn’t stop well into the night as police and military continued in a violent sweep, ending up going into the towns and reportedly searching house by house in vengeance. Police entered with weapons of war against civilians. Now the military has been reported to be wearing civilian clothing to carry out what seems more and more to resemble a civil war. Families decry that they haven’t been allowed to enter the areas to search for missing family, or enter jails to visit and feed prisoners. All this done in a declared state of emergency, with many liberties and human rights withdrawn for local citizens.


Protesters re-converge near the split in the highway PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen


Then came the outrage. But not by locals or Indigenous groups, though that was palpable. By the very same government who initiated the action. Their reports came out throughout the next day – a dozen security forces murdered in cold blood, maybe 3 Indians hurt. Now 24 police and military cruelly assassinated, about 9 Indians dead (no information how). The choice of words is translated from government pronouncements, and reflects their dim view of Indigenous deaths, despite many being civilians, with a few children among those murdered.

On the other side, Indigenous groups reported at least 30 civilians and Natives were killed, but also that government officials had gone through lengths to disappear some of the bodies, a claim documented by Amazon Watch (see link below). Some AIDESEP members in the communities dispute that the number is much higher, closer to 100, including peasants and civilians. Video evidence clearly shows Natives armed only with spears against a tactical unit in one confrontation, and photos show police firing live weapons from the roofs, reportedly into crowds gathered below. A national newspaper even reported that one could clearly find pictures of more than a dozen Natives and civilians dead, online. No matter, the numbers had suddenly taken on a new importance.

This had been the worst episode of violence since the 90’s, so one might think the government might want to cut its losses and signal a shift towards more productive measures. Indeed, both sides could claim that they lost a number of lives, impetus to stop the bloodshed. Except that the war had already been declared, and may only be heating up. Hence the president’s fiery rhetoric, about how dare the savage Indians hurt our humble police, who didn’t want to raise their weapons. With their claim of nearly 30 deaths to the Indians’ 9 pushed them to call it a massacre (matanza, masacre) and seemed to pave the ethical and emotional road towards stronger retaliation, as all news channels were flooded with pictures of the soldiers bodies being flown out. The president of the ministers’ congress today appeared before congress and on national television to decry all the foreign news reports that fail to coincide with official numbers. Not only that, of course, these Natives were getting in the way of our development, of our modernity, denying us our basic human rights. Many of these government claims are thin disguises to misrepresent the Indigenous movement and its positions.


Police seen shooting on crowds below in Bagua, after protesters re-assemble PHOTO: AIDESEP


Take the issue of development. Indigenous communities have repeatedly said they aren’t against development, but it has to be a different kind of development, one more responsible. A reasonable claim, especially considering that the loss of the Amazon rainforest is one of the top drivers of climate change. On the issue of leadership and responsibility, the government has maintained that this was a top-down movement led by Alberto Pizango, president of AIDESEP, the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest, an Indigenous organization with representation from Amazon communities. This flies in the face of the history of the protest, which has literally involved thousands of communities, and shown itself to be led by local communities in their own decision making structures. The government has instead tried to pin the blame on Pizango as the main instigator, as a political agent of other parties or perhaps other countries, and a criminal mastermind who has tricked his followers into rallying against perfectly good legislation. They have gone so far as to issue a warrant for his arrest now, with many news reports hinting he has fled to Bolivia, and the Indigenous leadership have lost contact with him.


Protesters – many clearly non-Indigenous – attend to a civilian shot dead PHOTO: Thomas Quirynen


The other easily disputed claim is that this is an Indigenous movement uniquely, the implication being that this does not apply to anyone non-Indigenous, and others should repudiate the movement. It is well known in and around the Amazonian towns, however, that there have consistently been Mestizos, those of mixed race who make a slim majority of Peruvians, as part of the movement. In recent days reportedly a number of disenfranchised army reservists also decided to join the Indigenous cause. Looking at the protests in and around Bagua, it can clearly be seen that as many as half the protesters were not Indigenous, but were there in support. Also in the past, it has been a number of labour unions and farmer groups that have participated in national strikes, concerned over the same free trade agreements as Amazon communities. The implications here are critical, though, and seem to seek a precedent in declaring the Indigenous movement to be a criminal, or even terrorist, movement and outlaw their activities, organizations, and politics.


Civilians with bullet wounds attended in Bagua hospital PHOTO: AIDESEP


What comes next? On the Indigenous side, there have been calls for a national strike on Thursday, the 11th. In this case, many labour groups have been involved from the beginning, so it remains to be seen whether this will go farther than strikes in the past, which have shut down vital transportation and oil infrastructure, as well as Machu Picchu, the main tourist destination of Peru. Indigenous leaders have said, however, their protest will continue until they are able to renegotiate the controversial laws. On the government side, we can only wait and hope for the best. If the inflamed words and rallying of the troops are any indication, however, they may be getting ready to try and strike down harder on the Indigenous movement sooner rather than later. Reports have come in that Special Forces have been seen in the area. All this may spell out more bloodshed in the name of democracy. However, they are also acutely aware they are under the international microscope right now, despite the lack of substantial media reporting about the situation here in Peru.

And that may be where hope rests. This is a critical moment, as the government plans its next steps. There needs to be a strong international focus on Peru, to let them know they cannot get away with more human rights abuses. Already, protests are planned across the United States, with more in planning in Canada. Letters have been sent to the government and to representatives at embassies around the world. AIDESEP has called for a national inquiry into the events of Bagua and the deaths. They have also issued a request for an international observer committee to come and be witnesses to the situation. A national strike is planned for this Thursday, with participation from diverse groups, calling for resolution to the situation and the resignation of Alan Garcia. AIDESEP is also collecting funds to aid in its work and support observers to get into the region.

A curfew has been imposed. Amazonian towns have been militarized. AIDESEP officials are in communication with the communities that there are many missing, many presumed dead. The government has begun persecuting and threatening jail for Indigenous leaders, while the leaders have said they are ready to go to jail to defend their rights. The fear is growing that the government is trying to build support to further repress Indigenous groups. This is not a path to peace and reconciliation.


Indigenous leaders of the Peruvian Amazon hold a press conference to talk about the whereabouts of Pizango and their reaction to the violent outbreak, Saturday June 6th. PHOTO: Ben Powless


For now, the protests will continue. If we are serious about safeguarding the human rights of the Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples of the Amazon, we need to act now. The violent repression of Indigenous protests and the loss of civil liberties must come to an end. If we want to protect and preserve the Amazon, and its bio-cultural diversity, especially in the face of climate change, there is no better protection than keeping it under the control of those who have maintained it forever. The free trade laws that open up the Amazon to logging, mining, oil and agroindustry must be suspended. Indigenous Peoples’ rights – to self-determination, to their lands and resources, to their lives - must be protected and guaranteed. If we are to stop other atrocities and bloodshed, the battle line must be withdrawn, immediately, and there must be dialogue.

For up-to-date information and planned actions: http://peruanista.blogspot.com/
So far actions are planned in Canada, the US, Australia, India and more.

Website of AIDESEP: Aidesep, pueblos indígenas amazónicos del Peru | Portada

Donations can be made under "SOLIDARIDAD AIDESEP”, at
Bank Name: Banco de Crédito del Perú
Account number: 193-1070011-1-01
Account name: AIDESEP-VARIOS
Swift Code: BCPLPEPL
Address: Jr. Lampa 499, Cercado de Lima, Peru

Peruvian news network, with many (shocking) videos: http://enlacenacional.com/

Collection of actions to take and media sources: http://beckermanlegal.com/Peru.htm

In depth analysis of the situation: https://nacla.org/node/5879

AmazonWatch investigates disposed bodies: http://www.amazonwatch.org/newsroom/view_news.php?id=1843

Send a letter to Peruvian officials: http://amazonwatch.org/peru-action-alert.php

Preliminary blog: Calm at the Center of the Storm: Reporting from the Amazonian Peoples' Headquarters in Lima | rabble.ca

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/powless/sets/72157619320374511/

Democracy Now! Report: http://intercontinentalcry.org/democracy-now-reports-on-bagua-massacre/

Hi everyone !

I wanted to post a blog about the Obama's Speech in Cairo (Egypt) since it was an important event for the Muslim world, the USA and the world in general.

For those who have not had the chance to read the full text of the speech or listen to it, here are some useful links:

To read the full text of the speech, visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/politics/04obama.text.html

For a complete video, visit: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/full-video-of-obamas-cairo-speech/

http://www.kansascity.com/105/story/1234919.html

“Less than six months ago, Arabs threw shoes at George Bush. Today, in a address bound to go down in history, President Obama was unexpectedly greeted by a standing ovation in the heart of the Arab-Muslim world.

In a towering speech before 4,000 Egyptians in the Grand Hall of Cairo University, and to another 1.4 billion Muslims world-wide, the President was interrupted 30 times by applause and people shouting, “we love you”.

President Obama also noted Islam's historical relationship with the United States:

"I also know that Islam has always been a part of America's story. The first nation to recognize my country was Morocco. In signing the Treaty of Tripoli in 1796, our second President, John Adams, wrote, "The United States has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims."

***

"That experience guides my conviction that partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isn't. And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear."

Source of the picture and text:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/4/738719/-Masterpiece

I think that if we, as citizens of the world and youth activitists, want to ensure a better future for ourselves and the future generations, we have to cooperate and to help each other in order to solve the global problems and issues that we face: climate change, poverty, HIV, ...

«When there is a will, there is a way». Let this be the credo for the 21st Century.

All the best,
Yassir El Ouarzadi
Montreal Youth Engagement Coordinator
CLC Canada- TIG
Founder of MOMENTUM: http://momentumweb.ning.com/

Members of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in Paris and London went hungry this World Press Freedom Day - in support of jailed U.S.-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi, who herself started a hunger strike on 21 April.

Thankfully, Saberi, who was protesting an eight-year jail sentence for spying for the U.S., has since started eating again. But the international campaigning for her release goes on. Next week, an Iranian appeals court will hear her case, and a verdict is expected shortly thereafter.

As World Press Freedom Day was commemorated on 3 May, Saberi is just one of about 125 journalists jailed worldwide because of their work - and an example of the threats hundreds of thousands of journalists and others face for exercising their right to free expression.

Of this figure, nearly 700 journalists have been killed since 3 May was first celebrated in 1993, according to U.S. President Barack Obama, who acknowledged World Press Freedom Day in an official statement (see: ) Tragically, the latest fatality to be added to the list was gunned down on World Press Freedom Day: Mexican journalist Carlos Ortega Samper, who just a day before his death wrote that he had been threatened by local government officials.

The numbers are grim, no matter where you are. A global survey published by Freedom House last week shows media freedom has declined for the seventh straight year - with journalists facing more obstacles to their work in every region of the world.

"Restrictions can happen in any type of environment, including democracies," says Karen Karlekar, managing editor of the annual "Freedom of the Press" report. (See the report here: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=470 )

"We found that only 17 percent of the world's population live in countries that enjoy a fully free press," she added.

World Press Freedom Day serves as an occasion to pay tribute to Saberi, as well as journalists such as Ortega who risked their lives to give us the news. They understand better than anyone that media contributes significantly to processes of dialogue, mutual understanding and reconciliation, the theme of this year's World Press Freedom Day.

It is also a time to remind the world of the countless other press freedom violations across the globe, while also developing initiatives that defend and promote journalists and the right to press freedom. Continuing on from last week, here's an update on how other IFEX members and partners did just that (for the full listing, see: http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/archivefeatures/242/ ):

Hey team! I hope everyone’s April has gone well and that for those of you in university you’ve survived exams and all that fun stuff. A lot has been going on in Ottawa, so I thought I’d drop a line to keep you all informed. Last night I attended an event at the St. Bridgid’s Community Centre. It was a conversation between former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson and historian Margaret Macmillan. Though it was interesting it was not about the uses and abuses of history as the programme claimed. They talked a lot about how things have changed in Canada and how in the late 1950s (1959 I think) women were not allowed in the history club at the University of Toronto and there was a whole university centre donated by the Massey family that women were not welcome in except for at dances. They even talked about how Kennedy (before he was president) when he came to the UofT for a debate, women were not going to be allowed in. Though women were allowed in after some serious lobbying, there was still a quota because they didn’t want the event to turn into buffoonery. Earlier in the month Lynne and I did two workshops at the Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots Conference held at Algonquin College. One was climate change guide to action and the other was on social networking for social change. Due to a room mix-up we had double the participants for the second workshop than we were expecting but it still went really well. That evening Lynne and I returned for a very interesting and inspirational talk by Dr. Jane Goodall. She spoke a lot about how she got her start and I wouldn’t be surprised in 30 years from now to see some of you guys coming to conferences as distinguished guest speakers. This week I have been helping Mai with compiling some Ontario stats and also just doing some wrap up meetings with different partner organizations. It’s weird to be wrapping up. These past two years have gone by really really fast.

www.benbikes.org.za/namibia

I attended a speaker event tonight at the community market. The market hosts bicycle repairs and sends them to Africa as part of the Bicycle Exchange Network. This is a great way to recycle cycles while provided support to Namibian cities and communities.

One in five people in Namibia are living with HIV/AIDS. Most people need to walk 20km/day to get to where they are going, whether it be school, grocery shopping, or to the doctor. The bicycles cut their travel time into 1/4 the amount of time that it takes to walk.

There are also perks such as competitive bike teams and HIV/AIDS awareness outreach by local volunteers. They promote healthy lifestyles and carry medical supplies such as soap which may save a life because of reduction of infection for those living with AIDS.

So far, 10 000 bikes have been donated to Namibia through this project-funded organization who are based in Australia and Canada. In a place where employment is 36%, street youth are trained in bike maintenance and gain employment skills. They receive the money to pay for their own bike repairs, as many only make $2 per month volunteering. The bike shop is created in the communities.

Bonjour à toutes et à tous,

Je vous écris en ce Jour de la Terre, pour vous rappeler ce qu'est un écocitoyen.

Un écocitoyen est un individu – une entreprise et même un gouvernement – qui agit de façon responsable, qui réfléchit aux conséquences de ses actions, qui s’informe régulièrement et qui pose des gestes significatifs pour protéger l’environnement. Devenir écocitoyen c’est prendre conscience de l’impact environnemental de ses choix de vie et de consommation.

En effet, prenez quelques minutes aujourd'hui pour parcourir le site du Jour de la Terre à l'adresse suivante: http://www.jourdelaterre.org

On peut changer les choses, un geste à la fois!

Hey everyone!

As I'm positive you all know by you (considering the number of emails I've sent out on the subject), I've been busy the past couple of weeks helping Kimia and Mai with the reporting process.

It's wonderful to have Mai back =)

I've learned that reporting is a pretty difficult process if it's not ongoing and a detailed database isn't maintained. Emails get lost, and it's too bad that we didn't all upload our monthly reports (and we didn't all always necessarily even fill them in) for the months. Keeping records and getting feedback reports and stuff is just a really important way to actually prove that we did what we did, and that we succeeded at it.

I hope everybody else is doing well, as our term comes to and end.. Good luck with exams! I'm still at York going through midterms. Grr!

Today, I attended a Youth Forum put on by the Urban Aboriginal Youth Strategy in Thunder Bay. I want to reflect on some of the things I learned at the day's event because the pride was inspiring.

Youth discussed some priorities:
Community action
Civic engagment
Positive cultural events/gatherings/activities/ceremonies
Gaining job skills
Completing school
Reclaiming language/culture/identity
More positive Aboriginal media
Resourcing youth

Youth discussed mental health:
Encourage youth to be active in culture
Positive reinforcements
Accessing someone to talk to about problems
Create support groups on anger, depression, family issues, and financial
School counsellors could be elders
Counsellors and teachers collaborating with parents and youth
Issues of stress, lonliness, depression, suicide, ingergenerational effects of family violence
Culture shock
Collaboration with youth workers

Youth discussed some challenges:
Teen pregnancy
Foster care
Substances
Teen pregnancy
Gangs/abuse
Violence

Youth discussed some solutions:
Awareness/Sensitivity
Healing with laughter
Youth groups to attend
Expression through artwork
Speaking up
Learning from elders
Communication and understanding
Keeping a positive lifestyle
Safe sex promotion
Create a club
Cultural sensitivity training in all workplaces
Education/awareness

Who we can get help from in the community are:
neighbours, friends, relatives, teachers, counsellors, police

The pieces that stood out most for achieving healthy communities were mental health, culture/art, safety, diversity, action, and healthy lifestyles.

Over lunch, there was a presentation from Photovoice. Alice Sabourin, who leads the project, recommended youth who were inspired to participate check out Nadya Kwandibens. She has a fabulous video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MMsdl9-k1s

The motivational speaker was from Turtle Concepts www.turtleconcepts.com. He taught me that I can change the way people see me by changing what I do and how.

Putting the puzzle pieces together:
Get uncomfortable
Change it up
There are 525600 minutes in a year
Do it now
Do what youth steps to change are trying to create

L'équipe de Liaisons Locales CANADA et de TIG a le plaisir de vous annoncer les deux prochains débats en ligne destinés à tous les membres francophones de TIG:

1- OBAMA: quel espoir pour les jeunes?

2- Renouveau de la plate-forme TIG: idées et suggestions!

POUR PARTICIPER, CONNECTEZ-VOUS SUR TIG PUIS CLIQUEZ SUR CE LIEN: http://projects.tigweb.org/clccanada/chat/

Soyez au rendez-vous le mardi 28 avril à 13h EST, ce seront les derniers débats de l'année pour le projet CLC-Canada, donc ne manquez pas cet événement en ligne!

Pour savoir l'heure à laquelle commence ce débat, dans le pays où vous résidez, utilisez ce site: http://www.timezoneconverter.com/

Au plaisir de vous rencontrer le 28,

L'équipe francophone de TIG

L'équipe de Liaisons Locales CANADA et de TIG a le plaisir de vous annoncer les deux prochains débats en ligne destinés à tous les membres francophones de TIG:

1- Débat intitulé : OBAMA et les Jeunes

2- Renouveau de la plate-forme TIG: idées et suggestions!

Soyez au rendez-vous le mardi 28 avril à 13h EST, ce seront les derniers débats de l'année pour le projet CLC-Canada, donc ne manquez pas cet événement en ligne!

Pour confirmer votre présence, rendez-vous au site: http://events.tigweb.org/23373

Le débat sera organisé en utilisant le forum du projet CLC (outil de débat): http://projects.tigweb.org/clccanada/chat/

Au plaisir,
Yassir, ilyes et Justine