Educating Youth for Global Responsibility

By Richard Wills, Publications Editor

Even though they shared the stage with a roster of more experienced activists, seasoned politicians and public figures, it was young speakers on the program who made the strongest impression at the Selwyn House Centennial Conference on Educating Youth for Global Responsibility.

A major feature of the school’s year-long Centennial Celebrations, the conference drew more than 600 adults and students to Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom on October 2.

Yves Fortier, former Canadian ambassador to the UN, and Michael Goldbloom, Principal of Bishop’s University and former publisher of the Gazette and Toronto Star, co-chaired the conference, which was moderated by Royal Orr, a journalist and communications consultant who has worked to fight AIDS in Tanzania.

There were a number of adults present, but the bulk of the audience was made up of students from universities and CEGEPs, along with delegations from 14 local high schools. The young people were challenged to take bold steps to “repair the world,” and several of them showed a vision and a willingness to answer that challenge.

Guests taking part in a panel discussion on Human Rights Work were: Emily Bass, Program Director for the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition; David Danylewich, Director of Field Operations for Right To Play International; Patrick Duplat, an advocate for Refugees International; and Alexandre (Sacha) Trudeau, filmmaker and journalist.

A second panel on Using Your Career to Make a Difference included Olympic gold medallist and humanitarian Jennifer Heil; Dario Iezzoni, Director of Business Development for Santropol/Copardès; and Joelle (Joey) Adler, President and CEO of Diesel Canada and founder of One X One.

Keynote speaker was Alusine Bah, a former child soldier in Sierra Leone who now lives in Montreal. The closing speech was by Bob Rae, MP for Toronto Centre and former premier of Ontario.

Perhaps the most inspiring presentations were given by four recent graduates of Selwyn House. Daniel Wilner, of the class of 2001, discussed his experience of teaching refugee children with the International Rescue Committee in New York City. Andrew Rosenhek, of the class of 2002, described his experiences in Tanzania that led him to establish relief programs that are both affordable for the donor and effective for the recipient. Justin Tan, of the class of 2004, talked about his work as co-founder of Students for Global Health, an extraordinarily successful and sustainable relief organization. Gabriel Maldoff of the class of 2005, told about his work in Tanzania with the PIUMA Project.

These SHS graduates demonstrated that personal initiative, creative thinking, wise use of technology and a human touch can accomplish great things in a short time for disadvantaged people around the world. This seemed to have a great impact on everyone in the audience—students and adults alike.

“We’re very much like you [but have found ways to get involved],” said Justin Tan.

“I don’t think we really completed our high school education till we did what we did,” said Daniel Wilner.

Guest Panel One:

Royal Orr launched the first panel discussion by challenging the participants to say something provocative. Sacha Trudeau responded by declaring that, “Western domination is coming to an end. We’ve reached the limits [of our resources],” he said. “There’s no way that we can sustain the level of comfort we have.”

Emily Bass responded by saying Trudeau’s warning also represented an exhilarating challenge. “It’s hugely exciting to be part of a social movement for change,” she said.

Trudeau later reiterated his message from an environmental perspective. “Things are going to have to massively change,” he stressed. “Kyoto is not enough. Carbon tax is not enough.”

These remarks stirred the curiosity of students in the audience. “What happens when western influence begins to decline?” asked one.

“Will decline be fast or slow?” asked a second.

“What happens when we find there are not enough resources for the entire world?” asked a third.

 “It’s not a question of [there being] not enough resources,” said Emily Bass. “It’s a question of not enough governance.”

Patrick Duplat urged the audience to see beyond the dichotomy between humanitarianism and corporate success. “See it as a whole,” he said.

Emily Bass suggested a radical tactic for drawing attention to humanitarian causes. “Write your slogan on a T-shirt,” she said, “and wear that T-shirt when you get arrested.”

 “Be informed,” urged Patrick Duplat. “This generation has no excuse.”

Keynote Speech:

“We must see ourselves as global citizens,” said Alusine Bah. “[I was] forced to fight in a senseless war. It was a means of survival. I grew up in a society where people are grateful if they can have one meal a day.”

“It’s not that we’re not aware of what’s going on around the world, he continued. “We must ask ourselves, ‘What can I do?’”

Bah then briefly led the audience in a chant, saying: “We can make a difference.”

Guest Panel Two:

In the panel on Using Your Career to Make a Difference, Jennifer Heil talked about realizing that, as an Olympic medallist, she has “a media platform with which I can make a difference.”

An advocate of “guerrilla marketing,” Dario Iezzoni talked about the potential positive impact of being an active—rather than passive—consumer, by buying only fair trade products from the developing world.

Joey Adler said the death of her husband led her to realize that poor people around the world are being sacrificed for economic gains, because, “It’s cheaper to let them die.” Her humanitarian work led her to Africa, Haiti, and even to rural Manitoba. “We have First Nations children in this country who can’t eat,” she reminded the audience, adding that poverty spreads terrorism and violence around the world.

Hon. Bob Rae, MP reiterated this point when he took the stage to close the conference. “You don’t have to go to Africa to see poverty,” he reminded his audience. “There are issues on your own street. There are issues in your own family.”

“You are at the cusp of history,” he told the young people in the audience. “You can assume any identity you want. This was not always true,” he said, and it can be both “liberating and scary.”

“The greatest tendency in life is to wait for someone else to tell us what to do.”

“You do good by doing what you do best,” he said. “It’s up to you to decide if you are going to try to repair the world.”

Reactions:

“Alusine Bah brought tears to my eyes, and the SHS alumni who spoke were an inspiration,” said David Cronin, a Selwyn House parent and graduate of the Class of 1973.

“They were the highlight of the evening,” agreed Selwyn House parent Karen Skinner. “We left feeling even more proud of the school and delighted that our son is able to share in the education and spirit that produced such impressive young men.”

“I came away with new insights and perspectives and understandings,” said Susan Borer, former head of ECS.

“It was a truly inspirational evening,” said a McGill student who attended the conference. “I’m sure many of us left with new prospects for the future.”