Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Speech on the Occasion of the Ontario Children and Youth Summit
Toronto, Thursday, October 26, 2006
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I am so pleased to join you this morning at the Ontario Children and Youth Summit. As you are probably aware, when I was nominated 27th governor general of Canada, I decided to make youth one of my main priorities.
I embarked on an exciting journey, crisscrossing the country, meeting with Canadians of all backgrounds, and engaging young women and men in a dialogue on the role they are playing to bring meaningful change to their communities. It has been a wonderful adventure. And it has reaffirmed my belief that our capacity to build the kind of society in which we all wish to live depends on the involvement of everyone, particularly youth.
And for this reason, I treasure every opportunity I get to exchange with youth, support them in their efforts to build a better world, celebrate their achievements, and encourage them to forge linkages with young people from across the country.
During my official visit to the province of Quebec, I decided to stray off the beaten path and meet with a dozen young inmates working on a unique and innovative radio show that gives them a voice within the community.
There, in a small, cramped studio of the prison, we spent two very moving hours sharing ideas about the meaning of freedom, responsibility, and human dignity and about their impact on these young men’s lives, as they prepared to reintegrate into society. In poignant terms, the inmates shared—some rapping, some singing, and some even reading poetry—their personal testimonies of pain, disappointment and even despair.
However, as we pursued our conversation, I was touched to see how our exchange helped them realize that to become fully-fledged members of our society, they would have to respect the rights of their fellow citizens.
I saw the glimmers of hope in their eyes, as they truly desired a better, more responsible future. I think this strong and valuable message from the young inmates is particularly relevant today.
While this summit is being described as an opportunity for service providers and youth to exchange on the programs offered to them in Ontario, the energy and dynamism I feel here suggest that there is something even more powerful happening today. Earlier on this morning, I met with two-hundred youth from across the province in a town hall in which we discussed a broad range of issues that directly affect youth, including the extent to which the various youth outlets in the province are responsive to their needs.
What was magical about this encounter was the quality of the exchange with such a wide range of youth originating from the four corners of the globe, hailing from every region in this province, and some even living in protective care and youth protection.
As you are all aware, there is still within our society a tendency to view young people as intrinsically apathetic.
Many people believe that young Canadians, drawn by the whims of fashion and entertainment trends, are simply not socially engaged. This attitude is even more pronounced when directed towards those who are considered to be “at risk.” Here, deep prejudices drive a wedge between our most marginalized young people and the wider society. A sad portrait indeed.
You have all heard the old clichés: “They are a menace to society,” “they don’t really care,” “they don’t really belong here,” “send them back home.”
These assumptions serve only to reinforce the solitudes that hinder our ability to relate to each other. They ultimately provide ammunition to those criminal elements seeking to bring the most vulnerable into their fold.
More and more, we are seeing well-structured criminal groups reaching out to those who have lost faith in our society, giving them a false sense of belonging and enticing them with alluring rewards.
The energy I feel here, however, suggests that even though some youth may confront violence and despair in their lives, we must always remember that they share with us a hope for a brighter future, for themselves and their peers.
This hope is not, however, merely a dream; no, it is a reality whose roots are firmly grounded in the spaces that exist for dialogue, solidarity, and caring across this country.
This morning’s youth town hall gave me much hope. The participants had the courage to tell me about some of their most disturbing experiences while providing me with concrete recommendations on ways to tackle these challenges in a constructive and effective manner.
I was struck by their honesty, candor, and their creative ideas. Their commitment to work towards achieving their dreams was exemplary.
I must say that through the dialogue this morning, you have exceeded my expectations and demonstrated how you can all make a difference not only in your own lives but also in the lives of others.
You have shown the country that youths are not the leaders of tomorrow; they are really the leaders of today, and we all have a duty to support them in their efforts to achieve positive change in our country.
Through your participation, you have proclaimed very clearly your earnest desire to be responsible leaders and positive agents of change in your own lives and in the lives of your peers. I think we owe you all a round of applause.
However, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the openness of the summit’s organizers and the service providers present. They are actually listening to what youth are saying.
During my previous career as a journalist, I observed how those who offered services to young people often ignored their ideas and perspectives in the creation and delivery of programs. Youth I met were often faced with activities that really reflected the perspectives of an older and perhaps more affluent group of people. Interestingly, during my encounters with young Canadians over the past year, a recurring theme has been the “disconnect” many feel between some of the services available to them and their real and most pressing needs.
Through today’s intergenerational dialogue and exchange, summit organizers are radically recasting the relationship between service providers and young people, placing youth participation at the very heart of what it means to provide assistance to them.
In sum, they are empowering young people to help themselves and to be an integral part of the process. No longer are youth peering in from the sidelines while their future is decided by others; no, here, youth and service providers collaborate jointly to create the conditions so that all young people can achieve their dreams and aspirations.
And so, I must congratulate you as your efforts really illustrate the unwavering power of caring, solidarity and dialogue in laying the groundwork for a better world. Canadians have a lot to learn from your initiative, as it provides hope to thousands across the country and ultimately helps to tear down another solitude that is impeding, as we say in French, notre vivre ensemble.
Once again, I would like to thank you for receiving me today, and I wish you great success in the rest of the summit.
