Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean
Speech on the Occasion of the 10th Anniversary of the National Alliance for Children and Youth
Ottawa, Tuesday, November 14, 2006
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I am so honoured to join you today as you celebrate your 10th anniversary and as you prepare to embark on a new and exciting journey as the National Alliance for Children and Youth.
When I received your invitation, I was fascinated to read about the extraordinary efforts you have made to place the needs and rights of children at the forefront of our national agenda. By pooling resources, building new partnerships, and facilitating dialogue on a variety of “tough issues,” you have really helped us all gain a better understanding of the challenges children face in Canada.
We must all pay careful attention to the needs and rights of children, as they are often the most vulnerable members of our society. Your exemplary work on this front really testifies to your commitment to ensuring that Canadian children everywhere enjoy all the rights and opportunities to which they are entitled.
Before entering broadcasting in the late 1980’s, I too was very much involved in capacity building in the NGO sector—here combating violence against women. I know all too well the challenges of working in large coalitions, trying to arrive at a consensus, and breaking down those lonely “silos.” Non-profit and volunteer sector work can be quite demanding; you often find yourself working with “no budget,” labouring away for very long hours, and drafting report, after report after report.
But all these efforts are really worth it, particularly in this case, as the challenges facing young Canadians remain daunting.
As governor general of Canada, but also as the mother of a seven-year old girl, I am deeply concerned about the challenges facing young people within our society. It is for this reason that I have made youth one of the top priorities of my mandate. I sincerely believe that the future of our country and the world lies in their hands; and we must do all we can to give them the most enriching environment within which they can all flourish and join us in creating a better world.
Following my installation, I embarked on an exciting adventure, traveling from coast, to coast, to coast, meeting with Canadians, and learning about their concerns, their aspirations and their efforts to improve their communities. In each province and territory I visited, I made a point to sit down with young people to hear about their perspectives on the future of our country.
Far too often, we see youth as either troublemakers or as a ‘concern’ requiring protection.
You know the old clichés: “young people are meddlesome,” “they don’t know what they want,” “they just don’t care.”
These attitudes have had the effect of depriving us of some of our country’s richest resources: the ideas, the dynamism, and the creative energy of Canadian youth.
I have met with many children and youth who have talked about the challenges they face in having their voices heard. They have talked about the refusal to grant them the same respect given to their older counterparts. And they have also explained how societal indifference is providing ammunition to criminal elements that manipulate the disillusioned and alienated into their fold.
But youth have also told me about some very promising projects they are working on to bring change to their communities. They have shared insight as to ways we can work together to reach out to some of our most disenfranchised youth.
Yet, we rarely hear about these exciting efforts.
Young people certainly need safe spaces for their voices to be heard. Often, they encounter reluctance where few respond appropriately to their cries of distress and to their creative ideas.
Others refuse to acknowledge and include youth as the leaders of today rather than the mere leaders of tomorrow.
It is vital that we allow the voices of our youth to be heard, particularly those who face social exclusion.
We need to support them in the pursuit of their dreams and aspirations.
Each young person has the capacity to imagine a better world and to work towards achieving their dream.
To ignore this potential is to lose a part of who we are as a country.
It was just a month ago that I attended a town hall in Toronto with two-hundred youth in protective care and youth protection. I was touched by their honesty, shaken at times by their experiences, but invigorated by their dynamic ideas and unwavering belief in their ability to bring about change.
Here I was, surrounded by a group of people that many in our society have already written off.
It was really magical to see the glimmer of hope and pride in their eyes, as I asked them to tell me their stories, to explain their understanding of the world, and to convey their plans to bring about meaningful change in their communities. It was truly impressive!
As 27th governor general of Canada, I have vowed to make this institution a living space in which youth voices can be heard. I have also committed to act as a sounding board, conveying the concerns and aspirations of young Canadians to decision-makers.
Through a variety of means, including a new component of our website entitled Citizen Voices, I look forward to accompanying young Canadians in their efforts to bring about meaningful change in their communities. But I cannot do this alone.
All of your efforts and contributions can make a significant difference in the lives of our children.
Thank you again for your invitation and congratulations on your anniversary.
