Dr. Hedy Fry Hosts International Youth Forum Against Racism in Hannover, Germany
OTTAWA, August 4, 2000 -- Dr. Hedy Fry Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women) will host the International Youth Forum Against Racism at Expo 2000 in Hannover, Germany, from August 8 to 10, 2000.Twenty-nine youth delegates from Canada will join 26 youth from 14 nations in the Hannover Forum where they will work to develop recommendations to combat racism.
This forum is officially recognized as a Satellite Meeting for the United Nations World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance which will take place in South Africa in 2001. The recommendations of the Youth Forum will feed into the UN conference preparations and the Forum Report will be an officially recognized document by the UN.
"I am very excited to be part of the ongoing work that is led by Canada's youth in the fight against racism and intolerance. My generation was unable to eliminate these problems during our time and we now must look towards our youth for new and innovative solutions to solving the ongoing issues of racism, discrimination, xenophobia, and hate," stated Dr. Fry. "I know that the participants at the International Youth Forum will be able to bring their considerable talents to bear in developing recommendations about this important social issue."
The resulting recommendations will be tabled in a report on August 10th at the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2000 in Hannover.
"We are honoured that this important conference is held at the Canada Pavilion," said Mr. Robert Blair, Commissioner General of the Canada Pavilion at Expo 2000. "The themes of this conference are well integrated with the themes of the Canada Pavilion which offers the world models of hope for successfully managing the relationship between humankind, nature and technology in the 21st century."
Canada has played a leadership role in ensuring that youth have a voice in international efforts to eliminate racism. On March 4th and 5th 2000, more than 120 young people from 24 countries took part in an earlier Youth Forum hosted by Dr. Fry in Ottawa. The forum taking place in Germany is another opportunity for youth to forge an agenda in the global struggle against racism and gain an international voice on this crucial social issue.
Canada's efforts to capture the collective thoughts of youth will continue during the coming months through a series of consultations to be held across the country with representatives of civil society. These consultations, led by Dr. Fry, will be part of Canada's contributions toward the United Nations World Conference Against Racism. Canadian youth will form part of the Canadian delegation to this conference.
Updates, postings and photos of the forum will be available on the Internet at www.march21.com and www.icare.to.
Information:
Thoren Hudyma
Office of the Secretary of State
(Multiculturalism)(Status of women)
(819) 997-9900
Claudette Bouffard
Director of Public Affairs
Canada Pavilion
+49.511.228.80.800
BACKGROUNDER
International Youth Forum Against Racism
The International Youth Forum Against Racism taking place at the Canada Pavilion at the World Exposition in Hannover is part of an ongoing effort by the Government of Canada to engage youth in the international struggle against racism. The Youth Forum is led by Dr. Hedy Fry, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women), who is committed to ensuring that youth have a voice in the fight against racial discrimination. The Forum has also been officially recognized by the United Nations as a satellite meeting of the August 2001 World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance to be held in South Africa. As such, the results of the meeting will feed officially into the international conference preparations and the forum report will be an officially recognized document by the United Nations.
In March 2000, more than 120 youth from 24 countries came together in Ottawa, Canada to participate in the Department of Canadian Heritage's "Racism. Stop It! Action 2000" initiative. Chosen for their commitment to and achievements in the struggle against racism and the promotion of equality, these youth travelled Canada sharing their experiences and ideas with a view to inspiring other youth to take up the challenge to eliminate racism. Their efforts were also led by Dr. Fry.
The culminating event of the "Racism. Stop It! Action 2000" initiative was the International Stop Racism Youth Forum. The Government of Canada in collaboration with the YMCA of Canada and the Boys and Girls' Clubs of Canada provided youth from around the globe with an opportunity to develop strategies to counter racism in their respective countries and communities. Just as important, the Forum allowed youth to work cooperatively to forge a network of informed and committed young people of diverse backgrounds who could speak authoritatively and compellingly about racism, intolerance and xenophobia from a youth perspective.
The Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage consulted with the YWCA of Canada to ascertain which youth involved in the "Racism. Stop It! Action 2000" initiative would be effective spokespersons. A primary concern was to ensure that Canada's ethnic, racial and regional diversity would be adequately represented, as would Canada's linguistic duality. Youth involved in the Forum for Young Canadians were contacted to participate in the Hannover event to ensure a balanced roster of Canadian youth based on these concerns. The selection of international youth was at the discretion of the international partners in the "Racism. Stop It! Action 2000" initiative and youth from these countries have largely been drawn from Action 2000 participants.
The "Action 2000" initiative was only the first step in a much broader process. In order to have a meaningful impact, the voice of youth must be heard by national and international leaders who will advance the ideas of world youth and facilitate their participation in international events, particularly those in which decisions are taken that will direct and shape how governments and non-governmental organizations respond to the issue of racism and related forms of discrimination and intolerance.
The Hannover Youth Forum will provide young people from around the world with an opportunity to advance the work they began at the International Stop Racism Youth Forum in Ottawa. The emphasis will be on developing strategies for youth input and participation in the deliberations and decision-making of established international bodies. In particular, youth will shape an international plan of action which will guide and inspire them to undertake activities in their respective countries of origin aimed at feeding directly into the United Nations World Conference Against Racism. It will be an opportunity for youth to have real influence in forging a common destiny at the onset of a new millennium.
Fifty-five young people from around the globe will meet at the International Youth Forum in Hannover. Twenty-nine delegates from host country Canada will meet their counterparts from Germany (10), United Kingdom (3), South Africa (2), Australia (1), Austria (2), USA (2), Antigua (1), St. Lucia (1), Guyana (1), Nicaragua (1), Brazil (1) and the Philippines (1).
Canadian Participants in International Youth Forum Against Racism
Hannover, Germany
Jarrett Prouse, 17, from Edmonton, AB, participated in the Action 2000, has built houses in Mexico, served meals at relief centres in Edmonton and attended Christian Youth Gatherings.
Aaron Orkin, 17, from Hamilton, ON, is a member of Students for Political Action, a community anti-racist activist, a member of the Hamilton-Wentworth Holocaust and Genocide Commemoration Committee, United Synagogue Youth President and participates in USY Social Action Coordination.
Mandy Ethier, 17, from Prince Albert, SK, participated in Action 2000 and the Hate and Bias Roundtable. She takes part in a young women's health group named the Fly Higher Club, is a peer counsellor, and is the Secretary and Treasurer of her Students' Council.
Tina Sawchuk, 16, from Edmonton, AB, participated in Action 2000 and is a member of CERTE (Committe for the Elimination of Racism through Education). She participated in the Aids Walk and Partnership Walk, both in 1999.
Wasif Islam, 22, Ottawa, ON, participated in Action 2000 and was a Youth Ambassador to the White House. He has worked for UNICEF, runs a youth council, worked with a community Advisory Committee, and is a volunteer with the Nepean Resource Community Centre.
Ryan Ling, 16, from Sooke, BC, participated in Action 2000, organized a fundraiser for famine relief, is on a steering committee for a new Youth Centre, and is a member of his highschool culture committee.
Abeer Al-Azzawi, 17, from Ottawa, ON, took part in Action 2000, is a member of the Peace Club at her high school and has made presentations on anti-racism issues across the city.
Ashley Dean, 17, from Rankin Inlet, NT, is a part of the Urban Multi-Purpose Aboriginal Youth Program, was part of the Nunavut delegation in a national Youth Conference Interchange on Canadian Studies', is vice-president of the student council at high school and is a figure skating coach.
Simon LaMontagne, 18, from Saint-Félicien, QC, is a member of the Forum for Young Canadians, won the prize for the young personality of Quebec in 1998, won the prize of excellence at his college, and is the winner of the Quebec Lieutenant-Governor Award.
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