One Night at the World Youth Congress
Here I am at the World Youth Congress, where over 550 youth from over 125 nations are gathered.
Let me start by saying how immensely proud I am of our country- Canada. It can be said that all nations have issues–except maybe the Scandinavians (it’s pretty sweet to live there). The question is how a country, made up of its citizens, chooses to deal with those issues. Through my travels, I’ve been fortunate to root my national pride in many examples of how this country rocks and represents my ideals in so many ways. I’d like to speak to one example I experienced last night using the Canadian arts scene as the backdrop.
Last night, I was standing in the middle of the crowd for the Governor General’s youth dialogue. Here we have a head of state who is a refugee, of african descent, a woman and a journalist, spending time with the youth of the country in a meaningful dialogue. We were also fortunate to have the presence of major icons within the Canadian music industry. It is my opinion that the current emblems of youth culture, mainly derived from US influences, are individuals who contradict many of our aspirations towards a better society. These artists promote violence, gender disempowerment, materialism and really lack substance in their art forms. However, this was not the case last night–I’m sitting in a crowd where 4 major Canadian icons exist. The evening began with the insightful lyrics of east coast hip-hop artist Jordan Croucher. The evening continued to feature artist Samian, who spoke of the power of language, integrating his native Algonquin language with French rap.
Following the discussion, we were treated to an incredible concert by K’Naan and Jully Black. Again, I’d like to look at these two emblems of proof that Canadians not only seek substantive and talented art emblems, but also find them in individuals who represent all that Canada has to offer. The first performer was K’naan. There are a few moments in my life where I’m sitting in a concert and the music profoundly moves me–this was one of those moments. K’naan, a refugee from Somalia, is truly a Dusty Foot Philosopher. A Dusty Foot Philosopher is someone who speaks truth and wisdom which is grounded in time immemorial. His story and integrity are a tribute to Canadian culture and multicultural vision.
Jully Black wrapped up the concert and really began the idea for this cultural comparison/Canada Ra Ra session. While most female musicians (a la Pussy Cat Dolls) speak towards the only female empowerment mechanism being that of sexual depravity, I found it interesting to see Jully Black belt out, “I’m a girl, I’m a lady, I’m a woman, I’m a queen, I’m everything I can dream.”
Although this somewhat narrow look at the Canadian music scene seems simplistic and trivial, I think it speaks to overall success of Canada who has nurtured these artist- with many more needing spotlight. Moreover, I think it represents a major front of youth culture and an inhibitor to building ourselves as global citizens.
For a further comparison of Jully Black and Pussy Cat Dolls check out the lyrics here:
http://www.metrolyrics.com/when-i-grow-up-lyrics-pussycat-dolls.html
http://www.metrolyrics.com/queen-lyrics-jully-black.html
-Danny Richmond
1 comment August 29, 2008
Yumi wan bigfella familie!
While I love my job here at YCI, sending volunteers out on project can be a simultaneously rewarding and frustrating process. Rewarding, because I believe in the capabilities, energy and enthusiasm of our youth, but frustrating because I feel so far removed from it—and I’ll admit, partially because I’m a little jealous!
It’s been over two years since I returned from my own project in Vanuatu. I was starting to feel a bit restless, so when I found myself with a long weekend booked off and no concrete plans, I knew what I had to do. No plan, no itinerary—just a plane ticket to Halifax, and the desire to sit beside the ocean.
It was the first time since Vanuatu that I’ve traveled alone, so I contact a fellow volunteer, whom I hadn’t seen since a post-project trip in Australia. We hadn’t been placed on project together (we worked on separate islands), but during the five-day pre-departure session, I found that I was at ease speaking with him. It truly was the YCI experience—in challenging circumstance, removed from all your familiar support networks, new friendships and connections come quick, fast and strong.
After spending the afternoon at a beach in southwest Nova Scotia, I nervously went to pick up my friend. I mentally prepared myself, reminding myself that really, apart from a few days and a few emails back and forth, I didn’t know anything about him. And so far removed from the context of Vanuatu, we probably had little in common. “I live pretty much the same way that I did in Vanuatu,” he told me, only half-joking. I was envious. “I work in an office, wear skirts and heels every day, buy organic produce, recycle, have a comprehensive benefits plan and worry too much,” I told him. “I’m pretty much a yuppie.”
But there was comfort and ease in our shared history. (Albeit, that history was limited to five-odd days in Vanuatu, and a couple of days spent ocean-side in Byron Bay, Australia.) I anticipated that I’d spend the weekend with him reminiscing, but instead I found myself listening—a lot. In Vanuatu, my role within my group was the ear, the shoulder to lean on and the mediator. I rarely play this role in my home life in Canada, but I was surprised to discover how easily it still suited me.
This past Saturday, I sat with a group of four young women headed to Costa Rica discussing their fears, their hopes and their expectations for their project. While they seemed excited about the work they were setting out to do, it was evident that what they were most excited about was developing friendships and connections with one another. Not even on the plane yet, they had already begun identifying as a group, while tying together the threads of their separate histories and identities. I have no doubt in my mind that during the next ten weeks they’ll not only develop lifelong connections, but learn little unexpected bits about themselves along the way.
As for my fellow volunteers from V6-6A, some I keep in close contact with, while I haven’t spoken with others at all. But after going out east, I know that despite the passage of time, the commonalities of our shared history and experience with YCI will keep those connections strong. And even if I don’t see my fellow volunteers or Vanuatu again, it doesn’t matter—because in those six weeks, I learned more about my own history, beliefs and capabilities than I ever thought possible.
Mi wetem wan bigfella group blong mi long Lambubu, Vanuatu 2006. Yumi wan bigfella familie!
-Jessica Lockhart, Office Manager
2 comments August 25, 2008
Courage: AIDS 2008 Conference
It is incredibly overwhelming to think of all the damage done by the complexity and vast reach of AIDS. It is hard to find a person left in this world, even unknowingly or indirectly, who cannot be said to be affected by the virus. It has crippled countries, devastated lives and robbed people of their dignity, childhood and human rights. The XVII International AIDS conference is the symbol to represent the immensity of the human response to the virus. Politicians, scientists, social workers, doctors, women, sex workers, government/NGO reps, and youth gather for five days to try to network and better respond to the virus that has killed more than 25 million people. It is in this gathering, representing the millions responding courageously, that an individual can find hope.
Dr. Peter Piot (Exec. Director of UNAIDS) spoke at AIDS 2006 in Toronto and in Mexico City of the next 25 years of AIDS- recognizing that although we have come so far- we have a far way to go.
What can sustain us, especially youth, through this journey?
I believe the answer lies in 3 elements of this conference:
1) Knowledge- I began learning about AIDS in elementary school and have only yet learnt the tip of the iceberg. The AIDS conference involves over fourty concurrent sessions in any given hour following topics diverse as twelve floors of a university library. The more one learns- the more you know it is possible to overcome what lies ahead.
2) Dedication- In this conference, I am surrounded by thousands of delegates from around the world who dedicate every morsel of energy, every heartbeat and thought to ensuring that they face the challenges of AIDS whether it be the poverty grown by the affects of the virus, stigma generated by people’s indiffernce and ignorance, or the elusive nature of the virus itself.
3)Hope- In the opening ceremony, 12-year-old Keren Dunaway Gonzalez, who has been living with the virus spoke about her dreams and belief in her future. Ten years ago, I don’t believe it would have been fathomable for her to have these dreams or even be alive. Today, she spoke of the next 25 years as well–it was a speech of hope. Hope is not simply to be relegated to Hallmark cards and rhetoric of presidential hopefuls but a strong necessity if we are to face the future of this global pandemic with convictions.
HIV/AIDS is overwhelming to think of by the immensity of its damage however I find comfort in the immensity of the human response.
YCI Represents in Mexico City.
AIDS 2008 Delegate Blog, Danny Richmond
XVII AIDS CONFERENCE, MEXICO CITY
Add comment August 12, 2008
The Great American South
I have always enjoyed volunteering, which I suppose is why I went to Tanzania with YCI in the first place. I find that there is an honesty, humility and energy when you are volunteering that is not present in the rest of our every day lives. Unfortunately, since I’ve been working in the office here for the past two years, I’ve found it much more difficult to volunteer than I did when I was a student. I give a lot of respect to people who have full time jobs and volunteer on a regular basis, because it can be tough to stay active. So, when I got the idea to plan a trip down to New Orleans to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity I was very excited to spend some quality time working as a volunteer again.
I took off for two and a half weeks and drove with my boyfriend all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico and back again, leaving time to take in sights of the ‘great American south’ along the way. I was surprised to experience culture shock on the trip that reminded me of times when I’ve been overseas. I was reminded that North America is a huge continent with lots of differences in culture and history to experience.
Some of the road trip highlights included activities like swamp touring in Louisiana, chili tasting in West Virginia and line-dancing lessons in Tennessee. We visited historic sites like the birthplace, assassination site and tomb of Martin Luther King jr., and learned about the history of American music by strolling Beale Street in Memphis, the ‘Honky-Tonk Highway’ in Nashville, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Once in New Orleans, we spent 4 days on site with HFH working on new builds in the Lower Ninth Ward. We had the honour of meeting one of the homeowners-to-be and getting to know the local community in the area. We experienced the learning, motivation and inspiration that are common when volunteering in a new environment. We heard stories of loss and devastation and saw for ourselves the astonishing lack of progress rebuilding the ward that was hit hardest by the Katrina floodwaters. Only a small percentage of pre-Katrina residents in the lower ninth have returned to their homes. Many are still waiting for insurance money or other finances to come through and many more have given up entirely and have relocated to other states where they will start again.
Beyond the poverty and controversy that has been plaguing New Orleans since 2005, I found that there is still hope. I really enjoyed taking part in the productive and important work HFH is doing in the Gulf of Mexico. I was encouraged by the people I met and to see that some small steps have been made. My time painting, hammering and insulating on the build has refreshed my spirit and enthusiasm to be engaged and work to make a difference. Now that I am back in Canada I plan on continuing my volunteer commitment by working with HFH in Toronto and taking part in other activities in the Toronto area as I am able.
As we head into fall, I will be stepping down from my role of Volunteer Coordinator at YCI so that I can pursue a master’s degree. I’ve been accepted into Ryerson’s Public Policy and Administration program and will be focusing on my studies for the next year - but I will still be around the YCI office and volunteering with the Volunteer Action Network and the youth engagement program.
I want to say thank you to all the volunteers who I have connected with over the last couple years – it is your spirit and hard work that keeps YCI moving forward. I have confidence this will continue for many years to come.
-Laura Gourley, Volunteer Programs Coordinator
Add comment July 29, 2008
Emergency Exit Aisle Seat?
Ahh.. that familiar tarmac. The steam rising up from it, brought on by the morning rain and the hot sun that soon follows. Its 8am. I just killed an hour at the Piarco airport in Trinidad after flying through the night. That red eye never gets easy, even if it is my seventh time doing it. I’m in Guyana - where it all began 8 years ago. But I’m getting ahead of myself – lets skip back four months where this latest burst of adventure began….
When February of this year rolled around I started to mentally prepare for the intense months ahead. Four YCI trips in four months. All for different reasons, all to present different challenges and rewards.
First came Guyana in March. Purpose: The annual YCI alliance meeting. Every year representatives from five of YCI’s oldest partners come together to review lessons learned over the year and discuss new opportunities within our networks. This was my third alliance meeting and I revel in the opportunity to get everyone together. I see many of these faces independently throughout the year, but it is only on this occasion that they are all in the same room. Australia, Vanuatu, Costa Rica, Guyana and Canada…..it’s YCI’s own little world summit.
Following this trip, April brought Grenada. Well….Carriacou to be more specific. We have been running a YCI program here on this beautiful tiny island for a few years now and this is my third trip. I’m greeted by an old friend - Mrs. Rosemary Ballen, the head of Carriacou’s ‘Adolescent Development Agency’ and a fantastic partner of ours. Purpose: I’m here to help close out YCI’s one-year project and discuss moving forward together with CIDA internships and new program directions. In the midst of all of this I get taken out to a ‘maroon’ in a tiny town called Mt. Pleasant. A maroon is essentially a celebration of harvest; appreciation of the current and well wishes for the future. Its roots are entrenched in African traditions, with big drum and regional dance being a huge part of the whole thing. I’m reminded of why I love this little island so much.
After a week and a half back home, I hop on another plane - this one headed for Accra, Ghana. A significantly longer journey then the previous two trips to the Caribbean, I find a hidden gem in the Amsterdam airport at the halfway point. It’s a lounge upstairs…with reclining chairs and images of the city tossed onto a large screen. Those of you who have spent any time traveling to and from Africa may have found it. If you haven’t – I recommend you do. It brings tranquility to even the weariest of travelers.
As I touch down in Accra I am greeted by the friendly face of our new Ghana program officer, Robyn Agoston. Following two successful pilot projects in Ghana, YCI is now moving forward with an extensive 2-year program. Purpose of this trip: to get Robyn up to speed with YCI, her role and the program. Together we comb through countless resources, develop new risk management systems, work through budgets, reporting requirements and meet with new potential program partners. The excitement of starting something new and promising is in the air.
Back in Canada and doing a load of wash before another trip back down to Guyana. It’s June and it’s the last of this four-legged journey. It feels appropriate to begin and end this adventure with Guyana - it iswhere YCI began for me. In 2000 I was a YCI volunteer in Guyana. After that a GL and later HIV program coordinator here. It’s my home away from home. I have some great friends here and am lucky to be able to visit as often as I do. Purpose of this trip: to assist where necessary in the CIDA-commissioned evaluation of YCG’s programming, as well as a few reporting projects on the go. It is also the last time I will see my former boss, Eve Patrick, in her role as Executive Director at YCG. She’s moving on and as I walk off the runway and condensation from the ‘Welcome’ sign at the airport drips onto the back of my neck I think about how many adventures I have had in this country. How many times I’ve grown here and how full of life I feel every time I walk off of this particular plane. I think I’ll share that thought with Eve when we go out to dinner this week.
-Ryan Tucker, International Programs Director
1 comment July 8, 2008
How I arrived at YCI…
I consider myself very lucky to be the summer student intern at Youth Challenge International. As an international development student at McGill University, I’m fortunate to be working for a youth international development agency; I get to see how an international development organization actually works! The work that YCI does is simply astonishing. My interest in international development and affairs has just deepened. However, it took me a long time to get here.
My interest in international issues began in high school. I was curious about the world and just wanted to know more about it. For most of high school, I was an executive member in Interact Club, a high school version of Rotary International. Our biggest project was hosting the first 30 Hour Famine event at our school. The work leading up to the event was… challenging. With the help of devoted teachers, my fellow Interact members and I worked diligently to organize event and construct a fun itinerary. All the work was worth it! It was a huge slumber party but without the pizza. But I think the turning point for me was when I took the grade 12 politics class; it was one of the best courses I’ve ever taken. It taught me why changing the world matters.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t until I arrived at McGill that I realized that you could actually study international development. With the combination of Political Science and International Development studies, I’m constantly engaged in world affairs. Although it can be very exhausting and at times, demotivating, I’ve absolutely enjoyed it! Like many other academic institutions, McGill was full of student organizations that promoted and advocated for various causes. However, STAND caught my eye.
STAND (a student anti-genocide coalition) advocates for the eradication of genocide. The STAND chapter at McGill focuses on the ongoing Darfur crisis. One of the things I immediately noticed about the organization was that it was completely student run. Of course, this shouldn’t have come to me as a surprise. (Hello… you ARE in university!) But I guess the reason why I was surprised was because in high school, I was so used to seeking the permission of the sponsoring teacher. The students couldn’t do anything without their approval. That’s not to say that STAND McGill runs around campus doing anything it wants but it certainly doesn’t have as many restrictions as a high school organization. This is another reason why I like YCI so much. I sometimes feel like I’m part of a student organization except it has a really cool office. The atmosphere feels young, energetic and committed.
This summer I wanted to work at a place where I can be productive and helpful. But I was out of luck – I searched high and low but I couldn’t find anything I was interested in. So I decided… why not volunteer? Although I wouldn’t get paid, I could still be productive and helpful. So I e-mailed a bunch of NGOs and thankfully, Jessica e-mailed me back! I started volunteering at YCI for a few hours a week in May. This is when I was told that YCI was looking for a summer intern. Although I applied for the position, I wasn’t holding my breath. As a student at McGill, I know how competitive these positions can be. But luckily, I got the position!
So far I’ve learned that YCI is not only a youth oriented but also youthful! I’ll write back in a few weeks to tell you about how it’s all going!
- Ahila Poologaindran, Summer Intern
Add comment June 26, 2008
“The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” (LP Hartley)
I first travelled to Sub-Saharan Africa in 1996 and came back with the sense of having been exposed to something unique and ‘different’ that no one around me would understand unless they too had journeyed there. The culture shock experienced in such circumstances has been overly documented: the panic attack in the over-stocked supermarket, the revulsion at the constant stream of niche-product calendar related advertising (it’s Easter! We must buy chocolate and lawn mowers!) etc etc. To my surprise, the people that understood my experience best (aside from my immigrant Asian neighbours, who smiled with recognition at my stories), were people who had been on the planet for a very long time. It was conversations with some of these people that took me out of my self-important bubble. Food security was a huge issue in Europe post-war. Cut off from its international suppliers, during WW2 the UK was just three weeks’ food supply away from starvation. Rationing continued into the 1950s. Clothes were worn until they wore out and then were patched and sewn. My older family members lived without the surfeit of plenty we mostly have now. And it took me until these conversations on my return from Africa to understand that this is how the world is, that we in the corpulent west inhabit the weird, unique, privileged blip in the way things usually are.
My great grandmother in 1903
In my work (and even outside work) I seem to get into conversations with well-meaning people who want to go and ‘help the Africans’. The altruistic motives are fine and should be nourished. But there is rarely an understanding that we can learn skills, perspectives and, yes, be helped by, people living in poverty and a different culture. When I look back over 13 years of working in international development I think of the huge gains in personal expectations I have made as an individual, besides hopefully contributing to long term change.
Jane in Kenya in 2007
-Jane Connolly, International Programs Director
1 comment May 12, 2008
A Day in the Life of a Volunteer Coordinator at YCI…
When I was first thinking of what to write about in this blog kept by office staff, I wasn’t sure where to start. And then I thought about one of the documents that alumni have written for preparing volunteers – a day in the life on project. I know for some volunteers who are applying to work overseas that long term goals sometimes include working for an NGO in Canada. I feel privileged to have a paid job with such a great organization and thought that some of you might be interested to know what it’s like on a day to day basis.
So… let me describe a typical day in the life of a Volunteer Coordinator at YCI.
It’s Wednesday morning and I’ve rolled into work at around 9:30am after a slow streetcar ride through the downtown core. None of us are early birds in this office and I’m usually the second or third person to arrive. I’m scheduled to do 4 interviews between 10:00 and 12:00 and I have half an hour to get myself ready. While my computer takes its time to boot up I make myself a cup of tea and greet whoever else is here in the office. I do a quick scan of my email to make sure there aren’t any urgent issues to deal with. After grabbing the 4 applications and some interview guides, I sit down to review who I’ll be speaking with this morning. It’s amazing to see the diversity in applicants and it’s always interesting to get to know them in that first interview. With an applicant base of 18 to 30 year olds and with a pretty wide range of programming in countries as different as Costa Rica or Ethiopia, it’s always interesting to see who’s going to be calling at 10am.
This morning I’ll be speaking with a university student studying sciences interested in a summer program in Guyana, a student pursuing their Masters in international development looking to meet an internship requirement with a project in Ethiopia in the fall, someone who has been working at a bank for the last few years after graduating university and wants to explore new career directions and volunteer in Tanzania next year, and finally a high school student graduating in June who wants to go to Costa Rica in the summer. Three out of the four applicants call in for their interviews and it’s hard to keep each of those interviews under half an hour because everyone has lots to say and to share about themselves. That extra half hour gives me some time to catch up and respond to some of the email messages that have come in from the day before. Most of the emails are from preparing volunteers or overseas staff and while some of the answers are simple (like should I pack hiking boots or sneakers?) others require a bit of digging (like addressing a particular allergy in the field or programming information) and will have to wait until later.
By noon, I’ve been doing lots of listening and talking and you’d be amazed how much energy that takes! I’m hungry for lunch and need the break before trying to make it through the afternoon and attack my to do list for the week. At least 4 or 5 of us in the office make an effort to sit down together at lunch. We always end up having some great conversation – from swapping sibling stories to exploring how the latest federal budget will affect international and youth development. We’ve even had a tournament with one of the world geography games circulating on Facebook and so far Mike still holds the record with more than 625,000 points!
Back to work after lunch and as I review my to do list (it’s the only way to stay on top of everything!) I have a few choices. I start with communicating with each volunteer preparing for the next Tanzania project about what’s missing from their submitted files. That takes about 45 minutes and then I start crafting a group message about the next deadline and an update on programming including the latest immigration issues we’re facing in the field that affect things like visas and post project travel. Programming is constantly evolving and conditions in the field are ever changing. We’re always kept on our toes so by around 4pm, I’ve visited Jane about 3 times. Jane is YCI’s International Programs Director responsible for programming and overseas staff in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia. Today I’m chatting with her about the situation in Kenya and the variables that affect sending a new staff member to Kenya. We’re also trying to figure out how to adjust to changes with Tanzania immigration. Impromptu meetings like this are always happening and allow for great team work whether it’s between Steve and me dealing with similar issues with volunteer preparation or with International Programs staff about particular issues in the field.
It’s 4 pm and I still have a few emails to write to make sure I can send my questions to field staff and hopefully have an answer soon. We’re working on some joint projects to make sure that information and research guidance I’m providing to volunteers is as accurate as possible. I’m also starting to plan for the next pre-departure session which means I need to get in touch with a couple of guest speakers to check on their availability. There’s also a new session we’ve been developing as a team so I have to work out a few case scenarios that will be explored for a discussion planned on responsible volunteering. While I’ve been plugging away, there’s still lots on my to do list… I have a reference letter to write for a past participant and I’m also acting as a referee for another alumnus who’s applying to law school. I also received a really interesting email from another alumnus who’s working on a fundraising project to partner with a connection she made while in Tanzania. I’ll need to meet with colleagues to discuss how we might be able to support her initiative.
Wow… all this to do and here I am at 5:30pm writing this blog entry!! There’s only so much you can do in a day and I always find it’s around now that I’m on a roll and I often can’t seem to stop. It might be 6 or 6:30pm before I can tear myself away and I know I’ll be leaving when a few of my colleagues are still working away! I really wish I’d brought more food to snack on because I’m definitely hungry again.
The day is over and it’s been filled with correspondence, some logistics and administrative tasks and some discussion. I feel very lucky to work with volunteers preparing for overseas projects in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia. In turn, that means I also have the pleasure of corresponding with overseas field staff and learning all about the variety of activities volunteers are involved with during their projects. And finally, I have the great privilege of working with an awesome team here at the office. They’re always willing to offer their support and it’s definitely a fun-filled and hard-working environment here at YCI.
2 comments March 5, 2008
It was a very, very Fun Day
Add comment February 20, 2008
