Saskatchewan's diversity inspires youth project

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Aboriginal youth are being invited to join with other young people from across Saskatchewan to have their say in how to celebrate and preserve the province's cultural diversity.

The Youth Action Now program, launched March 1, is a joint project of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Saskatchewan Provincial Council and the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, with funding from the provincial and federal governments. The idea behind the project is to give youth from all cultural backgrounds a chance to get together and develop action plans for fighting racism and celebrating diversity.

Victoria Morris is programming co-ordinator for Youth Action Now. She explained that a project like this was needed because of the diversity of Saskatchewan's population.

"I think Saskatchewan is unique in Canada because it's the only province that the majority of the population is not of French or English descent. So to start with it's got a huge variety of ethnic representation," she said.

The Youth Action Now project has three main goals, Morris said.

"The first one's called multicultural connectivity, so that one is increasing opportunities for young people to become engaged in multiculturalism. And then the second one is multicultural awareness, building and sort of opening doors, making more opportunities for young people to get involved. And then the third one is called increased global perspective. So that one will be working with educational institutions, sort of looking at different perspectives and taking a global view and knowing what's happening globally about multiculturalism.

"Aside from the three main goals, we're also doing some work looking at young people's perceptions and attitudes toward Saskatchewan," Morris added. "Looking at what there is going on here and highlighting what people are doing that are staying here."

As part of the project, 19 public forums will be held targeting high school students, post-secondary students and members of Saskatchewan's ethno-cultural communities.

Young people wanting to get involved in Youth Action Now can do so in a number of ways, from taking part in the consultation process, to helping to facilitate that process.

"We are currently looking for young people to get involved, both from all over the province and from a whole array of cultural backgrounds as well," Morris said.

"We're assembling a team of young people from across the province that are going to get some training in facilitation. And then they are going to go around the province and facilitate workshops with other young people and consult with them and talk about multiculturalism and what they'd like to see and figure out some plans. As well as at the same time talking about attitudes and that kind of thing," Morris said. Setting up a youth advisory council is also on the agenda, to help guide the project.

The results of the consultations and workshops will be presented at a gathering planned for June 27, 2005, to coincide with Multiculturalism Day and Saskatchewan's centennial. Work will then begin to implement the recommendations coming out of the report.

Organizers are looking for youth aged 16 to 30 to become involved as project leaders or advisory council members and, although these are volunteer positions, successful candidates will receive some excellent training, Victoria Morris said.

"I think it provides a really great experience ... this level of experience and the training that they'll get and the ability to use it throughout the project, and be supported to use it, at least the experience I've had, its pretty unique and it's a very useful skill to have.

"In terms of the bigger picture of multiculturalism and why it's really cool if young people get involved is partially because Saskatchewan is so diverse, and so is Canada. And I think young people do get really interested in looking at both their own culture as well as other people's cultures. And I think it's a gooway for people to come together and appreciate each other."

For more information about Youth Action Now and how you can get involved, visit the UCC Web site at www.ucc.sk.ca and click on What's New, or contact Victoria Morris at yan.victoria@ucc.sk.ca or by calling 652-0961.