Youth learn ways to deal with racism

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What exactly is racism and what affect does it have on us all? Those were questions up for discussion at the Youth for a Better Tomorrow youth conference held in Yorkton May 3 to 5.

Young people from around the area gathered together at the conference to listen, and to discuss a number of serious issues facing them today, including racism.

"People talk about eliminating racism, but sadly I don't think that is totally possible," said Glenn Pratt, one of the guest speakers at the conference. "So instead we have to learn to deal with it better and learn to be more prepared, so that it does not affect us negatively." Pratt, who works for Saskatchewan Sport as manager of Aboriginal sport development, travels around the province speaking to people on topics such as this. He along with David Mark, community coordinator with Saskatchewan Committee for the Elimination of Racism, spoke and worked with the youth in hopes of raising their awareness about racism.

Why is Saskatchewan Sport concentrating on issues such as racism?

"Right now we have the First Nation games and the European games," explained Pratt during an interview. "My ultimate goal is to have one where both are represented together. So in order to obtain that, there are issues which must be discussed, such as racism." Pratt strongly disagrees with the term "whites" and instead chooses to say Europeans.

"It is just a term I don't like to use because it assumes everyone as one type of person regardless of background," he said.

Racism is a topic many people would prefer to sweep under the rug, but Pratt and Mark both believe it must be dealt with because it is not going away.

"People are scared to talk about racism for the fear of insulting someone, so they just don't talk," said Mark. "We want to promote dialogue. We want to bring everyone together to talk and to see how we can change it as a community."

To discuss racism in a more intimate setting with the young people, they were divided into smaller groups to not only discuss the topic, but to share their own stories and experiences with racism.

"It's good as young people to express our feelings and share stories," said Pratt to his group.

"When people don't understand one another, they tend to stereotype and that is where it all starts." Racism is not the only way individuals are discriminated, said Pratt.

"There is prejudice, sexism and systematic discrimination," he listed. "There are not as many blatant examples of systematic discrimination as there used to be. In the old days, the history of our people and culture was not taught, but that has changed."

The youth were also given an opportunity to fill out a questionnaire to help analyze, on a personal basis, how sensitive they are to racial diversity.

"There are no right or wrong answers," Mark told the group. "It is to show us where we need to grow as individuals."

Some of the thoughts to ponder in the questionnaire included a number of true and false questions such as: I recognize my own biases and prejudices; I wish we were all more alike; my behavior towards other people is influenced by ethnic backgrounds.

"These questions give you an idea of how developed your skills and knowledge about diversity are," said Mark.

When it comes to dealing with serious social issues such as racism, Pratt explains there are a number of steps that should be taken to help people open up and talk it over.

"First you have to let them know that there is an issue affecting us and there is no way it is going away," said Pratt. "So I find that there is a certain way to get people to have a better understanding of the issue we're facing. First you have to introduce it, make them aware of it, make them understand it better, and then we will be able to have harmony."

It was that harmony Pratt had hopes of the conference participants achieving.

"We have to teach them to understand," said Pratt. "I always tell them we are not born with racism, it is something tha is taught." Recognizing racism as unacceptable behavior is one step Pratt told the youth they must take, but even more importantly they must learn to deal with it in a positive manner.

"If you feel you're being judged don't turn around and judge them back, because two wrongs don't make a right," he told the youth. "There is a passive, an aggressive, and a positive way to react and deal with this behavior. Society has taught us to fight violence with violence and that is not the right way to do things."

Pratt offered a number of examples of racist circumstances the youths may find themselves in. After he asked them to list the passive, aggressive and positive reactions the situation would and should provoke.

"One positive way to react is to tell the person or people to treat you with respect," offered Pratt. "That way if you make them think about it, maybe they won't do it again."

Overall, the workshop was an opportunity for the youth to learn and discuss what racism means to them. It was also a chance to teach them that being different and diverse is all right as well.

"We can have differences and be diverse," said Mark. "We can point out those differences and we can learn from those differences as well as from one another."

The three-day youth conference also included workshops on other issues facing youth today such as alcohol and drug abuse, AIDS and suicide.