GYA General Report 2009

July 30 – August 02, 2009Edmonton, Alberta

www.youthassembly.cawww.youthassembly.cawww.youthassembly.cawww.youthassembly.ca

John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights

‘09 Global Youth Assembly:

Building Community

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary 3John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights 5GYA2009 Event Overview and HighlightsDay One: Our Global Community 6Day Two: Our Local Communities 8Day Three: How YOUth can Build Community 11Other HighlightsIgnite Change Now! Youth Leader Day 16Day Four Program Highlights 17 Youth Educator Forum 18More Visuals of the Assembly 19Delegates 20Media Coverage 23Feedback 26Lessons Learned 27Outcomes 28Appendix A: More feedback from GYA delegates and partners 29Thank you! 33

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Executive Summary

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights (JHC), building upon a hugelysuccessful inaugural youth assembly held in Edmonton in 2007, presented the secondbiennial Ignite Change Now! Global Youth Assembly 2009 (GYA 2009) from July 30

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toAugust 2

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, 2009. The event took place at the Northern Alberta Institute for Technology(NAIT) in Edmonton, Canada. Around 650 delegates from 23 countries around the worldand from diverse socio-economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds gathered toexplore the theme “YOUth building community” through art, music, skill developmentworkshops, inspirational keynote speakers, a Youth Educators Forum, and a host of evening activities including a Hip Hop Event and Dialogue with Her Excellency the RightHonorable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada.Delegates came from Edmonton’s inner city, Rwanda, Ukraine, Bolivia, Nunavut, ruralAlberta, and many other places and walks of life to share in the GYA experience. Whilemost delegates were from Alberta, there was representation from every province andterritory of Canada. International delegates from every continent; some presentedworkshops on the work that they do in their own countries. The suggested age range forthe GYA was 16-28, but there were participants from every generation present starting from age 13, which added to the diversity and richness of the event.The program was divided into four dynamic days and evenings that looked at the global,local, and individual levels of building community. Keynotes at the GYA 2009 includedMichaëlle Jean - Governor General of Canada, Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, Craig Kielburger,Georgina Lightning, Gary Martin, Buddha, Don Iveson, Ilona Dougherty, Nazanin AfshimJam, Lewis Cardinal, 4REAL (Josh Thome) and special guests Liz Evans and Alyssa Macy,Dev Aujla, Ocean Robbins, and Mariatu Kamara. Workshops delved into issues fromyouth restorative justice and greening organizations to human trafficking and climatechange. There were 15-20 concurrent workshops per day that had been selected fromover 100 workshop proposals submitted by individuals and organizations from aroundthe world. Many were interactive and used art and other media to explore these issues.The GYA core values are DIVERSITY, CREATIVITY, and ACTION. The GYA 2009 gave youtha safe and fun space to express themselves openly and creatively. There were guiding questions on the conference theme to help generatethought and dialogue for each day. Delegates responded tothe guiding questions or expressed whatever they wantedto express on the “Idea Walls” located throughout NAIThallways; through the Reel Youth “Speakers Corner”; during workshops through dance, singing, movie-making, andother means; during the plenary sessions throughquestions; and during the hugely popular open micsessions.The GYA was a unique and life-changing experience formany. Rarely do Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youth, youthwith and without disabilities,

Canadian and Internationalyouth, rural and urban youth, high risk and low risk youth,and science and arts students have the chance to be in thesame room, let alone unite to explore ways to make positivechange.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean dances withBuddha and Frost at GG Hip Hop Dialogue andConcert on July 31

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, 2009. The event was alsoopen to the public. There were 700 people inattendance.

At the GYA, youth fromacross the world and across Canada cometogether with one goal:to learn from eachother about ways inwhich they can better change the world and IGNITE change NOW. Many times you aretold that you areleaders of tomorrow… you can be leaders of today.Change takes time but we also have to beimpatient. It’s time tobe impatient… it’s timeto be impatient tobring about the changethat we need today

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Dr. W. Andy KnightChair