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CELEBRATING AND SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL YOUTH Bonnie MacDonald |
Jan 12, 2008 |
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When looking for heroes of positive change, one need look no further than our local youth. We are so fortunate to have a large group of confident and compassionate young leaders in our midst who are moving us beyond complacency and acceptance of the status quo to more active global citizenship. It's impossible not to be inspired by their enthusiasm and willingness to follow their hearts and believe in their dreams. The local, global and environmental projects spearheaded by our local youth are inspiring to say the least. Just recently a group of grade 10 students presented an award winning project that brought not only awareness, but also much appreciated funds, to our local Women's House. Many of our elementary and secondary students are working with Free the Children, a Canadian based non-profit organization that supports third world communities through education, alternative income and clean water projects. Other area youth support organizations such as Plan Canada and are writing letters of encouragement to disadvantaged children in far off countries. In fact, it is not at all uncommon for local children to celebrate birthdays and special occasions by asking not for gifts, but for donations to their favourite charities. Yes, many of our local youth have already developed a list of their favourite charities. How inspiring is that? Others are leading the "green way" with local initiatives to help our planet. In fact, it was a group of amazing grade 6 students who spearheaded "Earth Hour" in our area last spring in hopes of guiding us to live more consciously with our environment. And the list of youth led projects goes on and on . . .
13/01/2009 04:08 PM |
In many ways our local youth are acting as our conscience. They are
questioning our old ways and encouraging us to actively care more about
our earth and its people. Young people tend not to think in "us" and
"them" terms, but instead are approaching life from a "we" perspective.
They are not willing to accept poverty, violence and a depleted
environment as facts of life. When looking beyond our community to less
advantaged areas of the world, local youth are seeing similarities
rather than differences and opportunities for positive change rather
than unsolvable problems. As a result, they are finding creative
solutions to build bridges of hope rather than walls of indifference.
While politicians may talk about change, our local youth "are" the
change. They are the true humanitarians and environmentalists of our
time. There is an African proverb that states that "It takes a village to raise a child". If that is the case, then as a community we must be truly proud of our children. Congratulations to the parents of this amazing group of young people and to everyone who has had the good fortune to share time with them. Our local youth envision a cleaner, more just world where everyone is treated with respect and no one feels alone. By sharing their vision with us they are creating a new and exciting direction for all of us. In 2009 let's make ourselves aware of their many projects, join in their dreams and empower them in all possible ways. In doing so, a healthier environment and a more peaceful world may well be our reward. Happy New Year!
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