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Liaison Newsletter > LIAISON Vol. 3/4, No. 7, May/July 2000

« Return to Liaison Vol. 3/4, No. 7 Index

Youth Action Course Held
By Steve Mason, UNA-Canada Educational Outreach Officer

From March 16-19, 2000, UNA-Canada ran an extremely successful three-day Youth Action Course on the United Nations, Human Security and Human Rights. Twenty-three youth between the ages of 16 and 18, from a total of 16 different high schools in the National Capital Region and beyond, participated in this intense experience. The course, which was free of charge to participants, took place at Merrywood Easter Seal Camp, a picturesque and fully accessible facility near Smith Falls, Ontario.

The Youth Action Course was held in the context of the priority status that both the United Nations and Canada have given human security and human rights on their international agendas. Moreover, the course was felt to be especially timely as the UN Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004) passes through its mid-point. The focus and structure of the course arose out of the belief that educating young people on global human rights issues is an important first step in creating a generation of concerned, aware and involved citizens engaged in bringing about positive global change.

The structure of the course was a series of interactive workshops on specific topics, each led by a specialist in the given field. The nine presenters came from the government, NGOs, the RCMP, and the academic sector. These workshops were complemented by two evening role-play activities in which the youth were able to explore the realities and potential of international cooperation on human security and human rights issues. In the first activity, participants got to play the role of UN and NGO field missions attempting to resettle refugees and hold elections in Mozambique. The second activity was a model Security Council in which the youth represented member states trying to pass a resolution on sanctions against Angola. The final session of the course was devoted to developing strategies for action to be followed-up on by the youth in their home communities and schools.

The principal result of the course was that participants were equipped with the knowledge and critical tools necessary to assist in the strengthening of respect for human rights within Canada and abroad. The specific outcomes that emerged from the course were:

  • a group of empowered and bonded youth educated about the UN, human security and human rights;
  • enhanced links between the youth who participated in activities which demonstrated the benefits of working together to achieve common goals
  • the establishment of a framework for action that enables youth to initiate programmes and activities in their schools and communities.

The Youth Action Course was a tremendous success. Not only did it succeed in providing an interactive and valuable educational experience to a group of high school students, but it also created a network of young activists who are eager and ready to raise awareness in their respective schools and communities. The impact of the course extends far beyond the 23 participants. Given the outcomes and success of the course, UNA-Canada will now look into opportunities for extending the reach of this programme to a national level, as well as running it bilingually.

The Youth Action Course was developed, coordinated and facilitated by Ele Pawelski, Human Rights Project Officer, and Steve Mason, Educational Outreach Project Officer for UNA-Canada. It was financed by the Canadian Centre for Foreign Policy Development.