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Summary Statement Do we represent the different regions and peoples of Canada?
Will our voices be heard and supported?
We asked these and other questions at our Third National Students Commission Conference. We developed the following recommendations by consensus. We leave still asking these questions:
Will the media's image of youth ever grow up?
Are we united as Canadians, or are we divided by racism?
Are we destroying the environment, or is the environment destroying us?
Are we too scared to deal with the problem of youth crime?
Introduction
From August 12 through 18, 200 high school students from all across Canada gathered at Carleton University in Ottawa for the 1993 National Students Commission Conference. From the conference, we have come to a consensus on recommendations dealing with issues which are important to our generation today.
Through panel discussions and group break-out sessions, we were able to come up with nearly 150 recommendations on the 4 main issues. From these, the recommendations were incorporated into a draft report which was revised by each group. The product is 12 consensus recommendations on all 4 issues agreed upon by every single person who participated.
We wanted to summarize the four issues, but we had a lot of difficulty wording what we wanted to say and not enough time. What we want to point out is that education is the key to understanding and acceptance. The only real way we can make progress is if we know what we are talking about and specify what it is we have to do and how we can go about making it happen. Also, we feel youth need opportunities in society to make sure we are accurately represented and that we are being heard. Lastly, we feel that counselling for young offenders can go a long way and can be much more successful than just punishment.
The main objective of this conference is to come up with a report in hopes that we can make an impact on Canadian society. But it wasn't all work; we also had a lot of fun and made lasting friendships all across Canada. As we shared our ideas and good times, friendships are inevitable.
Canada's youth have voices that are going to be heard. We have something to say. We hope to convey a message of sincerity and genuine concern for the future of this country -- this country that we will one day be responsible for. It is simply amazing that within 5 days we are able to create solid substantial consensus recommendations. We realize that we are able to breakdown barriers not only between provinces, but also different races, religions, and languages -- barriers that exist all across this country. In doing so, we can gain the knowledge and understanding required to become unified.
Through The Students Commission, we hope to eliminate the ignorance and misunderstandings which prevent us from achieving an environment of racial, cultural and environmental harmony.
Yes, we are all different, not only in our cultural and societal backgrounds, but also in our beliefs. We represent the entire Canadian mosaic. But we all share one thing -- a desire and commitment for change and reform. Perhaps if Canada is able to follow The Students Commission's example of co-operation and tolerance, the rest of Canadian society can overcome differences and learn to be proud of our unique and wonderful nation. Just as we have.
Consensus Recommendations
Images of Youth in the Media
"The media should make it policy to be more responsible to the youth, to provide them with fairer representation by asking, hiring and consulting youth on how they are portrayed."
Racism and Conflict Resolution
"English and French language instruction should be available everywhere in Canada since the key to understanding cultural difference is through people's own words."
"Introduce programs at an early age to educate on cultural backgrounds. Teachers of these programs should be trained specifically in the field of multiculturalism, thereby avoiding personal prejudices, no matter how minor, being introduced into classrooms."
"We have concluded that education is the key to controlling racism. In accordance with this belief, we feel a national campaign throughout the school system to discourage racism, promote multiculturalism and encourage open-mindedness, will prevent racism at an early age."
"There should be workshops and multicultural groups in the whole school for the students."
Youth and the Environment
"It should be mandatory that companies list the chemical and/or material make-up of their products, including inert materials."
"Make environment courses mandatory in lower grades; the children need to learn different values, that the older generation does not have."
"Provide desirable counseling and re-education for those affected by environmental layoffs."
"Government restrictions should enforce a minimum amount of recycled material in new products acceptable to safety standards and the proper recycling of all recyclable wastes."
"Schools should use composting, while introducing and educating students about different techniques and methods dealing with organic waste. An environmental issues course should be promoted and available to students."
"There should be legislation enforcing employers to implement recycling programs in their place of work."
The Young Offenders Act
"Young offenders must have better access to more effective counseling. This counseling should be provided for their families as well, to allow them to understand the offender's behavior."
Recommendations for Action
Issue: Images of Youth in the Media
Consensus Recommendation:
"The media should make it policy to be more responsible to youth, to provide them with fairer representation by asking, hiring and consulting youth on how they are portrayed."
Recommendations for Action:
Offer your services to write an article for a local newspaper concerning positive youth involvement (e.g. "Student gives up week of vacation time for a week of work and study.")
Read and research newspapers in search of youth stereotypes. Record the number of negative and positive portrayals of youth in order to formulate valuable data. Data should be used to support ideas (e.g. "stereotypes exist because... and through a two-week long study, we discovered...).
Formulate a survey for young people in order to gather statistics (e.g. "Do you believe that you, as a youth, are being accurately portrayed?") After gathering statistics and observing patterns, data should be published and distributed to local libraries, youth centres, guidance offices, etc.
Try to arrange interviews, through implementing a youth talk show over the radio and television. Interview active youths, adults supporting youths, groups supporting youths (e.g. Optimist Clubs).
Implement programs to increase initiative through "Students of the Month" in local newspapers and radio stations.
Issue: Racism and Conflict Resolution Consensus Recommendations:
"English and French language instruction should be available everywhere in Canada since the key to understanding cultural difference is through people's own words."
"Introduce programs at an early age to educate on cultural backgrounds. Teachers of these programs should be trained specifically in the field of multiculturalism, thereby avoiding personal prejudices, no matter how minor, being introduced into classrooms."
Recommendations for Action:
In today's society, growing children have the ideas, values and morals that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Racial prejudice and non-prejudice may exist in today's children. It is imperative that racial and multicultural studies be introduced in elementary school in order to mold these young student's minds into non-prejudiced, free-thinking minds. Prejudiced ideas develop in youth and the early teen years. If we reroute education in early elementary years, prejudice can be eliminated.
Incorporate a series of class projects in which children are assigned a culture foreign to their own and research it for a short period of time and then present the new ideas in front of their class. This sort of project may be repeated on several occasions throughout their elementary education.
Special multicultural days held once a month are a good idea. Students will be encouraged to dress or act as a member of a different ethnic community. Younger students will find novelty in this sort of activity.
A series of multicultural videos should be used in schools. The videos should deal with the ethnic diversity in Canada.
Consensus Recommendation:
"We have concluded that education is the key to controlling racism. In accordance with this belief, we feel a national campaign throughout the school system to discourage racism, promote multiculturalism and encourage open-mindedness, will prevent racism at an early age."
Recommendations for Action:
To ensure that schools are free from racism, we believe the following steps should be taken:
That incidents of racial discrimination must be dealt with in schools
a) Each school must develop policies for dealing with racial incidents. b) To ensure that students are safe and feel confident in reporting incidents of harassment and discrimination. A harassment hotline should be set up.
c) In every school there should be an officer trained with youth who can relate to them and be available for the students to report incidents of harassment and who is also available to provide counseling.
That multiculturalism be promoted extensively throughout the country by implementing the following:
a) Recognizing and acknowledging all cultural festivals and celebrations while treating them with sensitivity. Educating and explaining these celebrations to the students for complete understanding. b) Declare a national Multiculturalism Day.
That teachers should be taught about multiculturalism so as to provide proper education for their students.
a) Teacher workshops to teach teachers how to deal with racist incidents. b) In addition to punishing students the teacher should explain to the perpetrator the breaching of society's ethical morals.
Consensus Recommendation:
"There should be workshops and multicultural groups in the whole school for the students."
Recommendations for Action:
Each school board could be responsible for assembling a group of persons with an extensive background and base knowledge of a certain culture (e.g. one with expertise in Asian history, European history, African history, South American history and Native history). This group of cultural experts could work together and develop programs for the area. The programs would be run throughout the year. They could help teachers develop special programs to help integrate multiculturalism into the curriculum.
With this program we feel it would give many minorities the opportunity to share and explore the wonders of their culture with the children of today and the youth of tomorrow. While helping in combating racism and misunderstanding, we would be giving the chance of employment to many minorities.
Issue: Youth and the Environment
Consensus Recommendation:
"It should be mandatory that companies list the chemical and/or material make-up of their products, including inert materials."
Recommendations for Action:
There are many ways to pressure companies to properly label their products and inform the public about what their products contain. Youth have the voice and are the ones who will buy the products eventually. The products should naturally be made to meet our needs.
About writing a letter:
Be persuasive.
Use an angle if you can. State that because of allergies certain people have, people must know about the ingredients in a product.
Use a line similar to "I like your product and use it, but I would like to know what is in it.".
Make sure you know what you are talking about. Have solid research.
About research:
Make sure your research is good and extensive. Make sure you have more than one source.
Some places to go for research are your library and interlibrary exchange, CD room, Environment Canada, Agriculture Canada, Health and Welfare, and United Nations Environment Section, Federal Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs and the provincial counterparts for any of the before-mentioned, and the productivity department of any company.
Who to write to:
Executive boards of companies
Members of Parliament and Members of Provincial Parliament or Members of the Legislative Assembly
Prime Minister
Other Things:
Be aware.
Have a well balanced argument.
Find out who really owns the company.
Find out as much as you can.
Consensus Recommendation:
"Make environment courses mandatory in lower grades; the children need to learn different values, that the older generation does not have."
Recommendations for Action:
It is the responsibility of the student to research all aspects of the recommendation to enable him or her to deal effectively with media, supporters, school boards, etc.
One should be aware of:
programs already in effect globally
relevant precedents in education systems
the process of amending curriculums
the current environmental situation, etc.
Seek support from peers, family, colleagues, etc. to create momentum for the recommendation.
Prepare a captivating audio-visual presentation, supporting the recommendation, to facilitate communication with interested groups.
Gain the support of environmental groups to assist in efforts of lobbying of politicians to implement the recommendation.
Start a petition to local school boards and government to implement mandatory environmental education courses in the elementary grades. The purpose of which is to instill a greater sense of environmental awareness and responsibility in Canadian youth.
Utilize media to its maximum potential to promote the recommendation.
Consensus Recommendation:
"Provide desirable counselling and reeducation for those affected by environmental layoffs."
Recommendations for Action:
Forward:
Due to the ever-changing dynamic of the environment, unexpected and unforeseen job terminations do occur. Depletion of natural resources, changes in consumer attitude, and natural disasters all contribute to environmental layoffs. The problem must be addressed through co-operative efforts of individuals, their employers, and the government. We have drafted the following action plan. The plan covers four primary areas providing desirable counselling and reeducation for those affected by environmental lay-offs.
Counselling:
The role of counsellors is to help those affected by environmental lay-offs prepare for reeducation and re-enter the job market in a new or related career choice. Their role is also to maintain regular contact with the unemployed natural resources worker in order to provide support, encouragement, and motivation. Until the unemployed natural resources worker is completely and successfully re-integrated into the job market, the counsellor should continue communication with that individual. The affected workers themselves will contribute to their re-integration through a counselling group of their peers, whose objective is to provide emotional support, fellowship, and encouragement for each other.
Education:
Due to the turbulence of the economic and natural environment, preventive measures will be taken in high schools where students will learn to keep their options open, in the hope that they will develop other, secondary useful skills in the event that they cannot continue in their career of choice for the future. In order to promote a higher quality of suitable education, greatly reduced schooling costs will act as an initiative for unemployed natural resources workers to seek reeducation Unemployed natural resources workers willing to seek further education allowing them to successfully re-integrate into the job market will receive a larger amount of compensation allowing them to do so. If the unemployed natural resources worker does not want to leave his or her career of choice, then the opportunity to receive reeducation in an environmentally safe and sustainable natural resource career in that field will be made available.
Employer Initiatives:
In the case of environmental layoffs, a considerable amount of notice must be given to the employees in order that they may immediately commence reeducation The minimum amount of time suggested is two months. This two-month period could possibly be lengthened by such means as job sharing to allow the employees the opportunity to meet with their counsellors, and begin the reintegration process while still being able to earn money. Compensation will begin immediately following termination of employment.
Entrepreneurship:
With all the knowledge and expertise gained from their previous occupation, those affected by environmental layoffs could redirect the focus of their career to use new technology and new ideas related to their previous employment to become entrepreneurs. For examples, fisherpersons whose careers are no longer viable could apply their experience to aquaculture. In order to create and encourage the growth of new industries, communities will encourage entrepreneurship and self-employment to diversify and stimulate the local economy.
*Possible Funding Solutions:
The measures outlined in this action plan can be costly. In order that all benefit from this proposal, the cooperation of all is required. With less unemployed, new industrial growth may occur, and possibly less money will be needed for welfare.
This proposal is subject to the following suggestions:
That, to help those affected by environmental layoffs seeking reeducation, the government, the community and post-secondary education institutions should
provide grants, scholarships, and bursaries.
That counsellors, for the good of the community, provide their services free of charge or the community or government could assist.
NOTE: This action plan can be adjusted to fit the needs of those formerly self-employed as natural resources workers.
Consensus Recommendation:
"Government restrictions should enforce a minimum amount of recycled material in new products acceptable to safety standards and the proper recycling of all recyclable wastes."
Recommendations for Action:
Write to lobby groups asking for information/research about the contents and production of items.
Write consumer affairs groups to put pressure on corporations and to list the composition of their products. Pressure government to pass a bill regarding the enforcement of listing the composition of ALL products.
Write companies demanding to know what % of a product is recycled or made from recycled material.
Research how recycling material is stored and what exactly is recycled. Make sure they do what they are supposed to.
If something is found to be wrong, pressure government and corporations to remedy it.
Along with the above, we can petition the companies and government to make change. Be determined and persistent in your actions.
Write letters to government and companies demanding that these companies set up boards which would regulate how a product is manufactured and if it has acceptable amounts of recycled material, taking into consideration the product that is being recycled does more harm than good.
Consensus Recommendation:
"Schools should use composting, while introducing and educating students about different techniques and methods dealing with organic waste. An environmental issues course should be promoted and available to students."
Recommendations for Action:
Introducing composting programs into schools:
Not only would composting be an environmentally sound method of waste management and reduce waste disposal costs, but it would provide a valuable educational tool for students of all levels. Children at elementary grades could learn about the interdependence of all living things, while high school biology and chemistry students could learn about the physical process of compost.
Necessary steps to set up program:
Awareness - Inform students and staff of the program's existence using signs, literature and announcements telling what is composting and the appropriate container in which to place compostable waste. Education - Through science classes or environmental studies courses students can learn the technical and biological aspects of composting, hopefully, creating an interest and increasing cooperation
Maintenance - Composting can be as simple or as detailed a process as desired. A program for younger students may only include watching the decomposition process and occasionally turning the pile, while older students could be responsible for maintaining temperature and carbon to nitrogen ratios.
Collection - Small bins with airtight lids could be placed by regular waste containers. Sanitorial staff, students or volunteers would collect materials on a daily basis. (These bins are very cheap, or perhaps could be donated by a local dairy).
Product Distribution - The nutrient rich humus produced through composting could replace expensive and toxic fertilizers and could be used to landscape school grounds. Members of the community who contributed to the compost could also take some of the finished product for personal use.
This type of project is very flexible, depending on budget and the amount of effort willing to be exerted. The project can be adapted to suit the needs of the school involved.
Consensus Recommendation:
"There should be legislation enforcing employers to implement recycling programs in their place of work."
Recommendations for Action:
In order to combat the destruction of the earth's environment, there must be an active partnership between the business community and the environment. Corporations account for a vital part of environmental degradation. In an attempt to mitigate this process, all businesses should be required to have a recycling program in place. An alliance must be made between the government, the business community and the individual to reach this position. To begin the process, we recommend the following action plan.
Government:
The obvious first step by the government is to introduce and pass the proposed legislation.
For the purpose of this legislation all government buildings should be included under "place of work."
The government should release an annual listing of all businesses operating under the legislation, and also include recycling tips and new environmental technology.
Guarantee that the legislation is enforced across the country. For example, periodic checks.
The government should offer specific tax breaks for corporations who exceed the minimum environmental standards.
Business:
Conglomerations of businesses can work together to meet environmental standards and reduce cost. For example, malls and large office complexes.
Businesses should sponsor more environmental events.
Business advertisements can include more environmental themes.
Individual:
Individuals should carpool.
Employees can pack environmental, reusable containers, bags, etc. for lunches.
Write your local members in government and push the proposed legislation.
Adopt a personal motto of environment standards (e.g. paper conservation in the workplace).
Issue: The Young Offenders Act Consensus Recommendation:
Young offenders must have better access to more effective counselling. This counselling should be provided for their families as well, to allow them to understand the offender's behaviour.
Recommendations for Action:
The crime rate in Canada has increased dramatically and continues. One of the scariest things is that more and more of these crimes are being committed by the youth of Canada, with an increase of offenders under 14. We feel that some causes can be attributed to peer pressure (gangs), sexual and physical abuse at home, violence in the media, the need for attention and substance abuse.
Government "How to...":
Discover the problem areas through provincial research and surveys to find where the most attention should be focused.
The effectiveness of the present system of rehabilitation of young offenders must be evaluated, consulting the young offenders themselves on their needs and the types of programs that would be most effective.
Access Centres * or other facilities need to be more readily accessible to youths for counseling and direction. Young offenders can receive help to return as a productive member in society, as well as aiding families in dealing with related issues.
Through positive reinforcement (i.e. commercials, campaigns, speeches and counseling) youth can be taught to combat and resist crime.
Rehabilitation process could include the young offender meeting with, and hearing from, the victim to understand the nature and consequences of the crime and learn from them.
Give business tax incentives for contributing to the funding and participating in the centres.
* "Access Program": a federal and provincial pilot agreement.
The agreement has two sections. On the first hand, the Access Program is administered provincially in the implementation of courses for high school drop-outs and for young people on the job market. On the second hand, the program has allowed the implementation of "Access Centres". These centres are institutions where young drop-outs, offenders, and youth-at-risk can find resources like adapted-studies programs, help, counselling, an information resource centre, a meeting place with peers, etc. These Access Centres welcome more than fifty youths per week and have a success rate of more than 80%.
Business:
Businesses can contribute with financial assistance for Access Centre-type programs and a more effective rehabilitation process.
Business leaders could volunteer themselves and their services as a positive role model to young offenders, as well as youth in general.
A buddy system (mentorship) can be created by business leaders with young offenders to counsel, befriend, and inform on opportunities for their futures (i.e. career possibilities).
Education:
Guidance counsellors and teachers work together to identify high-risk kids and refer them to a preventive method program to deter them away from crime and trouble.
Schools can bring in panelists, actual young offenders to talk to teens about their experiences in a positive way that can work as a deterrent.
Officers, social workers, young offenders can be brought in to explain the Young Offenders Act and youth rights, crimes and punishments.
Videos can be shown of what things are really like in jail with inmate testimonials.
With younger students, make lessons on acceptable behaviour and expectations be as important as any other subject.
Teach self-esteem as a priority.
Encourage more youth-helping-youth programs in the school to increase communication among teens and give them opportunity to share values and expectations.
Self:
Be open-minded. Don't judge those who have made mistakes. Instead, be positive.
Volunteer at youth and rehabilitation centres.
Offer yourself as a positive role model to young offenders and create a buddy system where you can offer support. Maybe you can learn too.
Ask school officials to bring in young offenders to speak in assemblies.
Organize a trip to a rehabilitation or correctional facility.
Meet with police departments, youth and centre directors.
STUDENT COMMISSIONER'S SELF-ACTION PLAN Know that one person's efforts can make a difference.
Send letters to government, business and education leaders to encourage them to implement more programs, centres and this report.
Follow up with letters of encouragement and evaluations of their contributions.
Start a class discussion.
Do a class presentation and bring in your own speaker or experience.
Educate the media with letters, editorials, etc.
Take this report and use it. You can change things.