By Jasmiha Ganeshanathan & Kishanaha Piratheepan, on behalf of the GTA Youth Leaders
On May 26th, 2018 Youth Leaders of Amnesty International in the GTA put together their 2nd Youth Café and it was a fantastic event!
This year’s Cafe incorporated learning and actions on three key human rights issues: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada, Refugees and Water Defenders. We made the event unique by using participatory discussions and games as tools for learning and sharing information. One of the highlights of the day was the creation of a solidarity banner for water defenders in Guatemala that all participants got to paint ( and is now with our partners in Guatemala). We got inspired by youth author Stephanie Woodworth who talked about water and her experience growing up in a small rural community and were moved by the words of spoken word artist Frishta ‘Fresh’ Bastan.
Our turnout was great, the networking amazing, the energy and passion in the room were palpable and we now look forward to our next event. We are aware that while everyone is entitled to human rights not everyone in this world is fortunate enough to enjoy them or to get the same opportunities as us. The least we could do as young people is become more aware of and involved in the world around us so that together we can work towards a better future.
Filmed and edited by Hannah Ahamedi from the Amnesty International Ajax Pickering Youth Group
