HIGHLIGHTS

Kids Can Free the Children, in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency and the State of the World Forum, convened the second in a series of five conferences to engage and empower Canadian Youth in the globalisation debate. Over 50 youth, ages 12-20 years, gathered from across
Canada at the Shadow Lake Retreat Center outside of Toronto, Ontario to explore the challenges of life in a globalised world.

Through seminars, workshops, and debates, students examined issues such as technology, the media, sustainable development, the environment, poverty, education, consumerism, and armed conflict. Speakers from around the world including professors, professionals, representatives from international organizations, and a family of refugees from Sierre Lione, highlighted the central political, economic and cultural complexities of globalisation. Two Commissioners of the Commission on Globalisation, Dr. Paul Cappon, Director General, Ministers of Education, Canada and Craig Kielburger, Founder, Kids Can Free the Children, introduced students to the work of the Commission. The conference concluded in youth meetings around the Commission’s Policy
Action Groups. After discussing questions of poverty, enterprise, education, security and the environment, participants presented thoughtful youth perspectives and plans of actions for each issue. Students made commitments to take local actions in their own communities as a means of working towards a more just and equitable world, and subsequently prepared a Youth Declaration on Globalisation.

To view this Declaration, please click here.

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