Notes From Canada S Young Activists

Twenty-five young Canadian activists tell their stories of what motivated them to take action to change the world. How do members of the twenty-something generation see the world? What is their vision for the future? This book presents the stories of members of young Canadians who are working to create a more sustainable, compassionate, and conscientious global society. In this compilation of personal stories, young citizens describe the moment they were inspired to pursue their passion to improve their world. Their methods and causes are diverse, and their stories highlight the innovative ways that they are identifying and addressing problems in society. Though optimistic, these individuals are not naive, and they have realized many impressive accomplishments. While in her teens, Miali-Elise Coley in Iqaluit organized a summer-camp program for less-privileged kids in her community to get them out on the land. Craig Kielburger founded Free The Children to raise awareness of the injustices of child labour. Tim Harvey biked and rowed around the globe to draw attention to climate change. At twenty-three, Lyndsay Poaps became the youngest elected official in Vancouver's history, serving as a city park board commissioner for three years. George Roter co-founded Engineers Without Borders, an organization of Canadian engineers that reaches across frontiers between Canada and Africa to help developing communities. Told with maturity but anchored in youthful idealism, these stories are a celebration of how these driven individuals are taking responsibility for their own and future generations, as well as how young people have faced the seemingly insurmountable challenges of guilt, burn-out, apathy, and isolation. Inspired by experiences abroad and at home, or driven to care by personal circumstance, the stories of this generation of leaders is asking and answering tough personal and societal questions. The editors of this compilation hope to inspire and challenge all generations to act, to think, and to better the world around them.

Activists under 30: Global Youth, Social Justice, and Good Work is a unique book, written about youth, written by youth, celebrating youth activism in the 21st Century. A collaborative book joining the voices of youth, teachers, and scholars highlighting achievements and on-going work of a growing population of young women and men who insist on making a difference.

Recent years have seen the retrenchment of Canadian social programs and the restructuring of the welfare state along neo-liberal lines. Social programs at both the federal and the provincial levels have been cut back, eliminated, or recast in exclusionary and punitive forms. Poverty: Rights, Social Citizenship, and Legal Activism responds to these changes by examining the ideas and practices of human rights, citizenship, legislation, and institution-building that are crucial to addressing poverty in this country. The essays in this volume investigate current trends in social, political, and legal anti-poverty activism. They challenge prevailing assumptions about the role of governments and the methods of accountability in the field of social and economic justice. Through their analysis of rights advocacy and the interconnectedness of law and politics, the contributors also demonstrate that the fight for social and economic justice is vibrant and of critical importance.

"Be original. See what happens." So Todd Gitlin advises the young mind burning to take action to right the wrongs of the world but also looking for bearings, understanding, direction, and practical examples. In Letters to a Young Activist, Todd Gitlin looks back at his eventful life, recalling his experience as president of the formidable Students for a Democratic Society in the '60s, contemplating the spirit of activism, and arriving at some principles of action to guide the passion and energy of those wishing to do good. He considers the three complementary motives of duty, love, and adventure, and reflects on the changing nature of idealism and how righteous action requires realistic as well as idealistic thinking. And he looks forward to an uncertain future that is nevertheless full of possibility, a future where patriotism and intelligent skepticism are not mutually exclusive. Gitlin invites the young activist to enter imaginatively into some of the dilemmas, moral and practical, of being a modern citizen -- the dilemmas that affect not only the problems of what to think but also the problems of what to love and how to live.

This dynamic Handbook offers state-of-the-art analysis of the new generation of youth activists who are demanding change. Bringing together eminent scholars, rising academic stars and youth activists, this Handbook provides a unique and essential insight into the power of youth activism today.

Stand Up! is the generation-defining book that focuses on the global youth movement like never before. This anthology features stories by 75 of the world's most dynamic young activists who share their amazing experiences and challenge readers through spirited calls to action. Today, by way of their grassroots movements and international work, these young men and women are bringing their own brand of savvy compassion and unstoppable courage to the crossroads of social entrepreneurship and activism.

Indigenous Poetics in Canada broadens the way in which Indigenous poetry is examined, studied, and discussed in Canada. Breaking from the parameters of traditional English literature studies, this volume embraces a wider sense of poetics, including Indigenous oralities, languages, and understandings of place. Featuring work by academics and poets, the book examines four elements of Indigenous poetics. First, it explores the poetics of memory: collective memory, the persistence of Indigenous poetic consciousness, and the relationships that enable the Indigenous storytelling process. The book then explores the poetics of performance: Indigenous poetics exist both in written form and in relation to an audience. Third, in an examination of the poetics of place and space, the book considers contemporary Indigenous poetry and classical Indigenous narratives. Finally, in a section on the poetics of medicine, contributors articulate the healing and restorative power of Indigenous poetry and narratives.