Leaders rally for Youth Action Montreal
Noted environmentalist David Suzuki praised Concordia University for its activist spirit and long-held tradition of community engagement in a rousing address to almost 3,000 participants at this year’s Youth Action Montreal summit, Living Your Legacy.
Craig Kielburger presented vivid and occasionally heartbreaking stories about the lives of child soldiers helped by his organization Free the Children.
The youth advocate also made a passionate plea for summit participants to act on issues they care about, either by helping existing organizations or setting up new ones.
Stephen Lewis initially expressed hesitation about following Kielburger as a speaker, saying he wasn’t sure he could match his youthful enthusiasm.
However, he soon demonstrated his strength as an elder statesman, getting thunderous applause for his calls for political change in Canada in the final days of the federal election campaign.
Concordia’s chancellor, L. Jacques Ménard, was among the audience members and presenters at the summit.
Ménard took the stage to highlight the importance of education and efforts to counter high school drop-out rates through the work of organizations he supports, including Youth Fusion, founded by Concordia alumnus Gabriel Bran Lopez.
CTV Montreal news anchor Mutsumi Takahashi concluded the day’s program, hosting a question-and-answer session with Suzuki and Lewis. Suzuki again credited Concordia with taking a leadership role among Canadian universities in adopting sustainable practices such as the recent plan to phase out the sale of bottled water on campus.
Related links:
• “Living What They Believe,” NOW, April 12, 2011
• Youth Action Montreal