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February & March 2009 E-news
Monthly Tips
A few tips from YAC member, Beth!!
- Instead of turning your thermostat up to stay warm during this cold weather, turn it down one or two degrees and instead, pull out a blanket or put on a sweater to stay warm!
- When you or your parents are doing laundry, wash your clothes in cold water to save energy!
- In this day and age, almost everything requires batteries to operate. Buy rechargeable batteries! They can be charged twenty-five times, which equals twenty-five batteries that you did not have to buy and then throw away!
For other simple tips, and to become a part of the “One Million Acts of Green” movement, visit: www.green.cbc.ca!
Sustainability Tips from YAC member Matt Warnock
Hey change-maker! We live in a society where almost everything is disposable, so it is important that we reduce our waste and keep as much as possible out of the landfill. Check out these few tips on some easy things that you can do around the house, at work, or at school, to reduce your waste.
Reducing Your Waste
- At your school or workplace, try putting three separate recycling bins - one for paper, another for organic waste, and the third for cans and bottles. Make a display poster explaining what goes in each bin to ensure that everyone understands how to use the system properly.
- Try to buy products that have the least packaging - one third of domestic waste that Canadians produce is made up of packaging materials, so think carefully about what you are buying.
- Use paper wisely! Think about whether you need all the paper that you use. When you buy paper, buy recycled, and then photocopy or write on both sides of the sheet. Whenever possible, try to distribute documents by e-mail or on the internet instead of printing them.
- Consider the following questions when making your next purchase for your workplace or your home:
- What is the recycled or
re-manufactured content of this product?
- Can the product be re-used or recycled when you are finished with it (e.g. printer toner cartridges or bottles)?
- How much packaging does it have?
Submitted By: Matt Warnock, YAC Member
The Arctic - Witnessing Climate Change in Far North Communities
Submitted By: Rex Lo and Payal Patel
A team of scientists, educators and a group of students embarked on a two-week journey to the Arctic; it was called the Students on Ice International Polar Year Arctic Expedition 2007.The team traveled to several cities and Inuit villages learning about the environment and how climate change is affecting many parts in the world. Below, in question and answer format, are some reflections of our adventure.
 How did you get the chance to come on the expedition?
My science teacher was a friend with someone at the Canadian Space Agency, who was responsible for awarding five students with scholarships to go on the trip. She forwarded the information to me, and I applied for the five-thousand dollar grant that would be given to students between the ages of 14 and 18 who were interested in space and preserving the environment. Thankfully, I received the grant, and was able to go on the Arctic trip. Rex also received a Canadian Space Agency grant, but heard of the trip through a relative who works closely with the founder of Students on Ice, Geoff Green.
What was the best part of the trip?
We experienced many things that were truly unforgettable. We got to swim in the Arctic
Ocean; we saw animals such as polar bears, orca whales, seals, walruses and birds; we touched and ate icebergs; we went on zodiac rides in the ocean and we got the chance to see the Northern Lights on our final day. It is difficult to sum up two weeks of events in a couple of sentences because most of what we did is difficult to explain. It was
something you had to feel and experience to really understand.
How did you feel about the communities in the Arctic?
When we first arrived at the Inuit communities, we were in total awe. The communities were far different than what we expected. The Inuit lived with a combination of modern materials (materials we have in the South) and their own traditions of using the land for food and other materials. Since the land is a key source of supplies and necessities for the Inuit people, climate change will have a greater impact on their culture and way of life, than it will on the lives of people in southern Canada.
What new things have you learned about the Arctic from this trip?
There are so many things that people in the rest of the world do not know about the Arctic. For example, there are so few trees in the area; but there are flowers, grasses, lichens and mosses. There are also the glaciers and icebergs, that are receding, and that help us realize that climate change is real. Some people think that the Inuit people live in igloos, but they actually live in homes, just like us. The truth is, that popular
culture has altered peoples’ beliefs of the north. People can live in deception because of the stereotypes they see. Sometimes it takes digging a little deeper to find the truth.
What experiences did you have on this expedition?
Almost every single person, whether a student or a staff member, had a unbelievable
experience during the expedition. How often does someone get the chance to live on a ship for two weeks and travel to many sites in the Arctic? Some other experiences that most of had included: learning and discussing with expert scientists; understanding the Inuit culture; and gazing upon beautiful Arctic landscapes. We even had the chance to have a very short conversation with astronaut Dave Williams from the International Space Station.
What have you done to raise awareness of the situation in the Arctic?
In addition to writing this article, Rex and I have done some pretty interesting things in the past year and a half. We have both done presentations in schools, so that our peers get the chance to see what we experienced. I have become an Ecomentor, so I can share my wisdom with younger students. Our generation is the future, so we want to harness as much knowledge as we can, in order to be prepared when we are older.
Along with some other students on the expedition, we have started a petition to raise
awareness about the situation in the Beaufort Sea, where drilling for oil will begin in the future. Our goal is to ensure that proper oil spill response plans are in place so the wildlife is affected minimally.
For more information about Students on Ice, check out www.studentsonice.com. For
more information on the International Polar Year, visit www.ipy.org.
5th World Youth Congress!
Mark the dates, July 31 to August 13, 2010 on your calendar! Why, you ask? The 5th World Youth Congress in Istanbul, Turkey, will be taking place during that time, and you should consider taking part! The theme of this Congress will be solidarity - working collectively for the common good - as the reason why we, as youth, will undoubtedly change the world as we combine efforts for peace, human rights, democracy and
environmental sustainability. Applications open on February 20, 2009 (this month!). Please visit www.turkiye2010.org for more information.
Keep reading to hear about the unforgettable, life-changing experience of YAC member, Matthew Warnock, and one of Green Street’s Youth Mentors, Kara Warnock, at the 4th World Youth Congress last summer - and maybe it will inspire you to be a part of this world renowned event in the summer of 2010.
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An Experience of the Lifetime - The World Youth Congress
In beautiful Quebec City last August, Peace Child International and Taking It Global sponsored the fourth annual World Youth Congress - ReGeneration 2008. Over six hundred young people from approximately one hundred and twenty countries around the world came together to discuss the future of our Earth. We discussed the Millennium Development goals and three important problems that society faces today:
sustainability, women’s rights, and clean water. Through inspiring speakers, interactive workshops, and informative round tables, we were able to set personal and global goals for the future. One of the highlights of ReGeneration 2008 was hearing motivational speakers such as Canada's Governor General Michaelle Jean; the United Nations Under- Secretary General Sha Zukang; and David Woollcombe, the president and founder of Peace Child International. We had the opportunity of meeting extraordinary young
people like Kyle Tailor and Kumi Naidoo, who founded their own organizations to help others.
Not only were we educated on the environment, health, and schooling, but we were also empowered to become better people by sharing our experiences and our dreams with others. Above all, we were encouraged to be the change we wish to see in the world. I learned that it is my responsibility to do whatever I can to make our global home a better place. If we don't deal with matters like climate change, human rights, and medical care now, we will be faced with the consequences later in life. After all, we didn't inherit the Earth from our parents; we have borrowed it from our children. Young people have the power to change the world now, so why wait before it's too late?
Check out these websites for more information:
Peace Child International - www.peacechild.org
4th World Youth Congress - www.wyc2008.qc.ca
Taking It Global -
www.tigweb.org
Submitted By: Kara Warnock, Green Street Youth Mentor
Jenna Dickson’s Quest to Protect the Bowhead Whales of Isabella Bay
 Have you ever experienced complete silence? It took me seventeen years to realize that I was accustomed to the drone of human civilization. The first time I experienced silence, I happened to be 66 degrees north of the equator - the Arctic Circle.
Travelling with Students on Ice, I embarked on an adventure on August 2nd 2007 that would take me across Hudson Bay, up the east coast of Baffin Island to the Arctic Circle. Although I witnessed everything from hungry polar bears to majestic icebergs, those experiences are not what have made my expedition successful; it’s what I did to protect these treasures when I returned home.
The moment that inspired me is not something that I saw, but rather, something I didn’t see. During the expedition, our group searched for the Bowhead Whale; an endangered species in the Eastern Canadian Arctic - but unfortunately the closest we came to a sighting was the spray of one off in the distance.
After returning home, I knew that it was my responsibility to share my stories. I started off small – I told my family and friends the stories of melting icecaps and the Bowhead whale. With help and support, I started giving presentations to my school and other groups in the area. Before I knew it, I was presenting in front of large audiences, including the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto.
It didn’t stop there. I started a petition after hearing about the struggle of protecting the Bowhead Whale’s breeding ground, Isabella Bay. I collected signatures after my presentations and from local businesses; I even went ‘trick-or-treating’ for signatures on Halloween night. With the help of a fellow SOI alumni, a letter was written to the Prime Minister of Canada, urging the government to designate Isabella Bay a protected whale sanctuary. Well, my dreams came true. On August 22nd, 2008, the Government of Canada announced the establishment of protected areas in the Arctic, which included, Isabella Bay. I was so shocked; never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be apart of something so special. Many
hands had been involved with this cause for over twenty years, and I have never been so proud to live in a nation where the voice of our people can be heard.
As with anything, there is always a next step. It is important for me to remain involved with these issues, as there is still a lot of work to be done. If I could offer you any advice, it would be this: keep in touch with those who are motivated like yourself. You will help each other reach the goals that you have set. Don’t overwhelm yourself with
lofty goals; baby steps are just as important and perhaps more productive. Finally, never lose hope! If ever you feel lost, pull out your pictures and open up your journals – whatever motivated you in the first place is sure to spark you once again if you need that inspiration. It’s people like you who are going to change the world.
Submitted By: Jenna Dickson, Students on Ice 2007
Stories of a Canadian Youth Climate Champion
Meagan McKeen is a grade twelve student from Oakville, Ontario. She has become actively involved with environmental issues over the past few years, and in 2008, she was one of three Canadian youth accepted into the International Climate Champions program, created by the British Council. The ICC brings together over two hundred students from around the world, and shows them how they can become part of the
solution to combat climate change. As part of the ICC program, Meagan was soon swept up in a whirlwind of international travel opportunities, that still continue today.
Shortly after her acceptance into ICC, Meagan was sent to London, England, where she worked with other climate champions to prepare a youth statement called “The Kobe Challenge”. Then, in May, she presented the statement in Kobe, Japan, while attending the G8+5 Climate Change Conference. Over the summer, she attended a climate camp in San Diego with 9 other Canadian Climate Champions.
Most recently, Meagan was chosen as the youngest member of the Canadian Youth Delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Poznan, Poland this past December. There, she rubbed shoulders with the likes of Canadian Environment Minister Jim Prentice and thousands of leaders from across the globe. Although the Canadian environment minister did not commit to the ambitious (but
necessary) emissions reductions the CYD was in support of, he did recognize the importance of having youth take an active role on this issue. When I asked her why it was so important for youth like us to take action on climate change, Meagan replied, “Because climate change is such an imminent issue. If we don't act now and make our voices heard it will be too late”. Meagan encourages young Canadians to change their
habits to live a more sustainable life, as well as works to pressure our government to enact policies that can help individuals and businesses become more environmentally friendly. She has been an incredible role model for Canadian youth who are concerned for the environment. Her work is very inspirational, but it is up to us help Meagan’s work truly become a success story. By becoming engaged in the issue of climate
change, we can all secure a safer future for generations to come.
Submitted By: Amy Jiang, YAC Member
To read more about the experiences of the Canadian Youth Delegation in Poznan, Poland, visit: www.cydpoznan.org/en.
Resource Review: Saving Planet Earth
 Saving Planet Earth is a HarperCollins Publishing book, written by Tony Juniper. It is
based on the TV Series from BBC World. This book is an excellent resource for all ages - parents, teachers and students. It is a wake-up call for everyone. The book tells reader that, "now is the time to take action". Juniper want readers to realize how beautiful the world is, and how they can make a change.
The book is split into three chapters - Living Earth, Warming World, and Plundered Planet. Each chapter is filled with beautiful pictures of the environment. Endangered animals, vulnerable landscapes and changes from global warming leave the reader in awe. It is amazing to see the animals that you would never see in real life because they could be extinct very soon. It is very difficult to get pictures of these endangered, so
the chance to see them, even if it is in a book, is breathtaking.
The facts in the book are outstanding. After reading the statistics, you realize that the world is really in trouble. You never know what the situation is across the ocean until you read about it. The solutions the book provides are implied; it shows you the issues and HOW those issues become serious problems. It gives you the reasons the earth is in trouble, but it also demonstrates hope. It gives examples of how people can change, and how people are already helping change the world’s problems. The book’s jaw-dropping pictures and unbelievable facts make you WANT to change.
You cannot get pictures like this from Google Images. This book is a must-read to see how the world is changing and how you can make a difference.
Challenge Helps Entrepreneurs Fight Poverty
On December 20, 2008, the winner of the BBC World Challenge 2008 was announced. Now in its fourth year, the World Challenge is a competition for grass roots projects and small businesses from all around. These projects are given awards based on their enterprise and innovation.
The 2008 winner was The Plan Bee Project, established by the Hashoo Foundation in Pakistan, which helps women to boost their income by selling honey. According to the World Challenge Website:
“The northern areas of Pakistan are among the poorest and most isolated regions in the country. Effective development assistance has yet to reach these hilly, remote areas and it is the women and children who are most affected. The only workable and sustainable solution is to capitalize on localresources, building on what is achievable as well as culturally acceptable.”
The Plan Bee beekeepers earn more than twice the price for their honey than they would receive in the local market. This allows them to make the most of their skills and to respect their local ecosystem while creating their products.
Plan Bee’s prize was $20,000 American and the two runners up each won $10,000 American, which went to aid in the further development of these entrepreneurial projects. The runners up were an agriculture school from Paraguay and
a shelter for people with leprosy from Nepal.
Information about each of the finalists is posted on the competition website: www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/
html/competition.html. These projects are truly
incredible and creative. The best part is, they are helping to alleviate poverty, suffering and environmental destruction all over the world.
Submitted By: Rachel Ginsberg, YAC Member
Bhutanese Refugees Coming to Canada
In Canada, we are very fortunate because we value multiculturalism. The people of Bhutan - a kingdom located in the southern peaks of the Himalayan Mountains - have not always been so fortunate.
In the early 1990’s, the Bhutanese government ejected 100,000 ethnic Nepalese people, because of their religious beliefs and cultural values. They were placed in United Nations refugee camps in Nepal, and have remained there ever since. Recently, the Nepalese government has ordered the camps to be closed, meaning that the refugees must be relocated to other countries around the world.
The Canadian government has agreed to take 5,000 refugees. In Canada, we have a very strong reputation of accepting refugees from other countries, and welcoming them into our multicultural country. However, it is often still difficult for these immigrants to adjust, because of the language and cultural barriers.
You can help! If you are interested in helping refugees adjust to life in Canada, your local community or church group may be sponsoring a refugee family, and could be looking for volunteers. For more information about the Bhutan refugees, you can visit: www.globalyouthconnect.org.
Submitted By: Beth Ferreira, YAC Member
Socially Conscious Companies
Trying to live a more socially and environmentally conscious life can be difficult. When it comes to shopping, it can be hard to find companies that share your sense of integrity. Here are two great stores where your money will be well-spent!
Ten Thousand Villages
Founded by the Mennonite Central Committee in 1946, Ten Thousand Villages is known for their fairly traded, organically-grown handicrafts. This not-for-profit organization works to provide vital, fair income to artisans living in Third World countries, by bringing their products and telling their stories to North American consumers. The artisans are paid fairly, and costs are kept low by employing volunteers, which make up most of the store staff in forty-nine shops across Canada. Ten Thousand Villages is a great place to shop for gifts. Each store is a true display of the diversity of our world; so you are sure to find something for everyone - yourself included! The stores contain a wide variety of exotic jewellery pieces, reclaimed wood furniture pieces, and fair trade coffee and tea. All of these are testaments to the creativity and resourcefulness that characterizes human-kind, as many of their handicrafts are truly something-from-nothing pieces, but are beautiful and incredible. You can find out more about Ten Thousand Villages at www.tenthousandvillages.ca.
Grassroots Store
After opening its first store in Toronto fifteen years ago, Grassroots has grown to become an incredibly successful, North-American wide retailer. However, it is not like the majority of other companies out there. It works to provide customers with environmentally-sound products that also respect fair trade, labour, and human rights practices. They carry a variety of low-impact products, from toiletries to furniture, office supplies to mattresses. However, their eco-friendly approach does not stop there. Grassroots takes the initiative as a company to ensure carbon neutral shipping, green power, and re-used or recycled packing material. They also help customers change their lifestyles and attitudes through a number of initiatives, including in-store workshops that focus on environmental sustainability. When buying from Grassroots, you can be sure that you are supporting the right causes. For more information on their philosophy and products, visit the Grassroots website at www.grassrootsstore.com.
Submitted By: Amy Jiang, YAC Member
Let's Stop AIDS
All global issues are interconnected to other issues in many different ways. An environmental issue is never JUST an environmental issue; in some way, it has links to social justice, development and health, as well. Read on to learn about a group of young Canadians who are making a difference in a rural South African community with HIV / AIDS education, while at the same time, addressing the issue of environmental degradation, as part of a Canadian charitable organization called LetsStopAIDS.
Spread Trees, Not AIDS
 Two years ago, a vision was shared between two friends; a vision that would shape the next two years of my life and fill me with a passion that will last forever. It was born at a meeting with my friend, Shamin Mohamed Jr., the founder of LetsStopAIDS, a Canadian charitable organization that works to empower youth to take action on the issue of HIV / AIDS. Shamin asked me to help develop an innovative campaign that would bring together the issues of HIV / AIDS and environmental degradation. I spent the next few weeks learning more about HIV / AIDS and creating a campaign. A few months later, I made a presentation to LetsStopAIDS about my campaign, called Spread Trees, Not AIDS.
Today, Spread Trees Not AIDS is the first sustainable educational leadership program focusing on the issues of HIV / AIDS and environmental education. HIV and the environment are cyclically linked to poverty. Those affected by the disease are depleting their natural resources at an unsustainable rate, resorting to the environment as the ultimate safety net. Spread Trees Not AIDS is working to break the cycle of poverty and reduce environmental destruction.
The program will send six Canadian youth each year to volunteer in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They will work with thirty South African youth, providing weekly workshops about HIV / AIDS and environmental education. They will make clear the connections between these pressing issues and encourage and support peer education within these communities.
In July 2008, LetStopAIDS launched a successful three-week pilot project in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa - the region with the highest HIV / AIDS prevalence in the world, and a place where deforestation is a major environmental challenge. They worked with over 160 youth using sports and the arts as powerful tools for self-expression and interpersonal collaboration. The pilot project has had a large impact on the youth involved as a result of the open dialogue created about HIV / AIDS and the environment.
On June 22, 2009, six Canadian ambassadors and two members of LetsStopAIDS, including myself, will travel to KwaZulu-Natal to work with hundreds of South African youth on issues such as health, leadership, and reverence for the planet. For the youth, our program will provide education on HIV prevention and stigma, as well as an opportunity for environmental stewardship and community involvement. We hope to provide youth with the tools they need to stand up for what they believe in and protect themselves from harm. Furthermore, we hope to inspire and motivate them to become peer educators and contribute to a ripple effect of knowledge; one that will hopefully stop the spread of HIV and the destruction of our planet.
I hope this experience will spark a passion in me that will burn stronger than ever before. I hope that I will be able to bring that passion back to Canada as I continue my work with LetsStopAIDS. I hope the Canadian ambassadors will also come back inspired and motivated as they continue their one-year work term during which they will put more programs in place overseas. The campaign will run annually and the next time we are in KwaZulu-Natal in the summer of 2010, we will be able to help further develop the programs and measure their success. Through Spread Tree Not AIDS, we will undoubtedly create a sustainable presence in communities, creating a strong, long-lasting impact on the lives of the people of KwaZulu-Natal.
To find out more about LetsStopAIDS and Spread Trees Not AIDS, visit www.letsstopaids.org.
Submitted By: Yvonne Su; Ontario, Canada
Success Story: The Social Justice Student Alliance
Here is this month’s success story! Read on to hear about two grade twelve students from London, Ontario, who have gone above and beyond their social justice group at school to bring it to the school board level, after founding and organizing an alliance of passionate, world-changers in the London area that brings about social change.
Social Justice Student Alliance (SJSA)
The Social Justice Student Alliance (SJSA) is a new student group that is based out of London, Ontario. Its aim is to join students in a collective effort for social change. The SJSA is a student-run organization which was formed by two students from South Secondary School in early December 2007. The Alliance was created to join high school social justice groups within the Thames Valley District School Board.
It all started when many students first met at a conference, hosted by South Secondary School, to get educated about the issue of genocide. Since then, the Alliance has grown more than four times its original size and has gained support from organizations such as Free the Children and the University of Western Ontario’s chapter of S.T.A.N.D., a Darfur genocide action group. To date, the SJSA has held meetings to share ideas for events and contact information, and recently endorsed a proposed ban on the sale of plastic water bottles within the school board.
The SJSA, while still in its official formation stage, has a solid set of objectives and a plan of action. It has four main objectives: awareness, action, community and leadership development. The SJSA has also decided to organize two major independent events each year. One will be a satellite event where each group will run a similar activity on the same day, while the other will be a community event where students will join together as a large group. The Alliance also strives to be a resource for inspired students who wish to begin a student organization or school group by providing support, ideas, and experience.
The SJSA was built from the bottom-up, as an open-ended organization to facilitate broad expansion and emphasize the student perspective. As a student-for-student organization, the SJSA has a nearly unlimited capacity in terms of size, involvement and accomplishment. With a focus on working together, our commitment is simple: share, listen, act.
Are you interested in being a part? The Social Justice Student Alliance is open to all students - elementary, high school or post-secondary - who have an interest in social issues. Educators and community members involved with students are also welcome to share their expertise and experiences. The SJSA has a monthly meeting in London, as well as maintains a website, which allows for members outside of the London area to have access to discussion boards, blogs, other student contacts, and more. You are invited to join us on the web to share your ideas, stories and inspiration.
For more information, e-mail sjsa.info@gmail.com.
Submitted By: Mitchell Cuddie and Nathan Blanco, South Secondary School
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