Youth Action Now launch held in Regina

by Victoria Morris, YAN Program Coordinator

It’s 10:30 am on Monday 01 March. As the guests enter Michael A. Riffel High School in Regina, they are greeted by members of the school’s Royals Accepting Diversity multicultural club dressed in a variety of cultural costumes. Pop music videos from around the world play in the background and the flags of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories are displayed alongside a banner which reads ‘Youth Action Now’ and ‘Welcome’ in several languages.

Today is the official launch of the Youth Action Now initiative, and the school is teeming with action. Joining the school’s students are specials guests from the federal, provincial and city governments together with representatives of Saskatchewan’s multicultural communities and students from visiting high schools. All have gathered in the school’s commons area to watch Philippine and First Nations dancers kick off the event.

As the music videos, smoke and light show fades, the launch begins. Project Coordinators Lee Reaney and Victoria Morris welcome everyone, and Riffel High students Jessica Cheung and Ashley Balysky welcome the visiting students and other attendees.

Lee provides a summary of the Youth Action Now project, outlining the background, its three main outcomes and an overview of how the project will work. YAN’s three main outcomes are:

1. Multicultural Connectivity – expanded opportunities for youth to become engaged in the multicultural community.
2. Multicultural Awareness = Opportunities – greater awareness of and respect for other cultures and expanded capability to open doors to more opportunities for youth.
3. Increased Global Perspectives – raised awareness by educational institutions for youth.

The special guests are then invited to come up and talk about multiculturalism, youth action and their belief in the possibilities of the project.

Our special guests included:

• Mr. Bob Friedrich, Program Officer, Saskatchewan District, Department of Canadian Heritage;
• Mr. Dick Proctor, M.P., NDP, Palliser, Saskatchewan;
• Mr. Kevin Yates, M.L.A., NDP, Regina-Dewdney, Saskatchewan;
• Mr. Pat Fiacco, Mayor of Regina; and
• Mr. Eugene Krenosky, President of the Board of Directors, Ukrainian Canadian Congress- Saskatchewan Provincial Council.

Following the speeches, thanks and appreciation are given to the Department of Canadian Heritage for their funding of Youth Action Now, as well as to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Saskatchewan Provincial Council and the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan Board, the staff and students of Riffel High School, and the speakers. Then the smokes starts billowing, the videos start playing and our launch ends with a call to youth to get involved in the project and to think about multiculturalism and how it affects their lives.

UCC-SPC Executive Director Danylo Puderak; Canadian Heritage Program Officer Bob Friedrich; YAN Coordinators Tyler Billay and Lee Reaney; First Nations guest performer Lorin Gardypie; and YAN Coordinator Victoria Morris. (MCoS Executive Director Wade Luzney is off camera on the right.)