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The Youth Communications Centre In September 1997, TG's youth communication team covered the events during the conference. Here, our youth from across Canada tell you who they are. Jennifer Willson
I'm Jennifer Willson, a vegetarian 19-year-old from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In a few weeks I'll be starting my third year of an Honours B.Sc. degree in biology at the University of Saskatchewan. I am particularly interested in research leading to wilderness conservation and environmental protection. I spent three months this summer working as a research assistant for a field ecologist in northern Saskatchewan. There is more to the province than flat prairie farmland! Besides recently working there, I have spent many weeks each summer hiking, canoeing, and camping in the boreal forest.
When I'm in the city, I seem to spend most of my time studying for university. However, I do find time to bike along the river, play trumpet in various bands, and walk my Golden Retriever. For the past five years I have been involved with Saskatchewan Students for Environmental Action, where I have made school presentations on various environmental issues, planned Earth Day celebrations, written weekly articles for the Star Phoenix, networked with other environmental groups in the province, and initiated several group volunteering efforts. During the past year I have volunteered restoring native grasslands, developing information booths, participating in letter writing campaigns, and making a presentation at a press conference organized by the World Wildlife Fund about progress made in the Endangered Spaces Campaign.
I am excited by the opportunity to experience the international level of environmental decision making and am looking forward to reporting on the events of the conference. I am eager to meet the rest of the Communication Team in Montreal where I am certain we will have a great time.
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Who Am I? Technically, I am Susan Ivimey, a 17 year old, soon to be starting my final year at Ascension Collegiate, a high school in my hometown of Bay Roberts, NF. I am the youngest member of my family, preceded by one brother, Neil. Both my parents are teachers, although my dad retired in June.
Among other things, I enjoy swimming, skating, reading, experimenting with my video camera and, of course, writing. I have been fortunate enough to participate in such events as Canadian and International precision figure skating championships and the NF Summer Games as a competitor, however, I have more recently turned to the other side of sport. As a CFSA evaluator/judge, I have officiated at competitions ranging from local to Provincial, and hope to continue to do so. Also, I am the manager of my swim team.
At school I am a member of the Newspaper Staff, Choir, Band , French Club, Drama Club, Yearbook Committee and I participate in public speaking, both French and English. Languages and History appeal to me more than Math and Chemistry, and I plan to pursue my interest in the prior two after high school.
I love nature. Growing up in a somewhat small community has given me the opportunity to see a lot of it: I have seen moose wandering through town on more than one occasion. This contact with the environment has given me a respect for it that cannot be destroyed, even as the environment itself is.
So, that's my life in brief. I hope I did myself justice, but if I didn't, my apologies.
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Hi there, my name is Neegaan Aaswaakshin. I am Plains Ojibway from Ottawa, Ontario. On August 24, I celebrated my fourteenth birthday. Sure you may think I am young but believe me according to my peers I have wisdom far past the age of fourteen.
My mom is from Saskatchewan and moved here about a year after my older brother was born in 1982. I guess she felt Ottawa had more to offer us. My father is a professor at Carleton University, here in Ottawa and teaches Journalism.
Presently I working for an organization called the United Youth of Turtle Island. I have been employed by them since about June of this year and was hired as Community Events Coordinator. When first going into the position I was expecting to have a great summer full of big events, however, I soon became discouraged by the lack of interest and involvement from the community. I guess you could say that is my first pet peeve. I cannot stand when the older generations say they support youth initiatives and they would love to see more youth doing good work. When groups of youth like us get together and try to do this good work they are referring to, their doors soon become closed and the support quickly diminishes.
All in all though I really enjoy this line of work. Quite often my friends and I are referred to as privileged youth, and I guess this term applies but it makes us sound ungrateful and spoiled, which we are not. I just wish there were more I could do to help these at risk or street youth. So often we hear about youth that are living on the street and having babies at such young ages, being addicted to drugs, getting into fights or getting beaten up by an abusive parent or relative. These are just a few examples there are so many more issues that I could get into. I guess this is one of my primary interests, trying to find ways to relieve poverty amongst youth in general but primarily aboriginal youth.
Other interests include things such as leaning about traditional Aboriginal ways, ceremonies and dancing, the Internet, and the environment. I also love music. I would say that my three favourite artists are Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige and Alanis Morrissette. Not only do these three women produce fantastic music, but they are also very strong women who, I think, are great, positive role models for young women like myself.
Things that I really dislike? Where should I start? Just kidding there aren't really that many. At the top of my list though is nail biting, that drives me nuts, littering is a big one how difficult is it to hold onto a chocolate bar wrapper until a garbage can comes along? And finally the lack of equality and fairness shown to youth in todays society, after all aren't we tomorrow's leaders?
So this is me, not quite what you expected? Surprise! Come check some more of me at my Internet homepage at www.ayn.ca/pages/Jingle.htm. See you soon!
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Her name is Trudy Seri Samuel, born in the grand town of Ottawa, Ontario during the howling year of the Dog-- but this woman is nothing to bark at. Her interests revolve around issues pertaining to community development within the international arena having a direct focus on women and youth. One of her priorities as a youth coordinator is to ensure that youth have their voices heard and have an influence on the decision making process at an international level.
Trudy's background is in grassroots organization and facilitation in varying aspects of social development, of which includes conferences planning, fundraising, media relations and special event management.
Trudy, who is a constant inspiration to the lethargic at heart, is located in the Toronto office at TG, The Students Commission.
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Pamela Rice was born in the thriving hamlet of Waterford, Ontario. She has a lot of experience in facilitating programs for young people and looks forward to applying these skills in the most intense way.
Her degree is in International Development, focusing on Developmental Economics has fed her interest in the rapid development occuring in many of the Article 5 nations, particularly in terms of industry and quality of life.
She's based in Toronto, as an intern, at TG Magazine/The Student's Commission
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Born in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, I, Christy Allan moved to Vancouver at the age of three and have lived there ever since.
In 1995, I graduated from the University of British Columbia in Sport & Leisure Management. Some people like to translate that into a Bachelor of GYM but it is really a combination of commerce and Human Kinetics courses!
I have worked with youth of all ages in many capacities including coaching, special events and in the classroom. After having just returned from travelling through the South Pacific, I wanted to somehow combine my experience in working with youth with my interest in the Asia-Pacific region. What better job than being a Youth Coordinator!Sports of all sorts are my biggest interest. I love mountain biking, hiking and could not imagine a winter without skiing. When I'm not out interacting with nature, I can be found reading anything on any topic or going to the theatre (musical productions are my favourite).
I am the Vancouver connection as far as the Youth Coordinators go. Due to the size of our great country, communicating long-distance to the rest of the team of Youth Coordinators in Toronto and Ottawa has been my greatest challenge on the job before moving to Toronto in July. Thank goodness for e-mail and teleconferencing!
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Je me nomme Lyne Desnoyers.
Je suis un petite québécoise francophone qui va fêter ses vingt ans parmi vous à la journée internationale de l'ozone. Je viens tout juste de terminer mes études comme technicienne en protection de l'environnement dans la belle région du Lac Saint-Jean. Je suis donc une fille sensibilisée a l'environnement. Depuis mai dernier, je siège au poste de secrétaire du conseil d'administration d'ENvironnement JEUnesse. J'ai connu cet organisme en m'impliquant dans mon groupe écologique "Les Bleuets Verts" du cégep de Saint-Félicien. On a écrit et présenté un mémoire sur la saine gestion des déchets-ressources lors des audiences génériques en mai 1996. J'ai participé également a l'organisation d'un colloque provincial en environnement, la "Bise d'automne 96", sous la banière d'ENJEU.
J'ai été initée à la photographie lors de ma formation technique. De plus, j'ai écrit quelques articles à caractère écologique dans le journal du cégep.L'hiver dernier, j'ai eu la chance de réaliser un voyage d'un mois au Guatemala (je parle un peu espagnol). Cela m'a beaucoup marqué et m'a ouvert aux autres cultures. J'espère vraiment pouvoir retourner dans un pays comme celui-là, j'ai eu la piqure des voyages!
© 1997 - TG Magazine / The Students Commission
© 1997 le magazine TG / la Commission des étudiants
