This text is part of the special International Solidarity section
Quebec youth have been louder than ever in recent years. Whether it is about climate change, systemic racism or even gender equality, young Quebecers are demonstrating more and more and have been able to show that they form a community engaged in their environment and in society within from which they evolve. Some organizations have been working since their creation to introduce young people to the issues of international solidarity and civic engagement. This is particularly the case with Oxfam-Québec and the Carrefour de solidarité internationale de Sherbrooke (CSI).
“International solidarity, for me, is an awareness of the interdependence of communities and individuals to achieve a more dignified life. It is recognizing that our borders may have functional reasons for existing, but that it is absolutely necessary to take care of each other between nations to achieve collective well-being in terms of, for example, climate change, health and economy, ”explains Catherine Caron, Senior Campaigner for Oxfam-Quebec.
Brotherhood among nations, openness and union of forces in order to meet challenges on a global scale. These are just a few values and principles that the Oxfam-Quebec team tries to convey to young people who attend their workshops and conferences.
Whether it is humanitarian missions in developing countries or conferences whose main objective is to inform the public about various international issues, Oxfam-Québec’s choice to involve young people in its events and to rally them to causes is clear: they are the citizens of tomorrow and they have a real desire to change things. It is through their struggles that the future of our communities is shaped.
Global citizenship education
When the Carrefour de solidarité internationale de Sherbrooke (CSI) was created, several questions arose. How to successfully involve the young people of the Eastern Townships in the fight against climate change if the demonstrations take place mainly in urban areas? How to make citizens aware of the importance of international solidarity?
“At the CSI, we mobilize people in Estrie, whether groups, individuals or institutions, for international solidarity actions overseas. This is really our primary mission, explains Dominique Forget, education officer at the Carrefour de Solidarité Internationale. We work in partnership with organizations in countries of the South, such as Mali and Nicaragua, and in particular we offer three to six month internships in the field for people under 35 who wish to support the mission of our partners. . “
About this goal, Mme Forget adds that a special component of the organization is entirely devoted to education for global citizenship. The purpose of this component is to raise awareness and mobilize people in Estrie so that they develop a better awareness of international inequalities and the means of action that are within their reach to create a more egalitarian world.
A choice audience
Dominique Forget and Catherine Caron both agree that when it comes to climate change, most young people are already aware. Whether it is through social networks, in conferences or even through the news, they hear about global warming much more than previous generations.
“Young people are particularly sensitive to climate change from several angles,” explains Catherine Caron. Whether physically or psychologically, they will be very affected, if only because they are almost systematically excluded from the decision-making processes that affect their future. “
For the two experts, working with young people is a privilege, and above all, it is done in full knowledge of the facts. For Dominique Forget, it all comes down to logic: the sooner young people are aware, the more quickly they will want to get involved in their community and influence their loved ones to get involved too. In addition, the involvement of young people in the community can serve as a starting point, motivation, and then get involved internationally and improve things in a country different from ours.
Grasping the scale of international relations is not easy, and yet, for these young people who want to change the world, it is an important basis. It is for this reason that the CSI team has put together a life-size board game called Globopoly, around which a workshop on international cooperation has been built.
“It’s a big map of the world, a cooperative game. The goal of this game is that young people can become aware of inequalities, the concepts of privilege and oppression, explains Dominique Forget. They must then be able to see to what extent actions made in one place in the world have consequences elsewhere, in other countries. Often, one cannot see these consequences, since air travel is required for this. But when they have a map in front of them, young people can directly see the effect of each of their actions, even the most mundane, such as buying a new cell phone, and understand the repercussions elsewhere in the world. in the country of manufacture for example. “
Although the game immediately seems intended for young people, several officials from Global Affairs Canada, the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie as well as the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les Climate Change took part in this innovative workshop. and came away surprised to see how important educational work is taking place among Quebec youth.
Living in and contributing to a better world
“Our goal is to bring citizens to live in well-being, in dignity, and to enable them to contribute to effecting positive social change. The problem of global warming must absolutely be tackled head-on since it threatens the possibility of young people to live in a more equitable and just world and to contribute to it to the extent of their abilities, ”explains Catherine Caron.
While they are the generation most aware of international solidarity, the social engagement of young people in the issue of global warming, whether through activism or through education, is no longer an option: it is a necessity.