August 14, 2009

by Her Excellency Michaëlle Jean

On July 31, 2009, I spent two very moving hours at the ihuman Youth Society Arts Studio, in downtown Edmonton.

 I was blown away by the way in which the caring staff, through ihuman’s arts-based programming, offered compassion, love, support, and understanding to young people, many of whom have experienced rape, attacks and the violent deaths of loved ones.

The youth told me how through the urban arts, they had regained confidence in themselves and made a commitment to try to stay on the right path, despite the many temptations in their way. And what I could really do as governor general is to take the time to listen to them. They really want people to trust them and to pay heed to their ideas and concerns, as well as to encourage them and to validate their efforts. They are achieving wonderful things with their work.

 Finally, they want to share their concerns with decision makers of every kind; they told me directly: we want the government to hear everything we have to say.

That, to me, is what governance is all about.

For all across the country, particularly in spaces of vulnerability and marginalization, Canadian youth are finding hope in urban art.

Whether it is rap, multimedia, sculpture, spoken word, poetry, slam, film, graffiti, animation, painting, drama, locking or popping, urban art is giving them a new voice, an opportunity to re-imagine and reinvent their lives, as well as a space to redefine and strengthen our citizenship.

Please do not get me wrong.

I am not saying that all forms of urban art have these seemingly miraculous properties.

One has only to look at commercial or “gangsta” hip-hop to see how crime, violence, misogyny and homophobia are still being glorified in our society.

The point, however, is that hundreds of urban artists are offering all of us a vital alternative to the pervasive attitude of “everyone for himself or for his clan”. They are also offering hope to our country, particularly to those who have faced serious challenges in their lives.

We as a nation must stand in solidarity with these artists, for every time a child fails, we fail as a society.

The responsibility and tools are in our hands.

Let’s make a difference.