Toronto, Thursday, October 26, 2006

I am so pleased to join you this morning at the Ontario Children and Youth Summit. As you are probably aware, when I was nominated 27^th governor general of Canada, I decided to make youth one of my main priorities.

I embarked on an exciting journey, crisscrossing the country, meeting with Canadians of all backgrounds, and engaging young women and men in a dialogue on the role they are playing to bring meaningful change to their communities. It is a wonderful adventure. And it has reaffirmed my belief that our capacity to build the kind of society in which we all wish to live depends on the involvement of everyone, particularly youth.

And for this reason, I treasure every opportunity I get to exchange with youth, support young people like you in your efforts to build a better world, a better environment, a better hood, a better community, celebrate your achievements, your ideas of solutions to issues that affect you in your close environment, your family, your school, your hood, your city, and encourage you to forge links with young people from across the country.

During my official visit to the province of Quebec as governor general, I decided to stray off the beaten path and meet with a dozen young inmates working on a unique and innovative radio show that gives them a voice within the community, beyond the walls of incarceration.

There, in a small, cramped studio of the Bordeaux prison, we spent two very moving hours with those young inmates sharing ideas about the meaning of freedom, responsibility, and human dignity and about their impact on these young men’s lives, hopes and dreams as they prepared to reintegrate into society. In poignant terms, they shared—some rapping, some singing, and some even reading poetry—their personal testimonies of pain, disappointment and even despair.

However, as we pursued our conversation, I was touched to see how our exchange helped them realize that to become fully-fledged citizens, a different mindset, a different attitude can be crucial. Crime doesn’t pay. It doesn’t give you a life. It destroys your life and at times the lives of others.

As they spoke of respect, I saw the glimmers of hope in their eyes, as they truly desired a better, more responsible future. I think this strong and valuable message from the young inmates is particularly relevant today.

While this summit is being described as an opportunity for service providers and youth to exchange on the programs offered to them in Ontario, the energy and dynamism I feel here suggest that there is something even more powerful happening today. Earlier on this morning, I met with two-hundred youth from across the province in a town hall in which we discussed a broad range of issues that directly affect youth, including the extent to which the various youth outlets in the province are responsive to their needs.

What was magical about this encounter was the quality of the exchange with such a wide range of youth originating from the four corners of the globe, hailing from every region in this province, and some even living in protective care and youth protection.

As you are all aware, there is still within our society a tendency to view young people as intrinsically apathetic.

Many people believe that young Canadians are drawn by the whims of fashion and entertainment trends, that they are simply not socially engaged. This attitude is even more pronounced when directed towards those who are considered to be “at risk.” Here, deep prejudices drive a wedge between our most marginalized young people and the wider society. A sad portrait indeed.

You have all heard the old clichés: “They’re intimidating,” “they never listen,” “they’re are a menace to society,” “they’re a lost cause,” “they don’t really care,” “they don’t really belong here,” “send them back home.”

These assumptions serve only to reinforce the solitudes that hinder our ability to relate to each other. These assumptions ultimately provide ammunition to those criminal elements seeking to bring the most vulnerable into their fold.

More and more, we are seeing well-structured criminal groups reaching out to young girls, young boys, young women, young men who have lost faith in themselves and in our society, gang leaders giving them a false sense of belonging and enticing them with alluring rewards.

The energy I feel here, however, suggests that even though some of you may confront violence and despair in your lives, I know that we must always remember that young people share a hope for a brighter future, for themselves and their peers.

This hope is not, however, merely a dream; no, it is a reality whose roots are firmly grounded in the spaces that exist for dialogue, solidarity, and caring across this country.

This morning’s youth town hall gave me much hope. The participants had the courage to tell me about some of their most disturbing experiences while providing me with concrete recommendations on ways to tackle these challenges in a constructive and effective manner.

I was struck by their honesty, candour, and their creative ideas. Their commitment to work towards achieving their dreams was exemplary, remarkable and sincere.

I must say that through the dialogue this morning, you have exceeded my expectations and demonstrated how you can all make a difference not only in your own lives but also in the lives of others.

You have shown the country that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow; they are also the leaders of today, and we all have a duty to support them in their efforts to achieve positive change in our country.

To the young people here with us, you have proclaimed very clearly your strong desire to be responsible leaders and positive agents of change in your own lives and in the lives of your peers. I think we owe you all a round of applause.

It is here, through your voices earlier this morning, that I have heard the importance of being heard and being respected, the desire to continue being engaged and to forge larger networks with young people in this province and in the rest of our country.

However, I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the openness of the summit’s organizers and the service providers present. They are actually listening to what youth are saying.

During my previous career as a journalist, I observed how, at times, those who offered services to young people often ignored their ideas and perspectives in the creation and delivery of programs. Youth I met were often faced with activities that really reflected the perspectives of an older and perhaps more affluent group of people. Interestingly, during my encounters with young Canadians over the past year, a recurring theme has been the “disconnect” many feel between some of the services available to them and their real and most pressing needs.

Through today’s intergenerational dialogue and exchange, summit organizers are radically recasting the relationship between service providers and young people, placing youth participation at the very heart of what it means to provide assistance to them.

In sum, they are empowering young people to help themselves and to be an integral part of the process. No longer are youth peering in from the sidelines while their future is decided by others; no, here, youth and service providers collaborate jointly to create the conditions so that all young people can achieve their dreams and aspirations.

And so, I must congratulate you as your efforts really illustrate the unwavering power of caring, power of solidarity and dialogue in laying the groundwork for a better world, better environment, better hood, better school, better home, better community, and so on. Canadians have a lot to learn from your initiative, as it provides hope to thousands across the country and ultimately helps to tear down another solitude that is impeding, as we say in French, notre vivre ensemble…our desire to live in harmony and respect.

I believe in you, in your strengths, in your creative ideas, solutions and initiatives. I encourage you to continue in that very promising direction.

Once again, I would like to thank you for receiving me today, and I wish you great success in the rest of the summit.

Thank you.