Youth Justice in Ottawa

Recently, I had the privilege to travel to Ottawa with the Human Rights Initiative team of Saint Paul’s High School for the JUST Change Advocacy Symposium. The opportunity to fly to the nation’s capital from Winnipeg, Manitoba to participate in the conference held by Canadian Jesuits International was phenomenal. My three days there were spent learning about advocacy and finding ways to implement it. There was also time for religious reflection and touring. This truly awe-inspiring trip put youth into action, and it’s undeniable that my experience here proved useful in my understanding of advocacy. From hearing stories of empowerment to challenging political offices, youth from all over Canada learned more about pressing matters such as Canada’s disregard for destructive mining, that not every Canadian has access to clean water, actions to slow down climate change and so much more. Learning about the importance of advocacy and how to practice it was a phenomenal experience, heightened by the interactions with a multitude of Canadian youth. The JUST Change Advocacy Symposium was an extraordinary experience that I highly recommend for any youth interested in making a positive change in their community.