National Youth Commission

To Determine the Future of Equality in Canada

Today’s youth are the first generation to grow up protected under the equality section of the Charter of

Rights and Freedoms. With the launch and implementation of a national Youth Commission, LEAF will

investigate how Section 15 has impacted today’s young Canadians. LEAF hopes to learn about the social

justice challenges these young people currently face, and how they see the future of equality in Canada.

The official launch of the LEAF Youth Commission,which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Charter, will

take place at the Ursula Franklin Academy, in Toronto,on April 15th.

During the event, students from Ursula Franklin Academy will have the opportunity to discuss what

social justice means to their generation and how they envision equality in Canada’s future.

LEAF is honoured to announce the distinguished Dr. Ursula Franklin will attend the launch event. Dr.

Franklin is University Professor Emerita in the University of Toronto’s Department of Materials Science

Engineering, and a member of the Order of Ontario. She has campaigned for social justice, peace and

women’s rights and is the figurehead of the group that ushered in Section Fifteen. The United Nations

Association of Canada awarded Dr. Franklin with the Pearson Peace Medal in recognition of her

humanitarian work.

Speakers at the event also include Saron Ghebressellassie, a Youth Commissioner and 23-year-old

doctoral candidate from York University. Saron has been active in Toronto’s student, labour, feminist and

anti-racist movements since 2003. She received the YWCA Young Woman of Distinction Award for

speaking the languages of activism, and was named in Chatelaine Magazine’s “Top 80 Women to Watch”

feature article.

The goal of the Youth Commission program is to take the pulse of Canada’s youth and discover how

social justice and equality issues affect them. LEAF appointed twelve Youth Commissioners from across

Canada to survey their local communities through focus groups, consultations and community events. At

these gatherings, Commissioners will pose questions about social justice, and the responses will be

captured on video.

LEAF will capitalize on communications technologies to connect interested parties and create interactive

dialogue about issues concerning today’s youth. This will include the launch of a new blog feature on the

LEAF website on which youth from across Canada are encouraged to submit creative works that depict

their perspectives on human rights, and awareness building via Facebook and Twitter.

LEAF will publish a digital record of youth responses and blog submissions. The video will be made

available to the public through LEAF’s website, YouTube and an open screening. LEAF will also use the

feedback to improve their youth programming and develop a report to use as an educational tool to

support further research on equality issues in Canada.

To find out about the Youth Commission in your community and local events check out the Youth

Commission website at www.leaf.ca/youth. For more information on the program, please contact Niki

Popper, Education Program Coordinator at 416-595-7170 ext. 229 or email n.popper@leaf.ca