Symposium teaches youth how to move the world

Published February 19, 2008 | The Mississauga News

By Tiffany Persaud

Peel youth will learn how they can help create "a world that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable" through a program designed to empower, entertain and energize them.

Youth Can Move the World, a free symposium open to those aged 15 to 25, takes place on Saturday at the HJA Brown Education Centre in Mississauga. It runs from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

The symposium is a character-building event at which a number of workshops and seminars are lined up to help build self-esteem in youth and motivate them to make a difference in the world.

Valerie Davis, chair of Youth Can Move the World's steering committee, said, "this is a special opportunity for youth to explore ways of putting their passion and commitment for particular causes into practice — immediately and locally. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for our region’s social agencies to introduce the next generation to their work and the benefits they bring to our communities."

As many as 24 Peel-based agencies focused on youth, environment and other social causes will showcase their youth volunteer opportunities to participants.

Youth Can Move the World, first held in 2006, was inspired by the United Nations declaration of the years 2005-2014 as the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

As many as 250 people in attendance will participate in a full day of programming that will "encourage and enable youth to engage with community-based organizations to explore opportunities to transform their interests into action through local volunteerism."

Seminars and workshops include Green Entrepreneurship, a discussion on living a greener life, and Media for Change, a critical analysis of the media's influence on society.

Originally published on Mississauga.com