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Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis I CBC News
Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis
Hundreds of high school students attended the conference to learn more about the
refugee crisis.
CIBC News • IPostedo Alpir 24, 201 4000 AIM IET 1I ILast Updated: 5 (hours ago
Hundreds of Roca)) Mglh school) students gatlheir for the alnnuall Ottawa Youth Conference to Ilealrin
about the irefugee cidsiiso (CIBC News)
Hundreds of local students gathered at a conference Monday to hear first-hand
accounts from refugees who fled their home countries for a life in Canada.
Organizers and students said this conference was an important way to educate
youth on the issue, as they prepare for the next step in their education.
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4/24/2018
Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis I CBC News
More than 300 high school students attended the sixth annual Ottawa Youth
Conference on Monday to recognize the National Day of Remembrance and Action
on Mass Atrocities. Colonel By Secondary School partnered up with Carleton
University to host the event which focused on the refugee crisis this year.
It was a chance for students to learn from experts who work first hand with
displaced people and hear stories from a handful of refugees who have settled in
Ottawa.
"We just feel that it's very important that our high school students in Ottawa get to
learn information that is correct and that they can be critically minded when they
hear news stories or see social media," said Tricia Leduc, a teacher -librarian at
Colonel By who helped organizer the conference.
She said it's important for students to be well informed, especially when there are
harmful messages about immigration and refugees circulating.
Students had the opportunity to attend a panel discussion, see a mock refugee camp
and speak with refugees.
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4/24/2018
Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis I CBC News
'Tricia ILeduc„ a teaclheir at Collonell IBy secondary .5clhooll and an organiser of the conference, said
the event was a chance for students to learn about the (refugee crisis outside of the classroom.
(CIBC INews)
Leduc said as a teacher she noticed how engaged and interested students are when
it comes to social issues.
"I have to say as a teacher with 20 years experience, I feel that perhaps the general
population underestimates how much our students really know and understand
what's happening in the world around them," she said.
'Next generation of change makers'
The conference also offered information to students about how they can get involved
and help refugees. One student said this is important as students begin to think
about their future careers and ways they can make a change in Canada.
"High school students are about the age where we're getting ready to go to into
university. We're the ones who are making decision and making changes so that
Canada becomes a more welcoming environment for refugees," said Caitlyn Rose, a
high-school student at Colonel By.
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4/24/2018
Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis I CBC News
Caiit:llyn Inose, a student at Collonell IBy Secondary School, said the Ngh sdhooll students who
attended the conference are the future change makers in Canada. (CIBC (News)
Rose agreed with Leduc and said she also believes people would be surprised that
high school students take an interest in social issues.
"A lot of the time we are a lot more interested than you think we are. It's really
important for us to be [interested] since we are the next generation of change
makers."
The event also addressed issues that were completely new to some students.
"I learned a lot more about child soldiers. I didn't know they existed up until this and
it was honestly very shocking and horrifying," said Amal Sheikhmusse, a student
from Osgoode Township High School.
She said the conference has pushed her to do more research on the issue and find
ways she can volunteer.
Sheikhmusse said instead of going online to learn about the topic, she was able to
ask experts and speak with refugees at the conference.
"I would totally recommend this [conference] to other high school students who
wants to know more about this. It's really educational, I loved it," said Sheikhmusse.
Refugee recollections
A handful of refugees attended the conference and spoke to students about their
personal journey to Canada. It was also a chance for students to ask questions about
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4/24/2018 Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis I CBC News
the struggles and triumphs of settling in a new country.
One of the refugees who spoke said he believes this type of interaction is a good way
for students to learn.
"I think this is great because it allows the students to actually learn from a refugee
experience as opposed to going to the Internet and reading about it," said Sang
Nguyen, a Vietnamese refugee who came to Canada with his family in 1979.
Nguyen shared a memorable story with students. He spoke about going to school in
Cornwall as a young boy and how he was often bullied for being the only visible
minority.
Sang Nguyen, one of the refugees that spore at the conference, said iit was iiimportairnt for him to
share hies story Wtlh students.. (CIBC (News)
Nguyen said he was pleasantly surprised at how receptive the students were to his
story.
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4/24/2018
Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis I CBC News
He added that it's important for him to share this particular story with other students
who might be immigrants or refugees themselves.
"To be able to tell my story to let them know yes they are young but they're going to
be fine. They will find a job and they will have a family," said Nguyen.
Nguyen said students expressed a lot of interest in how they can help refugees
coming to Canada, and it got him thinking about how he could start volunteering.
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