Community Garden

By: Sara Falconer

The status quo had better watch its back. A new generation of activists is getting ready to make some big changes, and thanks to Ottawa's 10th annual Youth Action Gathering (YAG), they'll have the skills to do it.

From July 12 to 16, the Sierra Youth Coalition (SYC) will host a very unique summer camp for 20 youth between the ages of 14 and 19 at the MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre. YAGs are also being held in Halifax and Victoria.

"The gathering is basically a way to bring together youth who want to make positive change in their communities, both socially and environmentally," says Tracey Guptill, communications and outreach co-ordinator for the SYC. "We're giving them a forum to learn about these issues through the lens of sustainability." Participants will learn organizing skills including consensus building and facilitating, as well as taking part in workshops on yoga, vegan cooking, alternative energy, greenwashing and anti-oppression.

The goal is to help them take that learning and turn it into action in their own communities. The SYC's Sustainable Campuses and Sustainable High Schools projects offer tools and support to help youth make concrete changes in their schools, such as energy audits, composting programs and updated water-efficient fountains. "A major part of our work is to find ways to make the change happen, to act on ideas," Guptill says. "They're frustrated with what they see the system is doing, but don't see a way to make their voices heard." Helping young people find their voice helps them fight that feeling of disempowerment, she explains.

The YAG program was informed by a steering committee of youth who work on the Sustainable High Schools project, and in fact 60 to 80 percent of the facilitators are youths themselves, something that distinguishes the SYC's approach from most other organizations.

Members of the SYC are living pre-figuratively: being the change they want to see in society. They form a non-hierarchical, youth-led organization. They "want to inherit a world worth inheriting: one where social justice and the environment are at the centre of everyone's priorities." Their hundreds of members and thousands of volunteers are active in colleges, universities and high schools across the country.

"There's no boss. There's a lot of trust in the office," Guptill says. "Right now we're all female, which is really nice, but that's not a necessity. We've worked with lots of wonderful men."

Guptill, at the ripe old age of 27 in an office where the maximum age is 30, is already looking forward to how she can pass on knowledge to the next group of under-30 activists that join the SYC. "Working for the organization is quite a way to open your eyes to what it is to have work that reflects your values," she says.

For the time being, she is focused on helping make this year's YAG a success, and promises some surprises to mark its 10th anniversary. Most of the funds for the gathering come from the fundraising of summer students, who are in turn learning a valuable skill, but they can always use the support of local businesses and individuals. In particular, they'd love for anyone to share organic fruits and vegetables to help fuel their busy participants.

To register for the YAG or to donate, visit www.syc-cjs.org or the Sierra Youth Coalition Facebook group at www.facebook.com/sierrayouthcoalition.

http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/news/communitygarden.aspx?iIDArticle=20071