Educating and empowering youth during challenging times

There is no question that this has been the start of an exceptionally challenging new school year. Not only are we in the middle of a pandemic, our communities have been dealing with incredibly difficult issues including violence and systemic racism.

Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman from Manawan, died in a Quebec hospital, but not before recording disturbing, racially-motivated verbal abuse directed at her by hospital staff.

History has shown us that times of crisis like we are witnessing now can lead to increased anger, fear, intolerance and a rise in hate. But this can also create opportunities for positive change.

It is more important than ever that we equip students with the skills they need to think critically about the world around them and the confidence to take a stand against injustice when they see it happening. While our educators continue to struggle with the logistics of the school year, we have to realize that conversations around freedom, democracy and human rights — and what they mean for everyone, not a select few — simply cannot wait.

Freedom Day is one of the many ways Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) is working to engage and empower students. September 24 marked the 11th annual Freedom Day, a student-focused celebration of Canadian freedoms. Each year is different, but the program is always guided by the words of Simon Wiesenthal, who said “Freedom is not a gift from heaven. You have to fight for it every day of your life.” This year’s virtual program educates young people about the consequences of intolerance while inspiring them to be the changemakers.

How does a program like this empower young people to stand up and speak out? Students have the opportunity to listen to remarkable individuals like Lt. Gen. Roméo Dallaire (Ret.) who led the UN peacekeeping mission during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. They listen to his belief in humanity despite having seen the very worst of what one person can do to another.

Students also hear from Holocaust survivor Max Eisen who, at the age of 15, was arrested and imprisoned at Auschwitz, where his immediate family was murdered and he was left to survive on his own. Max understands the importance of freedom more than many and he calls on young Canadians to recognize, protect and stand up for the freedoms we often take for granted.

The program also includes the stories of several young community activists, like 20-year-old Aurora Ominika-Enosse from Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory (located on Manitoulin Island) who provides her unique perspective on freedom in Canada as an Indigenous woman. She worries about becoming a statistic, one of the missing and murdered Indigenous women, questioning if she’s really free if she carries the burden of this fear.

These compelling stories empower young people to recognize the value of their own perspectives. We need to celebrate the voices of people fighting against inequality so we can inspire students to imagine a more inclusive future for all Canadians and empower them to take the steps necessary to make this vision a reality.

Moments of crisis and uncertainty are sadly times when hate and the worst of humanity can thrive. But they are also opportunities to create the potential for meaningful change. Educating young people about the importance of diversity and inclusion, and the cost of hate and intolerance, is the first step toward addressing systemic racism and the ills of society head-on.