Rebels with a cause
This past weekend, 200 delegates from coast to coast to coast came together in Toronto, Ont., with Jack.org to discuss mental health, and advocate for change in a system that fails too many people.
The organization was founded by Eric Windeler and Sandra Hanington after the death of their son in 2010. The organization has spread to chapters across the country, led by college and university students and has a variety of programs including the national summit, which took place this past weekend, and the Jack Talks program.
Delegates at this year’s summit had an opportunity to hear from a variety of speakers, most notably a video recorded by His Royal Highness Prince William, the Duke of Camrbidge. Topics discussed at the summit included how mental illness is shaped by oppression and what we, as leaders in our community, can do to effect real change through our political systems.
The theme for this year’s summit was Rebels with A Cause. We are rebels because we challenge the status quo and won’t accept the mental health system as it currently stands, and we challenge our political leaders to change our government’s mental health policy. Youth from across the country were inspired, motivated and encouraged to bring home the tools for advocacy they learned at the summit this past weekend and to make noise in their communities to be the catalyst for positive change as it pertains to mental health.
There is a great need for organizations like Jack.org. Youth from across the country, especially those with an intersection of marginalized identities, are becoming burned out from having to constantly advocate for their own fundamental human rights.
Too many young people have lost friends to suicide and mental illness. Too many young men are afraid to speak up about their own struggles with their mental illness for fear of being seen as weak. Access to mental health services in rural and indigenous communities is subpar at best, and too many people are being sent home from hospitals without help when they are facing a crisis. Some people would argue that we have access to services like never before with services such as mental health crisis lines and online counselling, but access to these services is a privilege. Those who can’t afford cell services or don’t have access to cell service or decent internet services cannot access mental health supports like some of us can. Individuals with hearing impairments might not be able to access crisis lines and online counselling. This is why the Rebels are calling for a revolution.
The Jack.org Rebels are youth leading a nationwide rebellion to effect positive change in our communities, and I look forward to seeing where they take mental health advocacy in our country in the future.
In solidarity,
Courtney Jones Torbay