Stepping Up: Voices that Challenge

By: Varun Venkataramanan, Julie Xiao, Arani Kulamurugan, Areeba Asghar, Ayman Arik

Photo: Matthew Tse

On 11 May 2017, MGCI held its inaugural Grade 11 Conference at Central Technical School from 9 am to 3 pm. The conference, titled “Stepping Up: Voices that Challenge,” featured speakers who informed students about various world issues, hoping to inspire action.

Prior to the conference, students signed up for two of the ten workshops offered through an online portal. All ten workshops were held once in the morning and again in the afternoon.

Understanding Diversity and its Impacts on Difference and Exclusion

Richard Landau, an expert on diversity issues, explored the importance of diversity in societies and populations. Drawing a comparison with biodiversity, Landau discussed the perils of monoculture and the resilience that diversity fosters. He urged the audience to stand in solidarity and to take action when witnessing acts of hate.

Resilience in the Face of Stress

Canadian filmmaker Azfar Rizvi described resilience as a characteristic that requires practice to be mastered. “Resilience,” Rizvi stated, “is about staying your ground, about staying solid.” He discussed the three ingredients of his “secret recipe” to combat stress and achieve resilience: believing in oneself, being responsive to challenges, and surrounding oneself with people who care.

The Media and Fake News

Ryerson University Journalism professor Joyce Smith discussed what fake news is and its impact, not just on the subjects in fabricated articles, but also on the journalism profession and news industry. Smith talked about what people have done to combat fake news, such as Debunk, a website that verifies news. She also encouraged students to ignore clickbait and refrain from sharing suspicious stories on social media.

Critical Thinking

Julia Coburn introduced participants to the website she co-founded, Worldvuze. Worldvuze is an online global discussion platform for students. During the workshop, students were taught how to use the website, and discussed various topics regarding the environment and social media. Unfortunately, many students left the workshop disappointed, as they felt it was more about promoting the website instead of critical thinking.

Mental Health

A cyclothymic and the Executive Director at Minds Matter Magazine, Ary Maharaj spoke about the importance of mental health education in schools. He stressed that the stigma surrounding mental illnesses needs to disappear, and that students with such conditions should seek out the appropriate accommodations through school.

Black Issues

Kwsei Millington, a former RCMP officer and decorated public speaker, spoke about his experience in the RCMP and the conflict between police officers and the black community. He discussed the stereotypes associated with different races and how there is no such thing as a ‘positive stereotype.’ Millington said that students should value characteristics they can change, such as their kindness and intelligence, rather than what they cannot, such as their race.

Women’s Rights

Nour Bakhache (morning), a global health researcher, and Hania Ahmed (afternoon), a computer engineer, focused on the struggles that women face in the work force. They stressed the importance of equal opportunity and equal access to education for girls, as well as the importance of women’s rights advocacy. They have seen how women and men rarely have equivalent pay, and explained the many glass ceilings women have to go through.

Money Management

Canadian Foundation for Economic Education (CFEE) member Kevin Maynard spoke about managing and handling money. Maynard also talked about what the CFEE does and handed out free books that teach youth about money and financial literacy.

Human Rights and Freedoms

April Julian, the Director of Education at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Education Trust, pointed out some rights the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides citizens, while also noting they have reasonable limits. She encouraged her audience to remain vigilant if they believe that their rights are being infringed upon.

Cyber Violence and Bullying

April Luu and Lydia Rezene, founders of internet safety hub Webwise, discussed various forms of cyber violence, including but not limited to, stalking, cat fishing, blackmailing and cyber bullying. Luu and Rezene also advised the audience to be especially careful, since in the age of social media, all information is archived.

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In between workshops, guest speakers spoke to all the Grade 11 students. The first talk kicked off the conference and was given by Lakehead University’s Chair of Truth and Reconciliation, Cynthia Wesley Esquimaux. She discussed the injustices against Aboriginal peoples and the importance of reconciliation. Following her presentation, the second talk was given by two speakers: Imam Hamid Slimi of Sayeda Khadija Centre and Rabbi Baruch Frydman Kohl of the Beth Tzedec Congregation. They talked about the reasons why Islamophobia and anti-Semitism exist and how to combat them.

After the first round of workshops and lunch, the third speaker was Mubin Shaikh, an expert on radicalization, national security, and counterterrorism. He spoke about what radicalization and extremism are and shared his personal story as an individual recruited by ISIS.

United Charity, a program that unifies youth through hip-hop, concluded the conference with a presentation. Three presenters shared how breakdancing changed their life and how it is never too late to find a passion followed by a showcase of their talents.

Many students enjoyed the conference. Maheen Khalid said, “The conference taught us a lot of things. It opened our eyes and gave us more insights on issues in the world.”

When asked why she wanted to organize a conference, Ms. Goldenberg said, “I’ve wanted to do a conference ever since I came to this school.” Through the conference, students would hear “challenging things” that would inspire them be more involved at MGCI and their community. Ms. Goldenberg chose the Grade 11 students because she wanted to see the results of the conference at MGCI the following year. As to how she thought the conference went, she said, “It was amazing.” Ms. Goldenberg hopes to introduce the conference as an annual event at Marc Garneau.