Local youth conference focuses on refugee crisis

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.

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 organize 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.

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.

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 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.

Nguyen said he was pleasantly surprised at how receptive the students were to his story.

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.