YouToo Conference - Keynote

February 29, 2008 marked the date of the first of six CIDA sponsored YouToo High School Engagement Conferences organized by the Global Stewardship Program. The day started off at 9:00 am at Byrne Creek Secondary School, Burnaby, B.C., with frenzied postering, lots of coffee and pre-conference set up. Our keynote speaker, Sol Guy, from 4Real Productions arrived to deliver his presentation at 9:30. He began with video clips from his company's brand new documentary film 4Real. Our cool factor went way up.

Though we had 60 students registered to attend the full day conference, when they started to line up to sign in, they seemed only marginally excited. After all, just another Friday at school. Or so they thought. But then they met Sol; a tall skinny guy in a cap and jeans, who brought out clip after video clip of him and Usher, him and The Rascals, and a whole cast of hip hop dudes. The kids started to wake up. Sol's credibility went way up and the guy beside me said to the guy sitting next to him, "Hey, this is some dude".

They listened to Sol as he told us about his first trip to one of the poorest countries in the world, Liberia, where he heard about and saw the effects of conflict diamonds for the very first time. "And then I went back to L.A and there was P.Diddy and 50 cent with ropes of diamonds around their necks, and I got confused ... I got so confused all I knew was that I had to do something to change the world in some way..."

And he told us about how he found his way to be part of social change; how he went from small town B.C to hip hop music manager for some of the largest labels in North America; to the producer, directer and face behind a social change project called 4Real. A project that involves young leaders from eight countries around the world, a Vancouver production crew, Media organizations (National geographic,CTV and MTV), celebrities, and a whole lot of heart and soul.

By now he had everyone's attention and we knew we were off to a good day.

What About Those T-shirts

Re-Shirt: A New Backstory for the T-shirt is an interesting article by Vancouver based writer, Sanjay Kanna, read on: worldchanging.com.

Global Stews receive outstanding student awards

The following G Stews received a Capilano College Outstanding Student Award at the Gala Luncheon on February 19,2008. Congratulations to: Melanie, Siobhan, Meagan and Catherine.

Meagan, left, and Catherine, right, pose with big smiles alongside G Stew Convenor, Rita, after accepting their certificate.

Fellowships Available!

The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation is pleased to announce the 2008 call for applications for the Global Youth Fellowship program. The Fellowships are targeted towards emerging Canadian leaders who demonstrate potential to enhance Canada’s role on the world stage. The Fellowships will provide successful candidates with a cash award of $20,000 as well as other forms of support.

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents between 24 – 35 years of age with previous international experience – paid or volunteer. They also need to demonstrate a sustained commitment to international issues through studies, career choices and volunteer activities.

Application Deadline is Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EST

More information about the Fellowship programme, including application
forms, guidelines and information on current and past Fellows, visit gordonfn.org.

CIDA Conference

Students and former CIDA interns, here is your chance to network with major companies and organizations who are major players in the global marketplace. CIDA is inviting you to attend the two day conference where you can see for yourself what changes are taking place in the development field, and learn what skills you need to get your dream job abroad. This is a great opportunity to put your networking skills to the test.

When: Tuesday May 20th - Thursday May 22nd
Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel (655 Burrard St.)

For more conference and registration details visit cme-mec.ca.

Student Video Contest

Win $500.00! Here is a great opportunity for students to use their creative talents to make their voices heard on an environmental topic that's important to them.

As part of the 2nd Annual Environmental Film Festival, the Green Ideas Network and the City of Surrey are launching a Student Video Contest. Student submissions will be eligible to win $500 in cash, along with lots of great prizes. Winning entries will be screened to the public at Simon Fraser University's Surrey Campus. Contest entries are due by March 30th.

We ask that you please forward the attached information as widely as possible to any students that may be interested. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. We'd be happy to supply hardcopy posters and entry forms, should you need them. Thank you for your assistance with this exciting project!


Contact Person and Information: Camille Andrews, Environmental Stewardship Coordinator, Urban Forestry & Environmental Programs
Surrey Parks, Recreation & Culture

Volunteer Positions Available

The World Community Film Festival is looking for volunteers,
particularly projectionists and ushers. Students who volunteer get free
access to the festival, those who volunteer for 6 hours get a free
weekend pass. The training for projectionists and ushers is quite
straightforward, even pleasant. If you know any students who might be
interested please have them contact me or volunteer coordinator Yvonne
Leung at yvonne.leung@hotmail.com.
Rick Gordon
Department of Philosophy, Langara

Enter the Open Architecture Challenge

Only 30 days left! If you have dreams about designing sustainable, low-cost buildings here is a chance to win $250,000 toward making your dream come true. For details go to: openarchitecturenetwork.org

Youth Conference on Darfur

The conference will allow students of all backgrounds, disciplines and ages to engage in academic, professional and action-oriented discussion about the situation in Darfur. This will be the first time youth have been invited to participate in a conference on Darfur.



The format of the conference is based on the traditional model UN-style structure, but has been customized in two ways. First, participants will represent only nations, multilateral organizations, non-governmental organizations and directly afflicted parties relating to the conflict at the conference. Through this modification, we hope to have truly stimulating and positive discussion on the issues. And second, the day will be split so that 3/4 of the conference will be used to debate two pre-assigned questions among participants, while the remaining 1/4 of the event will be an interactive discussion with experts on Darfur who will give an academic perspective to the same issues discussed earlier.

When: Sunday, March 2nd 09h00-17h00
Where: Vancouver Public Library, Alice MacKay Room
Cost: FREE

For more information visit darfur2008.com, email darfur2008@gmail.com, or phone 604.294.5160.

Job Opportunities with Check Your Head

Please note there are currently two job openings with CYH.

• Health Care Youth Engagement Strategy Coordinator
• Development Officer

To request the job descriptions email Rita or Kevin.

In the Spirit of the Bambulance...

Water filtration bike:

My Name is Rachel Corrie

There have been innumerable attempts to censor the play, My Name is Rachel Corrie. In response and out of a need to question what this means for public discussion of the Israel-Palestine conflict that runs counter to mainstream characterizations of the situation neworldtheatre presents...

Here and There: Panel Discussion & Community Forum

The panel will examine the motivations behind, and the complexities of international solidarity activism in Palestine; and the central role of artists and educators in the work of realizing justice in the Middle East.

Panelists will include:

• Sobhi al-Zobeidi, Palestinian filmmaker, scholar and founder of refugee Camp Productions
  
• Jon Elmer, Canadian freelance writer and photojournalist specializing in the Middle East
  
• Itai Erdal, Lighting designer and former Israeli Defense Forces soldier
  
• Johanna Mazur, International Solidarity Movement Activist
  
• mia amir, Israeli-born, Vancouver-based Activist and Poet

...and others

When: January 20th, 15h00-18h00 (related events at other times)
Where: SFU Harbour Centre, Labatt Lecture Hall (Room 1700)
Cost: FREE

For more information on My Name Is Rachel Corrie and related events visit neworldtheatre.com, email info@neworldtheatre.com, or by phone at 604.602.0007.

Transferring to Univeristy?

Important Notice: March 30th is the application deadline for the Irving K Barber BC Scholarship - $5000 - for those students who are transferring to BC universities to continue their degrees. For more information visit bcscholarship.ca.

Volunteers needed at Living Oceans

This is a great opportunity for G Stews who want to focus on environmental stewardship. Living Oceans is looking for two to three people to take on volunteer positions starting soon. Our contact person is Mary Lindsay; email her at mlindsay@livingoceans.org.

News from Indonesia

Hi Global Stewardship,

I can't even say how much being in the Global Stewardship Program has shaped my current reality. Right now I participating in Canada World Youth in Indonesia. And really putting into practice all the things I learned about global issues, politics, and development work while I was a G Stew.

I find myself talking about the program so much lately because it really has shaped my experience. Since being in Indonesia, my group has been challenged to come up with its own research method to find out what we are going to do in our village.

My G Stew experience has really given me so much insight into how to make our time and work here sustainable, participatory and worthwhile, without being imposing or imperialistic. It's a challenge but I feel well equipped to deal with this challenge because of my years as a G Stew.

This experience overseas feels more like a stepping stone to my future because I am using so much of my knowledge from the program. We even organized a Make Poverty History March in the Canadian phase of this program, and my experience doing that as a G Stew helped immensely. The perspective I gained from the program continually surfaces each day in a positive way that I know it will continue to for the rest of my life.

- Sashah

Our Obsession to Clean is Making Us Trashy

"Many people that consider themselves good stewards of their money are careful not to indulge in too many designer shoes, coffee house drinks, or take-out dinners. How often have you considered that your cleaning routine may be the most wasteful habit of them all?"

So starts Linsey Knerl's article at wisebread.com.

I strongly encourage you to read the full article, it is not long, for an eye awakening experience in why new isn't always better.

Read a book, plant a tree.

Eco-libris would like to help reduce our ecological footprint. Specifically, through reducing our consumption of books. But don't worry, books are here to stay.

Instead of reducing the amount of books, the idea behind Eco-Libris is very simple: they sell a $1 sticker you can place in a book to indicate it has been 'compensated' for as Eco-Libris will plant a tree with that $1.

1 book = 1 sticker = 1 tree.

It turns out they plant 1.3 trees for every dollar, that is, 4 trees for every $3, because about 1/3rd of planted trees don’t make it, and the goal is to have surviving trees, not just to plant them. That $1 doesn't just plant a tree to wither and die or survive and flourish as chance would have it, but a healthy tree guaranteed.

Eco-Libris takes a small percentage of the $1 to sustain themselves, and then contracts out with 3 different tree-planting non-profit organizations they’ve selected, in Africa and Central America.

Want to do your part? Visit Eco-Libris at ecolibris.net.

Call Out to Filmmakers!

If you had the world's attention for a few minutes ... what story would you tell?

Submit a film for Pangea Day! Pangea Day is looking for short films that will make people laugh, pause and think. They can be fiction, nonfiction, real life or animation. Above all, they should tell a story that someone else on the other side of the world will be able to relate to.

Pangea Day will be offering a $3,000 licensing fee to every featured Pangea Day filmmaker. You could also win $20,000 to develop a treatment and a nonbinding first look with Participant Productions

Register at pangeaday.org. Then upload your film to youtube.com. You may also submit your film via Withoutabox.

Need music for your Pangea Day film? Our friends at Elias Arts, the renowned music company in Santa Monica and New York City, have created a Pangea Day Music Library. This music is a gift to Pangea Day filmmakers in appreciation for their efforts - and because powerful images and themes deserve music to match.

Go to eliasarts.com to register and request a password to access the music library.

Submissions close February 15, 2008

Facilitator's needed for Nov 2008!

Safiya Dhanani is working with an international organization called CISV (Children's International Summer Villages), which promotes cross-cultural friendship and understanding through children and operate on an international, national and local level.

Currently, she is on a committee that is in the planning stages of organizing a youth environmental sustainability conference for November 2008. They are looking for young, articulate individuals to facilitate a series of break out sessions. They are requesting students from the Global Stewardship program to facilitate discussions and run a few activities.

Visit cisvvancouver.com and cisv.org for more info!

Craig Kielburger at SFU Harbour Centre

World Campus Keynote presents Craig Keilburger, a children's rights activist and leadership specialist.

When: January 24th 19h00 - 20h30
Where: Fletcher Centre Theatre, SFU Harbour Centre
Cost: $5 for Students, $10 otherwise

Email hjc1@sfu.ca to reserve seats.