Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Saturday, April 07, 2012

Cutting youth volunteer program a short-sighted move

Picture this: A national volunteer program - kind of a Canadian Peace Corps - that benefits young Canadians, communities and, arguably, the country as a whole. You could call it the Governor General's Youth Corps, say, or even the Royal Canadian Volunteer Corps. It's hard to imagine a federal politician who wouldn't eat up the idea.

Just don't call it Katimavik. The $15-million-a-year youth volunteer program, which was axed in last week's federal budget, was the right program, at the right time, with the wrong political lineage, at least for the Conservative government. Created under Pierre Trudeau in 1977. Reinstated after being cut under the Mulroney government when its founder Liberal Senator Jacques Hébert went on a 21day hunger strike to save it. Even Justin Trudeau has had a hand in Katimavik, as a board member.

It must have been one Trudeau too many for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. That is the only plausible explanation for why, at a time when youth unemployment in Canada is at 14 per cent, a program that does so much good at so relatively little cost and is, coincidentally, so apparently aligned with Conservative values of volunteerism and youth engagement, had to go.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty offered a succinct explanation in the budget, saying Katimavik concentrated funding "on a very small number of participants at an excessive per-person cost." (Katimavik sends 1,100 Canadians between 17 and 21 to various parts of Canada each year to volunteer with community organizations.) The government, said Flaherty, will continue to invest in "affordable, effective programming that engages youth -"

The program could have used a tweak or two. It certainly could have been higher profile, and might have profited from a rebranding exercise.

But dismantling it is playing petty politics with an important issue - and with those who have benefited from it, such as Ottawa resident Ryan Coulas, currently volunteering with a community group in Sioux Lookout through Katimavik.

Coulas, who was 17 and at loose ends when he graduated from high school last year, said Katimavik has given him life skills, work experience and a new outlook.

"Because of Katimavik I am a more confident and strongminded person," he said by email.

"Living with 11 others your own age really does change your life. You learn new skills from each other. - Being in this program puts you in so many life situations that most youth do not experience in today's world."

Coulas will be among the last group of young Canadians to experience Katimavik. In June, when his stint in Sioux Lookout wraps up, so does the 35-year-old program that has been lauded by the United Nations.

The name Katimavik, which means meeting place in Inuktitut, could have been rethought for something more, well, Conservative friendly. A reference to the Governor General in the name might have been a fitting way to rebrand the program for a new century. Governor General David Johnston has, after all, been one of the most passionate proponents of volunteer opportunities for young Canadians.

"I believe that in Canada helping your neighbour is more than a duty. It is a source of pride. This spirit of giving, which often develops at a very young age and helps to define our collective identity, forms the very basis of any dynamic society. Each of us has a vital role to play in building a smarter, more caring nation," he said in a recent speech.

And Johnston is not the only high-profile Canadian talking about the importance of volunteerism. The University of Ottawa has recently set up a centre to encourage volunteering, by students, faculty a n d s t a ff .

Katimavik has been cut at a time when volunteering is increasingly something young Canadians are doing, many as part of a gap year between high school and university.

But it is much easier, with the help of international organizations that facilitate volunteer stints in places such as Africa and South America, for young Canadians to find volunteer opportunities abroad than at home. Which is where Katimavik, or a Canadian peace corps, or whatever you want to call it, comes in.

You can argue that young Canadians should be able to find their own volunteer opportunities - and some do - but setting up an organization that facilitates that kind of volunteering in remote and off-the-beaten track parts of Canada is valuable both to the volunteers and the recipients, and is just the kind of service governments should offer.

Coulas's parents, Brenda and David, say they remember when Hébert went on a hunger strike to save Katimavik decades ago. "I'm not suggesting you go on a hunger strike -" they wrote to their MP David McGuinty, in a plea for him to help save the program.

"There is no other experience like it or way for kids that age to get in-depth knowledge of Canada," said David Coulas. "It is really too bad they are cutting it."

Original Article
Source: edmonton journal
Author: Elizabeth Payne

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