Be Bold. Take Action.

This week in Edmonton, Alberta at the Global Youth Assembly, over 500 youth will explore the connections between water and an array of issues and topics. Water and youth engagement. Water and development. Water and education. Water and production. Water and indigenous rights. Water and Africa. Water and art.

The GYA 2011 will help youth deepen their understanding of water in relation to the issues that interest them and in relation to each other, their communities, and the world. You can read more on the Speak Up for Change blog.

Speak Up for Change will be covering the Global Youth Assembly from Edmonton, Alberta. Look for updates through our Twitter @SUFC and our blog here!

The Power of Words

This short film illustrates the power of words to radically change your message and your effect upon the world.

Watch this short video below (or at this link).

The Story of a Sign by Alonso Alvarez Barreda
Music by Giles Lamb
Directored by Seth Gardner

Global Youth Assembly 2011 Video: Be the Change!

Global Youth Assembly: Be the Change!

Watch this short video for this year's 2011 Global Youth Assembly.

The theme of this year's conference is Our World, Our Water. To read a variety of blog posts about Water on the Speak Up for Change blog, click here.

Come be part of the Change this July in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

For details, visit www.youthassembly.ca.

Canada and the G8

By Kristen Ostling

It’s been a pretty interesting New Year in Ottawa so far. The decision to shut down parliament dominated the headlines, but just 24 hours after that story broke, Canada also took over the presidency of the G8, a group made up of the leaders of the eight of the world’s most powerful countries, and a critical decision making body when it comes to supporting the world’s poorest people.

It is once again Canada’s time to lead and it’s our time to remind Ottawa that even though parliament may be prorogued, we can’t prorogue the fight against global poverty.

Ask our leaders to develop a new Canadian plan to invest in meeting the Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty and disease by 2015. Take action now by clicking this link to add your name to our urgent petition.

The petition, which we'll deliver to Prime Minister Harper and opposition leaders Ignatieff, Duceppe, and Layton, reads:

As Canada assumes the presidency of the G8 for 2010, please honour the tradition of leadership in the fight against global poverty by announcing a new commitment to investing in proven solutions to extreme poverty and disease, as part of a Millennium Development Goal action plan with a strong focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.

Canada is uniquely positioned to be the catalyst for a new, global push to meet the Millennium Development Goals. Across parties and governments, Canada kept its promise to double foreign assistance between 2005 and 2010. It’s an accomplishment we can celebrate and use as a jumping-off point this year.

With that in mind, ONE is teaming up with Make Poverty History Canada to take advantage of this historic moment. In 2010, Canadian leadership at the G8 will play a crucial role in keeping the focus on the incredible opportunity we have to make this the decade when we keep the global promise to meet the challenge of global poverty and preventable disease.

But it will only happen if we come together and remind our leaders in Ottawa that we’re watching and expect bold action against global poverty in 2010 and beyond.

Take action here now.


Kristen Ostling is a member of the activist group ONE

Opportunity to Listen: Why Everything Must Change

By Abid Virani

Each and everyday, educational institutions welcome guest speakers to share their knowledge with students. Speakers range dramatically, from young determined activists to former politicians turned humanitarian. Students should take every opportunity to listen to these speakers “not only to hear them, but also listen to them.

It is vital, in this day and age, for students to gain an understanding of multiple perspectives. Although a speaker may not intrigue you “they may be too right wing or left wing“ it is still a valuable experience to listen to them. By doing so, students are better prepared to understand their own beliefs and perspectives.

Occasionally, there is an outlet that consistently shows various perspectives. Speak Up for Change not only addresses hundreds of issues, from literacy to technology, but it is also one of the many outlets of knowledge that cannot be ignored. On October 23 - 24, another outlet for students was available in Oakville, Ontario.

Fatmire Feka, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and Founder of Kids Club for Peace, is amongst the list. There are best-selling authors, CEOs and Presidents of non-profit organizations. Organizations represented include Student Reach International, Nelson Mandela's Children Fund, Gender Equality Incorporated, Opportunity International Canada and Habitat for Humanity. The conference is called, "Why Everything Must Change".

How fortunate we are to be a drive away from such knowledge and experience. Let us never doubt the powerful impact of, not hearing, but listening. Let us always remember that our ability to listen and learn is perhaps the strongest weapon in our arsenal for a making positive and lasting change in this world.

As youth in Kosovo, we worked hard. We didn’t change the world, nor did we change our country, but we did have an impact on our communities, on our peers, and we did plant a powerful seed of hope in people’s hearts.

- Fatmire Feka, in her keynote address at WEMC 2008

Religion and Motivating Change

By Dylan Robertson

What motivates you? What inspires you to work for change? What gives you the perseverance you need to accomplish your goals?

For many people, the answer is religion.

Although many conflicts in the world surround religion, we must realize that religion is what motivates people for good. Oxfam was started by Quakers. Gandhi was influenced by many religious traditions. Marc and Craig Kielburger of Free the Children as well as Mother Theresa, are Catholics.

Even whole denominations have been motivated for change. In North America, the 1890's saw a new trend called the "Social Gospel movement", where Christians, especially Evangelicals, dedicated their time and energy to alleviating poverty in their communities.

It is important for all of us, religious or not, to recognize the role of religion in social justice. For it is through understanding each other that we can learn to work together for the common good.

Dylan Robertson is a Journalism student at the University of Toronto. His work at the school's The Varsity can be found here.

The Other Side

By Arzoo Zaheer

I hear these sad whispers, sad cries resonating within and without like “ghosts of the middle passage”

A huge barrier is in place between you and I, reminiscent of the “Berlin Wall”; a cruel separator

Through the crevices of the wall, pours clear blue water drenched in profundity and melancholy sadness, mourning the loss of the People

Scattered on either side of the wall are turtles, hiding protectively under their temporary shells of oblivion

A nothingness constructed out of something called disbelief—disbelief of the power of the self

I casually walk near the wall, peeking through the holes, my soul screaming to see the other side as I get distracted by the turtles

Curiously, I sit idly within a shell, just for the sake of this so called “security”- ha, a naïve, silly experiment of the self

Still, my mind wanders cautiously: What exactly is on the other side? What exactly is on the other side?

And then the answer knocks at my heart in the form of a stanza, a poem, a courante

Know the weight of the self: thy’s weaknesses are thy’s strengths, oh courageous warrior

First have faith, then have courage and then have faith and open that hidden door NoW, before it’s too late

Let the healing occur via the words and let “the Wind” carry it to the Other Side

For relief will come, but only from Within

So seek and purify the Within before Without disintegrates fully leaving you without your shell, huh an obscure shell of oblivion

Igniting Change Now!

Be Part of the Change

Today’s youth are hyper-connected and hyper-aware. They know that there are massive global issues to be dealt with, ranging from global warming/climate change, environmental protection and sustainability, human rights and social justice, post-war conflict resolution and peace-building…the list is endless. There is so much happening in our highly globalized world that it’s hard to know what we need to focus on and more importantly, how we go about changing things.

Just knowing about the issue is the first step towards becoming a more active citizen but awareness alone is not enough. What we must all focus on is moving from awareness to action—and setting the world on fire with our passion and enthusiasm for making positive, community-focused, sustainable change.

Awareness to Action

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights is proud to present the second Ignite Change Now! Global Youth Assembly 2009. From July 30 to August 2, in Edmonton, Alberta, this dynamic social forum is an awesome opportunity for youth and young professionals between the ages of 16-28 to get together and work towards building sustainable action plans for their communities.

This four day conference will featuring inspiring keynotes such as Craig Kielburger and Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, people who have worked on both the national and international stage for global justice. Listening to their stories might give some of you great ideas on your own projects or aspirations for the future. The conference will also have dynamic workshops that go beyond just the traditional lecture-style presentations (although there will be those too!) to interactive discussions on issues and topics through creative media, music and dance. All the workshops will be sure to inform or empower you with new knowledge and skills.

Most importantly, however, the GYA will be an opportunity for you, the young leader, to meet new people. This is an invaluable opportunity to connect with like-minded folks who share your passion and ideals, to network and express yourselves in a safe environment. The GYA is a stepping stone towards a movement, a vision of today’s youth becoming engaged, active citizens that would carry forward into the next generation. The GYA is a tool to help youth reach their goals and dreams by giving young leaders the tools and resources to start, continue and maintain their projects (whatever they may be!) to the end.

Why (Always) So Serious?

Well…saving the world is serious business but not to worry, there will also be loads of extra activities that will be sure to blow your mind. Check out Films4Change, two documentaries that will be shown with discussion to follow. Older than America is a film about residential schools and features Georgina Lightning in the director and lead role. Darfur Now follows five different people’s stories and their quest and work to bring awareness and justice to Darfur, the war-torn region of Sudan and the brutal violence taking place there.

Then there’s the Concert and Dialogue. We can’t say much about that yet except that it will be epic—a full-blown concert featuring Nomadic Massive, a hip-hop band out of Montreal, and a dialogue very special guest who you won’t want to miss!

To wrap it all up, there is the Shop4Change Ethical Fashion Show. Part fashion-show, part shopping bazaar, Shop4Change is all about ethical consumerism. If the market economy runs on supply and demand, then it must be up to us to demand ethical goods that companies should supply—responsibly, of course.

Ignite Change Now!

Ultimately, changing the world is in your hands. All we can do is provide you with the tools and resources to make this happen. For more detail and information regarding the Ignite Change Now! Global Youth Assembly, please visit www.youthassembly.ca.

"The time is always right to do what is right.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Be the Solution

If you want things to be different then take action to make it happen!

The Foundation For Caregivers has a campaign called Be the Solution (btsol). We thought it was so relevant that we're sharing it on the Speak Up for Change blog today.

For every problem, there is a solution. As a change-maker, you must be that solution. This applies to both everyday life and the huge problems of the world. Here are some common problems, and suggested solutions, showing us how easy it is to take action!

• Can't find a job? Start a company, Volunteer, Go to school
• Don't like the government? Vote, Run for office, Petition
• Think kids need to change? Be a better parent, Mentor, Teach
• See others in need? Help them, Donate, Volunteer
• Other concerns? Do something positive

"What we're saying today is that you're either part of the solution or you're part of the problem." - Eldridge Cleaver, 1968.

The above content is found online at www.btsol.org (Copyright © 2009 Foundation For Caregivers).

Have your voice heard about issues that matter. Speak Up for Change! Register as a contributor at now.

Top Websites for Activism, Social Change, Non-Profits and Resources

Speak Up for Change has complied a list of some websites and online tools for activists, non-profit organizations, and those looking to make a difference online! Included are links and a breif description of each site, as well as links to their Twitter accounts.

Websites included in this post have been selected based on their usefulness and relevance, but there are still more to be added in a future post. Please comment on this post or email editor@accesscharity.ca with your suggestions.

Change.org (www.change.org and @changedotorg)
Change.org serves as a central platform informing and empowering movements for social change around the most important issues of our time.

Global Issues.org (www.globalissues.org)
GlobalIssues.org provides insights into global issues that may be misrepresented but are all closely related.

TakingItGlobal (www.tigweb.org and @takingitglobal)
TakingITGlobal.org is an online community that connects youth to find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in their local and global communities.

Idealist.org (www.idealist.org and @idealist)
A "global clearinghouse of nonprofit and volunteering resources", offering a directory of volunteer opportunities and other resources.

Charity Village (www.charityvillage.com and @CharityVillage)
Canada's supersite for the nonprofit sector, with thousands of pages of news, jobs, resources and links.

Social Actions (www.socialactions.com and @socialactions)
Social Actions is an open source database of actions people can take on any issue. The actions are aggregated from across the social web and include everything from volunteer opportunities to micro credit loans.

Global Voices (globalvoicesonline.org and @globalvoices)
Global Voices aggregates, curates, and amplifies the global conversation online – shining light on places and people other media often ignore.

The Online Giving Blog (www.onlinefundraisingblog.com)
Whether you're an experienced online fundraiser or new to raising money online, answers to your questions can be found on this blog.

Imagine Canada (www.imaginecanada.ca and @ImagineCanada)
A national program to promote public and corporate giving, volunteering and support to the community.

We-Care.com (www.we-care.com and @We_Care_Giving)
We-Care.com allows your organization to receive money when your supporters shop at major online merchants. It is free, customized to support your brand and message, and fully managed so it's not taking up your staff time.

Global Giving (www.globalgiving.com and @GlobalGiving)
GlobalGiving is an online marketplace that connects you to the causes and countries you care about. You select the projects you want to support, make a tax-deductible contribution, and get regular progress updates - so you can see your impact.

Other Related Organizations to Follow on Twitter

Apart from Speak Up for Change @sufc, here are some active users that you may want to follow for more information on activism and the non-profiit sector!

@twittacause
@changefeed
@Philanthropy
@socialactions
@firstgiving
@Top10Causes

Speak Up for Change (speakupforchange.ca and @sufc) gives youth and non-profit organizations a chance to write about poverty, education-related issues and more. Subscribe via email or become a contributor today!

Signs of Hope

By Mozafer Rajabali

As a teenager living in a developed country, it is really difficult to understand what most children face in their day-to-day lives. With International Children’s Day approaching, it is very essential that those of us who have some time and the capacity to do something about it, because a small step can take us a long way. We tend to forget that these children are mobbed of their chances of enjoying their youth with time for sports, fun, and have to surrender to living a subsistence way of life.

Not only do we need to start organizations created by the youth in today’s generation, we have to employ them to be put to good use. Last year a series of events since 2003 began an ambitious effort by students at the University of Guelph to raise money towards HIV/AIDS in Lesotho. Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik initially wanted to raise $1 million for the Tsepong Clinic, however only halfway through her battle did she receive support from many students at the University, thus a new goal was born – to raise $150 million. This will be enough to stop the transmission of HIV/AIDS throughout the whole of Lesotho. The power of the youth here is hard to mouth, almost impossible to define. Initially, the students along with Dr. Anne-Marie came up with the idea of hiring a group of South African women to make 5,000 red and white beaded bracelets and sell them on their campus. They named it the Bracelet of Hope, which is today being promoted all of Canada, and will in the future; achieve the goal of providing better healthcare in Lesotho alone 1.


If today’s youth, including myself, would come forward and promote such issues – we could save the world! The best place to start would be by helping those who are so dear and yet so far away from us, the deprived youth of many developing countries. A colleague of mine raised a good point once in a heated debate, that the media and the stereotypical view of youth in developing countries is that they are deprived of necessities, commonly live in huts, don’t attend school, and if they do they use chalkboards and so on and so forth. Although this is true, it is only so to a certain extent. Many developing countries have computers; some even have one per student!

It is astounding at times that a lot of people can close their eyes and blindly believe what they want to believe, rather than what they need to. At the same time, there is a great need to establish support for those who are living in the direst of circumstances. Awareness of the positive aspects of many poorer countries, especially in Africa has to be created. In this way ignorance will be removed, and thus a better understanding of how we as the youth of today, are interdependent will increase.

There are big initiatives out there, which promote a better lifestyle for children. What we have to realize, as today’s youth, is that this change not only has to occur for those in need, but for those who have to extend their hand in providing the need. If the latter group can show initiative, we can be a great success. Present day examples like the Grameen Bank, which at its root is set out to help people, more so women and children, are exemplary.

I would like to see more youth who are capable leaders, to step into such fields with the plain intention of sincerely helping and reaching out. More importantly we need adults to provide incentives for the youth to do so, because otherwise ignorance will prevail and the mindset of many youth will be somewhat selfish, if not totally selfish.

As International Children’s Day is here, we have to acknowledge the role of children and youth in our lives, let them play an integral part of it, and promote a more interdependent society. At the same time the children have to be congratulated at wherever they stand, and reminded of how they have so much more than their international compatriots.

Mozafer Rajabali is a high school student who wants potential to be recognized in the most deprived of countries.

References: 1 “Bracelet of Hope”, hope.student-reach.com. 30th May 2009. <http://hope.student-reach.com/bracelet.html>