A Strategy for Children and Youth in Canada
Canada’s 8 million children are our most important resource.
They are the innovators, leaders, creators, healers and builders of today and tomorrow. It is of immense importance that we care for them today by ensuring their rights and well-being. We must prepare for their future by championing economic and social policies that build a just society and safe communities.
However, action hasn’t been forthcoming because there is no vision. There is no goal or aspiration for a future for our children and youth. Without a vision, without a strategy, we are doomed to failure.
I recognized the need for a collaborative approach, centred on the voices of children and youth and advocates, to tackle this challenge - this led to the Roundtables on a Strategy for Children and Youth in Canada.
Roundtables on a Strategy for Children and Youth in Canada
The first set of roundtables to discuss a National Strategy for Children and Youth took place in October 2022.
It was a set of structured discussions, comprised of presentations followed by extensive Q&A periods. The goal of the Roundtables is to confirm the need for a strategy and to collect the thoughts of key advocates for children and youth on the path forward.
Participants and observers included:
- Children and youth
- Representatives from organizations that work in the area of the rights and well-being of children and youth,
- Parliamentarians and their staff, and
- Other advocates
The second round, focused on youth voices, took place virtually in January 2023.
Watch the recordings from the first round (here) and the second round (here).
