Absolutely.
Good evening, and thank you for inviting us to join this discussion tonight. My name is Corey Willard, and I'm a volunteer board member with the foundation that the forum is part of.
I'm going to touch on two things. I'm going to give you a brief overview of the program. I know many of you know Forum for Young Canadians; I see some familiar faces in the room. I'll also touch on two aspects of the proposed legislation that might affect our program and the youth who participate in it.
Forum for Young Canadians is a non-partisan program that offers Canadian youth a chance to learn about Canada's political system, and sit side by side with today's leaders, preparing themselves to become leaders tomorrow. Throughout their week in Ottawa, these youths participate in mock elections, learn about the pillars of Canada's democratic system, and most importantly, how to use their voice.
They represent the issues in their communities and provinces and learn from each other what the fabric of Canadian society is all about.
Their experiences begin months before they arrive and continue for months after they return home. We support them in continuing their engagement as active citizens. As young leaders, one of their roles is to return to their schools and community groups and inspire their peers to become active and engaged citizens.
Funded in part through the Department of Canadian Heritage's exchanges Canada program, the forum program also receives support from sponsors that include Elections Canada, the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians, the Churchill Society, the Canadian Club of Ottawa, and a host of other companies and organizations.
For the last 38 years, forum has been the flagship program for the Foundation for the Study of Processes of Government in Canada, a not-for-profit organization whose volunteer board of directors is comprised of notable Canadians from across the country.
We are proud of the outcome that a significant number of students who participate in forum return to Ottawa to complete their post-secondary education. They already know what they want to do. Some of them end up working on or around Parliament Hill. Many of the other students who participate in the program end up choosing to pursue their post-secondary education in another city or province, in part because of the impact forum has had on their interest to explore the different regions of our country.
The elimination of vouching would have a negative impact on these youths. Many of them are turning 18 and are eager to vote. Most of them are attending post-secondary education institutions away from their home town, and unfortunately, the reality is a lot of them don't end up changing their addresses for the time they are in school. I was a victim of that one.
Elections Canada plays a supporting role in our program. At every session, Elections Canada officials come and deliver the module of the program that relates to voting.
In addition to the presentation, Elections Canada supplies us with all the materials required to host a mock election. Throughout the year, Elections Canada plays a significant role in strengthening our ability to support our participants in motivating their peers to vote.
As a non-partisan organization, we are part of a network of other organizations whose role is to prepare the next generation of Canadian leaders and active citizens by providing them with the tools and information they need to remain true to the democratic process.
I'm sure it was not the intent of proposed section 18 of this legislation that organizations such as ours would no longer have access to support from Elections Canada to educate and inspire Canada's youth from a non-partisan perspective. However, we believe that would indeed be one of the unintended consequences.
On Friday when we received this invitation, we were in the process of saying goodbye to 146 youths from across Canada who gathered here in Ottawa last week for forum. We heard over and over and over again comments from students about how forum has made them realize the importance of becoming active and engaged citizens. I will share a few comments that were submitted to us last week prior to these students departing.
Danielle, from Manitoba, noted, “Before I came to Ottawa I thought I would never vote, now I will go home and count the days till I turn 18 and can vote and I’ll get all my friends to vote.”
Roya, from Ontario, said: “Voting is very important because people have the ability to choose who they believe is the right person to lead their country. Citizens must vote in order for their political leaders to reflect the interests of the population.”
Michael, from Ontario, said, “One of the most valuable and interesting parts of forum is the chance to debate political issues in a non-partisan environment. The election simulation and Elections Canada presentation both have the effect of showing students how these debates are decided in 'the real world'. The excitement generated by the elections at forum is incomparable and certainly makes the youth who participate passionate about exercising their democratic right.”
Katie, from Quebec, said: “I felt the information I heard during the election session provided me with what I need to know not only about how to go about voting but also why it's so important for me to vote so I could make a good decision on who to vote for and be able to do it.”
Megan, from Nova Scotia, said, “That won't be the last time I put my X to say who I think should run this country.”
On behalf of the Foundation for the Study of Processes of Government in Canada, please accept our thanks for the opportunity to present this evening.
I will conclude with the words of another participant of our program. “Visiting Parliament Hill means more than just witnessing history. It means looking at the future and knowing that this is potentially a place where some of us may create history. It goes beyond the magnificent carvings and walls and makes me most grateful to be part of such a beautiful nation.” That was from Dunja, from British Columbia.
We wish the committee every success in the task it has undertaken. We are now ready to provide you with any other information you may need.
Thank you.