I'll go first.
I don't think there is anything in any of the evidence I've heard, either in my previous session or in what I've heard through listening online to the other sessions.
What really drove me to connect with the committee is that I feel that sometimes it's difficult to have a purely international view. I know we're meant to be relating to the Canadian context, but it felt, most certainly in our session, that the conversation turned to some legacy issues in Canada and wasn't purely international. I would encourage the committee to keep that international hat on and really look at what's happening around the world.
As well, I really think it's important to acknowledge the youth aspect. What I'm seeing in Ecuador, and what I'm seeing in Canada as well, is the engagement and empowerment of young indigenous people. This is one reason I'm returning to Canada later this year to work. It's really inspiring and it's really great to see this, but it's very risky.
If this generation of youth become disengaged, or disenchanted with the energy industry and the way the government is treating them and operators are engaging with them, they can completely turn the other way and can most definitely stop the projects in their communities. It's really important to understand that their voices are prioritized and respected within these communities and that it not be as hierarchical as what we see in the energy industry.
To me that's one of the polar opposites I see between communities and the way the industry operates: it's the treatment and recognition of the voice of youth.