As a parent — my son is 15 years old —,
I will answer that directly from my own experience. We would say not only do they have to have chances to meet, they have to have the opportunity to learn their other official language. First and foremost, if we don't have that
base in the educational system throughout Canada to allow Canadians to have the opportunity to learn the other official language,
we can't have that rapprochement you are looking for.
First, our experience is it needs to be accessible to the youth, in their second language in our case. Sometimes when francophone artists come, you are dealing with a different language style, a different niveau de langue than a core francophone speaker versus a francophile. Make sure the artists can speak to them where they are.
Second, give them examples of themselves. I appreciated Mr. Cooke's idea of having a jeune ambassadeur who is bilingual. Nothing excites youth more than having someone similar to who they are and not someone like me telling them this is what they should do.
Third, we would agree with our colleagues at French for the Future. Let the youth organize that. They know what they like, what they want, what's appealing. We're just guessing.