CAMPUS VIEWS
Are young Canadians actually cynical, self-centred and disengaged, as stereotypes and media narratives often suggest? Or, rather, is the reality that our political system ignores youth — not the other way around? What would Canada be like in 20 years if young people were in charge?
These are the questions 10 student journalist fellows set out to explore on their campuses in western Canada. They interviewed hundreds of students to learn what issues most mattered to them. Then they produced in-depth investigations into how Canada could realize the futures envisioned by their campus communities.
What did they learn? Start by reading editor Tari Ajadi’s story “Why Possible Canadas: Are young people really disengaged in politics?” and student fellow Arno Rosenfeld’s article “A vision from the future: Canada in 2035, if young people were in charge.” Then explore each student fellow’s article about how we, as a country, can get to that future. (The features will be published over the next three weeks.)
And join the conversation. Tell us about your vision for the future by using #PossibleCanadas on Twitter or by texting “Canada” to 778 762 0809.
Tari Ajadi
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Too often we leave entire groups out of national conversations. One perspective obviously missing from the campaign discourse? The stewards of this future Canada. What better way to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday than to rethink how we discuss our future?
Arno Rosenfeld
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It is October 2035, and how times have changed during the past two decades. Youth were fed up with the gulf between their image of what Canada should be and its reality, and the government’s arrogance during the Great Baseball Expulsion of 2015 was the last straw.
