My Fabulous Life

Be The Change

November 12, 2013
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3 speakers we day saskatoon 2013By Tara Richter…

When was the last time you were really inspired by something? For me, it was at the We Day celebration in Saskatoon on November 6, 2013 when I was surrounded by the incredible energy of over 15,000 cheering youth from across the province. Telus was gracious to extend an invitation to Feisty Frugal and Fabulous’ Tenille Lafontaine and our two nine-year-old sons as well as myself.

Saskatoon’s Credit Union Centre was packed full of students from 325 schools, all of whom earned their way to We Day through youth volunteerism at both the local and global level. We Day, an initiative of Free the Children founded by humanitarians Craig & Marc Kielburger, serves as the blueprint for young people to take action for social change and to make the world a better place. Since 2007 We Act participants have volunteered 9.6 million hours and raised $37 million for as many as 1000 different local and global causes. Through ‘we’ thinking and ‘we’ action, this initiative pushes boundaries of charity to create change in a worldwide movement, proving anyone from young to old can make a difference. We Day is more than just a one-day event however, it is a movement of young people who are making changes in their communities and in their world.

brothers1My favourite moment, along with my son’s, was the speech by Martin Luther King III. I immediately felt goose bumps and my eyes filled with tears as a dance crew performed on stage while a series of large screens played clips from his father’s I have a Dream Speech. He, with a voice commanding attention as did his father’s, shared that we don’t need to be in a position of power or authority to be have an impact on this earth. He recounted how his father told him that each person is simply to do the very best at whatever it is they do; from public speaking, to packing groceries, to street sweeping; simply be the very best at whatever you do. Inspiration came in all shapes and sizes during We Day. Basketball legend Magic Johnson passionately expressed his view that our role is not about becoming the most successful individual, but instead to help as many other people in pursuit of their dreams. My jaw dropped when I witnessed Spencer West, a man with no legs, enter the stage and hoist himself up on a stool and recount his incredible journey to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. His words of wisdom stuck with me, “There is no can’t – there is only how”. Despite these revered adults, I was beside myself in admiration for the initiatives of the youth. I was floored to learn of the young girl only marginally older than my son who raised $1400 at her lemonade stand to donate to her We Act initiative. There was also the young teen that so strongly believed that one person can make a difference, and started her own initiative appropriately called One Kid Making A Difference and is near her goal of raising $15,000 to build a school in Haiti.

I couldn’t help but sit back and wonder what I have done in comparison to these amazing students. As I looked down at my son, I realized that I am making a difference in the example I am showing him every single day. I am his model of social justice within our home and community. From teaching him how to be a good friend and standing up for those being bullied, or donating his toys to those less fortunate he will learn the foundation for greater things and will see the importance of giving back to communities and helping those who are in need.

we day crowd saskatoonThe We Day website has incredible resources available to help anyone from students and educators to the general public who are looking for a place to start and ways to get involved in We Day initiatives. There are lesson plans and classroom resources, as well as information on the various causes to participate in. There is also a great new smartphone app called We365 that allows students to capture and track all the small (and larger) things they are doing as part of a digital community to make positive change in the world.

The energy and experience of We Day is something that can only be truly understood by being present and taking part. If you are parent with age appropriate children, you want them to be involved. If you are teacher, you definitely want your classroom to take part in these initiatives and attend the next We Day celebration. Follow up studies have shown that those youth who are/were involved are far more likely than their peers to donate to charity, vote in federal elections and volunteer for years to come. We Day, and We Act – as it turns out, ends up having a life-long impact on those students who get involved.

In closing, it is the words of Donisha Predergast, grand-daughter of Bob Marley, that sit with me and remind me of the choice we all face in social justice. She stated, “Both Love and Hate [or indifference] are beasts. The one that you feed is the one that grows.”

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