Human Rights Education: The 4th R
Educating for Economic Justice,
Vol. 9, No. 1, Spring 1998.

Vancouver Youth Forum ’97
by Hilary Homes


The arrival of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leader’s Summit in Vancouver in November 1997—and the parallel non-governmental organization (NGO) forum, The People’s Summit—brought with it an ideal opportunity to bring local youth and students into the debate about the relevancy of human rights in so-called “economic associations.”

A day-long Youth and Human Rights Forum was organized for November 20th by a group of NGOs, including Amnesty International, Canada Tibet Committee, Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement, Taiwanese Canadian Association, East Timor Alert Network, Canadian Friends of Burma, and Vancouver Association for the Survivors of Torture.

At first it seemed that the purpose of the Youth Forum should be to “educate” youth on economic rights as part of the overall spectrum of human rights. But it was soon apparent that many youth and students are already well-versed on the issues and are dynamic activists. This quickly became a forum for youth by youth!

Twelve young activists from local high schools, universities, and community-based youth action groups (such as YAHOO: Youth organizing Against Hate, Oligarchy and Oppression) held weekly meetings to refine the program for the day. By the end over 30 youth—many from differing cultural groups —contributed to the shaping of the Forum which attracted about 300 Vancouver-area high school students and their teachers.

During the APEC Leader’s Summit, human rights were pushed to the side with the assertion that the APEC is just about “economic relations.” Somehow this attempt at a tidy separation of concerns neglected to consider that “economic relations” include treatment of workers and other labor standards—a significant part of the human rights spelled out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Youth Forum opened with an innovative candle-lighting ceremony which brought the stories of victims of human rights violations out of the shadows and into public awareness, thanks to wide coverage by the Vancouver media. A series of people played the roles of victims of human rights violations in different countries, each talking about their fate before being “detained” or “killed” by mock soldiers and passing along the flame of their candle to the next person.

Keynote speaker Jose Ramos-Horta, recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, emphasized the role of students in the movement for independence and social change in East Timor. This was just the first of many moments during the day which cast youth and students as activists in the present, not just our “hope for the future.” Tomas, a young activist from East Timor, spoke about his own involvement in the struggle, even though the Indonesian government had just been quoted in a Vancouver newspaper saying that any Indonesian citizen who spoke out during the APEC Leader’s Summit would face serious repercussions upon returning home. Many Youth Forum participants subsequently remarked on the importance of using their freedom to speak out in Canada to support fellow activists such as Tomas.

With the help of Glance Theatre Productions, the human rights records of all 18 APEC nations and economies (APEC includes Taiwan and Hong Kong which are not independent states) were put “on trial.” Witnesses testified for and against APEC members, while the audience sat as the jury. Before sentences could be passed, however, a halt was called to the proceedings on the grounds that the jury was not objective! Audience members were questioned about their own attention to human rights: what countries were their shoes and clothes made in? Did they buy fairly-traded products? The message was effective. We are all a part of human rights abuses just by the way we live our lives, including the products we buy. It isn’t simply the government’s or someone else’s responsibility to care about human rights and work to improve the situation. It’s everybody’s business. The trial was followed up with two panels which took a serious look at the relationship between trade and human rights, and occupation and self-determination.

For an hour, audience members and local youth activists were invited to take the floor and share their reflections on the issues of the day as well as work they had done in other settings. Fellow youth and students were encouraged to get to know the issues that matter to them and do something about it now . . . not tomorrow! There is a role for everyone in working for a better world. Everyone has wisdom to share regardless of age or status. World leaders can’t ignore the pressure put on them to respect human rights standards if everyone joins in and uses the power of his or her voice.

The day ended with a memorial for those who faced the ultimate danger for their activism. Participants read the names of students who died in Tiananmen Square in Beijing during the government crackdown on the democracy movement in June 1989.

The impact of bringing together 300 youth and students is already visible in the greater Vancouver area. In the months since the Youth Forum, several new Amnesty youth groups and human rights clubs have formed in local schools and Forum organizers find themselves in high demand as speakers. One more step on the road to creating a human rights generation!

Hilary Homes is Youth and Student Program Coordinator of Amnesty International Canada (English-speaking).