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Youth-inspiring event set to return

Promotes lasting activism

By: Jenny Ford

Posted: 09/18/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore speaks to the students at the 2011 We Day event at the MTS Centre. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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PHOTOS BY MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES Above left: Former U.S. vice-president Al Gore addresses last year�s We Day. ABOVE: Dana Gutierrez, 15, from Sisler High School, cheers during the high-energy event. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Out of all the cities We Day visited last year, Winnipeg stands out to the event's director as one of the most memorable.

"The city really came to a standstill and just embraced this social-justice event. It was quite a sight to behold," said James Lombardi, director of We Day.

We Day is back in Winnipeg on Oct. 30 for a second year. The youth-empowerment event brings together Manitoba high school and middle school students to listen to performers and hear celebrities and world leaders speak about local and global issues and how young people can get involved.

"The stadium is literally vibrating," said Lombardi. "It's not just for the celebrities, it's because they're so excited to be in a room with peers who believe in the same thing they do and want to take action on the same issues. It's really humbling."

The goal of We Day, which holds events in major cities across the country, is to promote youth involvement in issues such as the environment, their community, advocating fair-trade products -- you name it.

"When we started We Day, we were very much in an environment where caring about your world, caring about your environment, caring about these issues wasn't the cool thing to do," he said. "We're trying to change that message."

Speakers such as former U.S. vice-president Al Gore, Paralympian Rick Hansen and former prime minister Paul Martin took the stage last year, followed by musical acts, including Shawn Desman and Down With Webster. This year's lineup is still secret, said Lombardi, but he promises big things.

"I think everyone is going to be thrilled," he said.

Some of the issues discussed last year included child labour, homelessness, the environment and local hunger.

"We want to expose youth to a bunch of social issues both on a local and global level," Lombardi said. "We really find when they have that ownership and accountability for that issue, the impacts are so dramatically increased."

However, We Day doesn't stop when the thousands of students shuffle out of the MTS Centre. They're encouraged to take part in Me to We trips that help communities in developing countries, participate in Free the Children, We Day's parent organization, or commit to buying fair-trade products or helping out at a soup kitchen. Anything, really, to get involved, said Lombardi.

"The action that youth have taken after We Day is incredible and that has really fuelled our desire to spread the We Day message and the event itself to youth across the country," he said.

jennifer.ford@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 18, 2012 B3

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