We Day in Winnipeg preps for launch

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This article was published 29/10/2018 (2678 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As We Day youth empowerment organizers put the finishing touches to the Winnipeg lineup, one local speaker was primed for her first stage appearance at the forum.

Palvi Saini, 19, is a second-year University of Winnipeg student who has attended We Day events in the city since 2013.

Saini moved with her parents from India when she was eight. In grade school, Saini said she was bullied as a newcomer to Canada.

Her response was to organize a rally for inclusion in her senior year in high school, an effort that won her recognition with an award as a youth role model in 2017.

“I’m going to share my story. I went through a lot of bullying and racism at school and how I overcame that and started a movement called #FearLessLoveMore,” Saini said Monday. “I’ll be speaking specifically as to accepting diversity.”

Tuesday’s lineup of speakers and performers includes basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Boston Marathon bombing survivor Adrianne Haslet, 15-year-old Toronto pop singer Johnny Orlando, and American dancer, singer, model and actress Kenzie Ziegler, along with We Charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger.

Wyoming-born motivational speaker, humanitarian and author Spencer West has appeared at more than 60 We Day forums across Canada, the United States and United Kingdom. His message in Winnipeg will be how to redefine possibility, a trademark for the trajectory of his life.

“I’ve been to every We Day in Winnipeg. This year is a bit different… a different story than I’ve ever told before. There’s this overarching theme, that we can redefine what’s possible,” he said

West, 37, lost both his legs from the pelvis down at the age of five, and learned to navigate the world with disabilities, scoring triumphs and successes that have been documented in film and print — including reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on his hands and in a wheelchair.

He’ll talk about that, of course. But he’ll also talk about something he hasn’t discussed much.

“I’m also building this message of living authentically and talking about the LGTQ community and a bit of my coming-out story. It’s a different story than I’ve ever told before,” West said.

We Day, which had its first Winnipeg gathering in 2011, bills itself as the world’s largest youth empowerment event. An estimated 16,000 students and educators are expected to attend the event at the Bell MTS Place.

We Day aims to both inspire young people to make a positive change and recognizes youths who have made a difference in their communities.

A hallmark of the event is you can’t buy a ticket to attend it. Every student earns their seat by taking action on a local and global issue of their choice, from cyberbullying and food insecurity to the environment and access to clean water and education.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca