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2010 LAKEHEAD PUBLIC SCHOOLS YEDE CONFERENCE REPORT

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council facilitated a workshop on Racism and Bullying at the Lakehead Public Schools Youth Embracing Diversity in Education Conference at the Airlane Travelodge Hotel. A total of 61 students completed the questionnaires handed out during the session. However, some participants did not answer all the questions...
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Building Bridges with First Nations

Northwestern Ontario has a large Aboriginal population living in over ninety small isolated communities. Most First Nations settlements are remote fly-in reserves, some still lacking adequate housing, running water and other basic services many Canadians take for granted. Statistics Canada, research papers and news reports reveal high rates of poverty, unemployment, incarceration, and sickness comparable to Third World countries.
Surveys conducted by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC), the Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario (MANWO), Friendship Centres and the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation's (NAN) Forum on Youth Suicide confirm feelings of alienation among Aboriginal youth. Many feel marginalized in their own communities. The situation is even worse when they move to urban centres where they face racism, culture shock and unfamiliar city life with little or no supports...
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DFC 2011 Students Survey Report

This study is a follow-up to consultations done by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) to mobilize aboriginal youth for the Reggie Bushie Inquest. A Coroner’s Inquest was called to examine circumstances surrounding the death of Reggie Bushie, a student from Poplar Hill First Nation attending Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) High School in Thunder Bay. His body was recovered from the McIntyre River on November 1, 2007. Reggie was the fifth DFC student to die in the city since the school opened in 2000. Since then, a sixth student, Kyle Morriseau from Keewaywin First Nation died in the same river in October 2009.
The Coroner’s Inquest for Reggie Bushie has yet to take place due to delays in resolving the jury selection process. In the mean time, DFC and the Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNECC) have already begun to implement some of the recommendations by the students. A major accomplishment to date is the engagement of students as stakeholders, giving them a voice, and empowering them to be part of the solution to problems they encounter...
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COMMENTS ON ONTARIO’S ROOTS OF YOUTH VIOLENCE REPORT

A Review of the Roots of Youth Violence was commissioned by Premier Dalton McGuinty in June, 2007 to help identify and analyze the underlying causes contributing to youth violence, and provide recommendations for Ontario to move forward. Dr. Alvin Curling--former Speaker of the Legislature, and the Honourable Roy McMurtry–former Chief Justice, co-chaired the review process. They met with social agencies, community members and civic leaders, Aboriginal groups, youth representatives, educators, policing services, the justice community, and more.
Thunder Bay was one of the five cities selected to host neighbourhood consultations. In the fall of 2007, the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) co-ordinated focus groups for the co-chairs to hear local stories and the challenges we face. The “Review of the Roots of Youth Violence Report” was released on November 14, 2008, and presented to the Ontario Premier for implementation...
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LIMBRICK PLACE NEIGHBOURHOOD SURVEY

On July 13th, 2011, the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) organized a community barbecue and games for kids at Limbrick Place. The purpose was to engage residents in the neighbourhood to identify their priorities in regards to personal safety and the well-being of children and youth. The Youth Council had large sheets of paper with different headings by the BBQ for residents to write down comments and share their opinions. For those who could not come, we sent a team of youths door to door to interview anyone who was home...
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MANAGING DIVERSITY IN NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO SCHOOLS

The following is a summary of the Regional Multicultural Youth Council's (RMYC) project on the status of race relations in Northwestern Ontario high schools. The report covers consultations with all the twenty-seven high school campuses across the region. A team of RMYC members from different racial and cultural backgrounds met with school principals, teachers, staff, student council members and student representatives to discuss issues concerning racism and the condition of race relations policies in their respective schools.
We are pleased with the co-operation received from all the high schools. While some of the educators were initially apprehensive about our purpose, they gladly provided the information we requested once they realized that this was not a witch-hunt to point fingers and lay blame. The exercise was to find out how schools were dealing with racism, learn from their experiences, and share ideas to avoid racial conflict and the potential for violence. The goal is for every school in the region to become a place where students and teachers are accepted and recognized regardless of race, culture, religion, language or ethnic background, and for each classroom to promote positive race relations where everyone is treated fairly, free from racial discrimination
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Manwo Annual Report 2010 - 2011

MANWO continues to work with newcomers in the region even though we have received no funding for settlement services. We got frequent drop-ins in Thunder Bay, and the toll-free number was our link with the region. We continued to be involved in race relations work and youth initiatives that have forged alliances with aboriginal people in the region. We are building on the First Nations Chiefs-In-Assembly’s resolution supporting our Youth Council’s work with aboriginal children and youth. This is special and unique since First Nations have always been wary of assimilation by working with multicultural groups.
Through the year, MANWO maintained prominence by operating the Multicultural Youth Centre and supporting the RMYC. The Youth Council’s initiatives targeting schools and aboriginal youth continue to expand. Our involvement with the Reggie Bushie Coroner’s Inquest is building more bridges. However, a lack of operational funding for MANWO’s work continues to create problems. With limited funding and no operational grants to prepare collective audits, our financial statements continue to be on a project by project basis as per our contractual agreements with funders and sponsors...
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NAN Chiefs Resolution

Resolution 03/30
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Supports the Regional Youth Centre...
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RESERVED AND LOST (Traumatization of Aboriginal Children and Youth On and Off Reserves)

This report is a summary of activities organized by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) to gather youth input for the “Reggie Bushie Inquest”. An inquest was called to examine circumstances surrounding the death of Reggie Bushie, an Aboriginal student from Poplar Hill First Nation attending Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) High School in Thunder Bay. His body was recovered from the McIntyre River on November 1, 2007. He was the fifth DFC student to die in the city since the school opened in 2000.
In the fall of 2008, the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth (OPACY) contacted the RMYC to organize a meeting for local youths including Students at DFC High School. The purpose was to assess interest to participate in the inquest and provide feedback to understand the situation and what could be done to prevent similar tragedies. Fifteen students from DFC, Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Decade for Youth Council, and the RMYC met with the Provincial Advocate, Mr. Irwin Elman in Thunder Bay. He explained his role as the Provincial Advocate, and was prepared to support the youth if they wanted to participate in the inquest...
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RISING ABORIGINAL VOICES (RAV) YOUTH FORUM

More than 270 Aboriginal youths attended a two-day organized through the Thunder Bay Urban Aboriginal Strategy: Youth Outreach and Neighbourhood Capacity Building Program. The event was co-hosted by the Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre Youth Council and the Regional Multicultural Youth Council.
. Most of the Aboriginal youth invited attend secondary/high schools in the city. Some are permanent city residents, while others are students from northern reserves who live in boarding homes while attending Thunder Bay schools. The youth divided themselves into 10 working groups under Clan names (Wolf, Bear, Rabbit, Otter, Fish, Moose, etc.) to talk about various issues that impact them. The following are the top priorities, concerns and challenges they identified, as well as suggestions of how the issues should be addressed.
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RMYC VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROJECT REPORT

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) is concerned about the growing incidents of violence in our society. We are aware of students who are afraid to visit malls, go to dances or walk alone for fear of being assaulted. Others are afraid to even attend school for fear of being beaten up. We have also heard of children and youth, boys and girls who have been sexually assaulted. Many are afraid to report the cases for fear that no one will believe them, or because things will get worse.
The RMYC feels that violence has to stop. Children have the right to live a life free of violence. Personal safety should be promoted to create a safe environment for everyone to live in, and empowering the youth to break the cycle of violence will make a difference. To mobilize the youth and involve them in a violence prevention campaign, the RMYC organized a project with the following goals and objectives...
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Roots of Youth Violence Pages 31-33

There are more than 100 young people actively involved in the council’s peer leadership initiatives. Their work in schools and communities touches thousands of others.
Many of the council’s activities are related to promoting understanding across cultures and races, such as youth-led presentations to promote anti-racism, participation in events recognizing the contributions and struggles of Aboriginal peoples, and information and resources to celebrate African/Black history month. Several of its young leaders have been recognized for this work...
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Roots of Youth Violence Report

Current changes in family structures, increasing numbers of dysfunctional families, and broken homes, a lack of parenting skills, and growing incidents of poverty are making many children vulnerable and putting them at risk. Therefore safe places where kids can hangout to talk freely about their conditions, their frustrations, their needs, their dreams, and so forth, provides monitored environments to deal with the anger and stress that can be easily lead to violence, vandalism, suicide, addictions and other negative lifestyles.
Engaging children and youth in a positive supportive environment is an effective strategy to make them part of the solution to the problems the face...
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Schools Acknowledging Safety Solutions by Youth (SASSY) Conference Report

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) wants more young people to get a good education for a better life and a brighter future. Dropping out of school high jacks one’s future earning potential, reduces the chances of being successful in life, and making a meaningful contribution to the family, community and society.
According to Statistics Canada and Corrections Canada reports, more than 80 per cent of young offenders have below grade10 education, and 65 per cent have less than grade 8. Life of crime is more likely for school dropouts, and once caught in the cycle of crime, it is much harder to get away from negative lifestyles...
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Sir Winston Churchill High School Girls’ Support Group Report

For my co-operative education placement at the Multicultural Youth Centre, I was given a task to start a girls’ support group at my school. The peer group at Sir Winston Churchill CVI would be an extension of the Revolution Girl-Style (REV) / Girl Power program at the Youth Centre. REV was created by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) in 1998 to encourage young women to think positively about themselves, share information to enable them to make informed decisions, and empower them to make wise choices.
Pauline Fogarty, a past president of the RMYC who started the Revolution Girl-Style/Girl Power program helped me to get started. She showed me how to involve the girls in shaping activities of the group. She provided me with resource materials to let girls take ownership of activities organized, and play an active role in the group...
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THUNDER BAY NEIGHBOURHOOD PROFILES

This report is a summary of the project conducted by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) in July and August, 2008. It covers information gathered from discussions, interviews and focus groups in selected neighbourhoods across the City of Thunder Bay. The aim was to learn about the issues affecting children and youth, but we also felt that it was necessary to include input from parents and other adults.
To attract kids, the Youth Council hosted barbecues with sports games, arts and crafts and music. Parents were invited to join in the fun, tell their stories, and share experiences about raising kids in these neighbourhoods. Other adults were welcome to attend the functions, and add their comments on living in the local areas...
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Thunder Bay Transit Survey Report

The Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) is concerned about the safety of young people coming to the Multicultural Youth Centre. Concerns about safety in the southcore are affecting the numbers of youths participating in the RMYC’s after-school programs. Reports on violence, including a Master’s thesis study by Jill Paske, on the Thunder Bay Core Areas Safety Audit identified most neighbourhoods in down-town Fort William as dangerous*. The Brodie Street bus terminal adjacent to the Youth Centre was mentioned by 75 percent of the respondents as unsafe.
For safety reasons, some parents are reluctant to let their children ride busses and use the Brodie Street terminal to come to the Youth Centre. Now, it is mostly kids from the neighbourhood, the ones who can get rides, or those we are able to provide transportation for, who are coming to the Centre. Safety has become such a major concern that fewer kids are participating in the RMYC’s after-school activities...
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YOUTH FOR SAFER COMMUNITIES PROJECT REPORT

The Youth for Safer Communities project was initiated by the Regional Multicultural Youth Council (RMYC) in response to growing incidents of youth crime and violence in the region. With financial support from the National Crime Prevention Program, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF), the William Creighton Youth Services, the Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario (MANWO), and local fundraising efforts, the RMYC launched a campaign to create safer communities.
The project was launched during a meeting sponsored by the Ontario’s Child and Family Service Advocacy and Voices for Children at the Multicultural Youth Centre on November 14, 2003. Twenty-two youths representing urban centres and surrounding First Nations communities met in Thunder Bay to discuss current trends in youth crime and violence across Northwestern Ontario, and what can be done to engage children and youth as part of the solution...
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