Yellowknife (Sep 29/03) - Diversity described both the subject and the participants of a recent forum.

Fifteen youth between the ages of 15 and 26 from across the North participated in the United Nations Association of Canada (UNAC) Youth for Diversity forum from Sept. 19-21 in Yellowknife.

A morning session was also set aside for a look at the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and how it applies to youths.

The idea behind the forum was to show youth that their concerns over such subjects are shared by others.

"It helps them see that they are not a small voice in the group. There are others who have the same ideas," said Marcy MacDougall, the regional co-ordinator for UNAC.

The forum was divided between speakers and large and small group discussions and workshops.

The youths discussed issues such as unity, oppression, exploitation, racial profiling and hate crimes.

They talked about respecting, promoting and recognizing diversity. They also gave their opinions on what society and themselves personally have to do to achieve that.

This was the first time such a forum was held in the NWT.

"We had done some youth forums against racism in larger centres but decided to go to smaller communities," said Sherwin Modeste, a project officer from Ottawa who facilitated with the forum.

The organizers hope the participants will return to their communities and work there to promote diversity.

"We don't want the participants to return home and not do anything about what they learned in there. We want them to put into practice some of the ideas that were expressed," said MacDougall.

For the participants it was an opportunity to learn how to work at changing the way things are.

Johnathon Antoine, a Grade 12 student from Fort Simpson was glad for the opportunity to discuss such issues.

"I didn't know too much about diversity. I wanted to know what others are thinking. It's nice to know that there are other people out there with some similar concerns," said Antoine, who is also the vice-president of his school's student council.

Antoine is passionate about music. He hopes to channel the ideas he picked up at the forum into music.

"I want to start a music organization in Fort Simpson. We don't have one there. And I think this forum will have given me the confidence to go ahead with the project," Antoine said.

Antoine hopes to put what people said about diversity during the forum into some of the songs he writes.

Antoine said he was really keen on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms session of the forum.

"I knew most of it. I've been interested in the charter for a while. I want to know my rights," he said.