A worthy challenge ahead
Stop Racism youth tour preparing for millennium

Sarah Holland
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 03/99) - In 1966, March 21 was proclaimed International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination by the United Nations.

March 21 was chosen because it commemorates the peaceful demonstrators against apartheid who were killed in Sharpeville, South Africa in 1960.

A new millennium project has been introduced in Canada called the Stop Racism (Tour Canada) Youth Challenge. This 'Racism. Stop It! Action 2000' initiative was born from the Multiculturalism Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage and is helped along by the YWCA of Canada and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada.

In Yellowknife, the YWCA is pairing up with Storefront For Volunteer Agencies to get this challenge on its way.

Crystal Gaudry, volunteer manager of the social services sector of the YWCA, is hopeful and excited about the challenge, and plans are well under way.

"I believe we can make a difference in our small town. We do represent a lot of cultural and ethnic groups."

"So far, we've talked to the youth advisory committee and SADD, and they have also talked to a lot of youth. There's a lot of interest from them and they think it's a great project to work on."

How does it work?

Teams of three to six youth (anyone can create a team) aged 15 to 24 will compete in one of 21 challenges, 20 of which have been outlined by youth delegates from across Canada and one of which is to be creative and conceive your own challenge.

One of the challenges is called The Sound of Multiculturalism, where the team composes a song that speaks out against racism. The goal here is to get the song heard by as many people as possible.

The teams are first judged by a local panel of various community members.

"I'm trying to put together a racially and ethnically diverse judging panel. That's really important to me," says Gaudry.

Ten teams, chosen by a national judging panel, will travel across Canada to share their experiences and wisdom with others. These teams will also attend and be featured at the International Stop Racism Concert and Awards Program, broadcast on March 21, 2000.

The deadline to register a team and a challenge is October 15, 1999 and the final 10 teams will be chosen in January, 2000.

For more information and an information package contact Crystal Gaudry at the Yellowknife YWCA.