REFLECTIONS on the OCIC 2013 Global Citizens Forum


Fayaz Noormohamed, one of the two Lead Forum Volunteers for the OCIC 2013 Global Citizens Forum: State of the World’s Youth, reflects on the lead up to the Forum and the major takeaways from the two-day event.


by Fayaz Noormohamed I


n April 2013, I read the posting for the position of Lead Forum Volunteer with the Ontario Council for International Cooperation


(OCIC) and for its triennial Global Citizens Forum (GCF). The theme of the forum instantly appealed to me: “The State of the World’s Youth”. As someone who has worked on youth development in various countries, some questions about the Forum immediately came to mind. How will the complex and wide-ranging topic of ‘Youth’ be approached over a two-day conference? What specific tools would participants walk away with? Would it be possible to foster a collective capacity in addressing youth issues globally? I thought to myself, what better way to have these questions answered than to be a part of answering them.


The forum’s objectives were to a) convene OCIC members, youth and relevant organizations and individuals


to strengthen


capacity to address issues affecting youth globally, share


including tools, in Ontario, Canada; research and good practices


to increase effectiveness in youth-centered work; c)


facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue


on emerging issues pertinent to youth and youth-serving organizations; and d) highlight and support


the work of organizations and


practitioners as agents of change. Various individuals from OCIC’s membership accepted the call to join a Steering Committee. The Forum’s theme development was first on our agenda and together, we used an “Idea Jam” to map various topics of interest under the Forum’s theme. From ‘learning from African youth-driven projects’ and ‘youth mobilization through technology’ to ‘impacts of natural disasters and human conflict’ to ‘post-2015 development goals’, three thematic strands emerged from the Idea Jam: i) Youth as Influencers, ii) 21st Century Learning and iii) Employment, Livelihoods and Well-Being.


16 iAM Youth as... Global Citizens b)


Following a call for nominations from OCIC members to invite international partners to attend and present at the


Committee selected process, outstanding the Committee youth


the Forum, development


leaders from Jamaica, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Nicaragua. planning


In continuing the inclusive review and recommended


keynote


speakers and would meet to select 29 workshop presenters (out of more than 50 that applied) who would deliver 18 workshops and panel presentations organized across the three abovementioned strands.


The Forum was held on November 7-8, 2013 in downtown Toronto with over 130 sector


leaders, practitioners, policy


makers, advocates, activists, academics, funders and youth in attendance. Keynote speakers Rita Karakas of Canada World Youth and Jennifer Corriero of TakingItGlobal launched us off with their viewpoints, critical


thinking and encouragement. Jennifer


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