Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomes G-8 and G-20 Youth Delegation to Ottawa

May 17, 2010

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today welcomed Canadian youth from across the country participating in the G-8/G-20 National Youth Caucus on Parliament Hill.  The meeting will culminate in the selection of 13 Canadian youth delegates to participate in MY SUMMIT 2010, the official international youth summit taking place concurrently with the G-8 and G-20 Leaders’ Summits this June.
 
“Our Government is committed to engaging youth on international issues shaping their world,” said the Prime Minister. “This is an extraordinary opportunity for young Canadians to have their voices heard on the world stage when we host the G-8  and G-20 Summits this summer.”
 
The G-8 portion of MY SUMMIT 2010 will take place in Muskoka, Ontario, from June 23 to 25.  Youth delegates from G-8 countries will negotiate and draft a communiqué to be presented to G-8 leaders during the Summit.  The G-8 youth delegates will then travel to Toronto to join G-20 youth delegates for the G-20 portion of MY SUMMIT 2010 from June 26 to 27. In Toronto, the youth delegates will observe parts of the G-20 Leaders’ Summit, and will discuss international economic issues.


Backgrounder

About MY SUMMIT 2010
 
MY SUMMIT 2010 is the official international youth summit to be held concurrently with the G-8 and the G-20 summits.  Canada is co-hosting MY SUMMIT 2010 with Global Vision, a not-for-profit organization with expertise in youth leadership training.
 
The G-8 component of MY SUMMIT 2010 will take place in Muskoka, Ontario, from June 23 to 25.  Youth delegates will discuss, debate and negotiate the same themes as the G-8 Leaders’ Summit.  The debates will result in a final communiqué that will be presented to G-8 leaders.
 
The youth delegates from the G-8 countries will then travel to Toronto for the G-20 Summit from June 26 to 27.  Youth delegates will be on-site at the G-20 Summit to observe the summit process and engage in discussions on economic themes.
 
A series of preparatory events across Canada organized by Global Vision will precede MY SUMMIT 2010.  Global Vision is a national organization that creates partnerships between government, business and higher education.  It delivers programming that prepares students aged 16 to 25 to make a meaningful contribution — as business or development leaders — towards a better country.
 
These events include a series of Global Leaders Centres (GLCs), where students interact with government, business and industry leaders in a series of one-day sessions held across Canada.  The GLCs engage youth and provide learning opportunities about summit issues and processes.


National Youth Caucus

The National Youth Caucus will bring together 100 youth selected by Global Vision from the GLCs across Canada.  The Caucus, taking place in Ottawa from May 15 to 19, will further explore summit-related issues.  Participants will also learn how to take part in multilateral negotiations.
 
Young people aged 18 to 24 attending the National Youth Caucus can apply to be part of the Canadian delegation to MY SUMMIT 2010.  Global Vision will organize a selection process with a view to developing a 13-person delegation that represents each province and territory.  Those chosen to be part of the official Canadian delegation will immediately start to prepare for MY SUMMIT 2010.
 
The National Youth Caucus will also be used as a forum to select 13 Canadian high school students — aged 16 to 18 — to be youth ambassadors for each province and territory.  They will work with ten youth ambassadors from the Muskoka region and surrounding area and will act as rapporteurs, documenting their experiences at MY SUMMIT 2010.
 
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has invited his G-8/G-20 counterparts to send youth delegations to MY SUMMIT 2010.  Each delegation will be composed of seven university students with an active interest in international politics and the global economy.
 
For more information on the international recruitment process and the Global Leaders Centres, visit the Global Vision website at http://www.globalvision.ca/programs/my-summit-2010.