Sau đây là nguyên văn bài diễn văn của ông Paul Dewar nhân dịp kỷ niệm 10 năm ngày thành lập quỹ học bổng Marion Dewar, kính mời quý vị xem... Speaking notes- OCSICO Marion Dewar dinner, October 19, 2018   Thank you. Merci et bonne soirée. Mom “When you’re in public life, you have to open doors to allow the community to act. It’s a responsibility “ I’ve learned a lot about community in my life. I learned about community as the son of an activist mother and father with a passion for public service. “ And I’ve learned a very great deal about community in the last eight months. Since my diagnosis for brain cancer Working together is an approach that I learned from my mother. My mother was a public health nurse who believed that compassion, inclusion, and empowerment are powerful and essential ingredients of public service. She believed that everyone had something valuable to offer. That by caring about and listening to others, we can learn from them and become better ourselves. When I think of my mother’s legacy, I think of this very feminist approach of working together to achieve more than any of us can alone. It was this approach that led her to work with low-income communities to champion and increase affordable housing in Ottawa. It was this approach that led her to work with Ottawa’s LGBTQ community to build bridges, tackle discrimination, and create safer neighbourhoods for all. And it was this approach that led her to spearhead a whole-of-community effort to resettle 4000 Southeast Asian boat people – half the Canadian commitment at the time. In that case, as in so many others, it only took one person standing up and saying “we’ll do our part” to create a wave of action in solidarity. She believed that everyone had something valuable to offer. That by caring about and listening to others, we can learn from them and become better ourselves. In that case, as in so many others, it only took one person standing up and saying “we’ll do our part” to create a wave of action in solidarity. It’s a confidence that a better world is possible. A conviction that better starts at home. And a commitment to get it done. Youth Action Now is a community action initiative that brings together young people from diverse backgrounds, to support their collective leadership and increase their impact in making a positive change within their communities. The goal is simple: unleash the power of young people to make transformative change. The mechanism, in a nutshell, is community. A community of youth who share a commitment to a more just and sustainable world, and a drive to achieve this through grassroots action. And a community of allies, friends, mentors and supporters who are ready and willing to create spaces and opportunity for youth to lead, and to give them the tools and resources they need to succeed. In the conversations I’ve had with young people since Youth Action Now was launched, one thing that has come through clearly is the importance of connections. Connections between youth and youth, through events, networking, and outreach initiatives. Connections between youth and adult allies, through mentorship, advice, and partnership. Connections between youth and knowledge, through accessible information and resources. Connections between youth and opportunities, through sustainable and inclusive support. Nelson Mandela said “No country can really develop unless its citizens are educated.”   |