Social justice
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Engaging youth in social justice
"Young people have idealism, an innate sense of injustice and, most importantly, the motivation to actually do something about it," he says. Lund should know. During his 20-plus years working with youth social justice activists he has garnered a Peace Hero Award, an Award of Distinction from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and a Teaching Excellence Award. Currently, Lund is interviewing former youth leaders in an attempt to better understand the ways in which taking a leadership role can impact individuals in long-lasting ways. He hopes this collaboration will give voice to youth leaders whom he feels have long been ignored for their work in shaping our understanding of social justice activism. Last fall, in partnership with graduate student Sonia Aujla, Lund gave a presentation at the Engage NOW conference, where the Dalai Lama shared his thoughts on social responsibility to a packed Pengrowth Saddledome. Their presentation, entitled Engaging Youth in the Struggle for Social Justice, was a chance to connect with an important segment of the social justice movement. "I work a lot with policymakers and hope to influence the bigger structure," says Lund. "There's nothing wrong with doing that top-down work and, in fact, you might say that's where some of the biggest impacts can be felt in the long term. Still, the power of grassroots movements is where my greatest interest lies and where, I think, you can engage the most people." During their presentation, Lund and Aujla provided concrete strategies for networking, engaging the media and accessing resources. "Part of the work I do is to highlight some of the excellent and inspirational work young people are up to," says Lund, who feels this is necessary to combat stereotypes about young people today. "I've met young people who are very altruistic but who look scary to most adults, which leads to a quick judgment. We have to suspend value judgments of people based on their appearance." 
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December 14, 2009