Mission Statement
Young Voices Can! is an Ottawa-based charitable organization working to foster open dialogue, mutual understanding and inclusion among young people of different ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds.
About Us
While we focus on combatting Islamophobia and anti-Semitism, we aspire to engage students from all communities to increase their awareness of the important Canadian values of pluralism. YVC! uses a program-based approach where young people develop conflict resolution strategies, leadership and global citizenship skills. Our goal is to bring together youth of diverse backgrounds and teach them to work, learn and build bridges together, in and among their respective communities.
Formerly known as Peace Camp Ottawa, YVC! is the operating name of the legal entity, Ottawa Peace Foundation, .
June 10, 2020, Ottawa, ON – Young Voices Can! is a Canadian organization dedicated to fostering open dialogue, mutual understanding and inclusion among young people of varying ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds. We embrace pluralism and are firmly committed to the principles of racial equality and justice.
Like millions of others, we witnessed with horror the death of George Floyd, a black man pleading for his life as he lay dying under the knee of a white police officer in Minneapolis. The protests that have erupted in response to Mr. Floyd’s death call for racial justice around the world. They are a clarion call for the elimination of systemic racism. Racism and violence of any kind, against any minority group, have no place in a society that claims to be committed to defending human rights and respecting the rule of law. The demand for reform must be acted upon with urgency.
The activities of YVC focus on youth. They are designed to foster understanding and appreciation for Canada’s multicultural reality so the next generation of leaders will build a better and more inclusive Canada.
Young Voices Can! stands in concert with the Ontario Human Rights Commission and its guidelines on racism and racial discrimination and with all communities and organizations fighting social injustice who advocate to end racial intolerance. As an organization and as individuals, we are committed to building a society where all people are given equal voice, equal opportunities and equal rights.
The Board of Directors
Young Voices Can!
YOUNG VOICES CAN! 