A National Volunteer Program

Early in the election some of Canada's biggest (and some of the smallest) NGOs got together. They all agreed on the following point:

Canada cannot afford to lose the energy and enthusiasm of tens of thousands of young citizens each year who are ready to give several months of their lives to work as volunteers.

The NGOs include: L'amie, Alternatives, AQOCI, Carrefour de solidarite internationale, Canada World Youth, Clowns without borders, Club 2/3, Coady International Institute, Development & Peace, Katimavik, Mer et Monde, Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, TakingITGlobal, VSO, Youth Challenge International.

This group has been calling itself the Youth Volunteer Coalition. They are people who see an opportunity to build a new institution for Canadian youth. They're advocating the creation of a national youth volunteer program. Those of you who read my throne speech will notice I proposed precisely the same thing. Well actually my proposal is kinda their idea but on steriods. I'm convinced that nothing could do as much to strengthen our confederation and to reinvigorate our place in the concert of nations than giving young Canadians an opportunity experience different regions and cultures within our borders and throughout the world.

The opposition (in the Model Parliament we were at) took to calling this idea Camp Canada. It's not a bad idea they said but it certainly doesn't qualify as a national priority. I'm dissapointed that even young political activists only see what has already been built in the country and have no sense of what could be established. I guess I mention all of this now because there is no danger whatsoever of the Conservative government implementing such a program and I think we're all the worse for that fact.

Still pondering what to say about Martin's resignation.