Micheline Laflamme
Is child labour a form of slavery? The question will be put before approximately 60 youth, aged 14 to 18, who will participate in the Youth Forum on March 14, 2008. The Youth Forum runs in parallel to a conference entitled “Routes to Freedom: Reflections on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade” at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law.
Two hundred years after the adoption of the Act to abolish slavery, this group of young students will ponder the legacy of the unjust and inhumane treatment, inflicted upon millions of people. The meeting will bring together youth from different high schools throughout the region.
“Students will share their perspectives and participate in activities dealing with the issues of slavery and its consequences in Ontario and Canada. They will be able to better understand the role of the law by participating in a mock trial built upon one of the historic 19th century cases,” said June Garvin, organizer of the Youth Forum and a member of the Ontario Bicentenary Commemorative Committee on the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. Participants will view a film on slavery and will learn about child labour laws. They will discuss what they can do in their community to promote harmony, and will consider measures to take in order to help children in other countries.
The mastermind of the conference, which includes the Youth Forum, is Joanne St. Lewis, a professor from the Common Law Section and a recipient of the DreamKEEPERS’ Life Achievement Award, given out by the Canadian Martin Luther King Day Coalition. Throughout the summer, she will draw her inspiration from the works of the conference and the Youth Forum to oversee the development of an educational guide for high school teachers. This guide will include lesson plans, a short bibliography and activities related to the conference theme.
“Routes to Freedom” will take place from March 14 to 16 in Fauteux Hall. In addition to the multi-disciplinary conference where academics, historians, economists, authors and artists will explore questions about slavery, the event will include a mini-film festival (March 1 to 2), an art exhibit in the Cube Gallery (March 7 to 22) and a grand gala, where two scholarship endowment funds will be launched.
Related Link:
Routes to Freedom: Reflections on on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade
