Thunder Bay needs to step up and take a stand, says Jacqueline Dyck. “The world has issues but we can make that change and we have the power,” said the Grade 9 Hammarskjold High School student.
Dyck was one of 11 students who helped organized We Stand Up at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium Monday.
The packed event had speakers and performers take the stage to take a stand against bullying and social injustice in an effort to empower youth to take action on any issue they feel passionate about.
Racism, homophobia and discrimination toward people living with mental illnesses are issues that Dyck feels are prominent in the city, but her biggest passion is speaking up for what you believe in. “If you have the right to stand up for what you believe in and say what you think is right, you can really make a change in anything,” she said.
About 1,400 students from six high schools in the city and several elementary and regional schools attended the event that featured dance, music and even a magician.
Also on stage were speakers talking about various forms of discrimination and activism, including Free the Children co-founder Marc Kielburger.
Dyck and three other local high school students were inspired to create We Stand Up after attending a We Day in Winnipeg.
We Day is Free the Children’s annual signature event designed to inspire youth to take action on social issues.
After the event in Winnipeg last fall, Dyck said they were stuck in the Winnipeg airport with a long delay. “We were so inspired. All of us at the same time just thought we have to bring this to Thunder Bay. It was such an empowering event,” she said. “We knew we had to do something, bring it back to the youth of Thunder Bay because there’s really a chance here to make a change.”
So the group of four formed a committee of 11 students representing most of the city high schools and met weekly to create Monday’s We Stand Up.
Kielburger was impressed with what he saw in Thunder Bay and said he met some remarkable young people. “They care. They’re engaged. They want to make the world a better place. They’re involved locally. They’re involved internationally,” he said. “We’re here to celebrate them.” “We want to say keep it up. Stay focused. Pick one issue and one cause you care about and take significant action on that cause,” Kielburger said.
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