Canadian Youth Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Youth Assembly (CYA) is a non-profit organization
formed in 2008 to serve as a unified voice for youth across the country and to be an environment in which Canadian youth can become interested and involved in democracy and politics.
The three primary focuses of the CYA are education, volunteerism, and creating dialogue with decision makers. The CYA administration makes a particular effort to ensure that the structure and practices of the CYA are greatly influenced by the input of its members.
The Canadian Youth Assembly was originally formed in early 2008, modelled on the defunct Youth Parliament of Canada. A previous attempt in 2007 at forming a model parliament
for Canadian youth had, ultimately, met with failure. Learning from these experiences, the founding membership of the CYA committed to keeping the new organization self-governed, inclusive, democratic, and transparent. The CYA aims to cultivate interest and involvement in democracy by providing innovative training, leadership opportunities, and a means of discussing and debating the issues that affect youth across Canada. The CYA further seeks to publicly represent the collective opinions of the youth of Canada to the country as a whole.
General membership in the CYA is restricted to any youth between the ages of 10 and 25, while candidates for Youth Representative (YR) must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents (or must file a waiver and be approved) between the ages of 14 and 25. Anyone may become a supporting member, regardless of age. The CYA is working towards holding its first election in 2009, and has adopted a member-created riding structure which consists of 177 ridings (all of which are combinations of the actual ridings in the Canadian House of Commons
). The CYA has also adopted, upon recommendations from its membership, the use of an instant runoff voting (IRV) electoral system.
The CYA was incorporated as a non-profit organization in November 2008.
In February 2009, with the CYA's support, an online model parliament
was formed by many of the current members of the Assembly. The model parliament uses the reduced 177-riding plan adopted by the CYA administration and is meant to help develop the knowledge and skills of the youth who become involved. The CYA MP provides a learning experience for youth who want to learn how passing bills and being in the House of Commons
is about. With participation on the decline, and with the Assembly itself taking shape, the CYA Model Parliament was discontinued in May 2010. The proceedings of the Model Parliament remain archived on the CYA's online forums.
The Canadian Youth Assembly has gained support from politicians across Canada, having already received several endorsements as its members seek to achieve broader recognition. The CYA has also received funding from a Rotary Club
in Ontario
and is looking to build up additional funds.
Several members of the CYA have gone on to run for elected office on the municipal, provincial, or federal level, in particular:
Despite their names, the parties in the CYA have no formal ties to the federal and provincial parties in Canadian politics
, as a mandatory condition of recognition by the CYA administration. CYA members are free to affiliate themselves with any of the parties in the Assembly, regardless of their membership or participation in federal, provincial or municipal parties.
The CYA seeks to promote a collaborative environment between the parties that exist in the organization, with the staff taking an active role when needed in guiding members to work with, rather than against, one another. This attitude is meant to promote character-building, problem-solving and interpersonal skills and to reflect the possibility that youth do not enjoy highly partisan and aggressive politics.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
formed in 2008 to serve as a unified voice for youth across the country and to be an environment in which Canadian youth can become interested and involved in democracy and politics.
The three primary focuses of the CYA are education, volunteerism, and creating dialogue with decision makers. The CYA administration makes a particular effort to ensure that the structure and practices of the CYA are greatly influenced by the input of its members.
Formation and activities
The Canadian Youth Assembly aims to engage uninvolved and apathetic youth in their communities. In order to do this, the CYA works to help them become better leaders through gaining exposure to different experiences, creating volunteer opportunities, and building bridges between youth and decision makers to provide young people with a voice.The Canadian Youth Assembly was originally formed in early 2008, modelled on the defunct Youth Parliament of Canada. A previous attempt in 2007 at forming a model parliament
Model parliament
A Model Parliament is a simulation of the parliamentary proceedings of a legislature or other deliberative assembly, often based upon the Westminster Parliamentary system...
for Canadian youth had, ultimately, met with failure. Learning from these experiences, the founding membership of the CYA committed to keeping the new organization self-governed, inclusive, democratic, and transparent. The CYA aims to cultivate interest and involvement in democracy by providing innovative training, leadership opportunities, and a means of discussing and debating the issues that affect youth across Canada. The CYA further seeks to publicly represent the collective opinions of the youth of Canada to the country as a whole.
General membership in the CYA is restricted to any youth between the ages of 10 and 25, while candidates for Youth Representative (YR) must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents (or must file a waiver and be approved) between the ages of 14 and 25. Anyone may become a supporting member, regardless of age. The CYA is working towards holding its first election in 2009, and has adopted a member-created riding structure which consists of 177 ridings (all of which are combinations of the actual ridings in the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
). The CYA has also adopted, upon recommendations from its membership, the use of an instant runoff voting (IRV) electoral system.
The CYA was incorporated as a non-profit organization in November 2008.
In February 2009, with the CYA's support, an online model parliament
Model parliament
A Model Parliament is a simulation of the parliamentary proceedings of a legislature or other deliberative assembly, often based upon the Westminster Parliamentary system...
was formed by many of the current members of the Assembly. The model parliament uses the reduced 177-riding plan adopted by the CYA administration and is meant to help develop the knowledge and skills of the youth who become involved. The CYA MP provides a learning experience for youth who want to learn how passing bills and being in the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
is about. With participation on the decline, and with the Assembly itself taking shape, the CYA Model Parliament was discontinued in May 2010. The proceedings of the Model Parliament remain archived on the CYA's online forums.
The Canadian Youth Assembly has gained support from politicians across Canada, having already received several endorsements as its members seek to achieve broader recognition. The CYA has also received funding from a Rotary Club
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and is looking to build up additional funds.
Several members of the CYA have gone on to run for elected office on the municipal, provincial, or federal level, in particular:
- Matt Schaubroeck, who was the New Democratic PartyNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) candidate for Saint BonifaceSaint Boniface (electoral district)Saint Boniface is a federal electoral district that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925. It is located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.In 1996, its English name was changed from "St. Boniface" to "Saint Boniface"....
in the 2008 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, as well as the Manitoba NDP's candidate in TuxedoTuxedo (electoral district)Tuxedo is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created by redistribution in 1979, and has formally existed since the provincial election of 1981. The riding is located in the southwest section of the City of Winnipeg....
in the 2007 Manitoba provincial electionManitoba general election, 2007The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
; - Stephen Yardy, who was the NDP candidate for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock in the 2008 federal electionCanadian federal election, 2008The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
; - Peter Browne, who was a candidate for Mississauga City CouncilMississauga City CouncilMississauga City Council is the governing body of the city of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.The council consists of the mayor and 11 councillors elected to serve a four-year term. The last election was October 25, 2010...
in Ward 8 in the 2010 Ontario municipal electionsPeel Region municipal elections, 2010Elections will be held in the Regional Municipality of Peel of Ontario on October 25, 2010 in conjunction with municipal elections across the province.-Peel Regional Council:-Mayor:-City and Regional Council:-City Council:-School Trustee:-Mayor:...
, and who is active in the Green Party of CanadaGreen Party of CanadaThe Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
; and - Robert Murray, who was the New Brunswick New Democratic PartyNew Brunswick New Democratic PartyThe New Brunswick New Democratic Party is a social-democratic provincial political party in New Brunswick, Canada linked with the federal New Democratic Party .-Origins and early history:...
candidate for Kings East in the 2010 New Brunswick provincial election.
Current activities
The Canadian Youth Assembly is currently working on launching several endeavours:- CYA 2010 General Elections. In March 2010 the CYA will be hosting elections where 177 youth from across Canada will be elected by their peers to represent them. These youth will be trained on becoming effective citizens in their community and will serve the youth of their riding in launching programs and endeavours aimed at addressing the needs and concerns of the youth in their area. CYA 2010 Election Website
- The CYA Model Parliament, which is run within the CYA's online forums and serves to inform youth about parliamentary procedures, is run fully by the membership with some oversight by CYA volunteers.
- CYA! Volunteering is a program which is to consist of increased awareness of volunteer opportunities in high schools. Currently the CYA has received advanced approval to submit information to high schools in the York Region District School Board (YRDSB). A project which will be launched along with this is the CYA Logo Contest, in which youth may submit logos which may be adopted by the organization.
- The CYA had recently been planning an in-person conference to be held in TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in May 2009, but this has now been delayed. The CYA administration are looking to reschedule this event due to a lack of human resources to cover both the conference planning and the work already ongoing within the CYA.
CYA youth parties
In addition to a number of independent candidates, several CYA parties have been formed by like-minded youth to contest future elections in the CYA. The following parties have all been officially recognized and remain nominally active within the CYA:- the Assembly of New Democratic Youth (ANDY)
- Leader: Adam Schneider (acting)
- Policies: social democracySocial democracySocial democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
, democratic socialismDemocratic socialismDemocratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
, progressivismProgressivismProgressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
- the Canadian Youth Assembly Progressive Conservatives (CYAPC)
- Leader: (vacant, unknown if still active)
- Policies: conservatismConservatismConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
- the Labour-Progressive Party (LPP)
- Leader: Zach Morgenstern (uncertain)
- Policies: libertarian socialismLibertarian socialismLibertarian socialism is a group of political philosophies that promote a non-hierarchical, non-bureaucratic, stateless society without private property in the means of production...
, MarxismMarxismMarxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
- the LAN Party (LAN)
- Leader: (unknown)
- Policies: joke partyJoke political partyA frivolous party or a joke party is a political party which has been created for the purposes of entertainment or political satire. Such a party may or may not have a serious point behind its activities...
, Pastafarian fundamentalism
- the Liberal Youth Party of Canada (LYPC)
- Leader: (vacant)
- Policies: liberalismLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
, social liberalismSocial liberalismSocial liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
, centrismCentrismIn politics, centrism is the ideal or the practice of promoting policies that lie different from the standard political left and political right. Most commonly, this is visualized as part of the one-dimensional political spectrum of left-right politics, with centrism landing in the middle between...
- the Youth Green Party (YGP)
- Leader: Peter Browne (interim)
- Policies: Green politicsGreen politicsGreen politics is a political ideology that aims for the creation of an ecologically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism, social liberalism, and grassroots democracy...
Despite their names, the parties in the CYA have no formal ties to the federal and provincial parties in Canadian politics
Politics of Canada
The politics of Canada function within a framework of parliamentary democracy and a federal system of parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions. Canada is a constitutional monarchy, in which the Monarch is head of state...
, as a mandatory condition of recognition by the CYA administration. CYA members are free to affiliate themselves with any of the parties in the Assembly, regardless of their membership or participation in federal, provincial or municipal parties.
The CYA seeks to promote a collaborative environment between the parties that exist in the organization, with the staff taking an active role when needed in guiding members to work with, rather than against, one another. This attitude is meant to promote character-building, problem-solving and interpersonal skills and to reflect the possibility that youth do not enjoy highly partisan and aggressive politics.