Light breakfast of sweet & savoury pastries and baked goods, fruit, tea and coffee.

Opening remarks and Land Acknowledgement by emcee, Adewunmi Ajike, followed by remarks from Fora Interim CEO, Miriam Buttu and Amy Desjarlais.

Writing Your Own Narrative: My Journey to Running and Winning a City-wide Election at 22 Years Old

In the Fall of 2022, Meena ran in a city-wide election against 16 other candidates, and was the youngest on the ballot. After months of intense effort, over 9000 people mobilized to vote for her on election day, as they made history by electing her as the youngest trustee to their region's school board.

She had no blueprint to work off of when running, but knew her city needed new voices that reflected the community’s changing needs. Meena felt a responsibility to move the dial forward for future leaders by expanding the region's vision of what a municipal leader can look like. Many of you do this work in your own industries and she is beyond excited to cross-collaborate with you on her strategies for: building trust between pockets of communities, mobilizing under-engaged groups, and navigating the complexities of being a young woman in public office.

Choose between attending the workshop, or panel.

WORKSHOP:

Building Your Leadership Voice to Drive Change by Niem Huynh.

DETAILS:

Imagine that you are in the spotlight as the speaker for a prepared or impromptu delivery. All of a sudden, you have a dry mouth, and your thoughts freeze. Do you know how to recognize your energy and how to channel this to be in full engagement with your presentation and the audience? This presentation outlines habits to practice owning the stage and engaging with the audience, with ways to relax and remain confident in moments of nervousness prior to a presentation. The audience will work in small teams to deliver a mini presentation and receive feedback from their peers.

PANEL:

Youth-led Innovation for Social Impact, ft. Linxi Mytkolli, Nika Elmi, and Farahnaaz Kanji, moderated by Marija Shaw.

DETAILS:

Including young voices in decision-making is no longer an option, it’s a necessity. As we address the world’s most complex issues, we need bold, innovative ideas from young changemakers who have traditionally been left out of conference rooms, board rooms, and policy-making discussions. This panel will discuss how young leaders, especially those from marginalized communities, are using innovation and technology to tackle global challenges. Panelists will share success stories, new methodologies and approaches to advance youth-led initiatives, and explore how different sectors are investing in young innovators to help bring their ideas to reality. Finally, through thoughtful discussion, panelists hope to equip young leaders and innovators to advocate for their efforts to be supported, adapted and leveraged to achieve widespread positive change from the local to the international level.

Lunch choice of a protein or vegetarian power bowl.

In her public speech, Shadwa Ramadan delves into several challenges through her journey to inspire youth to keep going in achieving their planned goals.

Shadwa also speaks about her passion for advocating for newcomer women impacted by domestic violence within her project IMvisible NB for New Brunswick Multicultural Council. In her speech, Shadwa will share the lessons learned from her personal journey all the way from the Middle East to Canada, particularly for future youth leaders.

Choose between attending the workshop, or panel.

WORKSHOP:

Advocacy: Making Collective Change Happen, by Amanda Arella

DETAILS:

Whether in the workplace, the classroom, or beyond, there are countless opportunities to advocate for yourself and others. Advocating for oneself is not a selfish act, but rather a starting point for building community and creating large-scale change. This workshop will give participants the tools to consider how they can lead in a way that not only preserves their authenticity and well-being but centers and celebrates it. We will focus on developing advocacy strategies that are sustainable for the people who are at the core of creating change, how to navigate challenging spaces and difficult conversations, and how to approach advocacy work through the lens of joy, fun, and fulfillment.

PANEL:

Youth Leading the Way Toward a Sustainable Future. ft. Faith Edem, Megan Quinn, and Taira Mehta, moderated by Pam Galenzoga.  

DETAILS:

This session will highlight the critical role of youth leadership in advocating for climate justice, through the lens of gender equity and Indigenous values. Panelists will explore the disproportionate effects of climate inaction on marginalized communities, especially young Indigenous and non-Indigenous people navigating gender-based discrimination, who are primarily on the frontlines of climate change and are rarely considered in discourses on climate issues. Panelists will address the barriers youth face to participating in climate conversations, and share tools for overcoming these barriers to meaningfully engage in decision-making processes. Panelists will discuss how young people and youth-centered organizations are leading impactful initiatives for climate action, and will empower others to become more powerful and effective agents of change in the movement for a more sustainable future. Finally, the panel will provide various perspectives on creating safe, supportive spaces for young leaders to innovate and affect policy change.

An assortment of fresh fruits and desserts

Choose between attending the panel or our speed mentoring session, for those who have signed up [signups will close 3 weeks prior to the Forum].

SPEED MENTORING SESSION:

DETAILS:

This session allows young leaders (ages 29 and under) to meet and connect with experienced and accomplished mentors across different industries.

As emerging leaders and agents of change, you can ask questions and gain practical advice and strategies for your personal, professional and leadership growth. You will also be inspired by the success stories of experienced leaders and learn new ideas from other participants navigating the same challenges and opportunities as yours. Finally, this is a great way to expand your network and establish connections with like-minded individuals who are also passionate about challenging the status quo.

*Please Note:

1. You must be 29 years old or under to participate.

2. If you are interested in attending a speed mentoring session, you must register in advance upon purchasing your ticket

3. Spots for the speed mentoring session are extremely limited - and registration will take place on a first-come, first-serve basis.

PANEL:

Collaboration and Collective Action for Social Change ft. Banafsheh Shamdani, Lindsay Debassige, and Kelsea Walsh, moderated by Maxime Matthew

DETAILS:

Building, advocating for, and delivering equitable solutions to complex social challenges requires meaningful collaboration and collective action. This panel will address how young leaders and youth-serving organizations can effectively mobilize skills and resources, and foster a culture of accountability across sectors — from civil society, to corporations, to government, and more. Panelists will share tips to co-create solutions for resilient communities, and drive progress in response to the world’s most complex and challenging issues. This session will highlight successes, share strategies for overcoming common pitfalls of partnership and collaboration, and equip participants to more effectively make long-term, collective impact in their communities.

Closing remarks from Fora CEO, Heather Barnabe.