/R E P E A T -- Young People Crave Social Justice - Young People from Across
the World Brought Together in Montreal for the CIVICUS Youth Assembly/

MONTREAL, Aug. 17 /CNW Telbec/ -From the 18^th to the 20^th of August, the 3^rd CIVICUS Youth Assembly will bring together over 100 young people aged 18-30 from across the world at Concordia University in Montreal. These young committed leaders, whether students or professionals, will have the opportunity to discuss the best practices in social justice and to meet representatives of international civil society.

For three days, these young people will discuss subjects that will be addressed during the 9^th CIVICUS World Assembly, which will take place at the Palais des congrès in Montreal, from the 20^th to the 23^rd of August. The main theme of the World Assembly is: Seeking out Solutions: Economic justice and the cross-cutting themes are development effectiveness and climate justice.

Participants in the Youth Assembly will also be able to actively take part in the World Assembly where they will be invited to join about 600 delegates from over 80 countries who will be attending in order to discuss proposals that civil society can make regarding contemporary socio-economic and environmental issues. The Institut du Nouveau Monde (INM) is co-hosting both of these outstanding events, which will take place again in Montreal in 2011 and 2012.

"The Youth Assembly's programme was organized by a committee of 15 young people representing all five continents who were selected following an international call for applications," said Samar Samir Mezghanni, president of the CIVICUS Youth Assembly. "Participants will go through a learning process that will enable them to come up with solutions for the issues discussed and to make change happen. The Youth Assembly makes young people aware of their power and the impact of their actions on the world. It offers also a place to interact with the delegates of the CIVICUS World Assembly as well as the opportunity to learn from them and show them how they can change the world."

The President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University, Dr. Judith Woodsworth, is proud to welcome the CIVICUS Youth Assembly to Concordia's downtown campus. "Concordia is proud to host participants of this event which reflects Concordia's commitment to community engagement. Concordia and the CIVICUS Youth Assembly, like l'Institut du Nouveau Monde, play a major role in preparing tomorrow's leaders, helping them to further develop their social consciousness and passion."

INM's CEO, Michel Venne, says that "the approach of the CIVICUS Youth Assembly is somewhat reminiscent of INM's summer school. Both events use a methodology that is based on learning, debate, and action, which takes place in a festive environment."

During the Youth Assembly, participants will interact with speakers of international calibre. The event will open Wednesday, August 18, with a debate on intergenerational dynamics. The following day, participants will work on the three main issues of the World Assembly. Finally, on Friday, August 20, they will participate in a BBC World Service radio programme entitled World Have Your Say, which will be broadcast live from Concordia University at 1 p.m.  Afterwards, the young people will march downtown to the Palais des congrès in Montreal where the World Assembly will begin. The march will draw the attention of the local population to the fact that the fight against poverty and economic justice are important issues in terms of human rights.

To get more information on the programme of the Youth Assembly, go to the CIVICUS website (www.civicusassembly.org).

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international alliance of members and partners in over 100 countries. CIVICUS works to promote the emergence, growth, and protection of citizen action, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened.

The Institut du Nouveau Monde is a non-partisan organization whose mission is to encourage citizen participation and to renew ideas in Quebec. INM's action encourages citizen participation and contributes to the development of civic competences, the strengthening of social ties as well as the growth of democratic institutions.

For further information:

Source: Institut du Nouveau Monde
Information:	Roch Bilodeau (INM)            1 866 618-7537
	Véronique Paquet (INM-CIVICUS - Youth Assembly)          418 951-3546
	Christine Mota (Concordia University)            514 952-5556