Simon Child

Is making a difference by educating Canadians about their responsibility to become informed about global issues, and to act on that knowledge

(Podcast en français)

“I believe that you are responsible for what you know. Once you’re no longer ignorant, you need to advocate with your government to do more to alleviate suffering in the world.”

Simon Child, 18, is currently in his last year of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme at Semiahmoo Secondary School in Surrey. He is also the Director of the Africa Canada Accountability Coalition (ACAC), a research and advocacy group based out of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia. ACAC undertakes rigorous research on Canada’s relationship with the Great Lakes Region of Africa (Eastern DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda), and makes its research the basis for advocacy campaigns and policies.

Simon’s work focuses on how to make advocacy more effective: “There is often a rift between expert policy recommendations made by academics, and mass campaigns that sometimes lack knowledge.” Simon tries to bridge this gap by undertaking in-depth research into complex issues focusing on Canada’s relationship with these countries, then making that research available to the public through social media and the internet: “We are innovating the way that advocacy is done, making complex issues accessible to the public. I am also passionate about innovation, and I believe that the best way to solve problems is through new ways.”

Simon has been contributing to ACAC’s policy briefs, writing about the Congo in the media to raise the visibility of the issues, organizing panel discussions on Canada’s future in the Congo, and creating a Google Earth map that visualizes ACAC’s message in a unique way and makes it more accessible. Simon has also volunteered with the Association of Canadian Students For Darfur, and was involved in the organization of the Canadian Red Cross’s Humanity Strikes Back youth empowerment conference.

Simon initially got involved in development and humanitarian issues as a result of his immigrant experience. As a Colombian who came to Canada when he was six, he was exposed to the vast inequalities between the two very different societies: “Having had the privilege to live in Canada, I felt a social responsibility to others who had not been so fortunate – I strongly believe responsibility correlates with privilege.”

However, what trulymotivated Simon to become engaged in global issues was the realization of how strong his agency as a Canadian is: “I realized that if I could get enough people to be concerned about an issue, it could create some effect. With my privilege and my power, I felt there was no way that I could not be engaged.”

Simon feels that Canada is not doing enough to live up to its potential as a peace-keeping nation; that we as Canadians are not living up to the standard we set for ourselves, especially in relation to Africa: “The conflicts in the Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda are not talked about enough. We have existing relationships there historically, diplomatically, commercially. ACAC is making a difference by starting that conversation.”

One of the challenges Simon encounters is being the youngest in the group: “I want to be taken as important, as valid.” But he is motivated by the successes of the organization, and by the enthusiasm and passion of the people he works with. And he keeps going, because there’s simply so much work to do: “A global social responsibility is something timeless and permanent (there will always be work to do).”

To other Canadian youth who are trying to make a difference, he has this to say: “You do not choose your cause, it’s the cause that chooses you. Find the time to invest in this cause, be passionate and motivated about what you do, and always keep in mind the reason why you do this work. And also an important point: knowledge and information is power, so you need to inform yourself as much as you can. Read and read and read as much as you can about your subject, because in order to make a positive change, you need understanding. This is something that’s often neglected by people.”

Want to share your thoughts? Go to 'how are YOU making a difference?' to comment!

For more information:

http://www.africacanada.org

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Thanks to Kaitlyn Braybrooke for the graphic design, to Veronika Klaptocz for the written profiles, to Trevor O'Rourke for the French translation, to Scott Nelson for the website and to Reel Youth for the video profiles.