INSIDE: UPCOMING EVENTS! YOUTH REPORTS! AND MORE!

OCTOBER 25 - 31

THIS SEASON:

INSPIRE · ENGAGE · UNITE

OZONE

YOUTH

VOL. 2, NO. 3, FALL 2009

SUDAN WEEK OF ACTION!

OUR ANNIVERSARY ISSUE!

contact us: ozyouthnewsletter@redcross.ca

VISITING SOLFERINO

MAIJU JOLMA

ARNAV AGARWAL

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. one

contents& EDITORIALS

want to contribute?

YOUTH GROUP reports

SPOTLIGHTS on youth

HUMANITARIAN issues

9

6

7

8

THE DARFUR CONFLICT: World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis

Welcome back everyone!

I hope you had a great summer. The newsletter has a few new editors

this year. I am really looking forward to working with this year‟s group.

Here they are:

Managing Editor: Meaghan Williams

Advising Editor: Venetia Lo

Editors: Farhat Hossain, Ting Ting Liu, Michelle Kuang, Carly Brown

and Grace Wang

Editor-in-Chief: Jen Mayville, Communications Coordinator, Public

Affairs

Layout Editor: Sarah Williams

Staff Advisor: Perez Oyugi, Manager, International and Youth

This edition is really special to me because I wrote a profile story about

my friend Maiju. Maiju and I met when I spent a year working in

Finland. She was very active within the Finnish Red Cross, and is the

current chair of the IFRC Youth Commission. She is one of the people

who inspired me to get involved with Red Cross and her story illus-

trates all the wonderful opportunities there are for youth within the

movement around the world. I hope you like it and the rest of this edi-

tion. Enjoy!

Jennifer Mayville - Communications Coordinator, Public Affairs

letter from the editor

letter from the director

These past few months have been very exciting for O-Zone youth. In

June, Kimberley Vibert, chair of the Red Cross national youth task

force, and Kristi White, Ontario Zone rep, joined four other Canadian

Red Cross youth at the third global Red Cross and Red Crescent youth

meetings in Italy, where youth had the opportunity to learn, share and

discuss present and future humanitarian challenges. Kimberley and

Kristi did an excellent job representing Canada and Ontario Zone, and

we are very proud of them.

This fall, we are continuing to build and support Red Cross youth lead-

ership across the province. On October 23-25, an Ontario-wide Red

Cross youth leadership conference was held in Toronto. You can learn

more about the conference in this newsletter. Also, the Ontario Zone

Youth Engagement strategy is currently being developed as a comple-

ment to the National Youth Task Force‟s youth engagement strategy,

and will look at meaningful ways for youth to get involved in Red

Cross. Youth are welcome to ask for copies of the strategy by sending a

message to ozyouth@redcross.ca.

Here is to a great Fall!

Dennis Fair – Director, International, Youth and RespectED

We welcome all submissions for our Winter

2009 issue! When submitting, please include

your first and last name, volunteer position,

Canadian Red Cross branch/region, and pho-

tographs. You can email your submissions to

ozyouthnewsletter@redcross.ca and clearly

indicate the name of the section your work

belongs to in the subject. Thanks!

Peterborough Youth Group 2

3

4

5

Simcoe County Youth Group

Hamilton Youth Group

Region of York Youth Group

CENTENNIAL event

YONGE and DUNDAS Youth Demonstration 10

“The main focus of the event was the Peace Canvas,” said Long.

The Peace Canvas was set up at a booth where people were encouraged to add something to the blank canvas under the theme of “peace”.

“The result was a colourful mix of different ideas of peace, some complicated, and others more simple” said Long.

Unlike the concert, this was the first year for the art show, and both Long and Carter felt it was a great success.

“I think it is a great example of how the Red Cross can interact with the community, and this was the Youth Council‟s first attempt to break into the

artistic scene in Peterborough, having previously been limited to the youth music scene.”

For David Bullock, 17 year old music lover and council member, having the opportunity to organize a concert to raise funds for malaria nets

was exciting.

“This is one of the main fundraising events we do and it‟s entirely for youth,” said Bullock. “You don‟t find many opportunities like this out

there.”

The concert featured two local high school bands, The Vultures of Pop Culture and A Cappella Gold.

“We were asked by David Bullock to be a part of the Bite Back [concert] and were immediately interested,” said A Cappella Gold vocalist

Joe DiGiuseppe. “We think it is everybody‟s job to help those who cannot help themselves, and thought it was a great way of supporting such a wor-

thy cause.”

“The Spill was crowded with people, all excited to see us play. It was a very successful show,” said DiGiuseppe.

During a brief intermission between bands, 17 year old council member Kathleen Mcallister made a presentation discussing where the pro-

ceeds from the concert were going, explained the effects of malaria and why Bite Back is such an important cause to the Red Cross and the Youth

Action Council.

For the members of the Peterborough Youth Action Council, using the

arts to generate awareness about global issues comes naturally.

“It‟s such an effective way of getting the attention of the

youth and the community,” said 16 year old Chloe Carter, a member of

the council who helped organize the “Creative Solutions” art exhibit

that took place at the Dreams of Beans gallery from June 7-21. Both the

art gallery as well as the “Bite Back II” concert held July 9, at the Spill

Cafe, were entirely organized and run by the Youth Action Council as a

way to generate awareness about the issues surrounding malaria in Af-

rica.

“I feel that our impact on the Peterborough community has been

very evident,” said 18 year old Christopher Long, Chairman for the

council. “Not only did we open the arts community to global humanitar-

ian issues, we also managed to raise awareness and money for the ma-

laria initiative.”

Although both the art gallery and the concert benefited the Ma-

laria Bites program, the goal for each event was different.

“From the beginning the group decided that the awareness event

would be the art show and the fundraising event would be the concert,”

said Long.

The art show displayed around 25 pieces of photographic art,

sculpture, and paint on canvas that completely covered two walls of the

gallery. The pieces were submitted by local students and artists, and

reflected human vulnerability, suffering, helplessness and the power of

humanity.

THROUGH THE ARTS

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. two

YOUTH GROUP report SAVING ONE LIFE AT A TIME,

PETERBOROUGH

Written by Kelly McKinnon Photos by Aimee Calder

youth group

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. three

YOUTH GROUP report

SIMCOE COUNTY

The Simcoe County Youth

Group has undergone some signifi-

cant changes these past few months.

The Youth group would like to say

farewell and extend our sincere grati-

tude to our adult supervisor, Setareh

Najmi. She is going to the University

of Ottawa to complete her masters

degree in educational counselling.

Setareh has been a source of inspira-

tion, a mentor and a friend. Her hard

work and dedication to the group has

filled us with hope in making a posi-

tive difference in our community. The

Simcoe County Youth group wel-

comes our new adult supervisor and

leader, Lynda Watson. She has al-

ready inspired a number of new pro-

jects and workshops for the youth

group!

In July, the Simcoe County

Youth Group had arranged a summer

Humanitarian Issues Promotion (HIP)

workshop, open to all youth in the

Simcoe County area. The workshops

included were: Children Affected by

Armed Conflict, Active Global Citi-

zenship, Building a Culture of

Peace, Social Justice and Diversity,

Youth Facilitation Training

and International Humanitarian Law.

The attendees were very productive

and came up with many creative

ideas. Since the workshop, some of

the participants have joined the Sim-

coe County Youth group as youth vol-

unteers!

The Simcoe County Youth

group, along with the Simcoe Red

Cross Disaster Management team and

Simcoe OPP, travelled to Base Bor-

den for Base Borden Family Day.

This took place September 19th.

Youth facilitators presented

information about International Hu-

manitarian Law. This was a great op-

portunity to both promote and in-

crease awareness about our program

in the Simcoe County region.

In November, the Simcoe

County Youth Action Group is hold-

ing a youth conference in partnership

with the Simcoe YMCA. It is open to

all youth in the Simcoe Area. The

goal of this conference is to provide

humanitarian issues workshops and

youth leadership opportunities for

interested youth in the Simcoe region.

Written by Farhat Hossain

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. four

YOUTH GROUP report

HAMILTON BRANCH LAUNCHES

WELL-RECEIVED PROGRAM!

The Disaster Management program, Hamilton Branch, was

successful in receiving funding to hire a summer student for nine

weeks covering July and August.

Christine Demik was hired as a public educator to facilitate

personal preparedness information sessions to the community,

teaching about the importance of disaster preparedness.

Once Christine was familiar with the presentation, she recom-

mended that the focus be on teaching children the importance of

preparing for emergencies, as well as incorporating components of

the newly launched Bug Out program - particularly teaching safe

hand washing techniques and preventing disease transmission in

view of the health concerns with H1N1 being spread rapidly among

children.

After consulting with several teachers and camp counsellors

on the course content, the presentation was launched.

Written by Karen Hymas, DM Coordinator, Hamilton/Flamborough Branch

Our World, Your Move: Youth Taking Action for Humanity Ontario Youth Leadership Conference October 23-25, 2009

On October 23-25, 100 youth volunteers from the Toronto and GTA region took part in a three-day Red Cross youth

conference at the Toronto Marriott Bloor-Yorkville Hotel. With the Red Cross celebrating its centennial year, this

year's conference themes included topics on international humanitarian law, active global citizenship, breaking the pov-

erty-disease cycle, natural disasters and the unnatural causes of vulnerability, Red Cross governance, and peer harass-

ment. Conference attendees also had the opportunity to hone their skills in event planning, facilitation and humanitar-

ian leadership development as well as share best practices among their peers.

The response was incredible: presentations were booked with summer camps and day cares, where

the audience ranged from 4 years to 11 years. Christine and her volunteers presented a total of 33 sessions,

to a total of 1,004 individuals!

Each child received a "goody bag" containing information for them to take home to show to their par-

ents, including a flyer that explained that their child had participated in the personal preparedness session

and further information on the program was attached. The 72-hour preparedness booklet, as well as volun-

teer recruitment information on all programs, was enclosed.

This was a very successful initiative by a student who made the presentation fun and interactive; the

evaluations received rated this at a 4!

With target recruitment of youth volunteers this fall, we plan on continuing to offer this program.

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. five

YOUTH GROUP report

greetings from the

REGION OF YORK

What an exciting summer we have had and what an exciting year we have planned! This summer we had a

small, dedicated group of youth work diligently on a Step by Step Youth Action Group Handbook. This book

built upon the already strong Youth Handbook of 2007 and gave those youth that want to start youth action

groups in their high schools a beginner‟s guide that takes them through the process Step by Step. With five

new high school groups in this region starting this year, the guide will be put to good use.

We also had a strong Humanitarian Issues Promo-

tion and facilitation workshop this summer and

trained six new youth facilitators! Fall plans include

the delivery of more workshops, which are becoming

quite well known in the area, especially with new

Canadian youth. They find the workshops help them

become more involved in the community while

helping with humanitarian issues and awareness.

This fall is an exciting time for us here in the Re-

gion of York. Our three main events include an Af-

ghanistan activity titled Building Blitz – Recon-

structing Infrastructure. This activity enables partici-

pants to imagine what it would be like to be affected

by landmines both physically and through a rebuild-

ing of infrastructure activity complete with scenar-

ios and different building materials. Kits will be

made that can be sent to different schools, used for

the activity and then passed on to the next school.

We are also beginning a Region of York youth

newsletter. This will help the Canadian Red Cross

York Youth stay in touch and develop a sense of

community. Thirdly, in December we will be hold-

ing a one-day youth conference: A Time to Talk-A

Time to Act, a Youth Social Justice Conference.

The day will be a discussion among youth about

social justice issues they face within the region and

a brainstorming session to develop social justice

campaigns. It is then up to them to work on these

campaigns with the end goal being an award pre-

sented at the Red Cross, Region of York Volunteer

Appreciation Dinner in the spring.

So, the Region of York is going to be quite busy

this fall! We look forward to giving an update in

the next newsletter to let everyone know how

things go.

I would like to leave you with a quote from a Culture of Peace workshop that we held during the summer:

“Peace is an escape from the confusion and a place to acknowledge the potential of your enemies”- Melanie,

participant in Red Cross, Humanitarian Issues Promotion Leadership workshop

Lynda Watson I/Y Coordinator, Region of York

“

ON YOUTH spotlights

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. six

introduces...

ARNAV

by Meaghan Williams

“TAKE A RISK, GET INVOLVED,

AND STAY COMMITTED”

Arnav Agarwal first got in-

volved with the Red Cross in

grade nine, following a series

of inspiring experiences in In-

dia. He noted immediately the

differences between the lives of

so many there compared to the

lives of so many here. In India,

he visited and volunteered at an

orphanage, where he saw huge

numbers of children simply

begging for love.

Upon returning to Canada, he

began work with the Red Cross

on the Youth Action Council,

as well as hosting campaigns

and a series of fundraisers. He

not only participated in Red

Cross events but has since in-

volved himself in numerous

other charities, organizations

and youth groups. Now, he not

only participates in his school‟s

student council and five other

school clubs, but he

”

Volunteering

helped me grow

as an individual

has done significant work with

the YMCA, Heart and Stroke

Foundation, Energy Smart and

Prerana, an Indian charity.

While his experiences in India

were life-changing, one of the

most inspiring projects to Ar-

nav has been working within

his own community. Interacting

with people from his own town,

people from different age

groups and backgrounds has

changed the way he not only

views community, but also the

way he views himself. Arnav

believes very strongly that

helping in your own commu-

nity, devoting even just a little

bit of time to others, can help

an individual grow as a person

as well. Youth can learn a lot

about themselves, about how

the things they know and do

can help those around them,

and that is one of the greatest

benefits of volunteerism.

Despite his busy schedule, Ar-

nav continues to volunteer with

numerous organizations. For

him, this is in line with his

goal: to start a charity. Making

a difference in his own commu-

nity and in the international

community is of paramount

importance to this 16-year old.

Making a difference in his own

community of Mississauga and in

the international community.

And what‟s his advice to youth

looking to get involved?

“Take a risk, get involved and stay committed.”

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. seven

ON YOUTH spotlights

introduces...

M

A

I

J

U

By Jennifer Mayville

On June 27, Maiju Jolma walked with 13,000 other

people, including Red Cross and Red Crescent youth from

155 countries, in a torch-lit procession in Italy. They fol-

lowed the same path walked by nurses who took injured

soldiers from the battlefield of Solferino to the first medi-

cal outpost in Castiglione. The walk commemorated the

inception of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,

which began 150 years ago. It was a day Maiju will never

forget.

“I was speechless,” said the 29-year-old, who is

originally from Finland. “I was hypnotized by the good

feelings that brought us together.”

For Maiju, her work with the Red Cross is her life.

She is the current chair of the International Federation of

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies‟ (IFRC) youth com-

mission, a group of nine Red Cross and Red Crescent

youth from around the world who advise on all matters

concerning youth development and related issues through-

out the Federation.

“Youth have the energy and innovation to change

the way the world is going,” says Maiju, who currently

lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Her involvement with Red Cross began with a

newspaper ad 17 years ago. Maiju, then 13 years old, was

looking for something to do in her small hometown of

Pello, Finland, located just north of the Arctic Circle. One

day, she was reading her local newspaper and came across

an ad looking for new members of the local Red Cross

youth club.

The ad described opportunities to learn search-and-rescue and first aid. She thought it sounded like fun and decided to join. She

didn‟t know at the time the immense impact that decision would have on her life.

Maiju first became involved with Red Cross governance when she was on the Red Cross youth committee in Lapland, the north-

ernmost province in Finland. She was then approached to apply for a position on the national Finnish Red Cross board.

“I thought I had received so much from Red Cross and it would be nice to give back,” she says.

She says her experience on the national board opened her eyes to all the programs and services the Finnish Red Cross provides

beyond first aid including reception centres for asylum seekers, and helping the unemployed get back on their feet by giving them work.

Soon after joining, Maiju was approached by the Secretary General of the Finnish Red Cross to apply to join the IFRC youth

commission.

“I said „whoa whoa whoa. What do I know? I am from a small town and have just volunteered with the Finnish Red Cross‟, but

they told me that‟s what they were looking for, someone with strong experience in volunteering and decision-making,” she says.

In 2005, Maiju became the vice-chair of the IFRC youth commission. She admits at first she found it scary, sitting in a room with

youth from around the world, and needing to use interpreters. But she says she has gained so much from the experience.

“It has taught me a lot about working in a multicultural setting,” she says.

One of Maiju‟s key achievements was when she joined the IFRC constitutional review group and helped to define youth in the

Federation‟s constitution, which ensured that youth would have a voice within Red Cross. In summer 2009, she became chair of the

commission.

Recently, Maiju completed a mission as a Finnish Red Cross youth delegate in Kosovo, supporting and training youth, who in

turn trained their peers to assist vulnerable groups in the community such as the elderly.

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. eight

VISITING SOLFERINO: MY JOURNEY TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE RED CROSS

spotlights on youth

Canadian Youth Attend 3rd World Youth Meeting of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

In June 2009, I partook in one of the most amazing events I

have ever witnessed: the 3rd World Youth Meeting of the

Red Cross / Red Crescent Societies. This event was held in

conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the Movement in

Solferino, Italy. As part of the Canadian delegation of six

youth, it was an honour to be there, representing the Canadian

Red Cross Society, and a great privilege to get the chance to

meet the hundreds of youth from other delegations that we

would work with over the next five days. Indeed, we were

sleeping (in tents of 40 bunk-beds), eating (in HUGE dining

tents, thundrously loud each mealtime), and working (never

have I seen so many youth focus with such intensity on the

issues at hand) on the battlefields of Solferino, with 300+

youth from all around the world. It was an intense experience

to say the least.

As a part of the IFRC's working group for the Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (YABC) project, myself and one other

Canadian youth, James Liu of Western Zone, attended the meeting as peer facilitators. This meant that we each, with our facilitation

teams of three other youth from various National Societies (NS), were responsible for facilitating a full-day YABC workshop to our

fellow meeting attendees. My team facilitated on the first day of the conference, and after arriving in Solferino at 11:30pm the night

before, after multiple flights, long bus rides, and no sleep, I was filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness as the group of 56

youth from 56 different National Societies who were signed up to participate in my session filed into the tent. (Something that should

be noted: everything at this meeting of 300+ youth took place outside or in tents! All in the midst of an Italian summer...)

Once I got the group started with an energizer from YTAP's Building a Culture of Peace model, everyone loosened up and

began to have fun, including (and maybe especially!) me and my co-facilitators. Over the course of the day, I truly got to experience

facilitation in an international and inter-cultural setting, and began to see the profound way in which the Principles of our Movement

that align us in all we do create a sense of global solidarity that we may not realize exists until it is right there in front of us, as it was

then for me.

The rest of the week was spent, for me, attending workshops on various issues such as IHL and inter-cultural dialogue, attend-

ing meetings with the Americas Network and meeting youth from Mexico, Uruguay, USA, and Colombia, and listening to the stories

of youth from all over the world. A group of youth at the event worked on drafting the Youth Declaration, which was a direct result of

participants' reactions to the YABC and other workshops over the week. This Declaration outlined three main points: a commitment

from youth of what they would do going forward to tackle key issues in society; a call to action for their NS and the Movement to

respond to that issue; and a call to action for their government. The Declaration was read by Amal Emam of the Egyptian Red Cres-

cent, and at the end of the world youth meeting, it was brought by a procession of youth from Solferino to Geneva, Switzerland.

The young people I met over the week were passionate, energetic, dedicated, creative, determined, and loving - very, very lov-

ing. Having been given the chance to attend the 3rd World Youth Meeting on behalf of CRCS was a singular honour and pleasure and

will not be an experience I will soon forget. The momentum it has spurred in me will have a longtime impact within CRCS and On-

tario Zone!

Written by Kristi White

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. nine

humanitarianISSUES THE DARFUR CONFLICT:

One of the World’s Worst Humanitarian Crises

soldiers to recover.

The ICRC‟s largest operation is

currently in Sudan. By working together

with the Sudanese Red Crescent and

other Red Cross/Red Crescent societies,

they remain neutral while helping re-

mote areas with healthcare, hygiene, and

access to water; especially since the ar-

eas are also fraught with drought. The

Sudanese Red Crescent is providing

shelters and household items, all the

while building new wells and latrines

that run on solar power. Furthermore,

since the livelihoods of most Darfurians

are associated with agriculture, the

ICRC has provided them with seeds and

farming tools.

Separated families are reunited with the

help of ICRC, and technological com-

munication is supplied to connect other

families ravaged by the conflict. Emer-

gency medical care and skilled field

surgical teams are also provided to aid

in the recovery from both physical and

emotional trauma, and vaccines are

given to remote rural areas lacking in

healthcare. For the younger Sudanese

generation, the Red Crescent/Red Cross

has provided child health care systems

and education on landmines.

Education is key in Sudan – from pro-

moting landmine awareness and training

about conflict resolution to encouraging

communities in sanitation or first aid,

such knowledge can improve their

health and speed recovery.

Being one of the few organiza-

tions able to lend a hand to Sudan‟s war-

torn areas, the International Committee

of the Red Cross is of significant impor-

tance to the civilians. Aside from the

distributed provisions and medical help,

the ICRC also monitors adherence to

International Humanitarian Law.

With financial support from gen-

erous donors, Red Cross and Red Cresc-

ent societies around the world have been

taking humanitarian action and instilling

hope for the people of Sudan.

The Sudan Week of Action is

in October. Activities, exhibitions and

workshops will be held across Ontario,

to raise awareness regarding the situa-

tion in Darfur and the actions taken by

the Movement, hopefully motivating

people to become involved. Learn more

about the Red Cross humanitarian ef-

forts at www.redcross.ca.

Written by Grace Wang, Humanitarian Issues Section Editor of the OZone Youth Newsletter

Darfur, Western Sudan: A young mother looks onto the horizon, cradling her baby, and surrounded by thousands of oth-

ers in a refugee camp on the border of Chad. They are among the 200,000 people who have fled to Chad in order to escape the war

and genocide of Darfur, which had resulted from tensions between the Sudanese government and rebel groups. Since the start of

conflict in 2003, 400,000 civilians have died from armed violence and starvation. The conflict has also created 2.7 million inter-

nally displaced people.

The conflict triggered disastrous effects on the civilians – 50 per cent of those affected by the conflict were young children.

About 6000 child soldiers have been involved in the conflict. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) helps child

EVENT

OZONE YOUTH NEWSLETTER, vol. 2, no. 3, fall 2009 p. ten

centennial YONGE AND DUNDAS YOUTH DEMONSTRATION

“Freeze…1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8…9…10-DROP!” The muttered

countdown and shrieked demands echoed around Yonge and Dundas

Square in Toronto twice on September 24th just before 10 or so volunteers

dove for the ground simultaneously, lying still while our message of sym-

pathy and action blared out of speakers: “During the last decade, 1.5 mil-

lion children were killed in armed conflict. Even Wars Have Limits! If you

would like to find out more about the Even Wars Have Limits campaign or

about the Red Cross Youth Groups that put this performance together,

please visit our booth.” While our faces were smashed against the grey

splotchy concrete, we all thought many things – „This square is very dirty.’

‘When do I get up?’ ‘Is anyone watching?’ We hoped they were. It was

through this attempt that we tried to get across one notion to everyone pac-

ing the sidewalk, buying from food trucks, waiting for their friends.

Youth our age suffer unthinkable atrocities by virtue of their ill

timing and location. Across the world, injustice is dished out and required

to be taken, eaten cold and unforgiving. We wanted pacers, buyers and

waiters to think about this notion and one day, find their way to fight for

those who fought and failed to survive. It was embarrassing to fake faint in

front of hundreds of people, and scary to recruit fainters on the street. Half

the time no one could hear us when we screamed instructions or demon-

strated. Just before we started our countdown it seemed so foolish and ri-

Written by Saachi Sadchatheeswaran

that we thought of bailing. Was demonstrating against war even ethically, neutrally, truly „Red Cross-ian‟? It was. It is. Be-

cause Even Wars Have Limits and two minutes of embarrassment and fear of talking to a wall of unresponsive public was

small potatoes when we thought of this – unlike 1.5 million children in the past decade, our bodies weren‟t forced flat on the

ground. We volunteered…like we always do, because we want to.

The flashmob demonstrated at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. and was designed by the University of Toronto Mississauga Red

Cross Youth Group president Zafir Yousaf and vice president Umar Farooq for the Centennial – the 100th year celebration of

the Canadian Red Cross. They organized in collaboration with the University of Toronto Scarborough Red Cross Youth

Group President Charmaine Santos, University of Toronto St. George Red Cross Youth Group President Saachi Sad-

chatheeswaran, and Ryerson University Red Cross Youth Group President Trung Nygen. We thank all of the impromptu

and enthusiastic volunteers among Red Cross and on the street who helped make the Even Wars have Limits demonstration

a success. We especially thank Kenny Li who took the wonderful photographs of the centennial for free.