Ever get someone telling you that you aren't going to a leadership convention unless you support their candidate... of course you have. That's how my leadership campaign began way back in April as I was trying to decide who I was going to support.
Long story short... I chose who I thought should be leader instead who I was told to support, defied the elite and now I'm here.
Where is here? Well, here is with a strong group of youth (and some "old" youth) trying to push the Stephane Dion message in Nova Scotia. After my decision, it was not hard to find others who were feeling the same reservations about the establishment candidates and a team began to come together.
Of course, how successful this team actually was will be demonstrated on the last weekend of this month, but I just want to take a moment and say that in Nova Scotia (and probably elsewhere, I guess)... youth rock!
How often do the under 25's get a chance to actually be placed in positions where they are making tough campaign decisions and organizing beyond their normal experience. While we have had a few blips, for the most part, youth have risen up and done the job, just as well (if not better in a few cases) than some adult members may have done.
I'm not advocating a youth takeover of the party in any form, but I think that those in certain ridings who strongly believe that youth belong in the grunt section, not the "thinking" team, need to wake up and start paying attention to what is going on.
Youth bring new ideas, new energy and a fresh new perspective. The world is changing and therefore, so must campaigns. There are still ridings out there who believe putting their candidate's information on the internet is a waste of time and money... Ask a youth where the first place they go to get candidate info is..
In Nova Scotia, we are proving that youth can do it too. Let's just hope certain people take notice.
- Colin Hebb
2 comments:
I am a provincial Progresive Conservative from Alberta - and an Anne McLellan supporter federally and work for Dave Hancock for the provincial PC leadership.
I am definitely not a youth but solidly beind Stephane Dion to lead the federal Liberals. I have just started blogging and still getting the hang of it. I have great respect for citizen participation and have an attitude of healthy scepticism about all political parties as necessary evils at worst...fundamental instruments of effective democracy at best.
Great to see this site I will visit it often.
thanks for the comment, Ken. the blogging world can be a bit tough in the beginning, but rest assured that for every vocal critic, there are a dozen silent fans.
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