Current Events
Paul Dewar Meet and Greet Friday November 25th, 2011
Come on out and meet Paul Dewar-previous NDP foreign affairs critic and current NDP leadership candidate. There will be good snacks and good conversation.
When: 4:00PM- 5:30PM
Where: UWO USC conference room UCC 379
Click here to see and join our Meet and Greet with Leadership Candidate Paul Dewar!.

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Letter to Youth in Canada by Jack Layton
....To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.

All my very best,
Jack Layton

LANDY Basics
Youth and Politics

I am young. I have bounds of energy, passion, and determination. I have a long, promising future and I care about the world in which I live. Yet, in the eyes of the experts, the politicians, the analysts – federal, provincial, municipal – I am disinterested and uninteresting; hence I have no effect on politics, my vote doesn’t really matter, and presumably politics does not affect me. Such a perception is so widespread that it may certainly have become a self-fulfilling prophecy in some respects; regardless, we can wish all we want, but it seems politics – however detached from youth issues – will always affect us dramatically

Issues Affecting Us

Politics is everywhere and it does, whether we like it or not, affect us. The political process determines where and when we can travel via public transit, motor vehicle, bicycle, or on foot. We must work through the politics to ensure that all youth can access transportation, safely and affordable, to commute to work or school efficiently. Politics have a profound impact on the physical environment around us and we have a vested interest in making certain our environment is sustainable for our future and for the lives of our children and the next generation to follow. Meanwhile, in London, an exodus is underway and political decisions are surely part of the problem; businesses, educated and skilled youth leave the city at first chance because no viable economic, infrastructural, social, or cultural attraction to stay in London. We can change this.

What is LANDY

London and Area New Democratic Youth as a group of progressive, enthusiastic young people, eager to make a difference in the world. To be honest though, we will probably view our mission and our goals differently; LANDY is as diverse in our decisions as we are in our opinions on how to realize them. The beauty of it is, that’s okay. We can each use LANDY for our unique personal reasons or as a tool for purely altruistic actions, the key to our success will be in balancing shared, similar, and divergent interests and working collectively to produce positive, progressive change in our society. Only through cooperative action, stellar organization, and a collective voice can any of us hope to bear any real influence on the politics of our schools, our city, Ontario, Canada, or the global community.

Furthermore, we cannot allow our political voice to be bottlenecked or diminished to a few ballots cast every couple of years. If we have any hope of creating the kind of world in which we, and our children, can grow and thrive we will need to engage in daily battles to make change we can all believe in. A vote is, for all intensive purposes, the tip of a metaphorical iceberg; and should we hope to sink the Titanic that is economic inefficiency, environmental degradation, underdevelopment, social injustice, and gross inequality we will need to muster all of the deeper political processes available to us, below the surface of the sea that is politics. Where there is cause, we can embark on letter writing campaigns, petitions, and awareness raising through every available media source. If voices are suppressed and rights violated, we can organize to rally, march, and shout out load until these voices are heard and such violators exposed. In the offices of those with power we can present – professionally, respectfully – practical solutions that work for youth, and indeed all Canadians. To organize for every issue would be and immense undertaking, and though we may have the will and the passion, our resources may not allow this. But we can build partnerships with local NGOs, community groups, activist cells, and progressive individuals to work together towards common goals.

The New Democratic Party

We are lucky to be progressive youth. A strong alliance is already made for us. The Federal and Provincial NDP no longer restrict youth issues to external advisors or caucus discussion. Rather, New Democratic have actively engaged youth through round table discussions, and youth wings, and even roles as candidates and Members of Parliament. The Federal NDP has elected the youngest caucus in Canadian history and a slew of MPs under the age of 25. Issues affecting young people have moved from fringe special interests to center-stage in the legislature and in the backrooms of Parliament Hill. NDP members are actively fighting to end unfair ATM fees; block moves towards usage-based billing; freeze and reduce tuition fees; expand affordable transit cell phone, and Internet coverage; and ensure a sustainable environment to serve our generation.

How to Join LANDY

Our mission sounds simple: to make the world a better place. Yet, as insurmountable a task as it may seem, starting small, locally, with youth issues is a viable and pertinent first step. LANDY will provide a collective voice and greater organizational capacity with which to achieve our individual and group goals. To join is easy, but only the first step; a five dollar membership fee and basic contact information earns voting rights at biweekly policy and action planning procedures as well as the opportunity to stand for executive positions. At such meetings, LANDY will decide its course of action and all members will be welcome to join any events organized or supported by LANDY. All members will be able to propose actions for the group and support or oppose motions made by others. LANDY will give back as much as you choose to put in to it: it can be social, academic, or political. You can rise to public office as a candidate put forward and supported by the LANDY membership; or research policy and draft proposals for the best route for the group to take forward on a certain issue; or engage youth across London, collaborating for a progressive, sustainable, efficient world. It will certainly not be easy, but those who are without the will to work for something are without hope of achieving it. a What an exciting time to be (or become) a young New Democrat in London! We are the Official Opposition federally, holding the Harper government to account. We won a fourth consecutive Majority in Manitoba's Provincial elections. We had a strong showing, nearly doubling our seat count in the Ontario Provincial election - including electing an NDP candidate, Teresa Armstrong, in London-Fanshawe, giving that riding representation. What's more, young people> everywhere are poised to raise our voices and influence substantial changes in government and in our communities.