2013 African Diaspora Youth Conference

Welcome to the 2013 African Diaspora Youth Conference Website.

This year the conference runs Thursday, May 9 to Saturday, May 11.

The theme for this year's conference is:

KUJICHAGULIA - Self-determination

Kujichagulia is the Swahili word for self-determination. It is is the 2^nd of the Seven Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa and the meaning behind it in this context is to “define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves” instead of others defining our identity for us. 

Di•as po• ra \n [Gk, dispersion] the breaking up and scattering of a people; people settled far from their ancestral homelands; the communities where these people live.

What is the African Diaspora Youth Conference?

This conference is for secondary school students with interests in learning about the African Diaspora and how it has played a role in their development of self. Particular attention will be paid to how having knowledge of your history results in power.

The conference has become a life changing experience for many students. It provides an exceptional open forum where students can discuss with their peers the concerns they face as youth growing up in a North American society; where they can share the perspectives of their own diverse cultures. It is a place where they are given the opportunity to reflect on their own lives and learn with community people and university students who have been through similar situations and have excelled.

The conference has been welcomed and supported by the schools and leading members of the African-Canadian community. Interest in the conferences is coming from other cities. The organizers are faced with the challenge of funding to allow growth to take place and the need to keep intact the intensity of the learning experience.