Uganda's the Hotspot

It's refreshing to not talk about hair, the latest fashion trend or hollywood movies. These topics ironically dominate university life... even though they're quite menial and unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

Meeting two university students with an international outlook was a welcomed change. Kaitlin Sherven and Jana Knezacek both have volunteered overseas. These trips have shifted their perspectives and made them more concerned for the people and major issues around the world.

The best part is that they've brought this international passion back to Regina.

Sherven is heavily involved with the Gulu Walk, which focuses on raising awareness and funds for kidnapped children in Uganda. During the 23-year civil war, many children became night commuters; trekking along the Gulu trail to avoid capture Over 20,000 children have been taken and forced to be soldiers. Sherven's hard work paid off as over 70 people participated in Regina's walk. Even a few city councillors and MLA Trent Wetherspoon made an appearance.

Knezacek is also taking a stand. She worked in Rwanda this past summer where she documented genocide accounts of survivors. She also sheltered street children who had no place to sleep.

Back in Regina, she brought the screening of Invisible Children to campus; a film that focuses on child soldiers in Uganda. Over 100 students came to see the short documentary and she has enough support to start a campus group.

Unfortunately, these ladies are few and far between. Taking a camera around campus, it was soon evident that most students don't know or necessarily care about international issues. Some didn't even undertand what international activism meant.

When I posed the question: "Do you care about international issues?" I could tell by their faces what they really thought. Most felt obligated to say yes... yet they couldn't relay to me any specific issue or circumstances where they had been involved.

Some said they cared but found it difficult to get involved. Indeed, only 7 of the 70 campus groups are directed towards international issues, still its a start for students who may just be looking for like-minded people.

Some blame it on the busy schedule of university, but it hardly seems the case, seeing as some students like Sherven and Knezacek are making a difference. But then again, they had the opportunity to travel overseas and see first hand what needed to be done.

It's encouraging to me that students around Canada have more and more opportunities to travel overseas. Student exchanges and co-op programs may be the best way to see other parts of the world.

It may be difficult to produce international protagonists if students barely have time to read a newspaper. We may have to rely on these global opportunities to spur awareness and change. Maybe then, the next generation of leaders will be better prepared to tackle tough, global issues.

Re-evaluating the Vote

As a politically engaged journalism student, I generally take my right to vote very seriously. However, I must admit, in the past it has been tempting to forgo the political process when civic election's roll around.

I remember being sprawled out on my couch when the ballots for the 2006 civic election were cast. Instead of making the treacherous walk down the block, I gave up and went to bed early. It was completely a convenience issue for me, and I didn't feel the need to get out and vote. Apparently, I wasn't alone. Only 36% of Regina residents made it to the ballot box. One interview made me think about this apathy and re-evaluate the way I was voting.

Palwashah Humayun is originally from Afghanistan, a country marred by internal and external conflict. Growing up, she barely remembered elections, only those held at the city level. But then again, she was a woman, and therefore not allowed to voice her political opinion.

Humayun left her homeland in 1992 when the Mujahideen over ran the Soviet forces and tried to take control of the country. Ethnic tensions led to an internal bloodbath; Humayun knew she had to flee.

She and her husband escaped into India, eventually ending up in Canada. Today, she is a proud Canadian citizen. Humayun now votes whenever she can.

Perhaps Humayun has a better understanding of the what it means to vote. She has lived within conflict, she has been denied the opportunity, and so maybe she values her political freedoms more than I do. Looking at her home country now, Afghanistan still doesn't have free elections. They were supposedly introduced in 2004, however the hostile conflict and opposition hardly constitutes democracy. Moreover, the recent elections were marred by corruption in the voting process so it's hard to call it a success.

Speaking with Humayun she has a passion for having her voice heard. Even as she tells me her story, she is excited and enthuiastic about her rights as a Canadian citizen. How come I don't always feel this way? The 77% of Regina residents that didn't vote in this year's civic election seem to share the same apathy.

Where's the passion gone in politics?

The US got a taste of it last fall. Prior to his election, Barack Obama ran a campaign that stirred up American pride. Voters were out in record numbers. But how do we get to the same point or better as Canadians?

It's a difficult question but maybe the solution is simpler than we think.

Perhaps we don't know what it's like to have these freedoms taken away. Perhaps we take for granted the electoral process that is for the most part, fair across the country. And perhaps we don't look closely at the immigrants in our community, to understand their stories.

With 10,000 new immigrants coming to Saskatchewan alone, we have a great opportunity to learn from these people first hand.

If we can't inspire ourselves, maybe we have to lean on our foreign neighbors to bring us an outside perspectives. It may be these newcomers that bring a sense of pride to the voting system, and ignite a country on fire for democracy.