A Reflection on Seven Years at YDC
By Max Seunik, YDC CEO 2019-2022
Dear YDC Community,
Last week, I sat down with my grandfather, who left a still-smouldering Austria after World War II for a new start in Canada almost 70 years ago. With news from Ukraine blaring on the television in the background, he was pensive: I can't believe this is happening again.
Of course, this is not the first humanitarian crisis since World War II. Nor is it even the first in recent memory – to believe that would be an injustice to the immense suffering of people in places like Central African Republic, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela, Myanmar, the Balkans, or across the Sahel.
Still, adding the threat of nuclear war to the compounding forces around us – a mutating virus, the looming threat of disastrous climate change, an affordability crisis, and the continued violence we see perpetrated against Black, Brown and Indigenous peoples – does feel especially dark.
Not all is dark, though. Despite everything, I continue to possess a dogged optimism about our future.
This feeling is nurtured by the work we are privileged to do at Young Diplomats of Canada and our mission to develop Canada's future leaders in diplomacy, policy, and advocacy.
Co-founding and helping grow this organization over the last seven years has been a passion and a salve. Serving as Chief Executive Officer for the last three of those years has cemented my enduring belief in the capacity of young people to transform our world for the better.
It is this unshakeable belief in the leadership abilities of young people that makes me proud to announce that I will be transitioning out of the role of CEO at the end of this month.
We accomplished a great deal during my term. Some highlights include:
Screening >830 applications to recruit 70 delegates
Launching the first database of youth-led and youth-serving organizations in Canada
Sending the first youth delegation from what is now Canada to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)
Relaunching YDC's brand image
Boosting the value of our Alumni network with new ways to stay connected to YDC
First steps towards embracing TRC Calls to Action
Expanding connections with government partners, experts, and Indigenous organizations
Advancing inclusion – including our first Francophone event, and new recruitment and operating guidelines to make YDC a safer space for all young Canadians
Pivoting to 100% online offerings during the COVID-19 pandemic
Building a high-performing team of extraordinary Executive members
Beyond these bullet points, I continue to be inspired by the power of the YDC delegation experience itself. When our Recruitment Team selects a young person for a delegation to the G7, G20, World Bank, IMF, or OECD, what we are also saying is: "You belong in this space."
The strength of that affirmation is exceptional. I've seen our delegates challenge G7 Sherpas on their country's climate records, take stratospheric leaps in their careers, help set the policy agenda on issues largely ignored by policymakers through national consultations, and break new ground in the fight for inclusion – as last year's UNPFII delegates Nipâwi, Paloma, and Sarah did at the United Nations.
What Young Diplomats of Canada does is muster the volunteer energy, tools, and connections to empower our delegates to reimagine Canadian foreign policy.
We believe global policy should also be rooted in the experiences of people in Nunavik, Grande Prairie, and Scarborough. For us, a "diplomat" is someone committed to improving their community and the world. We see ourselves as helping open the corridors of global governance to groups of people who can help dismantle the colonial, extractive, and pervasive forces that keep us locked in the dangerous status quo. At our best (and we often are), we offer tangible opportunities to redefine what power is, who wields it, and which voices are at the table.
But there is more that must be done. The reality is our delegation experiences are still not as accessible as they need to be for us to realise our mission to redefine global civic engagement for young Canadians. This will be a huge emphasis of our work.
That is why I'm thrilled to share that Christina Caouette will be taking over as CEO from her previous role as Recruitment Lead. Since joining YDC in 2017, Christina has led efforts to improve the organization's outreach to ensure our delegations better reflect the full diversity of what is now Canada, spearheaded the Canadian Youth Organisations Database, and also brought in fundraising dollars to boot. She is a thoughtful and strategic leader. YDC is in good hands.
This is what gives me hope for the future. As I become what I have jokingly referred to as an "elder youth" and stop to reflect on the life of my nearly 90 year old grandfather, I find the Haudenosaunee teaching on Seventh Generation Thinking increasingly meaningful. The teaching encourages us to view the impacts of our decisions as rippling across the seven generations to come. Similarly, it helps us realize that we are also the seventh generation – living out the decisions, generosity, and sacrifices of our ancestors.
May the generations that follow look back with gratitude on the work we carry out today. As always, thank you for your continued support of Young Diplomats of Canada.
Onwards –
Max Seunik
Chief Executive Officer 2019 - 2022
Member, YDC Board of Directors
