Diaspora youth speakout

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 June 2007, 23:21 GMT]
A new brand of politically active Canadian Tamil youths are seeking innovative new outlets to express their political message, and to capture the attention of local media. Social networking sites including YouTube, and Facebook have become key electronic arsenal youths have marshalled to promote political themes and to invite other youths to join action groups. Groups employ well-organized public relations efforts including marathon-walks through cities to attract attention of the local media, law enforcement authorities and politicians.

The increasing numbers of technocratic Tamil nisei (second generation) in Canada, products of popular Canadian universities including Universities of Toronto, Carleton, Ryerson and others, are emerging as a potent force in political advocacy in support of the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Building on the organizational strength and peer support from campus student organizations, the Canadian youths are branching out into mainstream political activism. In a recently concluded campaign, an active youth group organized a walkathon from Toronto to Ottawa, through many Canadian townships, met with the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] officials and conducted a press briefing at the Parliament Hill to the mainstream media.

Team's Diary Entries

"The group is hoping that awareness will create dialogue between the Canadian government and Tamil Eelam. They have set up a Facebook group on the Internet and it already has more than 600 members who are contributing comments and words of encouragement to the young men," Durham region News reported.

Students from Toronto travelled in a chartered bus to support the student group on June 11th, and Universities of Ottawa, Carleton students attended in large numbers at Parliament Hill for the final day event to celebrate the "International Student uprising day." Students marched across Governer General's house and Prime Minister Harper's house slanting slogans reflecting their rights to bring the reasonableness of Tamil struggle known to Canadians, spokesperson for the group told the media.



Chronology:


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External Links:

US:		People for Equality And Relief in Lanka (PEARL)
US:		Power of Youth to Transform Politics Using the Internet
Wiki:		Royal Canadian Mounted Police