Youth Action Montreal

I’ve been a little bit lazy on the blog. Sorry. I’ll try to do better and share a little bit more of what’s happening in front of my lens. here goes…

In April I photographed an event for Youth action Montreal and had the good fortune to rub elbows with David Suzuki, Stephen Lewis, Joey Berdugo Adler, and Craig Kielburger. Normally when I shoot an event, my visual sensitivity is firing on all cylinders while my subconscious plays marching tunes and I plan out the rest of my life in my head…but this time I kept my ears open while I clicked away. What I came away with was no less than inspiring; Lewis is the greatest orator I’ve had the chance to witness first-hand, Suzuki IS the epitome of passion and endurance, Adler’s commitment to her cause shocked me into change, and Kielburger taught me that even a kid can do it.

It was the second time I had the opportunity to meet David Suzuki, who, this time, emitted a combination of overwhelming fatigue and desperate passion (I think he swore 4 times during his presentation). I trailed him through the back corridors, into a cramped freight elevator and into a private cocktail party, where he was presented with a surprise 75th birthday cake. (he only blew 62 candles out).

Stephen Lewis mesmerized me with his presentation. A born storyteller, he recounted his career’s work with surprising detail, humor, sadness and eloquence. Within a week of the event I had obtained a copy of his Massey lectures transcript, “Race Against Time”.

Joey Berdugo Adler is my hometown hero who took the opportunity to challenge the attending youth to take their first step and lead their peers. Backstage I listened to her plans to construct a LEED certified factory in Haiti and help empower them to change their own economy and lives. I asked her what she needed me to do.

Craig Kielburger is young. Really young at only 28. But amazingly enough, he founded ‘Free the Children’ in 1995 when he was only 12 years old. I tihnk that the youth in attendance were really receptive to his story.

http://www.youthactionmontreal.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

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