Everyone I know in life has a nation to call their home.  Almost all of my friends and family were born here in Canada and enjoy the privilege – and responsibility – of living in a free and democratic society.

There are those, however, who don’t have a country to call their own.  The United Nations states that over ten million people in the world today – owing to their fear of being persecuted or even killed on account of their economic status, race, political opinion, or religion – have been forced to move outside their nation of birth and are unable to go back.  They are called refugees.

The only solutions to refugee populations are repatriation back to the country of origin (which carry unparalleled risk), local integration into the new country of asylum (which is always challenging), or permanent resettlement to a third country (which can take many years to legally accomplish).  The largest source countries of refugees are Iraq, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan.  Yet the Palestinian Territories are still by far the largest source of refugees – and their descendants – in the world today.

World Refugee Day was founded by the United Nations in 2000 and is celebrated every year.  The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) commemorates the event in Washington, DC to raise awareness of the millions of refugees worldwide.  Each year, UNHCR selects a theme and coordinates events throughout the world. 

In 2010, the organization has created a video link on its website (www.refugeedaylive.org) that allows face to face communication with refugees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Damascus, Syria.  Many people mistake refugees as those living in sprawling tented camps in rural areas.  The reality is that more than half of the 10.5 million refugees in the world today live in towns and cities across the globe.  The video link will give people the ability to hear from refuges and learn about their histories and struggles.

Refugees face incredible challenges, wherever they may be.  Studies show they live with higher rates of mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, flashbacks from traumatic events in their past, as well as physical ailments from wounds or malnutrition. 

In accordance with international treaties that mandate certain countries receive a “quota” of refugees, Canada accepts thousands every year, even though far more (25,000) apply for refugee status.  Only about 40% of refugee claims filed in Canada are accepted.  Although a multicultural country, many refugees struggle with their new lives in Canadian society, and while the federal government provides assistance, much more must be done.

This isn’t to say that many don’t succeed here in their new land.  In fact, contrary to myth, refugees who come to Canada contribute very positively to our economy.  Many have post-secondary degrees, and those who come to Canada offset our declining birth rate and aging population.

On World Refugee Day, we acknowledge the long and difficult quest of more than ten million people around the world to one day live in a country they can truly call home.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

Can you feel that sense of warmth in the air?  I can, too.  That’s the feeling of summer.  The favourite part of the year for kids everywhere is about to begin.

After a very busy schedule this year, I’m taking a bit of a break.  It’s important to give yourself a chance to “recharge your batteries,” so to speak.  As I wrote in the second part of my book, Making Change: Tips from an Underage Overachiever, you need to give yourself a tune-up whenever you feel run down, to rejuvenate yourself physically, mentally, spiritually and socially.

As I wrote: “You are made up of more than just your physical body.  Your mind also needs rest and rejuvenation, and so does your soul.  You need to find the time to rest, relax and, most importantly, to laugh.  Find that place that gives you energy, and take the time to go there an visit ‘with yourself.’  Discover ways to be a human being, not just a human doing.”

I find the best way to do this is to treat yourself to the outdoors.  Go for more walks and bike rides.  Go camping.  Pick up a new sport.  Or my personal favourite, take a swim.  Especially in this hot summer weather, I’ve found that a pool is the best remedy.

Summer is also a time of trying out new things.  If you have some time on your hands throughout July and August, why not donate more of it to a charitable organization?  There are plenty of organizations that need your help.  Go online and look up an issue you care deeply about.  Is it the environment, human rights, poverty, animal rights?  Soon enough you’ll learn about a group in your area that shares your interests.  Everyone is too busy in September to start anything new.  So now is the time.

Canada Day was this week.  July 1st is a day that allows us to recognize how lucky we are to live in a free country.  It also renews our commitment to making Canada – and the world – a better place.  In a society like our own, we are so empowered with the ability to make change in our communities and throughout society.  It would have been a waste to let another Canada Day go by without giving something back to the country that has given so many of us so much.

At the beginning of every school year, I plan out the next nine months and the goals I want to accomplish.  Why not do the same for summer?  We only have two months, and we should use them to the best of our ability.  Who says we can’t beat the summertime blues?  There’s so much to do, and time is far too previous to waste during those warm days and nights of summer.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make a Difference”

Twenty-one years ago this month, tragedy took place in Beijing, China.  Thousands of citizens, calling for freedom, human rights and democratic reform, were murdered by the soldiers and tanks of the government’s armed forces.

What started out as a peaceful demonstration two months earlier ended in bloodshed, with the dreams of hopes of an entire generation of young people crushed by the powerful hands of tyranny.  This month, we remember the events of 1989 in China and the brave souls who dared to demand freedom.

They assembled in the centre of Beijing at Tiananmen Square, a plaza first built in 1651.  Meaning “Gate of Heavenly Peace” in Chinese, it has been the site of momentous periods throughout the country’s history.

1989 was no different.

It all began quite humbly in April 1989 with just a few thousand people.  By late May, hundreds of thousands of students, farmers, workers, intellectuals and journalists, inspired by the overthrow of Communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, gathered in Tiananmen to call for democracy.

On May 30th, one of the most memorable icons of the protests, the Goddess of Democracy, a 10-metre statue created by local art students, was unveiled in the square to a rousing ovation.  Yet on June 4, 1989, the so-called “People’s Liberation Army” invaded the square and opened fire.  It is difficult to know exactly how many deaths took place.  Some say a few hundred, other sources say as much as 7,000.  The violence continued for days, with many of the organizers of the protests being arrested, killed or forced into hiding.

A day later on June 5th, another unforgettable event took place.  A young man walking on Chang Avenue in downtown Beijing, just a few blocks away from Tiananmen, distraught and fed up with what was taking place, decided to take matters into his own hands.  He unexpectedly walked into the middle of the road and blocked the path of a column of government tanks that were on their way to the Square.  The so-called “Tank Man” is still unknown to this day.  Experts say he either died in the ensuing violence or survived and is still in hiding.  Others say he escaped to Taiwan.

Maybe we’ll never know what happened to that brave person, but we know that the ideals he and millions of others in China hold, such as freedom, human rights and democracy, are alive and well.

The problem today is that the Chinese government has successfully whitewashed the events of May/June 1989.  It has become a forbidden subject to talk about, and the government has prevented it from even being mentioned in history books or the media.

It’s almost impossible to read about the events on the internet in China since so many websites are banned there.

We therefore have a duty to remember those protests and the millions of people who risked their lives to make change not only in China, but in countries all over the world.  Democracy isn’t handed down from above, it is created from below.  And those of us who live in free countries like Canada have the opportunity to help those around the world still struggling for economic security, human rights and liberty.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

Options are running out for our friends south of the border trying to stop the largest oil spill in U.S. history.  For the past five weeks in the Gulf of Mexico, up to 100,000 barrels, or 16 million litres of oil per day, are gushing into the sea, creating untold environmental, biological and economic devastation.

It all started on April 20, when an oil wellhead under the Deepwater Horizon exploded and led to a massive fire, causing eleven deaths and seventeen injuries.  The oil spill area has become just as shocking.  Currently, it has fouled 125 miles of Louisiana’s coast, washed up on the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, and is within a few hours of the pristine Pensacola, Florida beaches.

This isn’t exactly the best way to celebrate World Environment Day (WED), taking place this week.  WED was started by the United Nations in 1973 and is hosted every year by a different city, aiming to stimulate discussion and awareness on environmental issues all over the world.  This year’s theme is “Many species.  One planet.  One future.”   

Ironically, there are many species of wildlife under attack in the Gulf of Mexico.  400 of them that live in the islands and marshlands of the region, including the already endangered Ridley turtle, are at risk.  Experts say that upwards of 34,000 birds are threatened, and that it could take the ecosystem decades to recover from such an infusion of toxic chemicals from the oil and gas.  In addition, the spill has caused massive oxygen depletion within the ecosystem.

Blame is being put on the companies responsible, British Petroleum (BP) and Transocean, as well as years of environmental deregulation and lax standards by the federal government.  But the most important issues right now are how to clean it up and ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again.  The first issue is difficult to handle, and the second may be even harder.

To date, BP engineers have attempted almost a dozen techniques to control or stop the oil from gushing from the well leaks, all of which have been unsuccessful.  Some leading experts now say it might actually be impossible to stop it – until, of course, the entire well is depleted.  The cleanup efforts throughout the Gulf have also run into serious problems.

The only fact is that no one really knows what the full damage of this environmental disaster will be.  What we do know – and have known for years – is that if we invest in environmentally-friendly forms of energy, such as geothermal, solar and wind, and start using energy more wisely, we can steadily reduce our dependence on oil, especially that which comes from highly sensitive ecosystems.

The United Nations Environment Programme, which administers World Environment Day, already estimates that the cleanup of existing pollution throughout the globe, above and beyond that in the Gulf of Mexico, will cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

Believe it or not, this environmental disaster may actually lead to something good: greater awareness about the dangers of offshore oil drilling and a stronger commitment to environmental sustainability.  

Only time will tell.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

I want to thank each and every one of you who kicked off your shoes and made 2010 Barefoot Challenge a HUGE success.  Thousands of people worldwide got involved and helped raise awareness about the very important issue of child poverty.  It’s people like you who make the world a better place!

I received plenty of messages from participants throughout the globe.  Glen, a teacher from Brunei, says: “Our class did the Barefoot Challenge today and then spent our English lesson coming up with lists of things children needed to be healthy and happy.  Thank you for inviting us, and we hope to make it school-campus wide next year!”

The City of Peterborough and the Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield both proclaimed June 1, 2010 Barefoot Challenge Day and the Challenge got tremendous media attention in such countries as England, New Zealand, India, Australia, Korea, United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Four months ago, I also promised to have my head shaved on behalf of the school that raised the most funds for the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.  My school, Lakefield College School, took that goal to heart and accomplished it, and yesterday my schoolmates witnessed my head shaving.  So besides going without shoes, I went without hair as well!

I was also able to participate in an interview with the BBC about the Barefoot Challenge and International Children’s Day.  You can listen to it here. 

Free trip to the Arctic

Last year, I was fortunate to have an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I received a Brita FilterForGood Eco-Challenge Student Grant and spent two and a half weeks in the Canadian Arctic, learning about climate change, Inuit culture and so much more.  My online journal captures some of the most memorable expedition moments.

This August, Brita has brought back its FilterForGood Eco-Challenge Student Grant Program! Brita is looking to send three of Canada’s most promising young environmentalists on an amazing educational expedition to the Canadian Arctic with the award-winning organization Students On Ice (SOI).  

The deadline for submissions is June 6th.  If you are a high school or university student or know of someone who would be interested, please get the submission in before this date.  To learn more or to apply for an Eco-Challenge grant, please visit FilterForGood.ca.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

What an incredible start to the 2010 Barefoot Challenge!  As you already know, June 1st is International Children’s Day, and to celebrate the occasion, I’m asking thousands of people around the world to go barefoot that day – whether to work or school – to raise awareness about child poverty in the developing world.

The town of Peterborough and the Township of Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield (where my school is located near) have both proclaimed June 1, 2010 Barefoot Challenge Day.  We are also waiting to hear back from the City of Toronto.

Students throughout the country are getting involved, and over 400 people have signed up to the Facebook Event Page, and that’s only after one day!  I’m also already scheduled for interviews with media in Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia. 

A big event takes place next week at my school, Lakefield College School.  In front of the entire student body, I will have my head shaved to raise awareness about the Challenge and the struggles faced by children around the globe today.  That’s right, the hair is coming off – fauxhawk and all.  I hope they’ll be gentle with me!

Anyway, I want to thank those who have signed up and will take part on June 1st.  I can’t wait to kick off those shoes.  Speak to you soon!

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

This coming June 1st, I’m participating in a very important initiative I started last year called the Barefoot Challenge.  International Children’s Day takes place on the first of June each year, and to celebrate the occasion, I will live life without shoes.  You heard me right, I will go to school, play sports, hang out with friends – and do everything else I usually do – completely barefoot. 

Last year, hundreds of people from dozens of countries – especially youth – kicked off their shoes and participated.  I am asking Canadians to do the same on June 1st to better understand the struggles faced by underprivileged children in the developing world. 

I had the opportunity to participate in over 60 media interviews with newspapers and radio and TV stations Canada, the United States, Britain, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, India, Switzerland, South Africa, Hong Kong and Singapore, and I plan to do the same this time around.  This Barefoot Challenge is going to be bigger than ever before!

A few years ago, I visited Tanzania and Malawi in Africa and met with hundreds of children who walk miles every day barefoot to fetch water, work on their farm lands, or go to school.  I watched as they played soccer on the hard, rocky sands of central Africa, and it made me think of what life would be like to live without something we take for granted.

But the Barefoot Challenge is about much more than just shoes.  It’s about building a world where all children can go to school, have a home to live in, drink clean water and see a doctor when they’re sick, one where children can grow up and be whoever they want to be in life.

I remember the strange looks I received from people when I walked barefoot down the streets of Toronto last year.  And when they asked me why I didn’t have shoes, I reminded them that too many children around the world didn’t either!

So I am urging you to participate in this year’s Barefoot Challenge.  Ask your teacher if your classroom can go barefoot for an afternoon and discuss the important issue of child poverty.  Even better, speak with your principal and ask if the entire school can get involved.   I am happy to announce that my school, Lakefield College High School, is also taking part in the Challenge.

You can get family members, friends and neighbours to be a sponsor.  Whether they promise five, ten, fifty or a hundred dollars, every effort counts.  And if you get your class or school to participate, just image the difference we could make!

Once money is collected from your sponsors, you can donate to organizations like UNICEF by going to their WEBSITE (which is what I do), or the World Partnership Walk (organized by the Aga Khan Foundation).  You could also donate to the children’s organizations of your choice as well. 

In addition, participants could also help out locally in their community.  This is your chance to think creatively and come up with your own fundraising ideas, too!  By going barefoot, we have a huge opportunity to raise awareness about children’s rights.  Like each of you, I believe that children throughout the world deserve equality and justice.

There’s a video on my YouTube page about the Challenge located HERE.  In addition, you can go to the official Barefoot Challenge Facebook page by clicking HERE.  And by all means, email me at media@makingchangenow.com and tell me about your experiences.  I would love to hear from you.  So go barefoot this June 1st, and good luck!

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan 

“Together We Can Make A Difference” 

When one is asked about the qualities of our country, many things come to mind.  Freedom, democracy, universal health care, and a commitment to global peace are all institutions associated with Canada.  Another important value, multiculturalism, is also seen as a major benefit to our society.

We really don’t know how good we have it.  I can travel into a city like Toronto with my friends and watch a movie made in India, eat Asian food, dance to African music, read books written by South American authors and buy clothing made in Europe.  Canada really is a nation of nations.  Taking a journey through our country is like seeing the world.

This week, Citizenship Day is being celebrated in Canada.  First observed in 1950, it occurs every year in late May on the Friday before Victoria Day.  This week we remember Canada’s role in the world, its democracy, history and multiculturalism, and reflect on the rights and privileges we have as Canadians.  I also believe it’s a way to welcome and acknowledge those who live in Canada but haven’t become citizens yet.  This is their day, too.

Hundreds of thousands of people come to this country every year for a better life.  This isn’t to say it’s perfect.  There are still many challenges we face as Canadians: environmental harm, child poverty, a troubling economy, and national unity, to name a few.

We also can’t forget that those who come to Canada still struggle through serious challenges.  Many immigrants and New Canadians face discrimination in hiring and on the job.  Others may not speak English as a first language and have to confront communication barriers.  Many who have outstanding education credentials and work experience in their former countries still cannot get recognized by employers in Canada.

Why is it that doctors and medical scientists who come from other countries around the world can’t practice medicine in this country, for example, and have to wait years until their licences are “updated” by our government?

On Citizenship Day, we recognize the enormous benefits that immigrants and New Canadians bring to our country.  In fact, it’s almost impossible to imagine what Canada would be today if it wasn’t for immigration.  And whereas some say that multiculturalism is about recognizing our differences, it’s really about working and living together in harmony, regardless of who you are or where you are from.  That is the real meaning of a free and socially just society and the essence of being a Canadian citizen.

Citizenship Day may not be as popular or celebrated as Victoria Day or other holidays throughout the year.  And it doesn’t even come close to many of the national holidays in the United States, which burst with national pride and patriotism.  But maybe that’s what being Canadian is about: quietly acknowledging how fortunate we are, humbly celebrating our unique cultures, admitting our errors, and looking forward to a better future for everyone.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

There is a month long celebration taking place in Canada every May that some of you may be aware of.  South Asian Heritage Month acknowledges the history and culture of those in Canada with family roots from the countries of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan, among others.  It also includes those South Asians who eventually came to Canada through the Caribbean, South America and central and southern Africa.

Our history here goes back much farther than many Canadians might realize.  The first South Asians began coming to our country as early as the late 19th century, although the first major influx of immigrants from South Asia began in the early 20th.  Yet due to strict, race-based immigration laws, the numbers were still very low.  In fact, between 1909 and 1943, only 878 were legally permitted to enter Canadian borders.

The discrimination faced by Asian Canadians was overwhelming.  Take the now infamous “Komagata Maru” episode of 1914, where a boat carrying 376 prospective immigrants of East Indian decent – mostly Sikh veterans of the British Army, was halted in Vancouver.  Although as British subjects they had the right to enter Canada, they were refused and forced to wait for two months in appalling conditions while the federal government did virtually nothing.  Instead, only twenty passengers were allowed to stay, with the rest being forced back to India in the Fall of 1914.

Thankfully, people don’t have to tolerate these kind of racist immigration policies any more, largely due to generations of South Asians and millions of other visible minorities who for decades, worked together to confront discrimination in Canada.  It wasn’t easy, and it certainly didn’t come about overnight, but we have made incredible strides in the struggle for racial equality and social justice.

Our history throughout the world is a proud one.  Soldiers of South Asian descent fought bravely for the Allies in World War I and especially World War II, when they joined both British and Canadian armies in the Pacific against the Japanese Empire.  In addition, South Asian immigrants living in South Africa throughout the 20th century, some of whose descendants live in Canada today, played a crucial role in overthrowing Apartheid, working alongside the African National Congress and other organizations to eventually create a free, democratic society.

As for the celebration of our heritage in Canada, it was not until the 1980s that public events began to take place.  In 2001, the Legislature of Ontario passed an act which officially recognized May as South Asian Heritage Month.  This year, there are events taking place in every major city throughout the country, and there is even a Facebook group commemorating the celebration that users can join.

Today, South Asian Canadians make up approximately 7 percent of Ontario’s population, and our history, music, film, fashion and literature – among many other of our cultural achievements – are deeply engrained in the Canadian mosaic.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make A Difference”

The term “May Day” is usually something overheard in movies where pilots are desperately calling for help on their radios as their plane spirals towards the ground.  Yet for hundreds of millions of people around the world, the real meaning of the term is something completely different.  The first of May, otherwise known as International Workers Day, celebrates the rights of workers and the gains they have struggled for and won over the past century and beyond.

The Day is the commemoration of the terrible Haymarket Massacre in Chicago in 1886, when police fired on workers who were striking to establish the eight hour work day, killing several demonstrators.  The eight hour work day is commonplace in Canada in 2010, but over 100 years ago, it was pretty radical stuff. 

Each year, holidays are held in most countries throughout the world.  Although in Canada and the United States, we celebrate a similar holiday on Labour Day on the first Monday of September.  Nonetheless, the vast majority of countries in the world, including Pakistan and India, hold the event on May 1st.  Millions of people join parades in the streets and call for strengthening workers’ rights, social justice and equality for all.

And considering that there are still approximately 158 million children aged 5 to 14 working for a living worldwide, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), workers’ rights are inevitably children’s rights.   In countries like ours, however, there are age restrictions to enter the labour force, which are usually 15 or 16 years of age, depending on what province you live in.  But this couldn’t be said of dozens of other countries, where children work in terrible conditions.

It’s important to note that things weren’t always so good in Canada.  Workers had limited rights, and things like health and safety laws and workers’ compensation were only a dream.  If a worker was injured on a job, he or she would be fired and left with nothing.  Child labour used to exist here as well.  But for decades, people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds across our land decided to work together for positive social change, and we abolished child exploitation and other labour abuses.

Rights for workers are already relatively weak in much of the developing world, but being a child worker is even more challenging.  Many children don’t want to work but feel they have to in order to survive, yet everyone knows they would be much better off, in both the short term and long term, going to school.  Thus, the most direct way to abolish child exploitation is to end child poverty and help provide education for youth everywhere. 

This can be done.  We now live in a world where there is easily enough wealth to provide every child on earth with education, food, clothing and shelter.  But this will depend on people all over the globe, no matter where they live, to work together in building a world where exploitation no longer exists.

Warm Regards,

Bilaal Rajan

“Together We Can Make a Difference”