'Youth are experts': Manitoba children's advocate gets input from young people

Manitoba children's advocate gets input from young people

Early signs of spring and a pot full of chili greet several young people as they make their way into a boardroom in downtown Winnipeg one recent Tuesday evening.

The eight come from various backgrounds. Some are from Manitoba First Nations communities. Some are from the city. Some are in high school. Others are navigating the new freedom that comes with adulthood.

They would not have been likely to meet had past circumstances not brought them together. It's a desire to push and create change for youth that keeps them connected.

Several years ago, the office of Manitoba's children and youth advocate was looking to attract youth to actively participate in its work. In 2018, the Youth Ambassador Advisory Squad was formed. It consists of three staff from the office and roughly a dozen young people. They meet biweekly in person and, during the pandemic, online.

Cleche Kokolo, 21, says the advocate's office walks the talk. "The role of youth in (the squad) is not tokenistic," she says.

"Youth are experts, especially in their own lives. That expertise is just as valuable as an adult with years of education in a specific field," says Kokolo of Winnipeg. "That's key if we're really going to try and change society and envision a world that's better than the world we currently have."

The squad was inspired by what other provincial children's advocates were doing with similar groups,says acting Manitoba advocate Ainsley Krone. The office was told to "just start it" with input from youth on what was meaningful for them.