Tracy Sherlock Richmond News Friday, May 16, 2008
Khalil Shariff personifies the goals of the Zenith Global Citizenship Conference where he gave the keynote address.
He was a mere 19 years old when he ran successfully to become the youngest ever elected school trustee in Richmond in 1993. At the time, he had just graduated from Richmond High and says he ran for trustee to see how student voices and perspectives could be incorporated into the issues that come before the school board.
“I also thought it would be a great opportunity to learn first-hand about the realties of public leadership — both the promise and the perils,” Shariff said.
Since serving as a Richmond school board trustee he has gone on to work in international development including his current post as CEO of the Aga Khan Foundation. He also went to the University of British Columbia and earned a degree in International Relations and then attended Harvard Law School, where he earned a doctorate in law, with distinction.
The one-day Zenith conference, held May 15, was designed to build leadership and inspiration in youth between the ages of 15 and 25. Shariff’s presentation, Global Citizenship: Canada, the World and You, will focus on how the world is changing and why the world needs more Canada.
“I wanted to have a discussion about the very important and unique place that Canada occupies in that new world, and what the obligations and aspirations of young people should be if they are trying to become thoughtful, engaged global citizens,” Shariff said.
The number one thing young people can do if they want to become more globally minded is to volunteer overseas.
“For young people to have an opportunity during their formative years to spend some time outside of Canada and in the developing world, especially, will be a very profound experience,” Shariff said, adding that Canada is the number one per capita sender of volunteers to the developing world.
He lists becoming educated about global issues as a second way to become a more peace-oriented person.
“The third thing, which I think is actually very important, is that people need to begin to develop a vision for the kind of global leadership Canada ought to be exercising,” Shariff said. “That is a responsibility for us as Canadians to build and to shape. That’s not for someone else to decide.”
Shariff said the nature of peace is changing.
“Fifty years ago, Canada won its first Nobel Peace Prize when Lester Pearson was awarded the honour for inventing peacekeeping and that was an extraordinary moment for the country and the last time it was so recognized,” he said.
“Today, it’s not only the diplomats, generals or politicians, but it’s also the work of economists or social workers, or civil society in general.
“That’s something that Canadians and youth in Canada, especially, should take very seriously because what it does is open up the doors for all of us to be peacemakers.”
The Aga Khan Foundation Canada is a Canadian international development agency that has been supporting projects in some of the poorest communities in Asia and Africa to help these communities to help themselves over time, Shariff said.
More than 400 high school students, university students and young business people were expected to attend the conference.
Ismailimail 