Chitha
Chitha is a former participant of the YouthMADE program. He is motivated by the need to create change – especially amongst his fellow youth. The universal emotions and experiences of marginalized and oppressed people resonate with us all, and through AMES, Chitha feels that he has found a medium to communicate this important message. He hopes to continue in this field of work and move towards a more tolerant, understanding and more humane world.
Ivo
Ivo Heart Haggerty is a young queer two-spirited Indigenous Aboriginal, Cree barefoot, and grassroots youth rights activist. Hir is waiting for the revolution. Hir is a spoken word poet, truth speaker, and paciFIST. Hir wants to challenge the norms and breathe compassion into this world. “Our revolution is long overdue” – Margaret Cho
Kelly
As a compassionate, dedicated, and creative young individual, I wish to have a positive influence in her community. My goal is to create a safer and more inclusive environment for everyone by doing anti-oppression work with AMES. I really cherish the opportunity to do heart-based and art-based work with elementary and secondary students because I believe strongly in the power of youth. Other than facilitation and school (Churchill Secondary IB then UBC), I also teach piano and music theory on weekends and evenings at home. My personal motto: “Live high, and live strong!”
Lilvati
Lilavati Levine is a youth dedicated to social change. She believes that anyone can change their world with poetry, film, music, photojournalism and journalism and has spent the last 3 years using these tools of media to export her messages to the world she lives in. As a young woman of colour, she has seen and experienced the effects of oppression in her life and the lives of those around her. And although her initial reaction was to internalize and exacerbate the messages she was receiving from society and the mass media, she was able to come to a place of understanding about how to love herself, and she hopes to help others by example. Finding a peer-to-peer anti-oppression education model to be a part of has helped Lila realize some of her dreams and goals and she dreams of one day mentoring other young women into being able to do the same.
Morgan
Morgan Green is a Tsimshian artist from Prince Rupert, BC. who has become accomplished in a wide variety of mediums, including wood sculpture, clothing, regalia, painting and northwest coast formline design.
Recently Morgan attended The Crucible in Oakland, CA. for Bronze casting and clay sculpture. She is continuing her artistic development at Vancouver Metal Arts School in North Vancouver and plans to become a Master Goldsmith, and to continue teaching and working with children in many communities.
Green has taught ages from 4-56 years old with projects such as the Spirits Rising Missing Women’s Memorial Totem pole, Wetsuweten Band Council youth regalia course, School District 52 Role Model Program, and Prince Rupert Pregnancy outreach. She strongly believes in empowering youth through art.
Matthew
ETHU KWUT HWUM QUN TUNI TSUN UTL’ XWUL’QW’SE’LU. I am KWUT HWUM QUN from XWUL’QW’SE’LU. My name is Matthew Louie and I’m from Cowichan tribes. My personal and professional development grows every day. I love being active in my community. This work is fulfilling and my learning abilities are strengthened by my focus on listening, speaking, and loving. My style of facilitation is a combination of energetic and calmness. My smile helps big time.
Neelam
Neelam is a youth passionate about creating change through grassroots movements. She became a part of AMES in high school & had he opportunity to amplify her voice & speak out about the injustices she sees & experiences within our system. Her hope is to create allies with peers and to create a ripple effect that will reach communities, countries and the world.
Peggy
Peggy is a young facilitator who finds meaning and life in anti-oppression work that she does. Dedicated, passionate, and creative, she hopes to inspire young people to stand-up and affect social change in their own communities.
Peter
Peter is a passionate and caring youth, who is motivated to do anti-oppression work because of past and present experiences of oppression. By giving anti-oppression training Peter seeks to help youth acknowledge, validate, and transform the parallels of oppression that individuals and groups experience through interactive and critical workshops that analyze social constructs of identity that empower and provide privilege to some, while disempowering and marginalizing others.
Raven
Verdann
My name is Verdann Evans. I am from the Okanagan & Cherokee Nations. I like to think of myself as a multi-media artist, my favourite mediums would be word play (rhyming in all formats), graphic design, and watercolour painting. I strive to be a positive role model for youth today so they can carry on that role for the generations after us. I hope that through these workshops youth feel like they do have a voice and that they can help prevent the oppression in all its many forms. The youth of today have the power to change the world for the youth of tomorrow.
