A Calgary youth group says more needs to be done to encourage people from various ethnic backgrounds to run for government office.
The Coalition for Equal Access to Education, which lobbies on behalf of English as a second language learners, has been hosting a series of discussions about leadership in the run-up to the March 3 Alberta election.
'I think we have the sense of feeling that even if we did try maybe we won't be taken as seriously.' —Ladan Nur
On Monday night, a group of 16 young people gathered to talk about why the candidates aren't more culturally diverse.
"I think we have the sense of feeling that even if we did try maybe we won't be taken as seriously or our views are not as legitimate," said Ladan Nur.
"So we're more likely to go through cultural associations where we feel more legitimacy, maybe they can do something for us, instead of us going through the political process."
The youth group talked about how ethnocultural groups can make a difference in attracting candidates from their communities and overcoming barriers to running for office.
"Some of the them are English as a second language problems," said Cesar Agudelo. "Some of them are the fact that they feel hopeless. Canada opens its doors kind of like inviting any member of the family and then telling them, you know, go find their own room."
But members of the youth group said they believe the situation will improve over time as people like them see politics as the best way to make changes happen.
"More people will notice what is going on and more will want to say something and represent their community or represent their own nationality," predicted Sunny Sun. "For people just have some idea to step up and say something in the government and make a difference."
Ten of Alberta's 83 MLAs, or 12 per cent of the province's legislature, come from various non-European ethnic backgrounds.
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- As Premier Ed Stelmach and Alberta Conservatives savour their sweeping election victory, some people are raising a nagging concern: why so few people bothered to vote.
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