Concerns have been raised about the lack of political engagement of Canadian youth. During the federal election, voting flash mobs at Canadian universities were seen as a way to get young voters excited and eager to vote.
Unfortunately, most efforts to engage youth have been initiated by groups and organizations that I feel do not reflect the ethno-cultural diversity of Canada's major cities. As an activist in Ottawa's Muslim communities who is passionate about civic engagement, I wanted to take a lead in addressing what I've seen as a lack of engagement among young Muslims of voting age.
Monday is polling day in the Northwest Territories. Here in the NWT, when we vote, we have no firm idea who will be our premier. We cannot vote for or against any particular political philosophy or party platform. We can neither re-elect a government whose policies we support, nor oust one whose actions we reject. We can only vote for a candidate running in the particular riding in which we live. This time 'round there are 48 candidates for 19 seats, with three acclamations.
With the 2011 Ontario provincial election mere weeks away, all the major parties are honing their focus on the most competitive ridings in the province. While some of these battleground ridings are attracting attention from politicians and commentators alike, the following ridings are somehow slipping under radar, despite their potential Election Day interest.