Summit lets Saskatoon youth discuss concerns with community leaders

Youth in Saskatoon had the chance to voice their concerns at the 10th annual Voice of Youth Leadership Summit on Thursday.

"The point of this conference is to get [newcomer youth] involved in the community," Fariha Hasim, one of the attendees and organizers, said of the event.

Hosted by the Saskatoon Open Door Society, the conference brings youth into the same room as community, city and provincial leaders.

Ali Abukar, executive director of the Saskatoon Open Door Society, said it teachesyoung people how they can be engaged.

"These young people are the leaders of tomorrow and we want them to engage in courageous conversations where people can discuss things that are important to them," Abukar said.

Hasim was part of a group that specifically discussed community concerns. She said homelessness, discrimination against Indigenous people, and missing and murdered Indigenous women were among the topics that came up.

With the conference including newcomer youth, Hasim said it brought together many viewpoints.

"From different backgrounds, we have a lot more different perspectives. And with those different perspectives, I think we can achieve a lot more things."