You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet

Junior Team Canada continued to solidify its presence at APEC 2011 today; the CEO and Leader’s Summit officially kicked-off with its opening reception, but the team was already in full stride.

The day began with an eventful immersion into Hawaiian culture with a lesson in traditional Oahu agriculture. JTC joined the other Voices of the Future delegates in a mudfight and waterfight that kept spirits high amongst the growing pressure to perform at one of the world’s top geopolitical summits. Moreover, such deep exposure to Hawaiian life served as a hit talking-point with business and government leaders from South Korea to Singapore to Chile to Brunei to the United States. A team of delegates heard Barack Obama’s maternal sister field questions from Asia-Pacific youth, and watched the sunset with some of the regions most influential businesspersons. It was a good warmup for the CEO Summit which runs Friday morning through until Sunday.

One of the most important lessons for JTC today was that people on each coast of the Pacific can share and learn from each other. Whether it was following laughs over a bento lunch with the Australians, or during deep conversation with a Kiwi and Peruvian about Canada’s position in the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations, the Canadian team discovered that there is much to share and learn from perspectives moulded outside of our borders. Global Vision and Junior Team Canada always promote learning through action – international or otherwise. The opportunities at APEC, however, continue to open our eyes to the advantages of reaching out to counterparts from across the globe and hearing their thoughts.

Much work is left to do in Honolulu. Despite this, Junior Team Canada is confident of its ability to capitalize on its experiences to get the job done.

Wish us luck in our quest to brand Canada on the global stage, and keep yourself updated on MGV!