Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/936360
5 Forum Overview P U R P O S E T he Circles of Change: Indigenous Youth Leadership Forum took place in Tkaronto, Ontario June 15 th -17 th , 2017. This forum brought together a group of First Nations, Métis and Inuit youth change makers to explore the meaning of leadership and the responsibilities that we carry in using our gifts to better our communities. We exchanged stories, teachings and best practices, strengthening our relationships with one another and our ability to support other young people walking in our footsteps. The following objectives guided our time together: • To model how leadership opportunities can be organized and facilitated in a good way • To claim a space of our own to exchange knowledge where Indigenous ways of knowing would be valued and embodied • To develop new relationships and strengthen existing ones • To explore opportunities for future collaboration and support • To take time to reflect on our leadership journeys • To laugh, share positive moments and recharge • To envision a better future for Indigenous youth with saf(er) pathways to wellness and leadership One of the specific outcomes that we agreed upon as a group was to produce a report that could help share our collective knowledge and visions for the future of Indigenous youth wellness and leadership. Through a set of recommendations that emerged from our discussions, this report aims to advise a range of sectors and stakeholders on how to work with First Nations, Métis and Inuit young people in more respectful and meaningful ways. We believe that this information is particularly important to be understood by the following groups: administration and teaching staff at postsecondary institutions; Indigenous student centres; non- Indigenous led organizations and companies working with our communities; local, regional and national Indigenous organizations; provincial and federal governments; social workers and educators; media; international advocacy bodies; and individual youth in urban and rural communities. F O R U M O V E R V I E W