Singing a different tune

>> From boy band Inmotion to non-profit
Youth in Action, Peter Schiefke tries
to get campuses eco-friendly

FROM TEEN FANS TO GREEN FANS: Schiefke

by MICHAEL-OLIVER HARDING

Prior to becoming one of Montreal’s most outspoken young activists on issues such as climate change, Canadian patriotism, poverty and the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, enterprising Concordia graduate Peter Schiefke was signing glossy 4x6s and belting out lyrics to chart-toppers like “Sauve-moi” and “Où, quand, comment” to hordes of feverish teens. But while securing a coveted spot in the short-lived 2003 boy band Inmotion was a media circus well worth the ride for Schiefke, it ultimately wouldn’t be his calling.

Besides his involvement in student politics, Schiefke’s years at Concordia saw him flesh out many noteworthy initiatives, including co-founding the Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program (C.V.A.P.), a program that sends students to Uganda to establish international youth partnerships and provide hands-on assistance to those most gravely affected by the AIDS pandemic, poverty and rebel warfare.

Schiefke, who was raised by a single mother with limited financial means, understands the profound effect a string of benevolent acts can have on a person’s life. “I feel so privileged to have been shown such generosity during my formative years,” he says, “and now I’m in a position where I can give back, so I think it’s a requirement to do so.”

He also credits Concordia with helping him along the politically conscious path he’s carved out for himself. “Although maybe it has died down a little recently, the level of political and social debate at Concordia is unrivalled, and it has made me aware of things I was oblivious to prior to admission,” he says.

His latest endeavour, the non-profit coalition Youth Action Montreal, hopes to similarly shake idle young minds into action. The project, designed to equip youth with the tools they need to build a sustainable future, pulled off quite a feat last March when it hosted two of the world’s most famous environmentalists, David Suzuki and Al Gore, at a conference called “Less Talk, More Action.”

Over the coming year, it will set in motion a Pan-Canadian “Generations Tour” featuring David Suzuki, with stops at 18 Quebec universities beginning March 23. “We’re pushing for provincial universities to adopt the Generations Pact,” says Schiefke. “It’s basically a deal we are working out with the provincial government where it would match dollar for dollar any funds set aside for green initiatives on campuses in Quebec through referendum. If it passes, it could raise over $10-million over five years for sustainable initiatives on campuses, half funded by students and the other half by government.”

For more info, see www.youthactionmontreal.com and www.concordiavolunteers.org.