Written by : Carol Goar

Source: Toronto Stars website

Canada never felt the same to Terry Clifford after the free trade debate.

The former Conservative MP held on to his London seat by a mere four votes in the 1988 election (widely considered a referendum on the Canada-United States free trade agreement). But it wasn't his close call at the polls that shook him. It was the anxiety in his constituents' voices.

"They were afraid for their children and their children's children," he recalled. "They thought the Americans were going to take over the management of our industries and all the key jobs."

He couldn't turn back the clock, but he couldn't dismiss their fears. Eventually Clifford came up with a plan. He would set up a leadership development program to make sure Canada's youth could compete with anybody in the world.

In 1991, Clifford launched Global Vision. Sixteen years – and 1,100 graduates – later, he has no concerns about Canada's next generation. "These kids are amazing. They raise money, arrange meetings, develop contacts. They're not ready to accept mediocrity."

In fact, the class of 2007 was so incensed when the Conference Board last month labelled Canada a land of mediocrity, that several members asked Clifford what they could do.

"It's up to you," he said. "It's your country."

They decided to speak out. This week, 70 of them will gather at the University of Ottawa to rebut the notion that there's anything second-rate about their homeland.

Rozana Yoke-Cern Lee, a 19-year-old business student from Vancouver, is one of the delegates.

"Telling youth that Canada is mediocre is like waving a red flag in front of a bull," she said. "We're making a difference and the Conference Board and a lot of people don't recognize that."

To her credit, Anne Golden, president of the Conference Board, offered to participate as soon as she heard about the symposium. She speaks tomorrow.

Then Clifford got a call from the Prime Minister's Office, proposing that Ted Menzies, parliamentary secretary to the minister of international trade and the minister of international co-operation, address the young people.

Next he heard from a senior official at the Canadian International Development Agency, who wanted to come.

"The kids drove it," Clifford said. "We just provided the forum."

Organizing conferences isn't Global Vision's principal focus. It has three main programs:

It holds leadership training sessions at 14 regional centres, giving students a chance to meet senior officials from business and government and learn what it takes to succeed in the global economy.

It offers 30 young people the opportunity to be part of a Junior Team Canada trade mission. They have raised $4,500 by convincing corporate sponsors to invest in them. This year's destination is Vietnam.

And it sends four delegates to the Asia-Pacific economic summit with the Prime Minister. Lee is one of the students accompanying Stephen Harper to Sydney, Australia, in September.

The non-profit organization has no headquarters, very little infrastructure (Clifford is the president, his daughter Amy is the director and a couple of previous graduates work as program managers) and no sustaining endowment.

Every year Clifford makes the rounds, from Bay Street office towers to local chambers of commerce, seeking donations to keep Global Vision going. He needs $750,000 to $900,000. "For every dime I raise, I ask the kids to raise a nickel."

The one-time school principal, who celebrates his 69th birthday this year, admits the fundraising wears him down.

But the rewards lift him up. Four years ago, during one of his sales pitches, his host at the University of Waterloo told him to slip out and catch the next newscast. To Clifford's astonishment, he'd been named to the Order of Canada.

When he arrived at Government House for the induction ceremony, an official of the Honours Secretariat took him aside and told him his nomination had been backed up by 3,500 letters.

"I'm not the least bit worried about Canada's youth. Once they get an idea, they act."

(More information is available at www.globalvision.ca)