June 19, 2018

At the most recent Youth Network, the participants received an abridged version of the Short Course in Intellectual Self-Defence set up and offered by the FIQ Sociopolitical Sector. First, the young union reps were asked to write, in one word, their definition of the term “politics” on a banner. Deception, mentor, hypocrite, etc.: most of the words chosen flawlessly depict the cynicism in the group and most likely, in the general population regarding politics. Taking this opportunity, Marc Thibault-Bellerose, Union Consultant in the Sociopolitical Sector, gave the participants some insight into the impact of the political on their daily lives and, above all, the importance of addressing it.

After highlighting the difference between political practice and politics, after a brief historical summary the participants better understood left- and right-wing concepts and discussed the values of both. An overview of the Québec political landscape on the eve of the fall elections was then done. Taking into consideration the values linked to the left- and right-wing and the various achievements of the Québec political parties over the last few years, the participants then classified them on a left/right scale. They were then able to see that the political landscape is not static, that it can change according to societal issues, but also based on the people acting for the different political parties.

Voting on October 1st is a call for mobilization, because the healthcare professionals have the power to choose who will be their new employer and who will negotiate their future working conditions. The opportunity of the next electoral campaign must be seized in order to be heard.

In conclusion, the participants were invited to look again at and review, as needed, the definition of the word “politics” that they wrote on the banner at the beginning of the training. For many of them, this word meant something completely different at the end of the presentation.