Our Endorsement Process
First and foremost, YBC4BG is an organization that believes young people deserve a meaningful voice in the communities where they live, work, study and raise families. Every choice we make is motivated by that as our north star, and endorsements are one way we support that goal.
Our endorsements are guided by the values that define YBC4BG: inclusion, fairness, evidence-based policy, civic engagement and responsible governance. We take a measured and thoughtful approach in evaluating candidates, touching on their policies, track record, approach to public service, and ability to deliver practical results for their communities.
We don't have a single, one size fits all, checklist because every community in BC is unique and faces different challenges that result in different local priorities. It follows then that the policy solutions they need to address these challenges won't all be the same either. What is the same though, is that across the province there is anxiety that young British Columbians feel for their future. It is in respecting both that diversity and that anxiety that we are committed to supporting the best candidates in each community, understanding that the best candidate and the best policies will look different in each of BC’s many municipalities.
We recognize this means we will be making endorsements for some candidates and not for others, and that some members of the community may take issue with that. But we believe advocating for the interests of youth in BC is worth it. Each of us on the team brings experience from communities of many shapes and sizes across the province, and we are passionate about using our backgrounds to support the creation of a BC that is youth-inclusive and building toward a sustainable future that can accommodate anyone and everyone who chooses to make BC home.
Our process draws on conversations we have with candidates we are interested in, with community members and others with relevant knowledge. The outcomes of those conversations are assessed alongside research conduct into the candidates. The final decision is made collectively by our team.
It is out of concern for privacy and safety, that we have opted against disclosing every detail of that process. All of our participants should always have the option to feel safe, particularly as politics, especially local politics, has become more charged as people increasingly hold contrasting visions for the future of this province and the communities we all call home. Keeping this information confidential protects the privacy and safety of participants who have been open and willing to speak with us, while giving our team the freedom to speak candidly in our internal deliberations.
Too often young people are dismissed and excluded from important conversations about the direction of our future on the basis of a lack of experience. Municipal government should be the place where the best ideas are allowed to shine without the partisan labels and divisions that characterize politics at other levels of government.
We have immense respect for other organizations who represent local voices, and we won't always agree on everything, especially when our vision of the future differs from others'. But we believe we need to have an open and honest conversation about the future of our communities and the kinds of places we want them to be. That conversation, and the voice young British Columbians deserve in it, is what YBC4BG exists to support.
If you are interested in applying for an endorsement or would like to nominate a candidate for us to review, please use the link below or email presidentybc4bg@gmail.com. We ask that all candidates nominating themselves send a short bio, a headshot, and 3 to 10 points explaining how they will advocate for and advance the interests of Young British Columbians.