As youth, it is easy to keep ourselves preoccupied with the hustle and bustle of daily life and to quickly become exclusively focused on the short term. But how often do we put the effort into becoming aware of the things happening in Parliament? Have you ever wondered about who keeps our nation democratic? How can we be confident in a government that vows to be addressing the worries of the Canadian people if we rarely bother to make our worries known?

A couple of months ago I had the chance to listen to an incredible speech by bestselling author and former political prisoner Marina Nemat at a youth conference. Nemat grew up in a city where minority groups lived free from discrimination, where people were free to wear what they chose, to dance, listen to any music and read the novels of their choice. This was Tehran, Iran. Then, seemingly all of a sudden, the Islamic Revolution swept the country in 1979. A Supreme Leader came into power and began a horrific dictatorship that has stripped the Iranian people of their liberties for more than 30 years.

Nemat passionately encouraged youth to be aware of the types of bills and motions being passed in our Parliament to ensure that our liberties are not slowly and discreetly taken away while most people are too busy to notice, like in Iran. For the first time it occurred to me that a democratic country is not self-sustaining and for the freedom of people to be upheld we must show that we are indeed an integral part of this system, one that cannot be ignored.

Recently, Pew Research Centre issued a study that indicated that most of the world’s 198 nations have shown an increase in hostility towards religion. The study showed the number of nations hostile towards Christianity has increased from 106 to 110, making Christians the subject of religious hostility in more nations than any other faith group. In Canada, the Parti Quebecois is currently trying to pass Bill-60, its secular “values” charter. If passed, public-sector employees would be forbidden from wearing religious symbols, such as a conspicuous crucifix, in public. This attempt to create a more religiously neutral province would restrict the ability to freely practice religion, ultimately picking away at religious freedom.

This Lent as we promise to be responsible citizens of our country and show our gratefulness and respect for the freedom we have — the freedom that people across the globe have given their lives for — let’s make the effort to inform ourselves of the issues discussed in Parliament. Let’s take the time to make our voices heard by our Members of Parliament and essentially ensure that our liberties and freedoms are always protected in Canada.

(Wojdylo, 18, is a Grade 12 student at Bishop Allen Academy in Toronto.)