July 3, 2008 will mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, a milestone reached by only one other North American city (Fort Augustus, Maryland, USA.)

Quebec City is hard at work preparing activities and celebrations of this historic anniversary. The 2008 festivities will not only be the occasion to celebrate the past and present of Quebec City, but also a unique moment to look to the future. And what better way to prepare for that future than a great gathering of the most active and idealistic of the world’s young people to discuss how they are going to rise to the major challenges that will face them in their lifetimes – terminating poverty, achieving a sustainable balance between the planet’s environment and human needs and the other challenges enumerated in the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

The 2008 World Youth Congress is born from the intention of people from the Quebec region both to give young people an important place in Quebec City’s 400th anniversary celebrations, and to give them the opportunity to map out the future – both of Quebec City and the rest of the world. This event is the result of collaboration between local youth representatives and two well-established, youth-led, international networks.

To find out what else will be happening in Québec City during 2008 click here.