As Misael Joan Santos listened to a panel of International Development program alumni tell their personal stories, she immediately felt inspired. One graduate, photojournalist Sid Naidu, shared how he documents people’s stories and culture with his camera. Other grads detailed how the program helped them establish their career paths. The alumni panel was just one part of the annual International Development Week (IDW) at Centennial College, held on Feb. 5 and 6, 2024.
For Santos, an International Development student and event volunteer, the motivating moment alone was worth the hard work she put into helping to organize IDW. She says it was also an example of how IDW is a truly unique space for students, faculty, practitioners, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to come together.
“IDW provides a venue to tackle opportunities and challenges within the international development sector while discussing how those challenges affect us not only as practitioners but also as members of society,” says Santos of IDW 2024, which over 80 participants attended. The event coincides with Global Affairs Canada’s weeklong celebration of spotlighting Canadians’ contributions to eradicating poverty and building a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous world. “It’s also a very interactive and intimate event.”
Vida Shehada, professor and International Development program coordinator, created IDW at Centennial, which is in its seventh year. Day 1 of the two-day event opened with remarks from Seán Kinsella, Director, The Eighth Fire, before delving into Indigenous Peoples’ rights and Truth and Reconciliation. Designed just for the internal Centennial community, it also featured an address by Canada’s Minister of International Development, Ahmed Hussen, and Assistant Deputy Minister, Patricia Peña, who took the time to answer students’ questions. Following Hussen’s address, facilitators Suzanne Rumsey and Cheryl Marek of The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) led a three-hour workshop on the history of Indigenous Peoples of Canada.
“Meaningful conversations and building connections are two of the most important aspects that stand out for me about IDW,” says Santos. “It’s a space entirely designed to foster dialogue and enable students to position themselves in the types of conversations that we hope will lead them to change their perspectives and behaviours.”
On Day 2 of IDW, Centennial College welcomed Toronto’s international development community. More than 15 NGOs and 90 participants discussed opportunities and challenges for the international development sector and the benefits of collaboration.
Keynote speaker Nabil Ali, chief operations officer of the International Development and Relief Foundation, highlighted the current global challenges and the role and responsibility of young professionals. Organizations World Renew, International Justice Mission Canada, and Citizens for Public Justice discussed how the advanced agency of people these organizations serve can accelerate the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Program alumni reflected on their academic and professional experience.
By partnering and directly working with NGOs, IDW also spotlighted other partners’ work, allowing the organizations to directly communicate with students and professionals.
“The second day expanded on the meaningful dialogue from Day 1 and highlighted how important it is for us to be involved in strengthening public policies and advocating for community-driven development,” says Santos, who hopes to manage international development projects and programs after graduation. “Students also gained a deeper understanding of our NGO partners’ goals and built the connections to network and explore future opportunities.”
International Development program student volunteers organize IDW, and Santos says getting involved has many benefits. For example, she says she strengthened her skill set by supplementing what she has learned in her classes.
“One of the learnings I got from this event is that being flexible with changes and being ready with possible alternate options and solutions is key to implementing an organized event or even international development projects,” Santos says. “Hearing the positive feedback from those who attended, especially students who said they learned a lot about the topics or working with NGOs and were inspired to continue their work in the development sector, was as inspiring as the event.”
By Izabela Shubair