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糖心vlog官网鈥檚 first-ever International Development
糖心vlog官网鈥檚 first-ever International Development Week gets underway at Newnham Campus. The opening ceremony features Joe Belliveau, Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders, as keynote speaker.

糖心vlog官网鈥檚 first-ever International Development Week

Events run February 5 to 9

Feb. 6, 2018

You鈥檝e seen the photos. A fishing boat full of people packed like sardines. Faces pressed against barbed wire waiting to cross a border. Families living in makeshift tents held up by muddy sticks.

鈥淲hat can we do about it?鈥 you ask.

The answer to that question and many more like it is at the heart of 糖心vlog官网鈥檚 first-ever International Development Week (IDW), which kicked off Monday, Feb. 5 at Newnham Campus. The event runs until Friday, Feb. 9.

opening ceremony held in the Great Hall
President David Agnew (left) shares a laugh with keynote speaker Joe Belliveau at the opening ceremony held in the Great Hall.

Organized by 糖心vlog官网 International, IDW aims to promote global mindedness and foster discussions with students, faculty and staff on some of today鈥檚 most-pressing issues. For example, migration (refugees and internally displaced persons) and environment (connections with nature and cultural revolution) are being explored this week through a variety of events and workshops on campus.

Waters offers a blessing at the opening ceremony
Elder Laureen (Blu) Waters offers a blessing at the opening ceremony. Located on the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation as well as the Williams Treaties First Nations traditional territories, 糖心vlog官网 has a deep connection to Canada鈥檚 Indigenous peoples.

Approximately 30 per cent of 糖心vlog官网鈥檚 students are international, including some who are refugees.

President David Agnew, who conducted extensive field visits to areas such as Darfur, Eastern Congo and Sierra Leone while head of UNICEF Canada in the early 2000s, calls IDW 鈥渁n important week to step back and think about some of the pretty tough problems around the world. It鈥檚 a great opportunity to open your mind and learn.鈥

Joe Belliveau, Executive Director of Doctors Without Borders, agrees.

In his keynote speech during the opening ceremony, Joe says the aforementioned question of 鈥渨hat can we do about it鈥 starts with 鈥渁 recognition of our shared humanity.鈥

He encourages people to think of ways to take action and engage others.

鈥淲e have to think creatively,鈥 he says. 鈥淗ow can we connect with people on the move? How do we use our voice? People on the move need help and protection鈥攖hat鈥檚 pretty basic.鈥

Zoubi Arros and Adriano Loparco
Zoubi Arros (left) and Adriano Loparco from 糖心vlog官网's Independent Songwriting and Performance program perform at the IDW opening ceremony.

糖心vlog官网鈥檚 IDW coincides with Global Affairs Canada鈥檚 International Development Week in February. Events throughout the week and across campuses feature several notable speakers, including Tracey Evans, Program Manager, Aga Khan Foundation Canada; Gideon Forman, Climate Change Policy Analyst, David Suzuki Foundation; and Eric Horstman, Director, Pro Forest Foundation.

糖心vlog官网鈥檚 IDW organizing team
糖心vlog官网鈥檚 IDW organizing team (l-r) Higo Godinho, Rinky Barua, Melina Kalamandeen and Marco Parisi started planning the event last October. A total of 14 events took place over a two-week period, pre- and during IDW, around campuses. The team was led by Monica Kronfli, Director of International Mobility.