Global Citizens Forum 2017:
Mobilizing Leadership for Global Sustainable Development
Canada’s reframing of our international cooperation policy and the presentation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2016 presented new opportunities and challenges to Canadians everywhere. The universal nature of the SDGs requires that communities that have not traditionally thought of themselves as part of the efforts for ‘international cooperation’ join the conversation and start to identify, problem solve and implement innovative initiatives around the world, including here in Ontario. In February 2017, OCIC members came together as a community at our ‘Global Citizens Forum 2017: Mobilizing Leadership for Global Sustainable Development’.
Held on the shores of Lake Ontario at the beautiful Humber College Lakeshore Campus, on the Traditional Territory of the Ojibwe Anishinabe People, this forum brought together leaders, practitioners and issue-specific experts from Canadian and international civil society organizations, Ontario-based colleges and universities, Diaspora, Indigenous, and youth communities, government, and the private sector to discuss, problem solve, and seek new ways of working together to transform our world through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It provided a timely platform to share and further thought leadership and implementation strategies for a whole-of-society approach to the 17 interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from practical, academic, community and polity perspectives.
From February 2 – 3, 2017, Canadian and international delegates convened to:
- connect local and global knowledge as a means to strengthen relationships and present new possibilities for increased collective impact on the SDGs;
- share methods and tools for effective research and policy work;
- enhance good practices and lessons-learned between organizations, institutions, communities and individuals;
- highlight and celebrate the leadership of key stakeholders in global sustainable development efforts.
Amongst 41 contributors to the Forum, we were honoured to welcome OCIC members’ partners from Colombia, Honduras, Kenya and Tanzania, including:
- Mónica Aguirre, Coordinator of Youth Initiatives, YMCA of Medellin, Colombia
- Delfina Edward Country Manager, CPAR Tanzania
- Innocent Leoni Mlay, Project Officer, CPAR Tanzania, Tanzania
- Julián Marin, Social Worker, YMCA of Medellin, Colombia
- Neesa Medina, Security & Gender Analyst, Centro de Derechos de Mujeres, Honduras
- Leonora Obara, Co-Founder, Kijiji Cha Upendo Children’s Project, Kenya
OCIC Global Changemaker Youth Ambassador Awards presented to:
- Charlotte Gale, Engineers Without Borders
- Rachelia Giardino, Kawartha World Issues Centre
- Ruva Gwekwerere, Development and Peace
- Tiyahna Ridley-Padmore, Results Canada
- James Thuch Madhier, World University Service Canada
- Jason Wong, Aga Khan Foundation Canada
OCIC Global Citizens Forum 2017 Reception Program (PDF) | (Word)
