International Development Week
International Development Week (IDW) is an annual initiative held during the first full week in February. A uniquely Canadian tradition, IDW was initiated in 1991 by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in order to promote global peace. The Government of Canada, Global Affairs Canada (GAC), civil society organizations, schools, businesses, provinces, municipalities, volunteers and millions of interested Canadians participate in IDW each year.
OCIC is proud to work in close collaboration with our members, partners and colleagues across Ontario and around the world to co-create meaningful opportunities for IDW and throughout the month of February to increase awareness of Canadians’ contributions to international cooperation, to celebrate and share achievements, and to encourage the active engagement of us all, as global citizens. These initiatives are undertaken with financial support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada.
Watch the Recordings:
25 Years of UNSC Resolution 1325: Canada’s Ongoing Commitment to Women, Peace, & Security
Watch the recording to hear:
- what progress has been made on the WPS since the resolution, what challenges persist, and what our goals are as we look ahead
- how civil society, youth, and policy actors can contribute to the effective implementation of the WPS agenda in Canada and globally
YPH Alumni Panel: Navigating Careers in the International Cooperation Sector
Watch the recording to hear:
- panelists share their diverse career stories and stories from their time in the Youth Policy-Makers Hub
- actionable advice for people looking for a career in international cooperatio
- opening remarks from the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State of International Development
International Development Week 2026 Photos
#IDW2026 OCIC Event Details
Innovation Lab 2026: Centering Community Participatory Knowledge Co-Creation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Date: January 30 & 31, 2026
Location: Regent Park Community Centre
402 Shuter St, Toronto, ON M5A 1X6
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event!
About the Event:
We kicked-off International Development Week 2026 with the Knowledge for Change (K4C) Tkaronto Hub – the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC), the Center for Community Learning and Development (CL&D), the Knowledge Equity Lab at the University of Toronto Scarborough – for our Innovation Lab 2026: Centering Community Participatory Knowledge Co-Creation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
With the emergence of new technologies, particularly AI, knowledge creation, validation, and application in local and global development are rapidly evolving. Knowledge production is inherently political, shaped by power dynamics over whose knowledge counts, who is included or excluded, and who benefits or is affected. As AI increasingly mediates these processes, it raises urgent questions of equity, inclusion, and justice.
Designed for participants across the K4C Tkaronto Hub—including leaders within global and local development organizations, members of the Youth Policy-Makers Hub, early-career practitioners and students, and newcomer community researchers and organizers—the Innovation Lab aimed to create an exploratory space for dialogue about AI around shared concerns, hesitations, and opportunities; to identify the aspects of our work we want to protect, preserve, and uplift; and to consider what we wish AI designers understood about our communities.
The Innovation Lab was a two-day, in-person, hands-on space grounded in Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR). This approach is relational, justice-oriented, and rooted in lived experience, treating knowledge as co-created rather than extracted. By centering community agency, CBPAR ensures those most affected by decisions are active in shaping them. We hope you’ll join us to co-create knowledge and imagine ethical, community-centered approaches to AI in development.
25 Years of UNSC Resolution 1325: Canada’s Ongoing Commitment to Women, Peace, and Security
Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Time: 11:00am – 1:00pm ET
Location: Online
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event!
As part of our International Development Week 2026 program, we examined Canada’s ongoing commitment to Women, Peace, & Security with an expert group of panelists.
At this important juncture, marking 25 years since the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and two years into the implementation of Canada’s Third National Action Plan (2023–2029), this session will explored what progress has been made, what challenges persist, and what our goals are as we look toward 2029.
We reflected on Canada’s commitments to advancing gender-responsive peacebuilding, women’s participation in decision-making, and inclusive approaches to conflict prevention and recovery. The discussion also examined how civil society, youth, and policy actors can contribute to the effective implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda in Canada and globally.
Opening Remarks:
- Sarah Hendriks, Director, Policy, Programme & Intergovernmental Division, UN Women
Moderator:
- Isabella Aung, Research Fellow at MyPACK (Myanmar Policy and Community Knowledge) Hub, University of Toronto
Panelists:
- Yolande Bouka, Co-Director, Research Network on Women, Peace and Security, McGill University
- Emma Richardson, Senior Advisor, Indigenous Services Canada
- Emily Wiseman, Director and Global Co-Lead for Women’s Voice and Leadership, CARE Canada
Youth Policy-Makers Hub Alumni Panel: Navigating Careers in the International Cooperation Sector
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Time: 12:00pm – 1:30pm ET
Location: Online
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event!
As a part of our IDW2026 program, we hosted a virtual panel for students and other individuals interested in working in the international cooperation and policy sectors in Canada. The panel profiled some of our Youth Policy-Makers Hub alumni to share their experience navigating the sector, and how policy and programming intersect.
The panel explored:
- Panelists’ personal career paths
- Reflections on their time in the YPH
- Perspectives on the ways their education and experience is relevant to their current positions
- Insights into the changing priorities and skills needed for young people as they seek opportunities in their sector
- Suggestions for students and professionals looking for work in the sector
Meet the Contributors:
Moderator:
- Christina Muia, Manager of Social Enterprise, Skills for Change, 2019-2020 Cohort
Panelists:
- Allison Kingston, Executive Director, Rayjon Share Care, 2021-2022 Cohort
- Laura Perez Gonzalez, Portfolio Management Analyst, 2022-2023 Cohort
- Hudson Biko Mwalagho, Digital Media Manager, CanWaCH, 2023-2024 Cohort
- Tashin Rodoshi, Operations Manager, Office of Councillor Parthi Kandavel, City of Toronto, 2024-2025 Cohort
Prosperity Through Partnership: A Collaborative Networking Night
Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026
Time: 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Location: Industrious Toronto, 33 Bloor Street East, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the event!
This was an evening of conversation and connection with people working across international cooperation, impact investing, and housing rights. We met new peers, shared ideas, explored where our work overlaps, and uncovered collaboration opportunities to show how capital, partnerships, and shared priorities can move ideas into real-world impact.
Designed as part of International Development Week, the evening featured brief remarks from co-hosting organizations, followed by facilitated networking structured around shared areas of interest, including housing, climate finance, education, and gender-lens investing. Emphasis was placed on dialogue, relationship-building, and practical connection, and participants will be encouraged to engage in focused conversations aligned with their interests and expertise
Event Organizers:
- Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC)
- Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development (CAFIID)
- Rooftops Canada
#IDW2026 Member Events & Initiatives
February 3, 2026

Aga Khan Foundation Canada: Advancing Climate Resilience: Nature-based Solutions, Partnerships, & Indigenous Knowledge
Join climate and development practitioners for a full-day virtual event focused on learning, exchange, and dialogue around inclusive and effective climate change adaptation. Throughout the day, participants will engage in high-level panels, interactive discussions, and facilitated breakout sessions.
This event is part of AKFC’s Speaker Series on Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | Online

Aga Khan Foundation Canada: Where Dreams Meet Real Opportunities: A Fireside Chat with Ziyaan Virji
Ziyaan Virji is a young social entrepreneur who turned a simple Google Sheet into Leaders of Today — a global platform helping tens of thousands of young people access scholarships, fellowships, and opportunities around the world. Whether you’re curious about social entrepreneurship, global issues, or just figuring out your next step, this session is designed to be honest, interactive, and grounded in real experience.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | Online
February 5, 2026

Cuso International: Voices with Impact
Join Cuso International in celebrating volunteerism and the diverse voices of authors in literature, featuring Merle Kindred and Neill McKee. Discover stories that ripple outward, shaping lives. Through writing, these voices help weave communities together, reminding us that impact is born from shared and collective cooperation.
Thursday, February 5, 2026 | Online
February 6, 2026

World Accord: Building Better Partnerships: Cross-sector Collaboration for Global Impact
In a time of growing global challenges and constrained resources, strong partnerships across sectors are more important than ever. This event will bring together leaders from international cooperation, academia and finance sectors to explore what makes partnerships work—and how collaboration can drive greater development impact. Featuring panelists from Kinvia, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, University of Ottawa’s Global Development Policy & Practice Hub, Développement international Desjardins (DID) and World Accord.
Friday, February 6, 2026 | Heartwood House-Unitarian Fellowship in Ottawa

Cuso International: Prosperity Through Partnership: Taste of the World
Taste of the World is an evening of shared stories, global flavours, and meaningful connections. The menu will reflect vibrant culinary traditions from the Caribbean, Ethiopia, and Peru, and vegan options will be included. Through food, culture, and conversation, we’ll explore how local partnership and community drive change.
Friday, February 6, 2026 | Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto

Partners in Health Canada: 2026 MIGH X PIH Canada University Global Health Case Competition
Join PIH Canada for a case competition focusing on tuberculosis (TB). This competition provides a unique opportunity for participants to apply their skills and knowledge to real-world challenges faced by people with tuberculosis in under-resourced settings.
Participants will be presented with a case study based on real-life scenarios encountered by Partners In Health Canada in their TB health initiatives. Teams will analyze the case, develop innovative solutions, and present their recommendations to a panel of experts.
Friday, February 6, 2026 | McMaster University in Hamilton
February 7, 2026

Partners in Health Canada: Doing Hard Things With Friends: Accompaniment as Policy
Join an informal discussion on Paul Farmer’s Accompaniment as Policy—exploring solidarity, why policies fail in practice, and how staying with communities can reshape global health systems. Paul reflects on what it truly means to “accompany” as a practice of solidarity that shapes how care, development, and policy are carried out. Drawing from his field work, he challenges the idea that expertise alone is enough, and makes the case that lasting change requires a willingness to stay when things get hard.
Saturday, February 7, 2026 | Online
February 11, 2026

Rayjon Share Care: Docs at Dusk: Stateless
Through their Documentation Program, Rayjon and their partner ASCALA, accompany individuals and families through legal processes that are lengthy, costly, and deeply challenging. The documentary Stateless, directed by Michèle Stephenson, brings this reality to life. The film follows Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent who are stripped of their nationality and forced to live in constant fear—facing discrimination, exclusion, and uncertainty in their own communities.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026 | Sarnia Library Theatre, Sarnia
Initiatives to Support

Time to Act
Time to Act is a national platform that celebrates and showcases the impact of volunteers across Canada and internationally.
Participating in Time to Act is simple. Complete an action that supports others, then record it on the platform. It may be helping a neighbour, volunteering with an organization, or sharing your skills. Every action matters. Record yours and watch collective impact take shape in real time.
Time to Act is led by fifteen Volunteer Cooperation Agencies, including OCIC members Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada, Crossroads International, Cuso International, Youth Challenge International, & World University Service of Canada (WUSC).

OUR POTENTIAL. OUR PURPOSE.
OUR POTENTIAL. OUR PURPOSE. is an exciting exhibition from the Aga Khan Foundation of Canada that showcases inspiring stories of people taking on big challenges like inequality, education access, and climate change to build stronger communities.
Listen, reflect, and engage! Through interactive activities and real stories, you’ll discover how small actions can lead to big change – and how you can play your part.
You can participate virtually by designing your own micro-forest, sending a letter to your future self, or by exploring the exhibit online. You can also keep an eye out for upcoming tour dates to see the exhibition in person!






