International Development Week 2020: Go for the Goals

Referring to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the IDW 30th Anniversary theme ‘Go for the Goals,’ illustrated the idea of moving forward in a collaborative and positive way toward a better world. OCIC believes that all individuals and the communities they belong to are global citizens and catalysts of positive change. Together, we all can take action today. The following events and activities were hosted by OCIC and our members to learn more about key global issues and ways to get involved.
City of Toronto Proclaims International Development Week 2020 [PDF / Word Doc]
 
Design Thinking Webinar for Multi-Sectoral Solutions Lab – February 1                                                                                                                                      OCIC, in collaboration with Youth Challenge International (YCI) and the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto (OISE), presented a  design thinking webinar to help prepare youth participants for an IDW multi-sectoral solutions lab focused on SDGs 4: Quality Education and 8: Decent Work & Economic Growth. For details on the event, click here.
 
OCIC ‘Tapestry 2030’ Micro-Exhibit at TEDxUTSC  – February 1                                                                                                                                                      For more details on the event, click here.
 
Gender Equality Through Disruption: Innovation as a Way Forward – February 4                                                                                                                          At this event participants, experts, influencers and activists tackled some of the most pressing issues and innovation opportunities facing women’s health and rights around the world. Keynote speaker Shakila Zareen, a young woman who was shot in the face by her husband told her story to raise awareness about child marriage and violence against women. For details on the program,  click here.
 
Lunch & Learn with International Gender Equality Speakers – February 5                                                                                                                                          The International Development Program celebrated IDW at Centennial College’s Event Centre. Different individuals and organizations spoke about their efforts that align with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For details on the program, click here.
 
International Development Week at Centennial College – February 5-6                                                                                                                                    OCIC, the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) and Partners In Health Canada welcomed Didi Bertran, Senior Advisor on Community Health and Strategist for Gender, Adolescent Youth’s Health and Development with Partners In Health, and Cesar Gamez, an educator and a member of CoCoSI’s theater troupe “Reality on Stageand Co-Founder of Country Breezes, a group of gender non-binary persons from rural impoverished communities of El Salvador, as our international guests for our signature IDW event, ‘Global Vision, Local Focus: A Dialogue on Gender Equality’ (immediatley below). For details on the program, click here.
 
Global Vision, Local Focus: A Dialogue on Gender Equality – February 6                                                                                                                                    This event provided an opportunity to learn about the priorities, challenges, and intersections between local and global practices towards gender equality with international advocates Didi Bertrand and Cesar Gamez, as well as Paulette Senior, CEO and President of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and Anjum Sultana, Founder of Millennial Womxn in Policy and Director of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at YWCA Canada. This dialogue was co-hosted by OCIC and the City of Toronto’s People & Equity Division, with contributions from Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and Deputy City Manager, Josie Scioli. For details on the program, click here. To watch the recording, click here.
 
Go for the Goals: Working Together to Build a Better Future – February 6                                                                                                                                Canadian Feed The Children, Crossroads International, Cuso International, IDRF, Oikocredit Canada, World Renew and OCIC came together to celebrate a new decade of actions, and shared how they are working to bring about change in thousands of communities around the world. For details on the program, click here.
 
International Development Week 2020 Livestream Event – February 7                                                                                                                                   Global Affairs Canada and partners, including OCIC, marked the 30th International Development Week by uniting young people in a wave across Canada, via social media, to share and learn about how they #GoForTheGoals in their own communities. For details on the program, click here.
 
Multi-sectoral Solutions Lab – February 8                                                                                                                                                                                          Part 2 of the Multi-sectoral Solutions Lab, youth and practitioners in the fields of international cooperation and global citizenship education came together for one day to explore: 
  • How might development organizations communicate, reach out to and engage diverse youth publics in the SDGs and help strengthen their understanding of these issues?
  • How might youth lead, explore and develop employment solutions for youth in Canada and abroad particularly in the fields of international cooperation and global citizenship education and action? 
For details on the program, click here
 
International Development Conference at UTSC – February 8                                                                                                                                                          For details on the program, click here.
 
Go Global Expo – February 9                                                                                                                                                                                                                The Go Global Expo provided a unique chance to connect in person with a wide range of organizations that can help you get overseas, and make the most of your time abroad. For details on the program, including sessions facilitated by OCIC, click here.
 
Engaging Media 101 Webinar with Jennifer Singh – February 13                                                                                                                                                        In this OCIC workshop Jennifer Singh led participants in getting the inside scoop on building their credibility as a go-to expert and leveraging the media to increase public awareness of their organizations. For details on the program, click here.