NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
February 13, 2023
Regina, Saskatchewan
SCIC Celebrates Funding for Public Engagement in International Cooperation!
At an event celebrating International Development Week, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada announced $23.4 million in funding to extend programming for Canadian public engagement. Of this, $17.4 million will be provided to the Inter-Council Network for the extension of its Inspiring Action for Global Citizenship program.
The Inter-Council Network (ICN) is a coalition of the eight Provincial and Regional Councils for International Cooperation (including the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation – SCIC), committed to global social justice and social change, representing more than 350 diverse civil society organizations from coast to coast to coast. The ICN works with diverse national, regional, and local organizations, and provides a national forum in which the eight councils collaborate for improved effectiveness and identify common priorities for collective action.
The Inspiring Action for Global Citizenship program was initially launched in 2019 and has engaged numerous Canadians and organizations across the country in international cooperation and the sustainable development goals. The program, implemented by each council in its region, specialises in and has found success engaging the public through capacity building and youth leadership programs, curriculum development, and virtual and in-person public engagement on gender equality, human rights, and global citizenship. The ICN has a collective reach of more than 4 million per year and involves 32,000+ participants in its programs annually.
At the Cooperation Canada Awards ceremony, while announcing the funding, the Honorable Minister Sajjan said, “By raising awareness and promoting action, the Inspiring Action for Global Citizenship program and the International Development Education and Awareness project will have powerful ripple effects. The more Canadians understand about international development and the more ways they find to get involved, the richer our work and our communities will be.”
Zehra Rizvi, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation, says, "We are proud of the work accomplished under the Inspiring Action for Global Citizenship program in engaging the people of Saskatchewan in global issues. With this extended funding, we will continue to inform, inspire, and involve emerging youth leaders, changemakers and our member organizations in Saskatchewan. We would also like to congratulate the Aga Khan Foundation Canada for the funds they have received to implement their project. Having worked with youth of different ages across the province, we see first-hand the deep impact projects engaging youth have on creating young changemakers.”
The Aga Khan Foundation received $6 million for their International Development Education and Awareness Project focusing on school youth programs focusing on sparking young Canadian interests in eliminating poverty and promoting gender equality. The announcement for the $23.4 million funding came as across Canada, members of the Inter-Council Network celebrate International Development Week – a week dedicated to highlighting and acknowledging the contributions Canadians make in building better communities around the world.
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Contact:
Zehra Rizvi, Executive Director
Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC)
SCIC is grateful to receive ongoing funding from:
The Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada
SCIC also gratefully receives donations from many individuals across Saskatchewan. If you would like to make a financial contribution to SCIC, please find us on Canada Helps, or contact [email protected].