ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html> <head> <title>Canada World Youth - May 2008</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <style type="text/css" media="print"> .noprint { display: none; } .printonly { display: inline; font-size: 15px; } </style> </head> <body leftmargin="0" rightmargin="0" topmargin="0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" style="padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 10px; background-color: #B2B2B2"> <tr> <td> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="520" border="0" align="center"> <tr> <td valign="top"> <div style="margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; color: white;"> <p> You received this email because your email address is in Canada World Youth's contact list. To remove your address from the list, please click on the link at the bottom of this email. </p> </div> <div style="background-color: white; margin: 0; padding: 0; margin: 0"> <div style="background-color: #00215C; margin: 0px; width: 520px;"> <img height="110" src="img/entete_img.jpg" width="520"> </div> <div style="font-size: 12px; background-color: #00215C; margin: 0; padding: 0;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td> <img src="img/logo_petit2.gif" align="left" style="padding-left: 8px"> </td> <td style="text-align: right"> <div style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: white; align-text: right; vertical-align: middle; padding-right: 8px"> <h1 style="font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0;"> CWY&rsquo;s Alumni Newsletter</h1> <span style="font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>May 2008</strong></span></div> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: white; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: right; border-bottom: 2px solid #DBFF75;"> <strong><a href="http://www.canadaworldyouth.org" style="color: #000000; text-decoration: none" target=_blank> www.canadaworldyouth.org</a></strong></div> <p style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> Hello, former Canada World Youth participant! This newsletter contains the latest news from CWY's alumni network and information on activities across the country in which you can participate. Please join us! </p> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> Farewell and <i>bon voyage</i>, Jacques</h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> <img border="0" src="img/2008-04_jacqueshebert.jpg" align="left" vspace="0" width="100" height="150" style="padding: 0 8px 2px 0">On December 6, 2007, CWY lost its founding father, Jacques Hébert. He was 84 years old. Passionate about justice and equality, deeply devoted to youth, and a tireless globetrotter, Jacques sowed the seed for CWY one evening early in the 1970s, while talking with his children. He said, "Imagine a group of young people going to live in a small village in Côte d'Ivoire for three months, with a group of young Ivorians who would already have spent three months with them in Canada. Together, they would discover what each individual can do to change the world." </p> <p> In the following years, CWY flourished and grew under the watchful eye of the man whose passion and boundless energy had made it all possible. In 1977, Mr. Hébert also founded Katimavik, a volunteer program in Canada for people aged 17 to 21. </p> <p> Today, the CWY model developed by Mr. Hébert is world renowned and has created thousands of young global citizens who are able to cultivate tolerance and find constructive and peaceful resolutions to conflict. </p> <p> "Jacques had the profound belief that young people can effect extraordinary changes within society," says Don Johnston, president of CWY. "His work will continue to inspire hundreds of people throughout the world, young and old alike." </p> <p> After Mr. Hébert's death, more than 190 past participants wrote to CWY; in our opinion, they are the best placed to pay tribute to him. We invite you to read their testimonials on the organization's website: </p> <p> <a href="http://www.cwy-jcm.org/en/testimonials/jh" target="_blank">Testimonials in English</a> <br /> <a href="http://www.cwy-jcm.org/fr/testimonials/jh" target="_blank">Testimonials in French</a> </p> <p> <a href="http://doc.cwy-jcm.org/photos_JH/Biography_JacquesHebert.pdf" target="_blank"> Read the complete biography of Jacques Hébert</a></p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> Welcome to CWY's newest past-participant board member! </h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> Last fall we put out a call for interested applicants from the pool of past-year participants to become the newest member of the CWY board of directors. We had a wonderful response with many excellent candidates offering their skills and commitment to this three-year position. After much deliberation, the CWY board welcomed Hadrien Collin (2006 Quebec/Brazil) to their ranks. </p> <p> <img border="0" src="img/2008-05_board_member.jpg" align="left" vspace="0" width="82" height="93" style="padding: 0 8px 2px 0"> Hadrien gives us a glimpse of how he sees his role: "A few months ago, I was given the incredible opportunity of joining CWY's board of directors. This is an extremely enriching experience. It allows past participants to learn how the organization works and to share the opinions of young people who have recently finished the program with board members. I've seen all the hard work done to allow hundreds of young people to participate in CWY every year. I hope to be able to help this remarkable organization continue to grow in Canada and abroad." </p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> Past participant shares wedding gifts with CWY</h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> Instead of receiving "three toasters or stuff to fill our tiny apartment," past participant Steph Bouris and her fiancé Julian Lee have chosen to share their wedding gifts with CWY. After Steph returned from her BC/Indonesia/Philippines program in 2000, she went on to study international development in Toronto, where she remained involved with CWY and met Julian. As they prepare for this celebration, Steph says that she and Julian have "thought a lot about our identity and the roads we have each traveled to become who we are." This led them to ask wedding guests to make a contribution to the two organizations closest to their hearts - Steph requested donations be made to CWY and Julian, to the United World College of the Atlantic. Distinctive gifts that truly reflect the richness of their experiences! </p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> Overseas alumni carry on CWY's mission in their own communities </h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> Many CWY alumni around the world continue to work in the areas of international development. Saba in Delhi and Shreya in Kathmandu are just two who've recently shared their stories with us. </p> <p> Since completing her CWY program, Saba Kaleem has embarked firmly on a path geared to making her society more fair and sustainable. "I am really thankful to CWY. I returned to India with a strong feeling of commitment to my goals, applied to the Ford Foundation Fellowship Program, and have been selected to pursue my master's in public health policy at one of the world's top universities." </p> <p> Meanwhile, Saba has been putting her energy to very good use at the Gender Resource Centre, set up by the government of Delhi to empower women living in the slums of Delhi. Saba explains that the GRC provides important services like vocational training, legal counseling, and health care facilities for women and children. </p> <p> <img border="0" src="img/2008-05_saba.jpg" align="right" vspace="0" width="200" height="203" style="padding: 0 0px 2px 10px"> Another inspired CWY past participant is Shreya Kafle of Nepal (1988 Saskatchewan/Nepal). Shreya sits on the board of an organization called Samuhik Abhiyan (Joint Effort) and has been actively working to support a national and international volunteer program placing college graduates with Nepalese partner NGOs. "Our focus is to strengthen local NGOs and ensure their development projects are sustainable. Our volunteers also mobilize the community to strengthen democracy, manage conflict, and promote peace." </p> <p> If you are a past participant who would like to tell us about a project you are involved in, email us at <a href="mailto:alumni-anciens@cwy-jcm.org">alumni-anciens@cwy-jcm.org</a> </p> <p> <i>Saba Kaleem (left), Indian past participant (2006 Ontario/Delhi HIV/AIDS), shares information with the public at the Gender Resource Centre booth in Delhi on International Women's Day (March 8).</i> </p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> CWY alumni get-togethers in Winnipeg and Montreal a "sweeping" success! </h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> In recent months, CWYers have found it rewarding to organize alumni meet-ups in their communities. In Winnipeg, a potluck dinner was held and, in Montreal, two events took place: an evening of tea drinking, along with an intro to the Chinese practice of Qi Gong (pronounced chee gung), and an introduction to the great Canadian sport of curling. Charles Durocher (2003 Ontario/Tanzania), attendee at the second event, comments: "Even as a past participant, CWY is bringing me new experiences. It was fun discovering other members of the big CWY family, and as for my first impression of curling, I was swept away!" When asked what it takes to organize a gathering like this, Charles explained, "it's only a question of taking the initiative." </p> <p> In Winnipeg, the initiative was taken by Kristine Askholm (2003 Nova Scotia/Cuba). Once she put out the call for the get-together, teacher and past participant David Havixbeck (1998 Ontario/Russia) offered to host the potluck at his home. "We had a good time. It was a cozy, fun group of some old familiar faces and some newbies as well. I really enjoyed having them over to my house and hope to do it again, sooner rather than later," says David. </p> <p> What does it take to make this happen? An alumni event or training opportunity can be organized in any part of the country by any past participant interested in taking the lead. CWY can help facilitate the initial communication with alumni in your area and offer other forms of support. </p> <p> Alumni get-togethers are a great way to meet others who have shared the CWY experience and often have common interests. Whether you're looking for a social event or an opportunity to collaborate with other alumni, this is a great way to gauge and engage the interest of other alumni. You may meet others who are interested in joining efforts to plan things such as an hour-long workshop, a regional alumni training weekend, a CWY presentation, or a cross-country biking & awareness tour, as happened in the 90s! Take the plunge and organize something in your neck of the woods - email <a href="mailto:alumni-anciens@cwy-jcm.org">Laura Tripp</a> to get the ball rolling. </p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> Alumnus and staff represent CWY at 20<sup>th</sup> World Volunteer Conference</h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <table align="right" width="260" border="0" style="margin: 20px 0 10px 10px"> <tr> <td> <img border="0" src="img/2008-04_anshula.jpg" align="left" vspace="0" width="256" height="192"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333;"> <i>Anshula Chowdhury, shown here (bottom of photo) while on her CWY Nova Scotia/Jamaica program in 2006-2007, recently took part in the 20<sup>th</sup> World Volunteer Conference in Panama. </i> </p> </td> </tr> </table> <p> Anshula Chowdhury, participant in the 2006 2007 Nova Scotia/Jamaica program, and Vlad Gomez, a CWY employee in Edmonton, participated in the 20th World Volunteer Conference in Panama City, Panama, from March 31 to April 5, 2008. </p> <p> The conference was organized by IAVE (the International Association for Volunteer Effort) and YMCA Panama with the theme "Volunteering for Human Development: More Solidarity, Less Poverty." Representatives from volunteer organizations in Latin America and throughout the world were present. "The objective was to give people the opportunity to exchange information, experiences, and knowledge pertaining to the various facets and impacts of volunteerism," explains Gomez. </p> <p> Anshula continues, "The conference really highlighted the growing relationship between volunteering and community development on a global scale. As a CWYer, that relationship is clear, but it's becoming even closer in our increasingly globalized world. Overall, this conference was a great opportunity!" Anshula and Vlad presented the CWY program as an innovative model for youth volunteerism cultivating a commitment to the creation of more just and equitable societies. </p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> Join our official Facebook group</h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> CWY has an official Facebook group, which is already more than 1000 members strong! Colourful photos from around the world, videos, new international projects, innovative ideas for action and involvement& It's the ideal place to contact friends and other members of the Canada World Youth family. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6244934985&ref=mf" target="_blank">Join the Facebook group </a> </p> </div> <h3 style="font-size: 13px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #DBFF75; margin: 0px; padding: 8px; text-align: left;"> National Volunteer Week: an opportunity to recognize CWY volunteers</h3> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px; border-bottom: 1px solid black"> <p> Each year, in late April, Canadians celebrate National Volunteer Week to acknowledge and reflect on the contributions of volunteers to our organizations and society. CWY volunteers are integral to our work, not only through the scope and amount of support they give us, but also through the value they add by way of the energy, tangible connections, and diverse perspectives they contribute. </p> <p> <img border="0" src="img/2008-05_tyler_colbourne.jpg" align="left" vspace="0" width="150" height="149" style="padding: 0 10px 2px 0"> Halifax-based CWY volunteer Tyler Colbourne (2004 Quebec/Mali/Burkina Faso) shares why he enjoys volunteering: </p> <p> "Since my CWY program, I have always tried to maintain contact with CWY by volunteering. I'm passionate about the CWY mission and the vision Jacques Hébert had for young people. Through volunteering, I believe my enthusiasm for the program and non-formal education will rub off on youth in my own community. I look forward to volunteering and being a part of the Canada World Youth family for a long time!" </p> <p> On behalf of the CWY staff and 2007-08 participants who benefited from their contributions, we extend a warm thank you to the many volunteers who offered their time and effort over the past six months. The following volunteers helped with a multitude of events and activities, including our Stand Up Against Poverty campaign, the International Women's Day speaking tour, recruitment presentations and booths across the country, office support, preparation day and program support, and various focus groups such as our Gender and Development Day. A special thank you also goes out to the volunteers who helped as ushers and MC at Mr. Hebert's funeral. </p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"> <tr> <td style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 20px 0 20px;"> <p> Alfred St.Jean<br /> Alice Will <br /> Andrea del Campo <br /> Anika Gerols<br /> Anita Kumar <br /> Anshula Chowdhury<br /> Ariel-Paul Saunders<br /> Ashley Forbes<br /> Augusta Acquah<br /> Ben Gadwa<br /> Bethan Stewart <br /> Bradley Clark<br /> Brandon Umpherville<br /> Brianna Van De Wijngaard<br /> Caity Sackeroff<br /> Caralyn Matthews<br /> Catherine Julien<br /> Catherine Scheelar<br /> Christelle DesForges<br /> Christina Zaenker<br /> Claudio Warneboldt<br /> Dai Cooper<br /> Dana Yurkiw<br /> Danny Connelly<br /> David Boivin<br /> David Havixbeck<br /> David Smith <br /> Denis Choinière<br /> Diego Garcia<br /> Elisa Gilmour<br /> Emilio Alvarez<br /> Emily Cumming <br /> Emma Barnard<br /> Erica Doty<br /> Esha Minchin<br /> Fergus Horsburgh<br /> Frédéric Lapierre<br /> Gabrielle St.Louis<br /> Gurpreet Kambo <br /> Heather Dines<br /> Heather Luce <br /> Hope Hannah<br /> Hugh Maguire<br /> Issac Armstrong<br /> Jackie Dowling<br /> Jeannine Requejo<br /> Jean-Sébastien Dufresne<br /> Jen Smith<br /> Jennifer Meadows<br /> Jonathan Williams<br /> Jordan Justice<br /> Joseph Sun</p> </td> <td style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0"> <p> Joyce Ho<br /> Julie Girard<br /> Kathleen Martin<br /> Kathryn Harris<br /> Katrina Newton <br /> Kevin Lee<br /> Kimberly Olson<br /> Kristen Lawrie<br /> Kristine Askholm<br /> Laurel McCalla<br /> Lindsay Matthews<br /> Marie-Laure Tapp<br /> Marijo Cyr<br /> Martine Kessler<br /> Maxim Fortin<br /> Maxime Damecour <br /> Maxime Michel<br /> Maxime Ouellette <br /> Meghann Gregg<br /> Michael DaSilva <br /> Michel Huneault<br /> Michèle Meilleur Sarazin<br /> Mokhtar Akbari<br /> Murielle Fortin<br /> Naheed Gilani<br /> Nicole MacKenzie<br /> Norkhan Bawa<br /> Paul Phelan <br /> Peter Hartwick<br /> Philippe Murphy<br /> Renée Giroux<br /> Rhian Williams<br /> Ryan Newton<br /> Sarah Martens<br /> Sébastien Noël<br /> Shane Steponas <br /> Shawn Khan<br /> Shawna Miller<br /> Shelley Pardy<br /> Sue Cass <br /> Susan Hall<br /> Susan Janzen<br /> Thomalie Grondin-Tremblay<br /> Tracy Top<br /> Tracy Miranda<br /> Trevor Page<br /> Tricia Sharpe<br /> Tyler Colbourne<br /> Uitsile Ndlovu<br /> Vanessa Martin<br /> Véronik Bélanger<br /> Yanik Beaulieu </p> </td> </tr> </table> <p> We know there are many more of you volunteering by promoting CWY and helping out in host communities across the country. We thank you and would like to help you in your efforts. Please don't hesitate to contact <a href="mailto:alumni-anciens@cwy-jcm.org"> Laura Tripp</a> and tell us about your initiatives! </p> <p> <a href="http://volunteer.ca/en/about-campaign" border="0" target="_blank"> <img border="0" src="img/2008-05_banner_en.jpg" vspace="0" width="468" height="60" style="padding: 0 10px 2px 0"></a></p> </div> <div style="font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #333333; padding: 0 8px 0 8px;"> <p> To contact us: <a href="mailto:alumni-anciens@cwy-jcm.org">alumni-anciens@cwy-jcm.org</a> </p> <p> <i>We thank the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), as well as our generous donors, for their invaluable financial support.</i> </p> </div> <div style="background-color: #00215C; margin: 0; padding: 0; font-size: 10px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: white; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"> <p style="padding: 4px 8px 4px 8px"> Canada World Youth 2008</p> </div> </div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body> </html>