From Aid To Action: ACIC's 2025 Symposium

ACIC held our bi-annual symposium at St. Mary's University on June 18th and 19th, and we couldn't be more thrilled. We're always proud of how our symposium brings together old friends and new faces to learn, connect, and inspire each other, but anyone in attendance could tell you that there was a unique energy in the room this year. 

This year's symposium was already special as ACIC marks a milestone with our 50th anniversary, but there was more to it than that. The current tumultuous global circumstances have clearly made international cooperation a priority in Atlantic Canada. We see this quantitatively with our record-breaking 180 symposium participants in-person and online, but also through the urgency, passion, and dedication demonstrated by every single person who joined us. 

I find this is best explained by starting at the end – with the very last question asked at the symposium. ACIC Executive Director Jennifer Sloot asked all attendees to share a few words about what they were taking away from the experience, and two prevailing themes emerged: frustration and hope. These may seem contradictory, but looking back, these two emotions weave an authentic picture of our 2025 symposium:

It's no question that international development is under threat. From a new Canadian government with uncertain commitments on foreign aid and Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy, to the international reactions to President Trump upheaving America's global commitments, the sector faces an uphill battle. This is on top of already complex issues covered in our panels and presentations: Balancing National Security and Foreign Aid, International Advocacy in a Time of Crisis, The Future of FIAP and Global Security, Navigating Political Change for Global Justice, and more. How do we balance aid and security, advocacy and crisis, interests and accountability? How do we balance what is important to us as advocates with our country's national interests and the needs of our fellow global citizens?

These are challenging topics, and these questions don't have easy answers. Our symposium attendees embraced the challenge, however, and asked difficult, thoughtful questions. There were courageous rejections of the status quo of international development – not with a sense of dejection or hopelessness, but as a medium to think critically about what's being presented and constantly ask, "Is there a better way?" This frustration didn't shut conversations down – it strengthened them. We cannot learn if we do not question the narratives presented to us, and there was a whole lot of learning at this year's symposium.

On the "other side" from frustration is hope – and there was a whole lot of that too. Overwhelmingly, this hope was expressed through the forging and strengthening of relationships throughout the symposium. With the greatest number of participants in ACIC symposium history, there were more opportunities than ever to build these relationships. 

We once again hosted our Youth Stream, providing over 40 participants aged 19-29 the opportunity to attend an additional day of youth-focused programming, as well as the full two-day symposium. This encouraged cross-generation connections allowing youth to network with experts in the field and bring unique points of view to the conversations. Some of these youth delegates had also just returned from their International Youth Internship Program placements and were able to share their experiences of working with ACIC partner organizations in communities around the world, including Guatemala, Ghana, and the Gambia, to name a few.

Programming within the symposium was also tailored to have folks spend meaningful time together. Media, Misinformation, and the Development Narrative; and Mapping Power in Partnerships were two of our learning labs that got people thinking, working, and learning together. Our research poster presentation allowed academics across Canada to come and share their research findings with the rest of the symposium participants, prompting discussion and questions on topics like sustainability, international aid, and foreign policy.

And the peak of relationship-building, of course, was the Symposium gala. After a full day of big ideas and hard conversations, we came together at the Discovery Centre to share a meal, share stories, and share inspiration. We heard from speakers throughout ACIC's history to commemorate our lasting impact through the decades, and we honoured our very first recipient of the Leo Cheverie Significant Achievement Award, PEI’s Ann Wheatley from the Cooper Institute. And to top the evening off, Wayn Hamilton and the Drummers From Home brought the gala together through an incredible collaboration of music. 

Now that we've covered the two collective takeaways of frustration and hope, we go back to the beginning: the theme of this year's symposium was "From Aid to Action" – a guiding concept that led us to reflect, reconnect, and reimagine the future of global cooperation. Throughout ACIC's 50 years, we have weathered significant cuts to international development and aid programs from our own government and across the world. In a time where foreign aid as we know it is being questioned and threatened, "From Aid to Action" was designed as an opportunity for Atlantic Canadians to come together, listen to each other, and strategize about how we will move forward in our work.

And while they may seem at odds, both frustration and hope are emotions that prime us to take that action. Some of us will take action out of frustration that the change we need to see is not happening; others will take action out of hope that such change is possible. Rather than being at odds, we need both sorts of people to create lasting impacts in international cooperation. Hope balances us out when anger becomes pessimism, and frustration lights a fire when hope falters. 

Regardless of which side you landed on, we at the ACIC are so grateful to everyone who joined us for our 2025 Symposium – we truly could not have done it without you. Thank you to all of the members, speakers, panelists, scholars, youth delegates, representatives, and ACIC staff who brought the theme of "From Aid to Action" to life, and who will continue to take action to make our communities, locally and globally, a more equitable, just, and sustainable place for all.