ACIC is excited to announce our new Partnership Enhancement Fund. This fund has been set up to facilitate connections and enhance relationships between ACIC member organizations and their international partners by providing travel funding for the partner to visit Atlantic Canada. In-person connections are an important element of building relationships, and we know there are few opportunities for our partners to visit Canada. We also believe that it is important for Atlantic Canadians to hear stories of impact and about issues citizens across the world directly from international partners.

The Partnership Enhancement Fund is a revised iteration of the Global Voices Fund that will be open to ACIC member organizations to support bringing their international partners to Atlantic Canada for fostering strong relationships, with a focus on mutual learning and engagement. The Partner Enhancement Fund emphasizes highlighting the success stories of ACIC members' international partnerships and providing an opportunity to share these stories with Atlantic Canadians and to expand on these connections.

The purpose of this fund is to provide opportunities for Atlantic small and medium-sized organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, etc., working in the international cooperation sector, to strengthen partnerships with their international partners to engage and collaborate on issues related to international development and cooperation in the local context.

Creating an opportunity for ACIC members to bring an International Partner and share the successes of these partnerships in Atlantic Canada further connects to SDG #17 – Partnerships for the Goals by creating opportunities for strengthening relationships and fostering understanding of local contextual realities. Bringing partners to Atlantic Canada will also create opportunities for those partners to engage with a broad range of Atlantic Canadians and to build awareness and solidarity and to create deeper connections.

The Opportunity:

ACIC invites interested Atlantic Canadian organizations to submit an expression of interest. Applicants are encouraged to showcase strong partnerships between the Atlantic organization and the international partner, exhibiting strong ties to collaborate on learning and partnership around a development initiative. These collaborations must exhibit the partnership principles outlined in ACIC’s Code of Ethics. ACIC also hopes that the collaborating for the Fund might open avenues for future wider partnerships between sectoral partners on both sides.

We anticipate the actual delivery and travel to take place in the last week of October, aligning with ACIC’s annual symposium (27 to 28 October) to provide an additional platform for public engagement activities.

The nominating organization will be responsible for organizing all travel logistics, including securing necessary tickets, insurance, and visas. Moreover, in the application form, the nominating organization should provide adequate proof that research has been conducted which demonstrates that the potential speaker is eligible to travel. ACIC would be pleased to provide accompanying visa support letters, where required, for travel visas.

Important Considerations:

ACIC member applicants are encouraged to consider how the individual's background and area of work pertains to the overall theme of the symposium. This year's theme, 'Cost of Change: Championing Social Justice, Health, and Well-Being for All,' will explore the web of factors that shape our society, and the role money and resources play in both creating disparities and elevating poverty in the world. Please read the theme statement for more information on the Symposium.

Exemplifying stronger partnerships, consideration will be given to value added to the Atlantic organization's work or additional public engagement opportunities that may exist in conjunction with the organization applying for the PEF. Symposium registration fee will be waived for the selected speaker. Note that registration through the symposium website will still be required for information purposes.

Eligibility:

Proposals will be accepted from ACIC members based in the Atlantic region. Candidates must be eligible and willing for traveling to Atlantic Canada around the last week of October. Applicants must not have any outstanding final reports still to submit from previously ACIC-funded. projects. Previous recipients of the Southern Speakers' Fund/Global Voices Fund are not eligible to apply.