Keynote Address By
Rabi Adamu Musa
Founder / CEO, Mcrissar Foundation for Women and Girls Nigeria
Rabi Adamu Musa is the Founder/CEO, Mcrissar Foundation for Women and Girls Nigeria. Co-Founder , African young women advancement initiative. She started her career in the development sector with Riders for Health international. For over 10years, she has been working closely with Government and Civil Society in Nigeria and abroad. She has been advocating for young women meaningful participation in politics and governance and ensuring full access to menstrual kits for girls between the ages of 12-16 in High school in Northern Nigeria. She has a degree in Civil law from the University of Jos, a Barrister at law Certificate, from the Nigerian Law School and a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Connecticut, USA. She is also a Coady Grad with certificate in Advancing Women's Leadership in Conflict Transformation, Peacebuilding and Community Development, Resources and tools for working with young women leaders and Feminist Leadership for justice , equity and ecology ( St Francis Xavier University Antigonish, NS Canada) She is the 2021 recipient of Katherine Fleming international development award (An award given each year to an African woman who demonstrates commitment to her community) from Canada. She served as the Special Assistant Legal Matters to the Executive Governor of kaduna State, Nigeria from 2019-2021. She is an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association. She has a passion for women and children, especially the girl-child. For the past 10years, she has been making meaningful contributions in marginalized communities in Nigeria , especially within southern Kaduna.
ACIC Symposium ‘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. The Symposium will delve into the complex dynamics of how individuals and organizations can fund change, while championing equity, and exploring the global and local shifts necessary to create a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.
With health being top of mind for individuals, communities and countries, the Symposium will, through a Social Determinants of Health Framework, and with an intersectional lens, explore the non-medical underlying social, economic, and environmental conditions that impact individual and community health and well-being. It will explore youth, Indigenous communities, and local and global perspectives to sustainability and change as we understand the recent acute economic disparities around the world, and its impact on community health. The Symposium will also highlight what Atlantic Canadians are doing to counter this and champion change in their communities.
At ACIC Symposium 2023, we will explore the cost of change under three sub-themes.
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International Cooperation and the Cost of Power: Delving into the relation between power, money and resources within the international cooperation sector, the Symposium will explore the ramifications of decreasing overseas development assistance. It will examine the effects of political agendas and capitalist priorities driving economic agendas, the importance of localisation for long term change, and the different streams and avenues of funding accessed and available for organizations, communities, and individuals to affect change
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Climate Change and the Cost of Action: In the face of climate change and recognizing its detrimental effect on social and environmental determinants of health, it will also examine sustainability, and the rhetoric around climate action being an expensive choice. It will critically assess the interplay between urgent needs in the face of climate change, and capitalism-driven fossil-fuel dependent economic growth which is further exacerbating its effect.
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Decent Work and the Cost of Exploitation: The Symposium will also aim to understand and discuss the impact of extractive labour and capital exploitation practises around the world. Using decent work for all as foundation, it will discuss global labour issues focusing on migrant workers, the impact of gendered labour movements, the disparity between minimum and living wage.
Theme Statement
Schedule
09:00 to 09:30
Opening Address by Elder Judy
09:30 to 10:30 | Available Online
Keynote Address by Rabi Adamu Musa, Founder/CEO, Mcrissar Foundation for Women and Girls Nigeria
10:30 to 11:00
Coffee and Networking Break
11:00 to 12:15 | Available Online
Panel 1: Cost of Power and International Cooperation
12:15 to 1:15 PM
Lunch
1:15 to 2:30 PM | Workshop 1 | Available Online
Bahar Haghighat: Rethinking Health and Well-being - A Social Justice Approach to Understanding Weight and Weight-Stigma
1:15 to 2:30 PM | Workshop 2
Julia Furvosa: Community Engagement for Systems Change - Shifting from Conventional to Transformative Practice
1:15 to 2:30 PM | Workshop 3
Olivia Allen: Water and Climate Change
2:30 to 3:45 PM | Available Online
Panel 2: Cost of Action and Climate Change
Panels and Workshops
Fri. Oct 27, 11:00 AM
Panel, Available Online
International Cooperation and the Cost of Power
This panel will examine the effects of political agendas and capitalist priorities driving economic agendas, and the different streams and avenues of funding accessed and available for organizations, communities, and individuals to affect change. Panelists will discuss the ramifications of decreasing overseas development assistance and explore avenues for funding advocacy.
Fri. Oct 27, 1:15 PM
Workshop, Available Online
Rethinking Health and Well-being - A Social Justice Approach to Understanding Weight and Weight-Stigma
This session will unravel the intricate relations between social determinants of health and bodyweight. Through a social justice lens, participants will discuss the systemic factors that contribute to weight variations and advocacy work for a more equitable and holistic understanding of health and well-being.
Fri. Oct 27, 2:30 PM
Panel, Available Online
Climate Change and the Cost of Action
This panel will discuss the detrimental effect of climate change on social and environmental determinants of health, sustainability models, and the rhetoric around climate action being an expensive choice. Panelists will discuss their work towards climate solutions in their contexts, including land-based perspectives on health, development of solidarity economy enterprises, and facilitating access to data for climate adaptation.
Sat. Oct 28, 11:00 AM
Workshop
The Power of Planning for Community Impact
This workshop bridges the gap between the pressing issues at hand and the solutions we want implemented. Time is a precious resource, and by planning for impact you're ensuring that all the effort put in has the best chance of leading to tangible outcomes.This workshop is tailored for individuals and teams who are passionate about driving meaningful change and want to maximize the impact of their efforts.
Fri. Oct 27, 1:15 PM
Workshop
Water and Climate Change
This workshop will explore current challenges in water conservation and connections to climate change. Participants will learn about climate solutions, and adaptations including finance reform, natural coastal storm defense, and climate justice work happening in Atlantic Canada.
Fri. Oct 27, 1:15 PM
Workshop
Community Engagement for Systems Change - Shifting from Conventional to Transformative Practice
This workshop engages participants in critical examination of community engagement practices among public and non-profit organizations. Focusing on volunteer participation in community-based projects, the workshop draws on the results of participatory action research. Informed by an intersectonal feminist lens, the research examined gendered and under- resourced nature of the non-profit community development work.
Sat. Oct 28, 9:30 AM
Panel, Available Online
Decent Work and the Cost of Exploitation
This panel will discuss the impact of extractive labour and capital exploitation practises around the world. Panelists will examine global labour issues focusing on migrant workers, the impact of gendered labour movements, and the disparity between minimum and living wage, considering these issues through the lens of decent work for all.
Sat. Oct 28, 11:00 AM
Workshop
A Common Sense Majority World Agriculture Development Model
This workshop will focus on the learnings from International Sustainable Community Assitance Organization's agricultural intitiatves in Haiti. In addition, it will explore how aid programs have undercut Haiti's food production, and how resulting poverty has indirectly increased the severity of climate change.
Panelists and Moderators
Speaker
Decent Work and the Cost of Power
Carolina Domenica
Scientific Manager, Amazon Innovation Center
Carolina Domenico, from Minas Gerais, Brazil, is a biologist with a master's degree in Tropical Agriculture. She started her experience at the Botanical Garden of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas and continued this journey as an R&D intern at Natura. She is currently working on her postgraduate on socio-environmental business at the IPÊ (Ecological Research Institute). She has over 15 years experience in research, first as an intern, researcher and is currently the Scientific Manager of the Amazon Innovation Center. She works directly with the research of new Bioingredients; sustainable use of plant resources; structuring of sociobiodiversity suply chains; technologies applied to forest bioeconomy; and more recently to the issue of productive forests. In her free time, she has fun with her kids, with jeep expeditions, and experiencing living in the north of Brazil.
Moderator
Climate Change and the Cost of Action
Choyce Chappell
PEI Provincial Coordinator, ACIC
Choyce Chappell is the current ACIC Provincial Coordinator for Prince Edward Island. Though she was born in Nova Scotia, Choyce has now spent most of her life in rural PEI with her parents and grandmother. Choyce holds a Bachelors of Environmental Studies from the University of Prince Edward Island, and returned to UPEI to receive a Masters of Environmental Sciences in May this year. Her thesis focused on designing an app for extreme weather preparation, response, and recovery on PEI, which she feels has only become more relevant after Hurricane Fiona. Working in the nonprofit sector is Choyce’s way of continuing to dedicate herself to community.
Speaker
Climate Change and the Cost of Action
Fredy Duqes
IPARD Program Assistant - Business Partnerships and Indigenous Economies, FSC Indigenous Foundation
Fredy has worked for 20 years with public sector entities and international cooperation agencies in projects related to food security, infrastructure and territorial development. His areas of expertise and experience include strengthening value chains in the agricultural and forestry sector, development of solidarity economy enterprises, construction of community infrastructure and strategic planning for rural development. Fredy is an economist from the National University of Colombia and holds a master’s degree in development practice from the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica. He is a fellow of the Japan-World Bank Joint
Program (JJWBGSP).
Speaker
Decent Work and the Cost of Power
Gabriel Allahdua
Organizer, Justicia for Migrant Workers; Outreach Worker, The Neighbourhood Organization
Originally from St. Lucia, Gabriel Allahdua worked as a migrant farm worker in the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program for four years, from 2012 to 2015, before leaving the program to seek permanent residency in Canada. Now a leading voice in the migrant justice movement, Allahdua is an organizer with Justicia for Migrant Workers and an outreach worker with The Neighbourhood Organization, providing services to migrant workers across southwestern Ontario. He lives in Toronto with his two adult children and his grandson.
Speaker
Climate Change and the Cost of Action
Janelle Frail
Engagement & Operations Manager, CLIMAtlantic
With a science degree in Environmental Studies and experience in adult education, Janelle is currently working as the Engagement and Operations Manager with CLIMAtlantic. Her past work involved 10 years working with international cooperation organizations throughout the Atlantic with ACIC. She's also a long time volunteer with the Breaking the Silence Maritimes Guatemala Solidarity Network.
Speaker
International Development and the Cost of Power
Jennifer Murogocho
Member of the Meru County Assembly
Jennifer Makena Murogocho brings decades of leadership and community service to the goal of bettering the lives of the people of Meru County, Kenya. She has served on and chaired community boards in both the health and education sectors and is the patron of the Muchui and Marigati women’s self-help groups. Following a career in the financial sector and operation of a successful farm and businesses, Jennifer was appointed as Elections Coordinator of the newly established Meru County. She subsequently won elected office as the Member of the County Assembly in 2013 and again in 2022, and is currently chairing the County’s Youth, Gender and Community Development and its Potato Stakeholders Forum. Since 2000, Farmers Helping Farmers PEI has been fortunate to have Jennifer’s friendship and support in shared work to build food security and empower women in Meru County. Throughout that time, serving mostly in a volunteer capacity, Jennifer has brought her skills and the trust and respect of her community to the roles of community liaison, and school feeding program coordinator. Over the years, “Mama Jennifer” has also welcomed and hosted dozens of FHF volunteers and students. Since 2020, she has served as FHF’s PSEA Focal Point for its More Food, Better Food project, and in 2022, she was appointed as Vice-Chair of the board of FHF’s newly established Kenyan wing, Wakulima Waisidia Wakulima. She continues to provide invaluable insight and guidance to FHF’s work and approaches.
Moderator
International Development and the Cost of Power
Judyannet Muchiri
Policy Officer, Inter-Council Network
Judyannet’s intellectual and political interests include gender justice, civic participation, digital technologies, feminist foreign policy and knowledge creation processes. Her most recent work has been in Canada’s international cooperation sector and the non-profit sector in Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Cameroon, and Uganda. Currently, Judyannet is leading policy work at the Inter-Council Network (ICN), co-leading the Africa Community Engagement Hub (ACE) and completing her doctoral work at Memorial University.
Speaker
International Development and the Cost of Power
Kate Higgins
CEO, Cooperation Canada
Kate Higgins is Chief Executive Officer of Cooperation Canada, a network of more than 95 Canadian international cooperation and humanitarian organizations that work with partners in Canada and globally for a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.
Before joining Cooperation Canada, Kate worked as the Deputy Executive Director of Oxfam Canada, in addition to serving as Interim Executive Director in 2020. Kate has also worked in senior strategy and policy roles at CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations, and at the North-South Institute and the Overseas Development Institute.
Kate started her career at the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). She has degrees in economics and development studies from the University of Sydney and the University of Oxford.
Moderator
Decent Work and the Cost of Power
Keyshawn Bonamy
Executive Director, Voluntary Resource Council
Keyshawn Bonamy hails from Nassau, Bahamas. In 2016, he embarked on a new chapter in his life by moving to Prince Edward Island to pursue his studies in Economics at the University of Prince Edward Island. Driven by his desire to give back, Keyshawn has consistently demonstrated his commitment to volunteering and community service. He currently holds the position of Executive Director at the Voluntary Resource Council, a role that allows him to utilize his leadership skills to foster collaboration and support various charitable initiatives. For the past two years, Keyshawn has been actively involved with Meals on Wheels PEI, a program that provides nutritious meals to those in need.
Speaker
Decent Work and the Cost of Power
Nouhad Mourad
Community Organizer
Nouhad (they/she) is a second-generation settler from Epekwitk (PEI) with a background in Anthropology and Diversity & Social Justice Studies, with experience working in post-secondary education, immigration, and non-profit sectors. A lifelong activist and community organizer, they believe that radical societal transformation is achievable by deepening our relationships with one another, with the earth, through mutual aid and collective organizing. They actively work to centre anti-oppression, anti-colonialism, community care, and radical love in their work and life.
Speaker
Climate Change and the Cost of Action
Patrick Augustine
Assistant Professor & Elder, UPEI Faculty of Indigenous Knowledge, Education, Research, and Applied Studies
Patrick Augustine, a Mi’kmaw from New Brunswick with ancestral ties to Sikniktuk and Epikwitk, now resides in L’sipuktuk (Elsipogtog) First Nation. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Indigenous Knowledge, Education, and Applied Studies (IKERAS), Patrick holds a Master's in Island Studies from the University of Prince Edward Island. With over three decades of experience, Patrick has been a dedicated contributor to Indigenous organizations at local, provincial, regional, national, and international levels. His journey includes notable roles such as a Research Officer at the First Nation Centre of the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and later as a valued member of their Board of Directors. Patrick's expertise extends to various research areas, including Míkmaq gaming, Wabanaki history, addiction rehabilitation, traditional healing, Aboriginal health research, and First Nations health policy. His commitment to Indigenous communities and academic pursuits makes him a vital figure in advancing Indigenous knowledge and practices.
Speaker
International Development and the Cost of Power
Taryn Russell
Deputy Executive Director, Results Canada
Taryn is the Deputy Executive Director at Results Canada – a grassroots advocacy organization working to create the political will to end extreme poverty. Taryn is passionate about the power of advocacy to tackle systemic inequities in the world and really enjoys sharing her experience and knowledge of advocacy with others. Prior to Results she worked as Head of Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children Canada and has also held positions with Global Affairs Canada and the United Nations Development Programme.
Speaker
International Development and the Cost of Power
Wendy MacDonald
Board Member, Farmers Helping Farmers
Wendy MacDonald brings a background in public policy, research and analysis to her involvement with Farmers Helping Farmers. She joined FHF's Education Committee in 2008, and became a member of the Board in 2014. She travelled to Kenya in 2017 on a school safety and inclusion initiative, and took on the role of Vice-President later that year. She was a member of the proposal writing team for FHF's current Global Affairs Canada project, More Food, Better Food in 2017 and 2018. In May 2019, Wendy retired from her role as Clerk Assistant to the Government of PEI, completing a 40-year public policy career spanning Saskatchewan, Ontario and Prince Edward Island, and in June she became President of FHF, serving until July 2021, and Past President 2021-23. During those roles, Wendy visited Kenya again in early 2020 and in late 2022, assisted with monitoring and reporting of the GAC project, and was involved in the work of all FHF committees. She is currently a member of FHF's Project Committee and its Strategic Planning Committee, and continues to support FHF in reporting and evaluation of its work. Wendy holds degrees in Political Studies from Queens University, Canada, and in Public Policy and Public Administration from the London School of Economics. Her other volunteer involvements have included children's education, healthy eating, and heritage preservation, and most recently community development and seniors' wellbeing.
COVID and Health Protocol
In order to make the conference more inclusive and accessible, particularly for those living with increased health and safety risks, and in support of a community of care model of health and safety and the recent recommendation of the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, Dr. Theresa Tam, to start masking again during the respiratory virus season, participants are strongly encouraged to protect collective health, safety and well-being by masking throughout the event.
To enable this, we will be providing masks and COVID-19 tests, and will work with venue staff to ensure that there are options for increased spacing indoors. We encourage those not feeling well to participate online instead. Conference guidelines and logistical parameters are subject to change in the event of changes to the Covid context. Information about public health Covid guidelines by province/ territory can be found here.
ACIC Office and events are a scent-free space. We request that all guests and attendees refrain from using scented products to accommodate those with sensitivities.