International Development Week 2019 | Academic Newsletter | Seneca Polytechnic

by Monica Kronfli, International Academic Pathways and Mobility

in the December 2018 issue

Seneca's International Development Week (IDW) is taking place on February 4 to 9, 2019. IDW aims to promote global mindedness and foster discussions with students, faculty, and staff on pressing issues.

This year’s theme is Empowering Voices.
The theme takes into consideration issues surrounding Indigenous rights, LGBTQ+, Social entrepreneurship, International Women’s rights, and Community and Youth engagement.

The goal is to have each event linked to a course (or courses) at Seneca that could benefit from participation. If you would like to learn more about any of the events, or if you would like to get your class involved, please send an email to IDW@senecacollege.ca.

Empowering Voices
Child forced marriages, refugee migration, and female genital mutilation are controversial practices still prevalent in a number of countries around the world. This two-part event will explore these human rights issues from two perspectives: a single advocate vs. an organization fighting for change. Ainalem Tebeje, a former journalist of Ethiopian origin, recounts her experiences marred by these practices in her now published book “My Love Story in Broken English.” In this 90-minute book-reading event, Senecans will gain a better understanding of the implications of these practices told from Ainalem’s personal journey and experiences. The second part of this event will be led by Plan International Canada, a global organisation taking a stand against children who are oppressed, exploited, and left behind. In this informative 90-minute session, participants will be educated on issues regarding women’s and children’s rights and the strategic action and advocacy being undertaken by the organization.

SKETCH: Community and Youth Engagement
SKETCH, a non-governmental organization that uses a learning framework in community arts and creative enterprises to engage youth on the margins, will lead a 3-hour interactive workshop to teach Senecans about radical arts and its transformative properties. Participants will be guided through a series of instructional artistic frameworks that will allow them to produce pieces of art reflective of their own version of youth empowerment.

Self-Defense Workshop
In collaboration with Seneca’s Diversity and Inclusion Office, Wen Do (Canada’s oldest self-defence organization), will lead a 2-hour workshop on physical and verbal defense techniques empowering Senecans to become more aware of their surroundings. Participants will also discuss the psychological, social, and legal issues involved in self-defence.

Sustainable Development Goals Training and Certification
This day-long training will explore how the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are shaping a better world. Led by the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship, a UN-certified SDG trainer, Senecans will learn about the history of sustainable development, the structure of the SDGs, and examples of how each SDG is being implemented by a variety of stakeholders. At the end of this training, students will gain an understanding of the skills needed to implement the SDGs, an opportunity to network with like-minded change makers, and a certificate from the UN.

Indigenous Languages
UNESCO has nominated 2019 as the “International Year of Indigenous Languages.” The extinction of indigenous languages means the loss of essential and unique forms of communication, as well as the knowledge and perspectives that go along with them. In this 90-minute panel discussion, leaders in our community will teach us about the role language plays in peacebuilding, reconciliation, and cultural wellbeing. Participants will walk away with a better understanding of how they can support language revitalization.

Global Marketplace – Empowerment through collaboration
The Global Marketplace aims to model a job fair in a day-long event for the Senecan community. Non- profit organisations such as Cuso International, Not Just Tourists, Engineers Without Borders, as well as for-profit companies, will spend a day at Seneca interacting with students, sharing their work, and potentially providing students with the opportunity to meet their personal and professional goals.

Additionally, IDW will be partnering with Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) to feature international opportunities for students to complete their WIL requirements.

Empowerment through Entrepreneurship – Panel discussion
In this 60-minute panel, Senecans will have the opportunity to participate in a valuable discussion on the importance of entrepreneurship as a tool for empowerment in disenfranchised communities. Panelists such as Fernando Russo from Meraki Fund and Cara Benjamin-Pace from Newcomer Kitchen will discuss concepts of social entrepreneurship, seeking investments, and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Canada and abroad. As successful entrepreneurs themselves, panelists will also share their personal journeys in the business world.

Slam Poetry – Empowerment through the spoken word
The healing effects of words have long been recognized. Toronto Poetry Slam will lead a 2-part workshop on how poetry can be used as a form of healing and therapy. Following the workshop, student participants will be invited to participate in an evening of slam poetry to share their newly-acquired skills.

Movie Screening – Empowering LGBTQ+ voices through the arts
Film has many roles and can serve many purposes. It can be a reflection of who we are, how we see ourselves, how we view our past and our future. It can be a powerful vehicle for education, culture, leisure, and even propaganda. The IDW 2019 film screening will focus on an LGBTQ+ themed film bookended by an introduction to the film and brief history of LGBTQ+ film, and followed by a Q&A discussion.

*events are subject to change as both internal and external stakeholders confirm their participation.

Reminder: the IDW team is now seeking faculty involvement to finalize the shaping of events, and to incorporate events into courses. If you are interested, please send an email to IDW@senecacollege.ca.

View the December 2018 issue of the Academic Newsletter.