On 18 and 19 October 2023, Cooperation Canada hosted its inaugural Leaders’ Forum, an opportunity for more than 70 leaders of Cooperation Canada member organizations to come together, network and strategize on the key priorities, trends and contexts shaping international cooperation and the role of Canadian organizations in it.
We were honoured that the forum was launched by the inspiring Danika Littlechild, Cree of the Ermineskin Cree Nation and Assistant Professor in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University, who spoke with our Board Co-Chair Eileen Alma about leadership and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
We were pleased to welcome our new Minister of International Development, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, for a discussion on Canadian leadership in international cooperation, and look forward to deepening our collaboration with him in the coming weeks and months.
Vinod Rajasekaran, Editor-in-Chief of Future of Good, moderated an engaging and provocative session on the profound changes and challenges facing Canadian non-profit organizations, with fantastic reflections from Jennifer Bond, Founder and CEO of Refugee Hub, Joanna Kerr, CEO of MakeWay, and Karen Milligan, Executive Director 211Ontario. Idee Inyangudor, Vice President of Global Partnerships at Wellington Advocacy, Éric Lamoureux, Managing Partner at PAA Advisory, and Marci Surkes, Strategic Advisor at Compass Rose, joined the forum for a frank and insightful discussion about the Canadian political landscape and its implications for Canada’s global leadership. And we were privileged to be hosted for supper at Thali by chef and owner Joe Thottungal!
Beyond learning from and being inspired by these guests, there was ample time for leaders to connect, learn from each other, and imagine future collaborations, through the creative and energetic facilitation of Bridge Building Group.
Many thanks to all who participated for your commitment to collaboration and partnership!
