The 2023 Cooperation Canada Awards Winners

The 2023 Cooperation Canada Awards Winners

Each year, the Cooperation Canada Awards recognize excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation by awarding prizes to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the past year. Last February 7, nearly a hundred people attended the ceremony, including Parliamentary Secretary for International Development, Anita Vandenbeld, who gave the opening address. This year, a total of two Karen Takacs Awards and three Innovation & Impact Awards were distributed! 

 

2023 Karen Takacs Awards 

Every year, Cooperation Canada recognizes incredible individuals who have made a difference in women’s lives globally with the Karen Takacs Awards. 

Two 2023 Karen Takacs Awards were distributed to Catherine Liao, Director at ReSurge Africa, for her incredible work in global health and social justice, and to Odette McCarthy, Executive Director at Equitas, for her ongoing support to human rights and gender equality initiatives. 

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2023 Innovation & Impact Awards 

With World University Service Canada (WUSC)and the trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, Cooperation Canada recognizes Canadianindividuals and Civil Society Organizations(CSOs)that are doing impactful and innovative work with the Organizational and Individual Innovation and Impact Awards. 

The first 2023 Individual Innovation & Impact Award was presented to Musu Taylor-Lewis, Executive Director at Food for the Hungry. Musu has long been a stalwart leader in the sector, deeply committed to anti-racist practices and decolonizing efforts. Admirably, her practice is rooted in kindness and empathy, reflecting her dedication to community development. With a passion for fostering sustainability, independence, and justice, Musu tirelessly advocates for communities across Canada The second was presented to Tiyahna Padmore, Project Manager at World Vision Canada, for her efforts in inclusion and equity have significantly advanced the sector’s decolonial initiatives. Through ongoing policy development work, she demonstrates a steadfast commitment to both the cause and the sector. Central to Tiyahna’s approach is leveraging storytelling to champion equity, representation, and leadership. 

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The Girls of Tomorrow Foundation also received an Organizational Innovation & Impact Award for groundbreaking project in Uganda. to combat menstrual stigma. Through partnerships with local organizations, schools, and community centers, the project utilized permaculture education to teach students about female health, nutrition, and gender equality while fostering dialogue and collaboration. The project significantly reduced school absenteeism due to menstruation and empowered marginalized individuals, particularly young women, by promoting inclusivity, co-creation, and locally driven solutions. 

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Congratulations to all the winners! 

The Call for Nominations for the 2023 Cooperation Canada Awards is Now Open

The Call for Nominations for the 2023 Cooperation Canada Awards is Now Open

The Cooperation Canada Awards recognizes excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation by awarding prizes to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the past year.

The Karen Takacs Award is presented annually to an individual who has notably, by virtue of working collaboratively, made a difference in the lives of women globally. The award honours outstanding collaborative leadership and commitment to promoting women’s equality.

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Cooperation Canada, in collaboration with the trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, jointly present the call for nominations for the Innovation and Impact Awards in honour of Lewis Perinbam. These awards recognize Canadian individuals and civil society organizations that are doing impactful and innovative work in the field of global development.

The deadline for nominations for the Karen Takacs and Lewis Perinbam Awards has been extended. You now have until Friday, December 15th, 2023 to submit your nominations.

The 2022 Cooperation Canada Awards Winners

The 2022 Cooperation Canada Awards Winners

Each year, the Cooperation Canada Awards recognizes excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation by awarding prizes to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the past year. 

Last February 9, with World University Service Canada (WUSC) and the trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, Cooperation Canada recognized outstanding individuals and projects in the sector with the Organizational and Individual Innovation and Impact Awards in honour of Lewis Perinbam. Over 100 people attended the ceremony and listened to the Minister of International Development, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, deliver the keynote address.

The 2022 Individual Innovation & Impact Award was presented to Brenda Arakaza, President of Development & Peace – Caritas Canada. Under her leadership, Development & Peace examines and strives to improve the ways in which they can most effectively support community-driven development. 

 

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This year, two Organizational Innovation & Impact Awards were distributed. The first went to Farm Radio International for using radio and community-based methodologies in their work. The second has been awarded to Justice Education Society (JES) for celebrating inclusion, local ownership and the use of technology in their initiatives empowering people to access and deliver justice in Canada and globally. 

 

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Read more about the Innovation & Impact Awards here.  

The Call for Nominations for the Cooperation Canada Awards is Now Open

The Call for Nominations for the Cooperation Canada Awards is Now Open

The Cooperation Canada Awards recognizes excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation by awarding prizes to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the past year.

The Karen Takacs Award is presented annually to an individual who has notably, by virtue of working collaboratively, made a difference in the lives of women globally. The award honours outstanding collaborative leadership and commitment to promoting women’s equality.

World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and Cooperation Canada, in collaboration with the trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, jointly present the call for nominations for the Innovation and Impact Awards in honour of Lewis Perinbam. These awards recognize Canadian individuals and civil society organizations that are doing impactful and innovative work in the field of global development.

The call for nominations is now open until December 19th.

Recipients of the 2021 Cooperation Canada Awards have been selected

Recipients of the 2021 Cooperation Canada Awards have been selected

The Cooperation Canada Awards recognizes excellence and merit in the field of international cooperation by awarding prizes to individuals or organizations that have distinguished themselves in the past year.

On February 9, Cooperation Canada presented the Karen Takacs Award to Rita Morbia for her outstanding leadership and commitment to the promotion of women’s equality. Rita exemplifies the qualities that Karen Takacs possessed; she actively promoted the movements for peace and democracy, women’s rights and indigenous self-determination.  

More details on the Karen Takacs Award here 

Cooperation Canada, in collaboration with World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and the Trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, presented the Innovation & Impact Award to Vinod Rajasekaran for developing Future of Good, a digital tool for publishing stories, news, analysis and commentary to make sense of our sector. 

Read more about the Innovation & Impact Award here. 

Cooperation Canada, in collaboration with World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and the trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, also presented an Innovation & Impact Award to Cause for its innovation test project, “Mi Small Wef” No More: Eradicating Child Marriage in Sierra Leone by Working with Men in Sierra Leone, West Africa. 

Read more about the Innovation & Impact Award here. 

Congratulations to the winners!