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Pushing the frontiers of knowledge for the advancement of humanity Foreign Affairs, Trade and Affaires étrangères, Commerce Development Canada et Développement Canada

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Page 1: Pushingthefrontiers ofknowledge fortheadvancement ofhumanity · Pushingthefrontiers ofknowledge fortheadvancement ofhumanity ... pensivetechniquecalledthePonsetiMethod,doctors

Pushing the frontiersof knowledgefor the advancementof humanity

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Affaires étrangères, CommerceDevelopment Canada et Développement Canada

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The university partnerships described hereshow Canada at its best: Smart. Caring.Inspired by The Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston’sInstallation Speech

The projects featured in this booklet were supported by the University Partnerships in Cooperationand Development (UPCD) Tier 2 Program, funded by Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada,cost-shared by Canadian and partner universities, and managed by the Association of Universitiesand Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

Photo (inside cover): This "Healthy Child Uganda" project benefited over 100,000 children, significantlyreducing child mortality and illness. A model was created that can now benefit other countries andregions of the world. (University of Calgary/Mbarara University). Photo : Healthy Child Uganda.

Photo (front cover): McGill University has worked with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorologyand Hydrology (CIMH) to strengthen its regional leadership in water management and training.(McGill University/CIMH). Photo: McGill University.

For more information please see: www.aucc.ca .All rights reserved. © November 2013.

Design:designmatters.ca

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Every day, university researchers and students work inpartnership with governments, businesses and communitiesto tackle the world’s most pressing problems.

They innovate and advance knowledge in allsectors and, more importantly, apply learningto improve the quality of life for the mostvulnerable, thereby contributing to theadvancement of humanity. They help keepchildren in school with high-quality and relevanteducation. They improve incomes, advance foodsecurity and protect the natural environment.They champion human rights and engage civilsociety. They co-create knowledge withcommunities and keep governments abreast ofthe latest innovations and techniques, supportingthem to develop effective policy frameworks.As a result, universities working with

communities strengthen the greatest globalresource of all: people. Healthy, safe, educatedchildren and youth are future contributors to

society. Improved individual livelihoods meanan increased tax base for emerging economies.Food security and a thriving environment arefundamental to human health, security andsustainable natural resources. Engaged citizensmake for more representative governance andnational human resources. Governments equippedwith the best knowledge make better decisions.In this time of radical change and

heightened global interdependence, our vastcommunity of learners is reaching every cornerof the world for the benefit of all.

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 1

Building local environmental governance— an interview with Bangladeshi villagers.(University of Manitoba/North South University)

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Children and YouthTo learn well, thrive and grow, childrenneed to be healthy and safe.

BHUTAN

Leadership for Quality Basic EducationSt. Francis Xavier University, CanadaMinistry of Education, Bhutan

Keeping children around the world safe, healthy andin school today is the best way to foster greater pros-perity and quality of life tomorrow. The first step ismaking sure those who teach children have the bestpossible education themselves.

In Bhutan, hundreds of teachers, school princi-pals and administrators have received training atthe master’s level, as well as at a diploma level,through the development of a Bhutanese LeadershipDiploma Program. Educators from St. Francis XavierUniversity in Nova Scotia worked with Bhutan’sNational Institutes of Education and SherubtseCollege to develop the most relevant training possi-ble. They also helped upgrade libraries and improvecommunication resources for students.

The project has had unprecedented positiveimpacts on the basic education system in Bhutan.Through an exchange of ideas and approaches,

Canadian educators developed strong relationshipswith their Bhutanese counterparts. Bhutanese educa-tors learned to use real-life local examples in theirteaching and to allow students to learn according totheir own learning styles and goals.

Today, Bhutan’s educators do not have to rely onoutside experts to meet their unique teaching challenges.Eighty percent of the country’s educational leaders(250 school leaders and 20 university instructors)participated in the project and now form the pool offormally trained people needed to move forward inbuilding a successful education system.

Bhutan, famous for its Gross National HappinessIndex (http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/),has a national goal to improve its human resources.The country knows that it is essential to providegreater access to quality education for its rapidlygrowing population, especially for marginalizedgroups and under-served communities. Graduates ofthis program – teachers, principals and administra-tors – have gone back into their schools and class-rooms with improved abilities to deliver keycurriculum and accommodate a greater number ofschool-age children.

Children now have better access to classroomsheaded by well-trained teachers, in schools run byhighly effective administrators. These educators inturn know what knowledge and skills Bhutan needs tosucceed in the future, and have the ability to providea quality education to the country’s next generationof workers and leaders.

Graduates with improved abilities to deliverkey curriculum.

2 ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA

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UGANDA AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Canadian academics are uniting with partners world-wide to improve the health and well-being of childrenand youth. Collaborations in Uganda and DominicanRepublic, for example, have enjoyed remarkablesuccess – and will carry on for the foreseeable future.

Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care ProjectThe University of British Columbia, CanadaMakerere University, Uganda

This successful Ugandan partnership has led to asignificant increase in the number of young childrentreated for clubfoot. Using an innovative and inex-pensive technique called the Ponseti Method, doctorsat the University of British Columbia and MakerereUniversity are ensuring these children will grow upwithout a disability that would likely condemn themto poverty. This project is also contributing to theWorld Health Organization’s development ofstandards for the consideration of disabilities indevelopment work.

Strengthening Child Health in Rural UgandaUniversity of Calgary, CanadaMbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda

Strategic training and coordination provided byMbarara University of Science and Technology, in part-nership with the University of Calgary’s Faculty ofMedicine, has built a model health system infrastructureto support the health of children that is serving 175villages. After five years, Community Health Workerstrained by the project report dramatic declines in child

mortality and one-third fewer young children sick withmalaria, pneumonia or diarrhea and malnutrition. Bednet use, safe deliveries, maternal tetanus vaccinationand vitamin A are more prevalent. Notable community-building spin-offs have resulted, including CommunityHealth Worker income-generating projects, transporta-tion and water initiatives, improved family relationships,hygiene and sanitation, and new opportunities forsmall business (especially among women). CommunityHealth Worker retention has been impressive: 85 percentafter five years.

Child Protection and Interfamilial SafetyRyerson University, CanadaAutonomous University of Santo Domingo,Dominican Republic

Through a partnership between Ryerson University’sSchool of Social Work and the Autonomous Univer-sity of Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic, anew generation of social workers is being trained togo into communities and educate young people andtheir families about their rights. They are undertakinggroundbreaking research and launching communityprojects that help protect women and children in thecountry’s most vulnerable populations from prostitu-tion, violence and abuse, while improving their overallquality of life. The partnership extends beyond theuniversity to include key members of international,government and community organizations.

Amother shows off her baby’s healing feet withCanadian surgeon Shafique Pirani, who haschampioned the project with Ugandan colleagues,and Tanzanian orthopaedic surgeon, Shariff Shariff,trained by Shafique Pirani in the Ponseti Method.(The University of British Columbia/MakerereUniversity)

A Ugandan mother learns how to use herfamily’s new bed net. (University of Calgary/Mbarara University of Science and Technology)

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 3

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Economic GrowthBuilding a successful local economytakes a high level of communityparticipation in the learning process:20 percent theory, 80 percent practice.

VIETNAM

Beekeeping development and rural extensionin VietnamUniversity of Guelph, CanadaVietnam Bee Research and Development Centre,Vietnam

Communities struggling with poverty in rural Vietnamare reaping “sweet” benefits from this partnership,unique in Asia. Scientists from the University ofGuelph partnering with the Vietnam Bee Researchand Development Centre (BRDC) are increasing thenumbers of rural beekeepers in Vietnam. They arealso helping beekeepers produce greater yields ofhoney more efficiently and bolstering incomes in theprocess. Rural women, in particular, are benefitingfrom the project.

Beekeeping is the gateway to important socialbenefits and indirect economic benefits: a womanwho once worked eight hours a day hauling rocks out

of icy water can now be a small entrepreneur; chil-dren are able to go to school because parents cannow afford to pay education fees; higher yields offruit and other crops due to bee pollination meansmore produce to sell.

BRDC researchers, trained to deliver relevantworkshops, videos and apiculture manuals, helpfarmers to build on their traditional beekeeping tech-niques to substantially increase honey yields.

The results have been remarkable. The farmers,both men and women, are learning about the ecologi-cal benefits of bee pollination and better farmingtechniques. They have tripled the number of hivesthey manage and increased their annual incomes by15-20 percent on average. Most significantly, thebeekeepers are contributing their own innovations tohive management. Researchers continue to monitorsuccess of the project by tracking how it affects thelives and incomes of trainees. Input from the farmersthemselves and close interaction with BRDCresearchers have been key to the project’s continuingcontribution to Vietnam’s comprehensive poverty-reduction plan.

Gard Otis, a University of Guelph facultymember, helps a local beekeeper assess thehealth of her hive.

4 ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA

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BOLIVIA

Bolivian Specializationin Community EconomicDevelopmentSimon Fraser University, CanadaSan Andres Mayor University, BoliviaSimón Bolivar Andean University,Bolivia

At a time when 1.22 billion peoplestill live on less than $1.25 a day,sustainable economic growth iscritical to reducing poverty. (WorldBank, 2013)

For many of the Aboriginalpeople participating in this project,attending Community EconomicDevelopment courses was the firstopportunity they’d ever had to setfoot inside a university. Workingwith a team of academics fromSimon Fraser University’s Centre for SustainableCommunity Development, San Andres Mayor Uni-versity and the Simón Bolivar Andean University, andlearning alongside members of non-governmentalorganizations, these community leaders co-createdthe curriculum. This model allowed them to learnskills and gain knowledge that they have used to holdparticipatory workshops in their home communitiesto promote socio-economic development that is ben-eficial to all community members.

Ongoing support from trainers and researchersis critical to the success of these initiatives. Thehighly participatory training method used is beingadopted by a growing number of non-governmentalorganizations that recognize the value of involvingall stakeholders in every stage of the educationalprocess, from curriculum design to learning to action.

Through relationships formed in Bolivia, SimonFraser University also tested and developed anonline tool to help communities plan their owndevelopment. (See http://www.sfu.ca/cscd/BoliviaCED/.) They presented it at the WorldCongress of Local Governments for Sustainabilityin Brazil in June 2012.

Another exciting dimension of the project hasbeen the exchange of ideas and experiences betweenAboriginal groups in Canada and Bolivia. In 2011 agroup of Bolivians visited the St�:l� Nation inBritish Columbia. And in 2013, a member of theSt�:l� Nation visited Bolivia to share knowledge andbroaden understanding of how each communityapproaches economic development.

Community leaders, including youth, withsupport from university faculty and staff, developan educational model that is strengthening localgovernance. (Photos above and below.)

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 5

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6 ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA

Canadian universities partner internationally to advance knowledge and practicein all fields. These collaborations demonstrate practical contributions from universitiesin a range of fields that promote economic development, food security, health andwell-being, and sustainable energy and waste management.

Renewable energy: A school, situated in a village of6,000 people in Burkina Faso, now has use of solar-powered electricity thanks to collaboration betweenproject partners and the Ingénieurs Sans FrontièresQuébec. The maternity clinic and dispensary have equallybenefited from solar-powered lighting, as well as fans andrefrigerators. (École Polytechnique de Montréal/ AppliedScience and Technology Research Institute)

Urban development for fragile communities: Rebuildingafter the earthquake in Haiti is not just about constructingbuildings, but also restoring conditions for basic necessities.Many citizens initiate their own restoration efforts. Sincebefore the earthquake, this project has provided training forplanning and development for fragile communities.(Université du Québec à Montréal/Quisqueya University)

Social work: The education of social workers in Nigeria aspositive agents of change has been strengthened. Theproject stimulated the formation of the Nigerian Associationof Social Work Educators (NASOW). (University of Windsor,York University/University of Benin – Nigeria)

Aquaculture:Mozambique’s national goal to increaseartisanal aquaculture has been improved by this collaborationbetween the University of Victoria, University EduardoMondlane’s School of Marine and Coastal Sciences andBrazilian counterparts. Food security and employment havebeen increased by training specialists in aquaculturemethodology, establishing teaching and research laboratories,and promoting micro-enterprises in rural coastal areas.(University of Victoria/University Eduardo Mondlane)

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UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 7

Aquaculture: Members of a women’s community groupbeing trained in how to construct a raft of floating fishcages for culturing tilapia in a lake, a method previouslynot used in that locale in Kenya. (Memorial University ofNewfoundland/MoiUniversity)

Agriculture:Women farmers in Honduras learn aboutnatural pest control methods. Farmers in Central Americacan now make better decisions, including safer pest-management practices. (University of Manitoba/Universityof Costa Rica/National Agricultural University (Nicaragua)/National Autonomous University of Honduras)

Health and preventative medicine: University ofManitoba faculty trained Sichuan University faculty andgraduate students, and public health workers of the ZigongCentre for Disease Control and Prevention, to map andenumerate HIV high-risk groups, as part of evidence-basedplanning and evaluation to reduce sexually transmittedinfections. (University of Manitoba/Sichuan University)

Sustainable waste management: Transforming plasticbottles into washing line at Coopcent recyclingcooperative network in Diadema, Brazil. (University ofVictoria/ University of São Paulo)

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Food SecurityGrowing Hope: “A new generationof agronomists, better trained farmers,higher quantity and better qualityof food, healthier families – this isjust the beginning of our harvest.”*

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Strengthening food security capacityin the Democratic Republic of the CongoLaurentian University of Sudbury, CanadaUniversity of Kinshasa, DRC

Food security and safety is a key goal for many inter-national development projects throughout the world.In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),Canadian and Congolese universities have teamed upto take an innovative approach to this critical aspectof poverty reduction with far-reaching consequencesfor the country’s citizens.

By introducing a new and more nutritious strainof corn to Congolese farmers, researchers are help-ing to improve the health of nursing mothers andreduce malnutrition among infants and people withHIV/AIDS.

Researchers are also helping farmers combat thedevastating effects of climate change on traditionalcrops – hardier crops mean substantially increasedyields, which in turn mean larger incomes for farmers

who can use this extra moneyfor necessities such as schoolfees and medicine.

More than 1,800 familiesreceived help with activitiesrelated to harvesting and foodpreservation. Two hundredand fifty tonnes of improvedseeds (corn and legumes) wereproduced. Eighty-five com-munity members representingnon-governmental organiza-

tions and the government took part in trainingsessions on seed production and preservation.

The doctoral program at the University ofKinshasa focusing on food safety has been re-established. Students at the master’s level, many ofthem women, now have access to new computerlabs and expanded libraries. Laurentian Universityhas also established permanent access to its virtuallibraries, making precious information available. Adocumentation centre including a library, computerroom and classroom were set up for the community.

The project is seen as a model and has attractedfunding from the Africa Development Bank andthe European Union. Thanks to this project, theCongolese partners attracted an additional $20 millionto further extend food security goals in the DRCand beyond.

Despite facing both political instability andunpredictable climates, this project has had a pro-found impact. It has enhanced the capacity of theFaculty of Agronomy of the University of Kinshasaand the non-governmental organization Caritas tooffer a first-rate food safety and agronomy educa-tion. What’s more, participants restored a proudtradition of agricultural excellence to communities.

8 ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA

Not only have 250 tonnesof improved corn andlegume seeds beenproduced, but, moreimportantly, local capacityto sustain high-qualityseeds has been created.

* Bruno Miteyo, National Director of Caritas Congo,Deputy President of Caritas Africa Uniworld,Spring 2011, p.4.

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ETHIOPIA

Sustainable rural agriculturedevelopmentUniversity of Saskatchewan, CanadaHawassa University, Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s economy is heavily basedon agriculture, yet the country strug-gles to be self-sufficient in its foodproduction. Rapid population growthand longer periods of drought due tochanges in climate have compoundedthe problem. A successful collabora-tion with researchers at the Universityof Saskatchewan has strengthenedHawassa University’s College ofAgriculture and its School of FoodScience, Human Nutrition and Technology, andestablished an outreach program to help farmersincrease food production.

The project’s aims fit well with the Ethiopian gov-ernment’s goal of securing long-term sustainable agri-cultural development and food security for its people.

Increasing the capacity of Hawassa University’sCollege of Agriculture has enriched the learningexperience for many students and farmers in ruralcommunities. Women farmers in particular enjoyed in-teracting and learning from female researchers. Facultydeveloped new courses in animal and plant sciencesand nutrition. Professors at the college upgraded their

teaching and research skills and enhanced their careerdevelopment. Special scholarships for female studentswere also available – one female researcher, for exam-ple, received a fellowship to upgrade her computerskills at the University of Saskatchewan. Over 100students have graduated with MSc degrees, andemployment and retention is high for this group. APhD program in Agricultural Science has also beenestablished.

Through the instruction of faculty and researchersat Awassa, farmers – many of them women – learnedabout production system technologies and safer envi-ronmental methods both in the classroom and in thefield. Follow-up surveys have shown that the highlandfarmers who received this form of education continueto use the improved farming practices.

The project’s partnership now extends beyondthe University of Saskatchewan’s College of Agricul-ture and Bioresources to include collaborations withits faculties of Pharmacy and Nutrition, Nursing andVeterinary Medicine.

“The most remarkable achievement was theretention of all the MSc graduates in Ethiopia,reversing the usual “brain drain” effect. All these in-dividuals are now working as agricultural profession-als and are contributing to agricultural developmentand improvement of human nutrition in Ethiopia.”(Impact Study, cited in the project’s Final Report)

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 9

MSc student from Hawassa University’s Collegeof Agriculture explaining her research progressto farmers, faculty members and agriculturedevelopment agents during a field day in theHalaba district.

Sheleme Beyene from Hawassa University’sCollege of Agriculture inspecting the inter-cropping of maize and dry bean research plotsin the Butajira district.

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GovernanceUniversities champion equality:Everyone has the right to developthe knowledge and skills they needto make positive change in their lives.

BANGLADESH

Building Environmental GovernanceCapacity in BangladeshUniversity of Manitoba, CanadaNorth South University, BangladeshCenter for Natural Resource Studies, Bangladesh

There is hope that micro-credit programs can becomea tool for Bangladesh’s environmental governance.

Local management of natural resources such aswetlands, fisheries and floodplains is the best way toensure that the environment and community liveli-hoods are protected. The ‘greening’ of micro-credit– a key tool in many countries seeking to eradicatepoverty and enhance citizens’ quality of life – is agreat way to involve people in managing resources totheir benefit.

In Bangladesh, a new and innovative interdiscipli-nary degree at North South University gives peoplethe skills needed to bring together pro-poor eco-nomic development with environmentally sustainableresource management. Students in the Master’s ofResource and Environmental Management Program(as well as a related professional certificate) have comefrom a number of fields, including environmental

science, engineering and economics. Graduatesare employed in government, non-govern-mental organizations and at state-owned andprivate enterprises.

The project, championed also by theCenter for Natural Resource Studies, a non-governmental partner, has fostered greenmicro-credit through a number of commu-nity initiatives that are empowering citizens,women in particular. It’s allowing them tobecome self-sufficient, get involved in localleadership and sustainably manage businessessuch as bed-weaving, organic crop cultivationand handicrafts. The project demonstrates

that involving women in the decision-making processis key to any successful natural resource managementplan in Bangladesh.

The project has been attracting attention andextensive media coverage. The women involved con-tinue to be part of their communities’ leadership,engaging in dialogue with partner organizations andmajor stakeholders – including one of the leadingpolicy advisory bodies for the Government ofBangladesh. National and South Asian regionalorganizations have approached the project with pro-posals to form an advocacy coalition, with the aim ofinfluencing national policies throughout the region.

In Bangladesh, local approaches to greeningmicro-enterprises combine pro-poor economicgrowth with sustainable resource managementand are strengthening environmental protection.

Fishing in winter: local people depend onthe environment to survive and have amotivation to protect it.

10 ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA

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Environment

CARIBBEAN

Caribbean Water Initiative(CARIWIN)McGill University, CanadaCaribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology,Barbados

Well-managed water resources are essential to thehealth and well-being of every human being on theplanet. Without a safe and reliable water supply, citi-zens face serious health risks and threats to their liveli-hoods. Caribbean countries such as Guyana, Grenada,Barbados and Jamaica grapple with the additional chal-lenge of dealing with the catastrophic effects of hurri-canes and floods. The region’s governments know theymust seek ways to improve hydrologic data, train morewater-resource specialists and increase institutionalcapacity for training and research.

This joint project between McGill University’sFaculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciencesand the Caribbean Institute of Meteorology andHydrology (CIMH) has upgraded the regional train-ing facility for water specialists, in keeping with thestrategy to integrate the water policies and practicesof national governments in the region.

The project has overseen the training of water-resource managers with an emphasis on environmen-tally sustainable techniques, the involvement ofwomen in decision-making and the water needs ofthe region’s most poor and vulnerable people. Localgovernments, women’s agencies, students and facultyat collaborating institutions, farmers, ethnic minori-ties and other marginalized groups have benefited.

Participants have developed training programssuitable for national policy-makers and senior watertechnologists. Installation of functional hydrometricequipment such as rain gauges and stream-levelrecorders generate data for Jamaica, Grenada andGuyana. They’ve implemented a software data sys-tem to analyze and present critical water information.And they’ve developed a water-strategy governancemodel in each country, so that information can begathered and shared throughout the Caribbean.

The CIMH is now recognized in the region as acredible leader, with influence on government policyand collaborative relationships with decision-makers.It is a valuable institution with modernized data

management and the ability to deliver first-rate train-ing courses in water management. Students haveconducted surveys of water usage to develop solidscientific data on which to base the region’s futurewater strategies. Through the Drought and Precipita-tion Monitoring Network, CIMH has providedinformation to support regional decision-making,including monitoring and early warning of droughtand flood conditions in the Caribbean basin.

Successful project spinoffs include NationalWater Information Systems in Grenada and Barbadosthat may serve as models for other Caribbean coun-tries, and a collaboration with the United NationsDevelopment Fund for Women on aspects of theproject that foster gender equality, such as scholar-ships and leadership roles for women in regionalwater management and policy making.

Improved water management protects commu-nities and crops from drought and flooding, andsupports food security.

UNIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS IN COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT 11

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Equality

MEXICO

Women, Poverty and Education in MexicoSimon Fraser University, CanadaUniversity of Northeast Iberoamerica, Mexico

The women’s centre model in Mexico was so suc-cessful in getting women more involved in commu-nity building and furthering their own education thatproject managers explored applications of lessonslearned at an Aboriginal mothers’ drop-in centre inVancouver. It’s an example of how Canadian re-searchers learn valuable and transferable lessonsfrom their international partners.

Lives are changed by education – especially thelives of the most vulnerable. In Mexico, SimonFraser University partnered with University ofNortheast Iberoamerica and several non-governmen-tal organizations to improve the quality of basic edu-cation offered to adult women in Tijuana. Many nowact as health and development promoters (promo-toras) and use their new skills to share the knowledgethey gained with their communities.

The new model developed by the educatorsseamlessly melded the teaching of basic skills such asmathematics, computing and English with courses insocial development, human rights, ecology, health,disaster planning, negotiation skills and border-to-border issues.

Many of the women who took courses went onto get jobs in local non-governmental organizationsand businesses. Employers reported they wereimpressed with the women’s level of confidence,efficiency and rapport with their communities. Some,including a 65-year-old mother of 12, went on to

attend university. Others started their own commu-nity projects or businesses. One group of womenreceived funding to establish a women’s centre in aremote indigenous community.

Most profoundly, receiving a diploma or degreechanged how community and family membersviewed the women – and how women saw them-selves. Today, many are key decision-makers, privateentrepreneurs and respected community leaders.They understand their own rights to equality and aredetermined to share what they’ve learned with others– both in Mexico and beyond.

For Canadian and Mexican project partners, itwas the most gratifying and tangible result of theircollaboration: watching their former students teachothers what they had learned, and seeing the ongoingpositive impact on their communities.

12 ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES OF CANADA

Advancing the education and rights of women hascreated a cadre of women who use their confi-dence and skills to improve their communitiesand empower others. (Photos above and below.)

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Excerpt of a letter from Luutu Muwanga, father of Ibrahim, in gratitudefor having his son’s clubfeet fixed, thanks to the University of BritishColumbia and Makarere University partnership to establish the innovativePonseti treatment in Uganda:

I am a farmer and my wife is a house wife. We now have five children. Ibrahim isthe last. After birth, when I saw the baby with both legs abnormal, I lost hope.I could not believe that my child’s legs will come back to normal as they are now.We attended the foot club seven times. Bear in mind that it’s a long way from myhome village to the foot club in Mulago and we are poor financially, but we tried tobring the baby. Now the baby is okay. It is unbelievable but true. Thank you.Thank you. I will never forget you. If my child grows up and starts understandingand reading, I will keep the copy of this letter for him to know who made him to beas he is now. If my child grew up in that previous state with birth legs abnormal,his education would have been very difficult, and looking after him, because hewould have been a disabled person. But now his future life is clear. I am ready togive foot club 10 acres of land free to construct a big hospital to continue helping thepeople in Uganda. I pray to the Almighty God to bless you all in whatever you do.

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The partnerships featured in this booklet are a small sample of the powerfulways that Canadian universities, collaborating with other higher educationinstitutions, non-governmental organizations, governments and the privatesector, are changing lives for the better.

These partnerships advance knowledge and practice in many fields — renewable energy, forestryand wood processing, mining, aquaculture and fisheries, maternal and child health, social work,basic education, and community economic development — all for the benefit of those in greatestneed. The applied education programs put in place in partner countries produce cohort aftercohort of capable professionals. Those empowered by the higher education they receive go onto serve and strengthen their communities, resulting in lasting impacts that can and do positivelyaffect entire countries and regions of the world.

For more information please see: www.aucc.ca .All rights reserved. © November 2013.

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