Society for International Development
Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter
All Announcements
January 20, 2012: SID International Welcomes a New President
Ambassador Juma Volter Mwapachu of Tanzania elected as President of SID by the new Governing Council.
Amb. Mwapachu was until recently Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) where he oversaw the growth of this regional economic bloc and operationalized many of its key achievements including the East African Customs Union, negotiations for the East African Common Market as well as the expansion of the bloc with the admission of Rwanda and Burundi as members. The East African Community today encompasses Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda as members and has combined population of some 140 million people and GDP of approximately some US$ 140 billion (the fourth largest in Africa). Amb. Mwapachu also chaired the task force of Chiefs Executives of COMESA, EAC and SADC, with the ambitious task of establishing a grand free trade area from the Cape of Good Hope to Cairo. Prior to his appointment to the EAC, Amb. Mwapachu was Tanzania's ambassador to France and has previously held positions in both the public and private sectors.
To read more, please visit here.
November 1, 2011: WUSC-EUMC: International Forum Update
Dear SID Members.
As a follow-up to the announcement below about the WUSC-EUMC International Forum, WUSC-EUMC has agreed to allow participation of SID members to the International Conference at an Institutional Member/Alumni rate (380$ rather than 600$ for the whole package, or daily rates).
*Please note that you need to be a SID member.
October 9, 2011: UNEP North American Major Groups and Stakeholders Consultation
Dear SID Members,
I am pleased to inform you that I will be in Washington next week, invited to the UNEP Regional Consultation with Civil Society Representatives. (see the attached agenda). My participation is finally going be at no cost for SID.
A list of background documents will be posted on http://www.rona.unep.org/partnerships/civil_society_involvement.html.
Due to the limited advance, I cannot organize a proper meeting, so I would appreciate any suggestion on topics to put forward at the Consultation.Â
Please find the agenda here.
Thanks in advance,
Riccardo Rossi-Ricci
President SID-OG
October 9, 2011: WUSC-EUMC: International Forum on Innovation in Sustainable Development
Dear SID Members.
I am pleased to forward to all of you the invitation just received from WUSC-EUMC, one of our most active Institutional Members, for the International Forum they organize on Innovation in Sustainable Development. It will be the opportunity to share the experience of our Work Groups. The Forum will also be broadcasted online and interventions/questions can be possible by chat.
SID will somehow be present in most of the panels and the organizers allowed us space in the Spot Light Series, so we will be able to spread our message and raison-d'être. The programme will be regularly updated in http://forum.wusc.ca.
Please find the invitation here.
Best wishes
Riccardo Rossi-Ricci
President SID-OG
Please find the agenda here.
September 21, 2011: Meeting of the SID-OG Gender Network
The fall 2011 meeting of the SID-OG Gender Network was held on Tuesday, September 20.
15 NGO reps showed up, including three long distance. NGOs represented included World Vision, Save, CARE, PLAN, Oxfam, WaterCan, CUSO/VSO, Match, WUSC, USC, plus a couple of independents.
The topic was monitoring and evaluating gender equality results. We workshopped a few results/indicators from various NGOs around the room plus tossed around the idea of how to measure long term social change half way through the change process in a meaningful way. Groups mentioned checklists, report cards, and self assessments as useful methods. NGOs are also struggling with somehow ensuring that program level results in GE are meaningful, given the challenges related to having to use culturally specific indicators for specific projects and then rolling those up into universal, program level indicators of GE change. Participants presented possible solutions.
The SID Gender Network (GN) was formed about 3 years ago to provide an independent networking space for gender specialists in civil society in the NGO community (currently 13 organizations) and among consultants.
- It provides an opportunity for members to discuss day to day challenges regarding, for example, how to implement gender policy in an organization, how to carry out a gender audit, capacity building of staff etc.
-GN meets quarterly, chair and note-takers rotate, have list of topics to choose from.
The SID Gender Work Group (GWG) was formed to assist SID-OG in its mandate: to allow members of SID-OG to learn about best practices in the community, stimulate discussions and educate the public through events.
SID GN and GWG complement each other, since GN would provide adequate expertise and improved best practices, while GWG might facilitate the transmission of findings to a wider audience, as and when convenient. In line with SID principles, neither the GN nor GWG are advocacy oriented.
September 20, 2011: Meet CUSO-VSO
in Ottawa, Gatineau and Montreal
Are you interested in overseas volunteering, but want to learn more? Join us for an information session and hear from CUSO-VSO staff and returned volunteers. With over 50 years experience in volunteering and development, we are actively recruiting Canadians and Americans to work in partnership with local colleagues, sharing their skills and expertise to help find long-term, sustainable solutions to extreme poverty. Our volunteers build relationships and memories that will stay with them for a lifetime. CUSO-VSO is currently recruiting volunteers to fill long-term (1-2 year) placements with our partners overseas in over 40 countries. We are currently recruiting volunteers from a range of professional backgrounds - such as business, health, education, natural resource management, community and social development.
We'll be covering key questions, such as:
When: September 22nd, 2011 7pm to 8:30pm. Where: Centre Jules-Desbiens 109 Wright Street, Gatineau (Hull), QC J8X 2G7. Meet CUSO-VSO in Ottawa When: September 27th, 2011 from 6:30 pm to 8pm Where: CUSO-VSO’s office 44 Eccles Street, Ottawa, K1R 6S4 Meet CUSO-VSO in Montreal When: Wednesday, September 28th from 6pm to 8pm Where:Centre St-Pierre 1212, rue Panet (Metro Beaudry) Montreal, QC Spaces are limited. You can register for these events online at www.cuso-vso.org |
||
September 15, 2011: Website
Our website was not available on Wednesday September 14. We apologyze for any inconvenience. We inform you that other problems might arise in the next few weeks since we are undertaking a major readjustment of the webpage. Thanks in advance for your understanding.
September 12, 2011: SID NL conference on Global Values
On Wednesday 14 September, the closing event of the 2010-2011 SID Netherlands Lecture Series 'Global Values in a Changing World' will take place in The Hague within the annual conference of the SID NL Chapter. Â
SID NL Chapter invites all from within and outside the SID network to follow the discussion on-line and interact by leaving comments on Twitter using the hashtag #sidvalues.
For more information, please go to SID International.
September 8, 2011: Website Redesign
In the near future, the SID Ottawa-Gatineau website will be receiving a complete makeover. We are currently working on a new design and exciting new features so stay tuned!
In the meantime, while we seek to keep the current website up to date, certain pages will not be updated until we launch the new site. However, we will still post event information and important announcements.
We thank you for your patience and look forward to welcoming you on our new website.
August 25, 2011: SID O-G Retreat
On Saturday August 27 SID-OG will have a retreat to refine its strategic plans for the future.
Among the topics to be discussed are:
- Outcomes of the 2010 retreat
- Membership (institutional and individual): What they expect from SID-OG
- How to facilitate the dialogue between private mining sector and development partners
- How Work Groups can be effective forum for exchanging opinions and experiences.
- Charitable Status option
- Canada-wide option
- Funding
- SID-OG Advisory Group
The venue will be at a cottage on Pike Lake (near Perth).
August 12, 2011: New Institutional Member
We would like to welcome GRACE as a new institutional member of SID Ottawa-Gatineau!
For a list of all our institutional members, please see the Links section.
July 19, 2011: President's Message
Dear members of this Chapter of SID.
- Our calendar is quite busy and we are back to some 80 members!
- The SID-OG General Assembly elected an almost brand new Board (see our updated board members page) and the enthusiasm is there, plenty of ideas and volunteers.
- As you know, in 10 days there will be the SID International Congress, which, after 2 days of Development related themes, will discuss also fundamental issues related to the International structure of SID itself. In this respect, I am asking you to give particular attention to the attached message addressed to all of us by Jan Pronk, the President of SID International . Bill and I already discussed this point and we will stress our position quite clearly. Any suggestion is therefore more than welcome.
- Everybody received by mail the opportunity to cast a ballot for SID Governing Council Elections 2011. In this respect, of the two Canadian candidates we proposed, only Robin McLay was considered. As you can conclude from his biography (please see board members page), with Robin and his Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill, we can build up a very rewarding and interesting partnership. So please vote and do vote for him.
In the meantime, I wish you all the best for this summer.
Riccardo Rossi-Ricci
President, SID Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter
April 14, 2011: NOTICE TO MEMBERS: DEATH OF VIVIAN CUMMINS
Dear SID Members
It is with sadness and a deep sense of loss that we mention the passing away of Vivian Cummins, Membership Secretary for the Society for these past 8 years.
Vivian was in many ways the heart and soul of the SID Ottawa Chapter. Her steady hand, professional oversight and managing of member relations was instrumental in maintaining the reputation of the Chapter and the Society and in ensuring its continued relevance and credibility. Everyone involved with the Chapter knew or knew of her.
Vivian was well known in the development community not only for her involvement with SID but with the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs where she was the creator and manager of the Resource Centre. A mentor to many graduate students, Vivian combined a professional ethic with deep compassion and understanding of personal, social and institutional complexities of the graduate school milieu that helped students navigate their way to graduation. Many have stated they would not have made it without her.
Vivian will be missed by all who knew her.
For further details on Vivian please see the obituary here
The SID Rome Secretariat has posted a tribute to Vivian which you will find here.
Bill Cowie
President, Society for International Development, Ottawa-Gatineau chapter
February 15, 2011: PLANNING MEETING: SID-OG WORK GROUP ON DEVELOPMENT METRICS
PLANNING MEETING
SID-OG WORK GROUP ON DEVELOPMENT METRICS
Friday, February 18, 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Holiday Inn, Chaudiere
2 Montcalm, Gatineau
Agenda:
o Introductions
o Issues and Work Plan
o WG Participation and the CAIDC Conference
o WG Participation and the SID World Congress
o Appointment of Co-Chairs
For location and directions, please click here
January 10, 2011: Notice to Members: Death of Norma Walmsley
Dear SID Members
It is with sadness that we mention the passing away of Norma Walmsley, the last of the original founders of the Society for International Development Ottawa Chapter.
Norma was an avid supporter of SID Ottawa attending events and activities whenever she could and offered her time, good counsel and moral support to the organization over many years.
Norma was well known in the development community not only for her involvement with SID but with other organizations such as Match International. Norma was the 1987 recipient of the Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case among other honours.
Norma will be missed by all who knew her.
For further details on Norma please see the obituary here
The June 2008 edition of our newsletter features an article about Norma. Please find the newsletter here
Bill Cowie
President, Society for International Development, Ottawa-Gatineau chapter
September 7, 2010: Note from Incoming President
It is with pleasure and a sense of anticipation that I assume the office of President of the Society for International Development Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter following the creative and productive tenure of Soraya Hassanali. Soraya has served SID admirably and has preserved the Society's excellent reputation in the Ottawa community and built a legacy which has enabled those who have taken over the challenge of maintaining job well done. This is my, and my new Board's, challenge in the year ahead.
Looking ahead SID finds itself in a landscape of development programming, activities, and actions that is shaping up to be considerably different from what has gone before. Well known institutions are not as prominent as they once were, while government policy statements and CIDA reorganization is pointing to new directions and new areas of emphasis in Canada's development assistance programming.
Such times were made for the Society for International Development. As a forum for discussion we hope to ratchet up our activities through a new programming framework, and improve our presence and profile through increased activity and strengthening our relations with our Washington sister Chapter. How will this work?
The Ottawa Chapter is looking to establish a series of Work Groups, two this fall and three others in the new year. They will be Work Groups on Education, Gender, Shelter, International Health and Latin America. These self-organizing Work Groups will be lead by 2 Co-Chairs and will hold four events per year (once full formed) on topics of interest to the members of the Work Gorup.
SID Work Groups are intended to operate on the principles of inclusiveness, autonomy and responsiveness. By inclusiveness we mean it is open to all actors, CSO's, private sector, government agencies, universities and other interested parties. Indeed multi-stakeholder involvement is encouraged. By autonomy we mean that the Work Groups set their own agendas, from speaker's series, to Conferences, to the preparation of reports, to training or even sponsorship. By responsiveness we mean that the Work Groups address real issues and concerns of the Canadian actors who work in a given region or in a sector, be it of a technical, operational or policy related nature. Flexibility, adaptability and relevance will be a trademark of any Work Group.
The purpose of these Work Groups is to give voice, support and problem solving networks to Canadian practitioners who work internationally whatever their calling or interest. They are also intended to break down barriers, help the community of practitioners better understand each other's needs and perspectives and thereby enable improved, better informed and constructive dialogue with policy and decision makers.
But SID's work will not end there. The Board will continue to sponsor a High Profile Speaker series that will be of interest to the sector as whole. We will also work closely with the Washington Chapter in the run up to the SID Congress in October next year. This closer collaboration will be in the form of interaction with SID Washington Work Groups, and ensuring Canadian presence at the Congress in Washington.
It is early days yet but there has been interest with some Work Groups in formation and even some event planning going on. If you are interested in participating, or even want to start a Work Group we would love to have you involved.
Thank you and please feel free to share your comments and thoughts any time.
Bill Cowie
President, Society for International Development, Ottawa-Gatineau chapter
February 22, 2010: SID-OG releases the 7th edition of ConSIDerations
January 27, 2010: SID-OG President's Message
Happy New Year to our Members:
I am delighted to return for another term as President of SID-OG, and to have at my side a dynamic and talented team. I would invite you to refer to the website to learn more about them.
Following the June 2009 AGM, I held two strategic planning retreats where we agreed to a new programming approach and theme for the year. The theme for 2009-2010 is Development Assistance in an Age of Reform. Our approach will be to hold fewer but larger events, supplemented by smaller, more informal activities. We will be seeking to collaborate with academic, professional, diplomatic, student and government institutions. We also plan to hold a number of professional development and networking activities to cater to the diverse interests of our members. To support this work, we recently refreshed our communications products - a new pamphlet for the chapter, and updated our website. We have an established Facebook presence, and have automated event registration and membership payment systems on-line. Our hope is these small changes will make it even easier for you to connect with us.
In November, SID-OG collaborated with the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), the United Nations Association of Canada (UNAC) and the Aga Khan Foundation, to launch in Ottawa, the 2009 UN Global Report on Human Settlements: Planning Sustainable Cities. Speakers, Dr. Winnie Mitullah and Dr. Mark Seasons presented their views to a large and well-informed audience.
In January, we welcome a former Ottawa SID-OG President and recent Harvard University fellow, Fauzya Moore as a SID-OG emeritus member. Fauzya will speak to the theme, Development and Leadership: The Harvard Growth Diagnostics.
In February, SID-OG will collaborate with CIDA and Carleton University (NPSIA) to feature CIDA President, Margaret Biggs. President Biggs presentation will focus on Development in a Changing World. In the planning stage are panels with SID-International President Jan Pronk (April); and Rajiv Shaw, the new Administrator of USAID (May), as well as an international panel on Aid Reform.
This year again affords many new volunteering opportunities. On the website, you can download the 2009-2010 Volunteer Package which lists all of the current volunteer opportunities. For more information on volunteering with us, contact our coordinator Jenny Butterfield at: volunteer@sidottawa.ca.
As you can see, there is no better time to join or renew your membership with the Society. We are growing, constantly innovating, and working hard to serve our members. On behalf of the SID-OG Board of Directors, thank-you for your on-going support. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.
Sincerely,
Soraya Hassanali
President, Society for International Development, Ottawa-Gatineau chapter
(2007-2010)
October 6, 2009: SID-OG President's Message
Greetings to the Members of the Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter of the Society for International Development:
I am delighted to be returning for another term as the President of the Society. As we begin another year together I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the new Board for 2009-2010! You are invited to take a look at our revamped website at sidottawa.ca and review the bios and pictures of our dynamic new team. You will see some familiar faces as well as some new--each infused with a combination of skills, experience and most importantly, enthusiasm for the Society, and the year ahead.
Over the summer, we have worked hard to develop a new programming theme and approach. The theme for 2009-2010 is International Development in an Era of Reform, with events to commence in early November. This year we plan to hold fewer, but bigger events. These will be supplemented by smaller, more informal activities, like film presentations and discussions. We will put an emphasis this year on Outreach to new constituencies--academic, professional, diplomatic, and student. We will hold a number of professional development and networking events to cater to the interests of our members and friends. I invite you to visit the programming link on the website for more details on our autumn lineup.
This year will bring many new opportunities for those interested in volunteering with us. On our website you can see and download the 2009-2010 Volunteer Package which lists all of the coming volunteer opportunities. The first volunteer orientation session took place in September 2009. Our volunteer coordinator is scheduling another orientation volunteer session soon--so stay tuned! We are still recruiting new volunteers to help out with our dynamic Gender Equality Committee (GEC), and Outreach Committee, as well as our new Young Professionals, and Fundraising Committees. If you are interested in these areas or would like to learn more, please contact Jennifer Butterfield at: .
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I thank-you for your continued interest and involvement in the chapter and look forward to seeing you at the next event!
Sincerely,
Soraya Hassanali
President, Society for International Development, Ottawa-Gatineau chapter
(2007-2008, 2008-09, 2009-2010)
June 1, 2009: SID-OG releases the 6th edition of ConSIDerations
March 18, 2009: SID-OG releases the Spring 2009 edition of ConSIDerations
March 13, 2009: Launch of the SID-OG Gender Equality Committee reading and discussion group
This is an open invitation to ALL members of SID-OG to participate in a reading and discussion group about gender and development issues. The aim of this group is to promote reflection, dialogue and debate related to gender and development issues.
October 14, 2008: President's Fall Message to Members
Dear Members of SID-OG:
I would like to extend warm greetings on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Society of International Development, Ottawa Gatineau chapter.
We have a very exciting programming line-up for 2008-2009 which I would like to share with you. Our theme for this year is: "The International System under Strain: Challenges for Development," and similar to last year, we will continue to have two programming streams - evening events open to a broad audience and lunch time events of interest to development practitioners and specialists.
Our first event in October is a video screening of two documentaries about Africa, produced by WORLDwrite an educational filmmaking charity in London, UK. This event is open to all SID-OG members and to the general public, and will be free of charge. The screening will be held on October 16th, 2008 at the Heart and Crown Pub (Black Rose room) in the Byward Market. A discussion will follow.
Our second event in October titled, Improving the effectiveness of poverty programs through scientific results, will feature Marc Shotland, Senior Program Manager for JPAL (Poverty Action Laboratory) at the MIT. This event will be of special interest to professional evaluators among others, and is part of our Professional Development series. The presentation will take place on October 21, 2008 from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. at Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts and Humanities, 314 St. Patrick's Street (at Cumberland). The cost is $10 for member of SID-OG, $20 for non-members. Light refreshments will be served.
Our third event will be presented jointly with Unisfera and will feature Mr. Luc Gnacadja, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification presenting on the theme, Land Degradation: A Rising Threat to International Development. This event will be held on October 30, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. at the MacDonald-Cartier Room (lower level), Capital Hill Hotel, 88 Albert Street, Ottawa. The cost for the evening will be $10 for members, $20 for non-members. Light refreshments will be served.
You may begin registering for all of these presentations at , and we would encourage Members to spread the word about these daytime and evening events to their friends and colleagues.
I would invite Members to visit our chapter's revitalized website at www.sidottawa.ca which provides details on upcoming acitivites, volunteer opportunities, and new communication and networking tools we are using which will help us to extend our reach to diverse audiences in Ottawa and beyond, and to expand our network.
We are now in a very exciting and upward phase of our chapter's growth. I would encourage all Members to attend as many events as possible, and to stay tuned for exciting new developments throughout the year.
On behalf of the SID-OG executive, we look forward to seeing you very soon.
Sincerely,
Soraya Hassanali
President, 2007-2008, 2008-2009
September 28, 2008: SID-OG Launches Facebook & IGLOO profiles
To extend our outreach and networking capacities, SID-OG has recently created group profiles on Facebook and IGLOO. Join us and interact with hundreds of other members!
September 15, 2008: SID Ottawa-Gatineau Launches New Website
SID Ottawa-Gatineau is pleased to announce the launch of this new website. The new structure and features will make it easier for us to inform both members and the public about all the latest SID news and upcoming events.
June 1, 2008: SID-OG releases the 4th edition of ConSIDerations
March 26, 2008: Does Increased Water Access Empower Women?
SID-OG notes that Board Member Saskia Ivens has authored an article in the newest issue of Development, the journal of SID.
Does
Increased Water Access Empower Women?
Looks at the gender dimension of water management
Saskia Ivens
Development 51: 63-67
Who's Who
E-mail:
Saskia Ivens is a gender equality specialist and international development consultant. She has worked on gender and water issues for UN-Water Africa and for various NGOs. In addition, she has a general interest in gender equality and organizational development, while being involved in policy development, project management, training and capacity building.
January 1, 2008: ConSIDerations newsletter, Issue 3
Return to...
 |
Announcements |
Announcements
- January 20, 2012: SID International Welcomes a New President
- November 1, 2011: WUSC-EUMC: International Forum Update
- October 9, 2011: UNEP North American Major Groups and Stakeholders Consultation
Upcoming Events
- February 8, 2012: Challenges and Opportunities in the Field
