Society for International Development
Ottawa-Gatineau Chapter

Recent 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).

If you would like to benefit from the discounted rate, please let us know by emailing Joelle.

Thank you.

*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. 

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:
  • What does CUSO-VSO do overseas?
  • What is the role of an overseas volunteer?
  • What skills and competencies do volunteers need?
  • What training and support does CUSO-VSO provide to volunteers?
Meet CUSO-VSO in Gatineau
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