
Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC) is a non-profit international development agency, working in Asia and Africa to find sustainable solutions to the complex problems causing global poverty. AKFC concentrates on a small number of specific development challenges in health, education, rural development, and civil society. In Canada, AKFC raises funds, builds partnerships with Canadian institutions, and promotes discussion and learning on international development issues. Established in 1980, AKFC is a registered Canadian charity and an agency of the worldwide Aga Khan Development Network.
AIESEC is the world-leading student-run and non-profit organization in the world that specializes in facilitating cross-cultural exchanges for students. The goal of the organization is to achieve peace and fulfillment of humankind’s potential by raising cross-cultural understanding. We offer global volunteer programs and internship programs.
Amnesty International is a global movement of people dedicated to promoting and protecting human rights. Amnesty researches and documents violations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights treaties and conventions, and empowers individuals to call on governments and corporations to respect human rights. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and at www.amnesty.ca.
The Canadian Red Cross Society is part of the largest humanitarian network in the world, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Our mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Canada and around the world. There are three main areas of excellence within our services – Disaster & Emergency Management, Community Health & Wellness and Prevention & Safety. We adhere to the seven Fundamental Principles; Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service and Unity.
Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan (CW4WAfghan) is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 to advance education and educational opportunities for Afghan women and their families and to educate Canadians about human rights in Afghanistan. Donor-funded projects fall within our four main field program areas: (1) Investments in Basic Education; (2) Community Libraries, Literacy and Books Program; (3) Technology for Education; and (4) Public Engagement.
We know that with compassion and courage, recovery from mental illness is possible. With support from donors and other partners, we’ve been helping people find that courage since 1972.
A Vancouver based non-profit, we know that people living with severe mental illness can thrive in our communities if they are given the right resources: housing, support services and employment and education opportunities. Our approach is client-focused and community-based. The people we serve – our clients – take the lead in their recovery, working side-by-side with Coast’s team to set goals and decide which services and programs will best help them meet these goals. They also play a key role in the overall success of the organization, whether as peer support workers, members and volunteers at our Clubhouse or Resource Centre, or part of our governance board or Planning & Partnership committee.
Together, every day we prove that recovery from serious mental illness is possible.
Founded in the late 1970s by family members of children with disability, the Community Living Society (CLS) combines the values, leadership and advocacy of our past, with innovative and individual approaches to providing residential and community inclusion support services.
CLS believes that all people have the ability and the right to fully participate in, and contribute to, their communities. To that end, CLS has committed itself to working with individuals with disability and their families to design the type and amount of support needed to help them increase their independence and realize their dreams.
The CLS supports are intended to complement – not replace – the natural supports provided by family, friends and the community. Our CLS support team acts as a bridge for people with disability to make new friends, learn the skills needed to get meaningful work, live more independently and achieve personal goals.
DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society (DIVERSEcity) is a registered not for profit agency offering a range of services/programs to the diverse communities of the lower mainland in BC. Established in 1978 (under the name SURREY DELTA IMMIGRANT SERVICES SOCIETY) we have almost 40 years of service to the community. We have a strong commitment to raising awareness of the economic/cultural contributions immigrants make to Canada, and to raising awareness of the value of diversity. Vision: We are a community where everyone feels they belong and can achieve their goals. Mission: We build and strengthen diverse communities by delivering the broadest range of services that embrace cultural inclusiveness & that celebrate the strengths found in our differences.
The Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) is a province-wide, non-profit, victim-serving organization that has existed in BC for 25 years and is funded primarily by the Province of BC to serve as a resource for over 300 community-based services and initiatives supporting survivors of sexual violence, relationship violence, child abuse and criminal harassment. Our goals are to: provide support and training to the staff and volunteers of community-based victim assistance programs in BC; undertake research, and develop and distribute resources and tools to community programs serving victims and survivors in BC; educate the public on the needs of victims and survivors of violence; develop and maintain standards for the provision of service to those who have experienced violence; foster the development of relevant cross-sectoral initiatives across BC and support communities to maintain them; provide related education and training to criminal justice, health and social service system personnel; work in partnership with other provincial organizations, educational institutions and other key organizations in related fields to ensure cross-sectoral collaboration and information exchange at the provincial level; and engage in projects and programs that work toward the prevention of violence
The Neil Squire Society, headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, is a national non-profit organization that empowers Canadians with disabilities. The Society serves a culturally diverse population that is not limited to any specific type of disability. We focus on providing people with the right tools and resources to be active members in today’s society. Our programs encompass computer skills tutoring, computer refurbishment, preparing for and finding employment, and assistive technology services. We provide people with disabilities with the right tools to participate in work, school, and in everyday activities. Across North America, we serve more than 4,000 people a year.
We are a non-profit registered charity providing social services primarily in Surrey, Delta, White Rock and Langley. We believe in helping people help themselves. We believe in collaborating with individuals, businesses, community groups and government to create focused, effective and responsive resources for the community. OCS is currently governed by a volunteer Board of Directors representing the diversity of the communities we serve. We currently operate over 80 programs and projects, employ approximately 400 people and as many as 300 volunteers. OCS also operates a sister society: Habitat Housing Society. Habitat operates affordable housing complexes for low income families and mentally ill individuals.
Read more at: www.options.bc.ca/about-options-community-services/overview

At Options For Sexual Health, we care about the healthy sexuality of everyone (all ages, all genders, and all orientations) in British Columbia. We are Canada’s largest non-profit provider of sexual health services through our clinics, education programs, and the 1-800-SEX-SENSE information and referral line. We offer sexual and reproductive health care, information, and education from a feminist, pro-choice, sex positive perspective. We are committed to providing confidential, nonjudgmental, comprehensive, and unbiased services.

Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS) is a community-based, non-profit organization serving immigrant and refugee women and their young children since 1975. We reach out to barriered and vulnerable immigrants and refugees with programs designed to help women progress and contribute in the Canadian society.
In 1985, Rick Hansen set out on the Man in Motion World Tour; a 26 month, 34 country, 40,000 km wheelchair marathon. The Tour raised $26 million and changed the way people with disabilities were perceived. The Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF), established in 1988, is part of its legacy. For over three decades, RHF has raised awareness, changed attitudes and funded spinal cord injury research and care.
Today, roughly one in five Canadians identify as having a disability, and that number is growing as our population ages. We’re working on breaking down one of the most fundamental barriers that people with disabilities still face: physical barriers in the places where we live, work, learn and play.
Our Mission
To create and deliver innovative solutions that lead to a global movement to remove barriers and liberate the potential of people with disabilities.
Our Vision
An inclusive world where people with disabilities are living to their full potential
The Vancouver Branch of the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC-V) works to promote global awareness and further the work of the United Nations through educational and recognition programs, partnerships, sponsorship of media events and fundraising. We aim to inform, inspire and engage people in Metro Vancouver to accomplish the vital work of the United Nations.
Some of the many issues UNAC-V addresses include poverty, gender inequities, human rights, cross-cultural understanding, environmental degradation and threats to peace and security – all brought together under the umbrella of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
UNAC-V is a committee of the United Nations Association in Canada. UNA Canada is one of many national UNA’s around the world connected through an international network, the World Federation of UN Associations, established in 1946.
Urban Native Youth Association (UNYA) has been providing programs to empower Indigenous youth in Metro Vancouver for over 30 years. UNYA provides safe, healthy, and culturally supportive environments where Indigenous youth can thrive, delivering over 20 programs and services to support them. Programming is strengths-focused and holistic, aiming to support Indigenous youth in all aspects of their mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, and gives youth opportunities to learn and connect with traditional teachings and culture. Programs include health and wellness, education, career training, housing, transition support for youth in government care, substance use recovery, opportunities to connect with and explore art and culture, sports and rec programming, mentorship, counselling, leadership development, street outreach, and more.
For a comprehensive listing of UNYA’s programs and activities, please visit https://unya.bc.ca/programs/
UNYA’s Native Youth Health and Wellness Centre approaches health and wellness through “two-eyed seeing,” incorporating both Indigenous and western perspectives and knowledge. Care is youth- and family-centred, focuses on strengths, and takes into account the effects of trauma. Services at the clinic include primary healthcare from a registered nurse practitioner, healthcare throughout pregnancy from registered midwives, mental health support from clinical counsellors, and personal, cultural, and spiritual support from Indigenous Elders. The clinic also regularly hosts workshop series, on topics such as mental health and sexual health. Enhanced programming and support for Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ youth is available through UNYA’s Two-Spirit Collective, which organizes events and workshops on a regular basis.

West Coast LEAF (Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund) is the first and only organization in BC dedicated to promoting women’s equality through the law. West Coast LEAF has helped bring about some of the most important legal victories for women in Canada: safe access to reproductive rights; fair workplace standards; gender equality in family law; the right to be free of sexual harassment; and more. We’ve been working since 1985 to end discrimination against women and girls, through equality rights litigation, law reform, and public legal education. Our key areas of focus are gender-based violence, criminalization and incarceration, the right to parent, women’s health including reproductive rights, access to justice, and economic inequality. To learn more about us, please visitwww.westcoastleaf.org.
The Wilderness Committee is the people-powered wilderness preservation group working for a wild future. Founded in 1980 as a registered non-profit society and federal charity, 60,000 supporters, volunteers and activists from coast to coast to coast work together to preserve wilderness, protect wildlife, defend parks, safeguard public resources and fight for a stable and healthy climate. We are united in our mission to protect Canada’s life-giving biological diversity through strategic research and grassroots public education. Our head office is in Vancouver, with field offices in Victoria, Winnipeg and Toronto. Find out more at WildernessCommittee.org
OUR MISSION: To transform our cities into spaces that work for all people by empowering self-identified women and girls, in all their diversity, through community engagement, inclusive policies, and equitable representation.
In order to work toward our mission, Women Transforming Cities advocates for the use of a Gender/Intersectional Lens on all policies, programming budgets, funding, staffing and governance.
WHAT DO WE DO? We educate, promote awareness and take action on issues such as affordable housing, violence against women, leadership, electoral reform, aboriginal women’s priorities, and the environment. We examine the impact different public policies will have on women and girls using an equity / intersectional lens that includes sex, race, gender, and income. We want women and girls to be engaged as decision makers, as elected officials, workers, planners, mothers and informed citizens to transform our cities to be more equitable and democratic for all. We ask: what changes can cities make to improve the lives of women and girls?
We work locally to internationally through Cafes, forums, the Hot Pink Paper Municipal election Campaigns eleven key issues to make cities women friendly see womentransformingcities.org and the womenfriendlycitieschallenge.org online library of wise practices tied to the SDG’s, CEDAW and the New Urban Agenda of UN Habitat.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Gretchen Ferguson is the Director of the Sustainable Development Program and a Lecturer in Geography and Sustainable Development at Simon Fraser University.
She has spent over 20 years engaged in applied research and professional practice in Latin America and Canada related to sustainable communities, community economic development, indigenous economic development and decolonization, social economy, and measuring the impacts of development projects and initiatives on indicators of social and environmental well-being.
Gretchen holds a PhD in Geography from Simon Fraser University, a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of British Columbia, and a Bachelor degree in International Relations from Concordia University.
Her recent projects include:
Evaluating the Impacts and Effectiveness of the Surrey Housing First Collaborative, an innovative pilot program that sought to house 207 homeless people over two years. Emphasis on ‘telling the stories’ of the program participants
Researching the dynamics and impacts of collective enterprises in the Andean regionusing the Community Capitals Framework
Co-directing the Sustainable Cities International Youth Internship Program which offered six-month placements for university graduates with municipalities in Bolivia, Mexico, Senegal, Tanzania and South Africa
Developing international programs, projects and partnerships such as the Greece Community Economic Development program for the Faculty of Environment
Table Captains
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Neda Shadbakht
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Davin Kim
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Don Wright
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Maheshi Wanasundara
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Friba Rezayee
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Valri Wright
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Roxanne Wiseman
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Rana Alahmad
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Misha Dhillon
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Chad Leaman
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Monika Verma,
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Michelle Fortin
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Jugnoo Salahuddin
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Babs Mann,
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George SomerwillGeorge Somerwill started his career in the media and communications world, working for the BBC World Service for Africa, later joining the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). During his journalism career, George traveled frequently to some of the world’s worst trouble spots, including Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, to cover the revolutions and later, the 1984 famine. Following a brief stint with the Canadian International Development Agency, George joined CARE International, a non-governmental organization, working in communications and fundraising for emergency programming in Zimbabwe, Somalia, and Rwanda. He was later recruited by UN – DPKO, in 1996, to work, initially, on demobilization in UNAVEM III.Two years later, while taking up a humanitarian post with the Oil-For-Food Programme (OFFP) in Saddam’s Iraq, George’s journalistic past caught up with him, and he was asked to take over as Baghdad spokesperson and Head of Public Information (Communications) for the OFFP. A stint with UNICEF in Pakistan followed, as the world’s attention focused on Afghanistan and the hunt for bin Laden; this was followed by a return to DPKO and to the Horn of Africa, to serve in the public information office of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE). In 1994, as the ink was not even dry on the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between North and South Sudan, George joined the fledgling UNMIS in Khartoum as the Chief of Public Information. It was a challenging assignment, as the host government did not appreciate the UN’s attempts to encourage freedom of information. George ended his career in the UN with the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), where he also served as Director of Public Information from 2007 to 2011. George has an MA in Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, from the University of York (UK). He is married and has one son. Rosio GodomarRosio Godomar was born in Peru and now, lives in Vancouver, Canada. She is a nutritionist and keen amateur photographer, who worked with the United Nations World Food Program for more than 20 years in humanitarian and emergency programs in Africa (Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Sudan, Ethiopia and Liberia) and the Middle East (Iraq) as well as South Asia (Pakistan and Afghanistan). “In all those countries I realized the common need was for young women to receive an education,” she says. “A girl with an education provides support to her whole family and her community”.In 2013 Rosio started the “Educate Girls Network” (EGN) initiative to sponsor girl students from underprivileged rural families in Liberia, West Africa to complete their higher education and become educators. This initiative was created based on the challenges facing girls who want an education in Liberia. “When I was growing up in Peru I was inspired by life changing educational opportunities, and would like to do the same for Liberian girls. Through the EGN can bring awareness about places and people from one part of the world to another.”Rosio Godomar studied in Peru and Germany and has an MSc in Human Nutrition from the University Federal of Rio da Janeiro. |
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Reanne Percival
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Alana Prochuk
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Aimee MacDonald
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Dr. Joy Masuhara
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