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@acgc_now

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We are a coalition of Alberta civil society organizations promoting sustainable development and international cooperation

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Meet two more of the mentors joining us for The Advice Constellation 💕

Housing, education and everything in between, mentorship in this room isn’t sticking to one lane:
💫 Jean Bruce Koua — Co-Founder and COO of Elev Homes, an Edmonton-born student housing company that’s supported over 3,000 students through their housing journeys. Named one of Alberta’s Top 30 Under 30, Jean Bruce also mentors early-stage entrepreneurs through Edmonton Unlimited and NAIT, all grounded in one philosophy: leave the world better than you found it.
💫 Kennedy Daniels Peterson — founder of APPPLE (Albertan Parents Protecting Public Learning and Education), a grassroots project using photography, storytelling, and community engagement to advocate for public education in Alberta. A freelance photographer, writer, and mother of two, Kennedy brings both lived and professional experience to the table.

This is what The Advice Constellation is built on, people from completely different corners of the community, all showing up to be honest about what they’ve learned ✨

📍 Edmonton Public Library, Stanley A. Milner
🗓️ Aug 28, 2026 | 6:00-8:30 PM

Link to RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-advice-constellation-a-mentorship-circle-in-edmonton-tickets-1993496448541

Learn About ECHOFORM: https://linktr.ee/echoxform

#ECHOFORMstories #ArtivismCohortYEG #TheAdviceConstellation #YEG #Mentorship

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Friday night, we sat in a room together and tried to answer a question that doesn't come with an easy answer: what does it actually mean to belong to a world this big?

There's no right or wrong answer here, and we were never trying to land on a one-size-fits-all solution. It was about understanding different perspectives, widening our worldview, and learning to examine these structures critically, together.

To our panelists, who showed up with research, lived experience, and hard-won frontline wisdom, and who spoke about solidarity, systems, and human rights like they mattered because they do:
• Dr. Lynette Shultz, Educator & Researcher, Global Citizenship Education
• Mariam Karmazanashvili, Project Director, SDG Council/@unacsdg, @UNACanada and Initiative Coordination Lead with Women in International Security Canada/@wiiscanada
• Mambouomuni Kuverua, Curator, Global Shapers Edmonton Hub
• Jannie Edwards, Chair, Amnesty International Edmonton
• Wajed Nadine El-Halabi, Alberta Council for Global Cooperation/@acgc_now
Thank you for your generosity, your honesty, and for trusting a room full of young people with the fullness of what you know.

There's something quietly beautiful about a room full of people with wildly different stories choosing to sit together anyway, art supplies in hand, hearts a little more open than when they walked in. That's what Friday was. Messy, hopeful, human.

We're so grateful.

Full reflection now on our Substack. Link in Bio: https://open.substack.com/pub/echoxform/p/reflection-global-citizenship-and?r=8hqalr&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

#ECHOFORMstories #ArtivismCohort #InternationalYouthDay #CivicStorytelling #GlobalCitizenship

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What Does It Mean to Belong to a World This Big? 🌍

This International Youth Day, we’re sitting with that question, and reminded that youth aren’t waiting to inherit the world someday. They’re already in it, shaping it, questioning it, showing up for it, today.

Our Artivism Cohort is mid-season: young people and community members gathering every Friday to build civic storytelling, media literacy, and advocacy skills together, in free and open community space.

This Friday, we’re exploring Global Citizenship & Systems - what it means to feel responsible for people and places beyond our own postal code, and the systems, big and small, that connect (or divide) us. We’re honoured to sit in conversation with:
💫 Mujahid Ahmed — Islamic Relief Canada
💫 Dr. Lynette Shultz — Educator & researcher, global citizenship education
💫 Mariam Karmazanashvili — UNA-Canada, SDG Council & SDG 5 Fellowship, Women in International Security Canada
💫 Mambouomuni Kuverua — Global Shapers Edmonton Hub
💫 Jannie Edwards — Amnesty International, Edmonton Chapter
💫 Wajed Nadine El-Halabi — Alberta Council for Global Cooperation

Expect honest conversation, storytelling, and space to sit with it all, art materials included. This cohort has always been for community. Come as you are 💛

📍 Edmonton Public Library, Stanley A. Milner
🗓️ Aug 14, 2026 | 6:00-8:30 PM

Link to RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/echoform-artivism-cohort-2026-civic-exploration-labs-tickets-1991705101574

❤️ RSVP Perk: Folks who RSVP get first access to any available spots for our cohort retreat, September 1-3. Link to Apply: https://airtable.com/appDIeBSO6BbTlMCR/pagbJRBu4U1irFqtn/form

#ECHOFORMstories #ArtivismCohort #InternationalYouthDay #CivicStorytelling #GlobalCitizenship

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The ICN is pleased to announce the launch of our Public Engagement Course. The course is informed by the ICN’s research project on decolonial, anti-racist, and feminist approaches to public engagement. Through the completion of three modules, you will be able to learn about key concepts and definitions, power, and centering communities in public engagement and global citizenship.

This course is for you if you practice public engagement in your work and want to inform your practices with decolonial, anti-racist, and feminist approaches rooted in research.

We would also like to highlight new and existing resources, including:
- ICN’s Public Engagement and Global Citizenship Education Resources
- Spur Change’s Resources
- Spur Change’s Results-Based Management 101 Course
- ICN Research Reports
- Global Hive Resources
- ICN Webinars

🔗Visit the link in our bio to access these resources!
--
Le RCC a le plaisir d’annoncer le lancement de son cours d’engagement du public. Ce cours s’appuie sur le projet de recherche du RCC portant sur des approches décoloniales, antiracistes et féministes de la mobilisation du public. À travers la réalisation de trois modules, vous serez amené·e à découvrir des concepts et définitions clés, les dynamiques de pouvoir, ainsi que l’importance de placer les communautés au centre de la mobilisation du public et de la citoyenneté mondiale.
Ce cours s’adresse à vous si vous pratiquez la mobilisation du public dans votre travail et souhaitez enrichir vos pratiques grâce à des approches décoloniales, antiracistes et féministes fondées sur la recherche.

Nous souhaitons également mettre en avant de nouvelles ressources et des ressources existantes, notamment :
- Ressources du RCC sur l’engagement public et l’éducation à la citoyenneté mondiale
- Ressources d’Activer le changement
- Cours « Gestion axée sur les résultats 101 » d’Activer le changement
- Rapports de recherche du RCC
- Ressources de Global Hive
- Webinaires du RCC

🔗 Consultez le lien dans notre bio pour accéder à ces ressources !

#ICNENGAGE #RCCENGAGE

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Congratulations to first-year medical student and @ucalgarydinos @ucalgaryknes alumnus Ameen Alizada, BSc’25! Ameen has been named an Alberta Top 30 Under 30 award recipient by @acgc_now.

Ameen’s work bridges sport and healthcare, where barriers to access can often determine opportunity.

“Sport shaped my sense of community growing up and taught me many important lessons that have helped me over the course of my education,” says Ameen. “For many children, the barrier is not motivation, but it is the gap between wanting to participate and having a fair chance to do so.”

Guided by a belief that people thrive when they feel heard, respected, and included, he focuses on creating pathways for children to build belonging, confidence, and lifelong health through sport.

In 2023, Ameen co‑founded the Cleats4Kids Foundation, a non‑profit that is reducing barriers to sport for low‑income families, refugee and newcomer youth, and children living with disabilities.

Through partnerships with schools, settlement agencies, and local sport organizations, Cleats4Kids delivers free, inclusive soccer programming and community events, including an innovative visually impaired soccer program designed with
accessibility and confidence building at its core.

“For many families, it is one of the first sporting spaces where their child can participate fully and feel like they belong,” he says.

As he looks toward his future, these experiences have helped shape how Ameen approaches medicine and healthcare. “Health outcomes depend on more than clinical care. They depend on access, understanding, and whether people feel welcome engaging
with the system,” he says.

Through his work with Calgary’s Student Run Clinic and his role as the Orbis Canada UCalgary Lead, he continues to build toward a future where medicine is more accessible and rooted in community.

Congratulations Ameen on this well‑deserved recognition!

Visit the link in bio to learn more about his work.

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Celebrating 2026 Top 30 Under 30 Honouree: Prosper Komolafe! ✨

Prosper, a Calgary‑based global health advocate, has been named one of this year’s @acgc_now Top 30 Under 30 for his leadership in advancing youth-centered health equity. At just 20 years old, Prosper has established himself as a committed researcher, community builder, and emerging voice in public health.

Propser is a current Bachelor of Science student who has worked with an impressive list of UCalgary
initiatives and institutes, including @healuofc, @obrien_iph and @righttoplayuofc. He is currently a research assistant with @libininstitute.

Across these roles, he focuses on improving access to health and wellness supports for young people, particularly those facing systemic barriers. He also helps connect people separated by systems, creating spaces where knowledge can move in both directions.

“Meaningful development cannot occur in isolation. Connection is the bridge between evidence and impact; it is how research becomes relevant, how policy becomes responsive, and how systems remain accountable to the people they serve,” says Prosper.

His approach blends evidence‑based research with a strong emphasis on empathy and youth engagement. He champions the belief that meaningful progress occurs when young people are empowered to shape the policies and programs that affect their lives.

Prosper’s guiding principle reflects this commitment: “Equity becomes real when evidence meets empathy, and when youth are trusted to co‑create the change they want to see.”

Prosper’s recognition as a 2026 Top 30 Under 30 honouree highlights both his impact to date and his growing influence in the field of global health. His work continues to inspire a new generation of leaders dedicated to building more equitable, inclusive systems of care.

Visit the link in bio to read more about his work.

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Who is the Inter-Council Network?
Qui est le Réseau de coordination des conseils?

@bccic @acgc_now @saskcic @mcic_ca @ocicofficial @aqoci @acic_caci @northerncouncil @canadadev @developpementcanada

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Congratulations to #UCalgaryMed alum Rochelle Mission Deloria, BHSc’21 on her @acgc_now 2026 Top 30 under 30 win!

Rochelle Mission Deloria is currently a @ucsocialwork master’s student @ucalgary. Her thesis, Caring for Others to Care for Myself explores the experiences of racialized young sibling caregivers in Canada, influenced by her own experience as a caregiver to her younger sibling.

“Moving through clinical spaces alongside my family revealed how siblings and caregivers are often relied upon to hold families together while being excluded from decision making, particularly in immigrant households.”

Rochelle’s research makes unpaid and gendered care labour visible, positioning caregivers as knowledge holders with key insights into how care, family, and responsibility are understood in policy and practice.

Intersectionality and relationality play a key role in Rochelle’s approach to working in community. “When I’m first entering a space, I often introduce myself first as a second-generation Filipina Canadian, an older sister, a student, and a community member before naming my professional roles. This is intentional — my work is not separate from my lived experience.”

She has worked with @Filipinos_Rising (FRIENDS), and @ActionDignity to help curate spaces that bring together youth, families, clinicians, researchers, and community members for conversations grounded in listening rather than performance.

She had the opportunity to take part in a speaking event with youth she had previously worked with, talking about how they had shaped her path. “That experience reinforced for me that connection is reciprocal and that meaningful collaboration requires humility, patience and a willingness to be changed by the people you work with!”

Well said, Rochelle

Visit the link in bio to read more about Rochelle’s work, and stay tuned as we celebrate other Top 30 Under 30 recipients from #UCalgaryMed!

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Trust me when I say this… God really does make a way 🙏

I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized as one of Alberta’s Top 30 Under 30 by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation @acgc_now

When I moved to Canada over 8 years ago, I was just trying to figure life out… new country, new environment, new challenges. I never imagined something like this would be possible.
But this moment isn’t just about an award - it’s about the journey. The late nights. The doubts. The small wins that no one sees. The people who kept believing even when things weren’t clear.

First and foremost, thank you God for allowing me to walk this path and for guiding me every step of the way 🙏

À ma famille - merci pour votre amour et votre soutien inconditionnels ❤️
Maman et Papa, cet award vous est dédié 🫶

To everyone I’ve met along the way, mentors, friends, colleagues, thank you for pouring into me and being part of this journey 🫂

If there’s one thing I’ve learned: Trust the process.
It might not make sense now… but it will one day. (J. 13,7)

And we’re just getting started!

Let’s keep going 🔒🚀

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Today is World Creativity and Innovation Day. 🌍with the theme of Step Out and Innovate.

Here’s what that means in peace education:

Peace is not just the absence of war.

It is something that has to be imagined — before it can be built.
And imagination? That’s creativity.

🕊️ Every young person who learns to resolve conflict without violence is innovating.
🕊️ Every classroom that practises dialogue instead of division is innovating.
🕊️ Every community that chooses inclusion over exclusion is innovating.

Peace education is — at its core — a creative act.

🕊️ It asks young people to look at the world as it is, and then imagine it differently.
🕊️ To question the systems that normalize harm.
🕊️ To build new habits of mind rooted in dignity, equity, and belonging.

That’s not idealism. That’s the most practical innovation there is.

The eight pillars of Positive Peace — none of them happen without creativity. Without people willing to step outside what has always been done.

At Learn Peace Canada, we believe the next generation of peacebuilders are already in our classrooms, our communities, and our mentorship programs. They just need the language, the tools, and the permission to step out.

So today, we ask: What are you doing to cultivate creativity in the service of peace?

Not just innovation for its own sake — but innovation for equity, inclusion, and a world that works for everyone.

That’s the kind of innovation worth celebrating. 🕊️

#SDG4 #positivepeace #peaceambassador #humanrightsleadership #servantleader

@learnpeacecanada @tamaraclarson.growleaders @sdsncanada @unesco @unitarhq @acgc_now @jhcentre @catalystnowofficial @newgen_peace @youthpeaceaction

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Celebrating @ucalgarybhsc student Josh Borja, an @acgc_now 2026 Top 30 Under 30 Award recipient!

A Bachelor of Health Sciences Health and Society major and trainee in the departments of Clinical Neurosciences and Community Health Sciences, Josh is passionate about advancing child health and mental well-being with a focus on the social determinants of health.

This commitment is deeply rooted in his experiences growing up, where he saw first-hand how financial strain can shape opportunities and access to education, extracurriculars and stability—realities that form the basis of his work today.

“These experiences taught me early on that potential alone is not enough,” says Josh. “Young people need supportive social and economic conditions to succeed.”

Josh’s work spans research, leadership, advocacy and public service. As co-president of the Children’s Health Advocates (CHA), he leads a team of 450+ student members working to advance child and youth health through fundraising, volunteering and evidence-informed advocacy.

In partnership with student leaders and community organizations, including the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation, CHA is addressing key priorities such as youth mental health, nutrition and access to care. CHA’s work is evidence-driven and youth-informed, ensuring their initiatives and programs reflect the real needs of children, youth and young adults across Alberta.

“When people across disciplines, sectors, and communities are connected by a shared commitment to advancing equity, we are better equipped to address upstream determinants of health and create environments where children and youth can truly flourish,” says Josh.

Congrats Josh!

Visit the link in bio to read more about Josh’s work, and stay tuned as we celebrate other Top 30 Under 30 recipients from #UCalgaryMed!

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Kicking off our favourite week of the year: National Volunteer Week! 💞

Today we want you to meet Nevicia, a passionate Alberta-based Results advocate and an alumni of our Fellowship program! Here's how she volunteers for a brighter future:

"As a researcher, I'm skilled at writing for scientific audiences. Writing to Parliamentarians or for lay audiences are equally important skills that I'm happy to have refined through my Fellowship with Results Canada.

My first submission of a letter-to-the-editor (LTE) was published both by the Calgary Herald and the Winnipeg Sun. It called for Canada's continued leadership in international development through increased funding and received good public engagement, including disagreement.

Although the budget for the International Assistance Envelope was not increased in the 2025 Federal Budget, the publication of these LTEs led to my writing letters to my Member of Parliament and other Parliamentarians. This was an important opportunity to practice advocacy beyond the “win”. Ongoing advocacy communicates that the issues we raise are not a momentary concern, but worthy of sustained effort and targeted action. This means continued advocacy, both when there is no clear “win” and after the excitement of a “win” has died down.

Importantly, advocacy is not a skill that I have limited to my involvement with Results Canada. I also apply it to various domestic issues that I work with closely and that I’m passionate about, predominantly related to health equity. I’m grateful to have the ongoing community support of Results staff and volunteers, who continue to encourage, refine, and champion my growth as an advocate for a healthier world."

Want to volunteer alongside passionate folks like Nevicia? Join us as an advocate! (Link in bio with all the details)

Photo: Dr. Nevicia Case speaking with the Secretary of State for International Development, the Honourable Randeep Sarai, about renewing Canada's pledge to the Global Financing Facility for 2026-2030. Photo courtesy of Aditya Chaudhuri and taken at the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation's 2026 Top 30 Under 30 Award Ceremony.

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