WELCOME MESSAGE from the COADY TEAM

Together, we are cultivating a future where everyone has the opportunity to lead, inspire, and create lasting change.

We are thrilled to share with you the latest edition of The Coady Connection with updates and achievements from Coady partners, graduates, participants, and staff who continue to drive positive change locally and globally.

Through collaborative projects such as ENGAGE and Rural Women Cultivating Change, Coady partners continue to lead transformative initiatives in their local communities. In this edition you will find success stories from partners such as the Christian Commission for Development Bangladesh, le Centre Haitien du Leadership et de l’Excellence, and more. Our partners bring invaluable expertise and experience and are integral to the localization and endurance of such initiatives.

Emerging leaders from the Pathy Fellowship are making significant strides as they design and implement community-based projects while further developing their leadership skills. From raising mental health awareness in Pakistani schools to transitioning Nigerian rickshaw drivers to clean energy solutions, these young leaders exemplify the spirit of innovation and drive. Their projects not only address pressing local issues but also contribute to a global movement towards sustainable and inclusive development and prove that the future for development leadership is strong.

Offering tailored and flexible programming based on the self-identified needs of our partners and participants ensures that we are meeting needs in diverse local contexts, adapting to world events, and supporting development that is driven by communities. Reflective Practice in Action in Harare, Zimbabwe was developed by Veronica Torres (Program Teaching Staff, Centre for Women’s Leadership) based on a request from organizational partners of the START4GIRLS project, while Towards Feminist Alternatives for a Just World in Bhopal, India was facilitated by Sarika Sinha (Program Teaching Staff, Centre for Women’s Leadership) in the local language Hindi to improve access for grassroots activists looking to deepen their learnings. Addy Strickland and Alaa Salih (Impact and Innovation Officers, CEI) led a successful online leadership course for young professionals.

Local work continues to deepen in communities across Canada through the Circle of Abundance, Centre for Employment Innovation, and the Community Housing Program.

Martha Fanjoy (Director of Programs), and Gord Cunningham (former Coady Executive Director) and participants recently returned from a learning session at the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism (GMIST) in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada where members of the ACTivate cohort worked to formulate a community tourism action plan that they will implement in the following months.

Meanwhile Karri-Lynn Paul (Program Teaching Staff, Circle of Abundance) recently co-facilitated the Introduction to First Nation Governance and Leadership for Youth Workshop with Coady partner Further Education Society of Alberta (FESA) as part of FESA’s Pathways Project aimed to create employment opportunities for Indigenous youth.

With support from Pauline MacIntosh (Program Teaching Staff) through Coady’s Community Housing Program, the community of Guysborough, Nova Scotia, Canada has a new housing society working to provide affordable housing in the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG), District of St. Mary’s, and Town of Mulgrave.

As we reflect on these stories, successes, and achievements, we also look toward the future. As an Institute, we have begun a strategic planning process which will guide our work from 2025-30 and beyond. This collaborative process includes consultation with current and former staff, Coady graduates, partner organizations, and more as we strive to ensure we are on a collective path forward towards social change. Thank you to the hundreds of Coady alumni who answered our survey and shared their insights with us over the past month. We will share a report on these insights with you in the coming months.

We invite you to delve into this newsletter and join us in celebrating the achievements of our graduates, partners, and staff. Together, we are cultivating a future where everyone has the opportunity to lead, inspire, and create lasting change.

- The Coady Team