St. Francis Xavier University established Coady International Institute in 1959 as part of its commitment to community leadership development and social responsibility. Guided by Rev. Dr. Moses Coady’s vision of ‘a full and abundant life for all’, the Institute strives to be a place where local change leaders from all over the world, and right here in Nova Scotia, want to come to learn about the latest innovations in community-led development.
A Full and Abundant Life for All
The Coady Mission Coady’s work begins with assets available at the local level, builds on the strengths of all citizens, and establishes a network of supportive partnerships. Coady emphasizes local ownership and collaborative relationships that strengthen the capacity of people to drive their own development. Our leadership education programs combine classroombased sharing and community-based experiential learning along with the creation of virtual networks of peer support, mentorship, and Coady accompaniment. We accomplish this by drawing on: • a track record over the past two decades in popularizing the assetbased and citizen-led (ABCD) approach among practitioners globally; • a global reputation as a centre of excellence in leadership, transformative education and community-driven development; • a global network of partners working to strengthen organizations’ and constituencies’ approaches in leading change in their countries; • our core identity as an education institution with an adult education pedagogy committed to bridging critical development theory with the best in development practice and innovation. We have learned that building the individual and collective agency of leaders is key to making change happen. Local leaders are dealing with the big issues of our day, such as adapting to climate changes and addressing deep rooted inequalities. They are digging in, innovating and acting. In the current context of populism and division, communities that are mobilizing their citizens to drive their own development, building strong bonds, and bridging social capital in the process, could be the antidote to the current wave of authoritarianism and conflict. Coady is well positioned to be a force multiplier for equality and inclusion in empowerment, community resilience, inclusive economies, and accountable democracies.
Proud History, Exciting Future Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and St. Francis Xavier University are unique in that no other community, province, or university in Canada has an institute combining education programs, community engagement, and partner capacity building internationally and locally like Coady Institute. We all take pride in Coady’s history including the early days of the StFX Extension Department and the Antigonish Movement. What began as a search for solutions for chronic socio-economic problems, led to ordinary people in communities across Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada realizing that they could, in the words of Moses Coady, “use what they had to secure what they had not.” The Antigonish Movement was responsible for inspiring Co-ops and credit unions all over the world! Today, it still inspires us all by showing what is possible when people build their communities from the inside out.
For 61 years, Antigonish has welcomed Coady participants from around the world creating a truly international community enriching our culture, our economics, and our community spirit.
We continue to work with partners around the world on: • ENGAGE! Women’s Empowerment and Active Citizenship • Supporting Transition, Retention and Training for Girls (START4GIRLS) • Farmer-led Tools, Dashboard Development and the Future of Farming • Nobel Women’s Initiative • Circle of Abundance • Build Together: Strengthening the Community Housing Sector in Nova Scotia (StFX Extension) • Pathy Foundation Fellowship • Self-Employed Benefits Program (DiscoverBox) • Wallace Family Internships (DiscoverBox) • Diversity and Inclusion Program (Centre for Employment Innovation) • Collective Impact for Inclusive Youth Employment (Centre for Employment Innovation) Coady continues to support change leaders through a diverse set of educational programs and projects. In 2021-22, we are offering more than 16 online courses open to international and Canadian participants as we continue to plan for in- person courses including an exciting, newly designed Diploma Program as we hope to welcome participants back to Antigonish in the near future.
2021-2022 Education Programs: An education at Coady inspires development leaders with critical thinking, practical skills, and tools to support communities organizing for change. Our facilitators are development practitioners with extensive adult education and field experience. Ongoing partnerships and practical research ensure our education programs are informed by innovative practice. Participatory adult education methods draw out the insights and experiences of learners, while introducing new ideas and approaches applicable in a wide range of contexts. • Action Research for Citizen-Led Change • Adult Education and Learning for Community Development • Advancing Women’s Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding for Community Development • Asset-Based and Citizen-Led Development
• Developmental Evaluation for Social Impact
“It is helping people with a hand up. It is unleashing passion in people. It is unleashing a passion for change in individuals and communities. That is in your DNA at Coady.”
• Feminist Leadership For Justice, Equity and Ecology
– David Martin (COMART Foundation)
• Building on Abundance in Indigenous Communities • Citizen-Led Accountability: Strategies and Practices • Climate Change Basics for Community Resilience
• Future of Work and Workers • Introduction to Social Enterprise • Research Methods for Social Impact • Resources and Tools for Working with Young Women Leaders
International Centre for Women’s Leadership Coady’s International Centre for Women’s Leadership offers a range of education programs for emerging and established women leaders who are seeking enhanced leadership capacities for transformative social change. After a pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Global Change Leaders program will be returning to campus in 2022. The program is an opportunity for women from developing countries and indigenous communities to build their assets and agency. Coady has built the program to include mentorship, peer exchange, and global networking. This program is open to those who have demonstrated leadership in a development sector and community for at least five years. A shorter certificate in Women’s Leadership in Community Development is a unique women-only opportunity to open the minds and hearts of women working in development to ‘be the change’ they want to see in their community or organization. Coady offers this course on campus, online, and in communities locally and globally. The Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program is a fully funded education program assisting First Nations, Métis, or Inuit women in Canada to create change in their respective communities. The program includes three weeks of on-site educational programming, mentoring support by established community leaders, a three-month community placement, and project development and delivery. Coady also offers a fellowship program for women graduates of one or more of our women’s leadership programs, Coady’s Diploma in Development Leadership and other Coady certificate courses. Fellows, along with Coady staff accompaniment, focus on documenting and building knowledge that seeks to understand local learnings of women’s economic and political empowerment and how they intersect, and the innovative strategies used by the women leaders and organizations to support community engagement in ways that can push for women’s inclusion.
Abiodun Omowunmi Essiet Abiodun was one of four Women’s Leadership fellows in 2018. She is a certified midwife and public health nurse. She holds a Bachelors degree in Nursing Science and a Masters in Public Health with focus on health promotion and education. Abiodun is the National Director on Women, Gender and Development Affairs of African Youth for Development Commission, AYDEC Nigeria and a resource consultant for European Center for Electoral Support in Nigeria. She has trained more than 40 women in grassroots budget tracking, provided skill acquisition for more than 100 women, and provided free medical outreach for more than 500 people in rural communities.
ENGAGE! Women’s Empowerment and Active Citizenship ENGAGE! is a five-year initiative co-designed by Coady Institute and five partner organizations: • Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India; • Organization for Women in Self Employment (WISE) in Ethiopia; • Gender Training Institute (GTI) of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP); • Christian Commission for Development (CCDB) in Bangladesh; and • Centre Haïtien du Leadership et de l’Excellence (CLE) in Haiti. The partners are working to advance gender equality and poverty reduction by enhancing women’s capacity to participate in the social and economic life of their communities. ENGAGE! is applying an asset-based, citizen-led development (ABCD) approach to promote genderequitable change. This approach ensures that local communities, and in particular women, exercise ownership and control over social and economic development initiatives that respond to their realities and priorities.
A Lasting Impact After their return to their own countries and workplaces, key indicators from course evaluations show Coady’s education programs build knowledge and skills in key areas and that they are relevant to participants’ development practice.
514
GRADUATES FROM JANUARY 2020 TO DECEMBER 31, 2021
335
OF THEM WERE CANADIANS/INDIGENOUS
10,732+ 146+ graduates worldwide
459
GRADUATES from January 2020 to October 2021
93%
Overall Satisfaction
287 graduates shared new skills, or trained, more than 4,800 other leaders
countries
352
GRADUATES from October 2020 to October 2021
93%
Said their Coady Education was Useful for their Work
“My experience at Coady has been eye-opening as a woman leader. I have been inspired to step out and voice issues that affect children and women in my country. Through my learning and experience at Coady, I am a better leader to make a significant and lasting change in my country and beyond.” - Mary Katunguah Munyao, Director Connect Families Ability, Kenya (Global Change Leaders, 2018)
97%
Gained Relevant Knowledge