Global Skills Opportunity - Ambassadors in Ottawa!

 

All photos from Ottawa are by Caleb Ficner
https://calebficner.zenfolio.com/about.html

    Back in September, I spent a few days in Ottawa alongside 12 other Canadian students (or former students), as ambassadors to the Global Skills Opportunity (GSO) Fund. This is a pilot programme funded by the Government of Canada that funds Canadian students to travel and study or work in another country. The purpose of the funding is to make travel study more accessible to Canadians, so that they may gain transferable skills and bring them back to Canada. 

    Myself and my classmates received this funding to travel to Uganda last summer to study politics and transitional justice, which was the trip of a lifetime. From in-classroom learning to conversing with locals, I built upon my understanding of Uganda's history and political system that I had previously come to understand in the classroom. Having this experience during my undergraduate degree helped me to get a job at the University of Saskatchewan in the study abroad department after graduation, where I now get to help more students grow through travel study every day.

   GSO has now funded over 12,000 Canadian students to have an international experience. This is an incredible number of leaders, innovators, creators, and problem-solvers that have enhanced their skills by gaining a global perspective. I have seen first-hand how this fund gives hope and confidence to students where travelling has traditionally been less accessible to them. The fund's main target groups are Indigenous students, students with disabilities, and low-income students (although it is available to all Canadian students). At USask alone, 209 students have received funding to go abroad, with roughly 70% of those students being from the three target groups. 

    Another purpose of this fund is to send Canadians to "non-traditional" countries. Canadian and American students tend to travel to English/French speaking countries, like England, France, and Australia. I personally would have never thought it possible for me to travel to Uganda without this fund and going with a group. At USask, we have sent students to Costa Rica, Mexico, Scotland, New Zealand, Ecuador, Spain, Italy, and more. The growth and confidence that I've witnessed in these students is incredible. 

   Being a pilot programme, GSO is up for renewal in March 2025. Myself and my fellow ambassadors are tasked with trying to bring attention to the benefits of this project, to hopefully make it a permanent fund. That is why we were called to gather in Ottawa at the end of September! 

    While I have you here, please sign the e-petition to renew GSO (copy and paste into your browser):

https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Sign/e-5183?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYE1jbBe6LobDjiX-HXcLITngFfZ9h7YeedMsm82Rm620S-tTMm3H4h3zo_aem_QNh_AytkgHMKIirB7RvCVA

    We all arrived from different provinces on day one, with some of us unfortunately having crazy layovers and delays. I was shocked to have a smooth journey from Saskatchewan, but I can't complain. I knew a few of the ambassadors from a different advocacy event I got to take part in for GSO last year, but there were also some new people to meet. 

    We started out by heading to Colleges and Institutes Canada's (CiCan) office to meet everyone and shoot some communications material. This was a great opportunity to hear about the other ambassadors' international experiences, and what skills they gained. From Kenya to Finland to Vietnam, these people learned some incredible things and are all extremely passionate individuals. 

    

    Next, my fellow ambassadors got ready for a live-streamed panel where they shared their experiences and the skills they gained while abroad. The first panel was moderated by the president of Colleges and Institutes Canada, Pari Johnston, and was focused on the experiences of a few ambassadors' times abroad that attend Colleges and Institutes. The second panel was moderated by the Right Honourable David Johnston, the former Governor General of Canada. His panel was focused on the GSO Ambassadors that have now graduated and contribute to the work force, including how their study abroad experience helps them in their careers.

    We ended the evening with a reception, where we got to share our stories with people of various influence. There were a few people who work for Government of Canada, a few students from the area that have had a GSO-funded experience, and many staff members of CiCan and Universities Canada. 

    We each brought an object that reminded us of our time abroad, and connected it to a skill we gained. I chose to bring a stuffed giraffe that I bought from an organization called War Victims Women and Children Networking in Uganda. This was a group of women who had been captured as girls and young adults by the Lord's Resistance Army, many of whom were away from home for 2-8 years. Many women had children while they were away. These women were courageous in sharing their story with a group of strangers, and I've made it my mission to be a voice for these women and others who may not have a platform to share it.

    This is a skill that shows up again and again, whether at work or volunteering, there are always people who can benefit from me using my voice and my privilege to speak up against something that isn't right. Sometimes that means taking extra time to connect someone at the University with a resource that might help them, even if I don't work in that department. Other times it means being the person to stop a conversation that speaks ill of a person or a group of people who aren't there. The vulnerability and strength showed by these women to use their voice in front of us has helped me to develop the transferable skill of being a loud voice when it's needed. It is only right to pass on the knowledge that these women imparted onto me. 

    The next day was filled with more excitement and learning. We arrived to Parliament bright and early, went through security, and were greeted by a former colleague of some of the GSO team at CiCan. He brought us to the West Block floor, where the MPs meet for Questioning Period. We took some photos before the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right Honourable Greg Fergus, came to greet us. He took time to shake each of our hands, and we took lots of photos. We then got to go back to see his office, which had walls lined with the transcripts of Parliamentary debates going back to the beginning. 

   

    We got to have a discussion with Mr. Fergus about his life and how he became the Speaker of the House, and what he likes about his job. It turns out he does more than moderate the Question Period, he leads diplomatic missions and welcomes officials from other countries to Canada. It was super neat to hear about his work and how passionate he is for Canadian politics. He is a very nice person who was curious to hear about what we are fighting for, and believes in the importance of travel for Canadian students. 

    Next, we got to watch Question Period, which was shocking to say the least. Lots of yelling and name calling, but we didn't get to see Mr. Fergus in action as he had another duty that day. I was a bit taken aback by the process. However, it was super cool to see how they propose an issue and how it is debated. I learned so much about Canadian politics from my visit to Parliament, I would recommend anyone to book a tour if you're ever in Ottawa (but then again, you won't get to meet Mr. Fergus!)

    After our ambassador duties were over, it was time for some fun. We went to a board game cafe and were able to chat and play some games, and talk about the last few busy days. It was good to decompress and wrap up our time together. Thankfully, it wasn't goodbye for too long. Some of us got to go to Ottawa again in November for the annual Canadian Bureau of International Education Conference. Maybe I'll write another post about that experience, it was also really cool. 

    Thanks to all my fellow ambassadors for some great days in Ottawa, and to the GSO team for bringing us together. I feel so fortunate to be able to support a great cause. 

    Til next time!