ISOW’s Pledge for the Global Refugee Forum 2023
Almas McConnell Dec, 2023
ISOW’s Pledge for the Global Refugee Forum 2023
At ISOW, our mission is to promote active student engagement and learning through the study of the human realities of international conflict today as well as to provide scholarships to students affected by conflict.
Our pledges align with Objectives One, Two and Three of the Global Compact on Refugees as we strive to promote self-reliance and sustainable solutions through further education.
Expansion of ISOW Scholarship to Afghan and Rohingya Women
Pledge: Over the next four years, ISOW commits to providing two scholarships to female Afghan students per year and two scholarships to Rohingya students per year to study at Wilfrid Laurier University. By 2027, ISOW would have provided eight scholarships each, coming to a total of 16.
Description: ISOW pledges to offer scholarships to Afghan women, which allows them to pursue university education despite their restricted human rights under Taliban rule. Additionally, ISOW pledges scholarships to Rohingya students, allowing them to pursue higher education despite the restrictions on their freedom of movement, access to state education and civil service jobs under the military junta. The ISOW scholarship includes a continued support system after the student is resettled through group events and individual relationships through the Scholar Support Team. Studying in Canada also relieves the students from life in a conflict zone.
As a part of ISOW’s pledge for scholarships for Afghan women and Rohingya people, ISOW commits to:
- Advocating: ISOW pledges to advocate for increased awareness and support for refugee education, emphasizing the unique challenges faced by Rohingya and Afghan women. ISOW is also working on a high school outreach program, which includes hosting a Model UN event once a year.
- Building Partnerships: The pledge also includes building current and future partnerships to extend the scholarship. ISOW will work alongside UNHCR, the Canadian Government, Women Leaders of Tomorrow, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, Islamic Relief Canada, Open Society University Network and Duolingo Access Program to provide said scholarship to Afghan women and Rohingya refugees.
- Supporting Refugee Youth: ISOW’s pledge includes providing academic excellence through personal academic advising, equipping students to lead, cultivating genuine community and fostering intercultural diversity. This commitment is reinforced by a unique youth led peer support model, that harnesses the commitment of student volunteers to provide continuous academic, financial, and psychosocial support for the duration of their degrees.
Expansion of the Newcomer Scholarship
Pledge: ISOW pledges to expand the ISOW Newcomer Scholarship to newly resettled refugees and refugee claimants in the Kitchener-Waterloo community by providing two yearly scholarships. By 2027, ISOW will be providing 8 Newcomer Scholarships.
Description: ISOW acknowledges the significance of education as a catalyst for the successful integration and empowerment of newcomers to Canada. Committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive society, we pledge our dedication to providing scholarships for newcomers through the following principles:
- Inclusive Access to Education: ISOW pledges to ensure that government-assisted youth and refugee claimants have equitable access to education in Canada. Our commitment extends to addressing language barriers, cultural differences, and other barriers that may hinder their educational pursuits.
- Recognition of Prior Learning: Acknowledging the skills and experiences that newcomers bring with them, we commit to recognizing and validating their prior learning. This will facilitate a smoother transition into the Canadian education system, enhancing their overall social integration and contribution.
- Community Partnerships: To establish a network of support for newcomers, ISOW pledges to collaborate with non-profit organizations and educational institutions. By leveraging community partnerships, we aim to provide comprehensive assistance and guidance to scholarship recipients throughout their educational journey.
Establishment of a Comprehensive Bridging Program
Pledge: ISOW pledges a dedication to establishing and supporting a comprehensive bridging program to facilitate the seamless transition of newcomer refugees and asylum seekers into higher education in Canada.
Description: ISOW understands the transformative impact of higher education on the lives of refugees and asylum seekers. Inspired by the Connecting & Equipping Refugees with Tertiary Education (CERTE) initiative developed in Malaysia, we are committed to furthering the objectives of CERTE on a global scale. Some principles that will be used for this pledge are as follows:
- Tailored Bridging Program Design: To account for the unique challenges faced by newcomer refugees and asylum seekers in Canada, ISOW commits itself to developing and implementing a tailored bridging program. The program will encompass academic preparedness, language proficiency enhancement, and cultural orientation to ensure a smooth transition into higher education.
- Cultural Integration and Sensitivity: The program will incorporate cultural integration and sensitivity training. By fostering an understanding of Canadian academic culture and societal norms, we aim to create an inclusive environment that respects and celebrates the diverse backgrounds of newcomer refugees and asylum seekers.
- Financial Accessibility: ISOW recognizes the financial barriers that newcomer refugees and asylum seekers may encounter. Our commitment includes efforts to utilize the Newcomer Scholarship provided by ISOW and other financial aid and resources networks to alleviate financial burdens and ensure that higher education remains accessible to all eligible individuals.
International Student Humanitarian Visa
Pledge: ISOW pledges to collaborate with the Canadian Government to establish an International Student Humanitarian Visa to ease the enrolment and acceptance of ISOW scholarship recipients.
Description: ISOW understands the critical role of innovative solutions in addressing the needs of refugees. As such ISOW will work with the Canadian Government on the creation of a humanitarian visa program that facilitates the resettlement of displaced individuals through education.
- Collaboration with the Canadian Government: ISOW commits to actively advocating and working towards engagement with the Canadian government in the establishment of the humanitarian visa for international students. This collaborative effort will involve constructive dialogue, sharing of best practices, and exploring policy frameworks that prioritize education as a means of fostering resilience and self-reliance among displaced individuals.
- Community Engagement and Awareness: ISOW will actively engage with communities, NGO’s and other stakeholders to raise awareness about the importance of a humanitarian visa program that focuses on education as a catalyst for positive change. Through a collective understanding, ISOW aims to garner widespread support for the initiative.
High School Engagement Through Model UN Events
Pledge: Over the next four years, ISOW in partnership with the Balsillie School for International Affairs commits to significant outreach to high schools within the Waterloo Community to educate and advocate for the right to education for all.
Description: Each year, student leaders within ISOW will plan and enact events at various high schools throughout the Waterloo Region. The event will be based on hosting a Model United Nations that discusses global conflict and how it relates to the lack of access to education for many refugees. There will be knowledge and discussion shared to the high school students about this issue. Information shared about the Sustainable Development Goal on education as well as achieving at least 15% of refugees having access to post-secondary institutions by the year 2030. Additionally, solutions, such as the ISOW program, will be posed and discussed.
By hosting Model United Nations events with high schools within the Waterloo Region, ISOW takes its value of education into practice. It will be an opportunity to educate and inspire young thinkers who will be entering post-secondary academic institutions to take part in supporting education for refugees. This outreach and education are important for helping youth to be aware of, and understand, a complex issue that may not otherwise be discussed in their academic environments. Further, it will aid in removing any biases or stigma related to assisting refugees in our society today.
ISOW believes that youth are our future leaders. There will be a greater awareness and knowledge amongst youth regarding the educational needs of refugees and the role of academic institutions in global conflict. We hope that the high school students will feel confident to discuss this topic and ask questions. Ultimately, it will result in high school students feeling equipped to take action within their own communities.
TRSN and ISOW Collaboration on Advocacy
Pledge: Over the next four years, ISOW commits to a collaborative advocacy initiative between ISOW and the Tertiary Refugee Student Network (TRSN).
Description: The goal of this pledge is to champion the cause of tertiary education for refugees and amplify the impact of TRSN by supporting the expansion of its chapters in North America. ISOW will share resources, knowledge, and best practices to empower TRSN to establish and sustain local chapters that effectively address the needs of refugee students within their communities. By leveraging each other’s strengths, we aim to create a network that fosters mutual support, enabling both organizations to make a greater impact on the lives of refugee students.
ISOW Ottawa 2024: Team Insights on Why ISOW Matters and What We Seek to Learn
Trip to Parliament Hill April 2022
Taryn Tufford is a Laurier Alumna who has been a student leader with ISOW since 2017. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Languages and Literatures from Wilfrid Laurier University and has two years of work experience in immigration law. "The community engagement and willingness of all Laurier students to help in a small way goes much further than what they think. Each person, whether that’s team members, Scholars, Laurier administration or students all make ISOW what it is." We interviewed ISOW Intern Taryn Tufford (2018/2019 Vice President & Director of Scholar Support) about Scholar Support and the Laurier community during her time in ISOW. Check out this blog post to find out how the Initiative has provided her with opportunities to engage in various leadership opportunities and enhance her professional development within and beyond ISOW at Wilfrid Laurier University .
Oshish Ungras is a graduate student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in the Master of Arts in Global Governance program. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Global Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University. "ISOW represents the intersection of my passion for education as a human right and my research interest in peace, conflict, and forcibly displaced populations." We interviewed ISOW Intern Oshish Ungras (2020/2021 President) about experiential learning during her time in ISOW. Check out this blog post to find out how the Initiative has provided her with opportunities for leadership within and beyond ISOW.
“ISOW truly is a unique volunteering experience where you can craft your own experience based on your interests” Stephanie Lee was the 2018-2019 ISOW President, where she was heavily involved in the Public Affairs portfolio materials. She is currently beginning her digital marketing career at Surgery 101 as a Digital Marketing Intern. Could you tell us about your academic background, current role, and a fun fact about yourself? Sure. I did my BA in Global Studies and Political Science at Wilfrid Laurier University, and I’m in my last term of a Digital Media Marketing post-grad certificate at George Brown College. I‘m currently on my co-op term working as a Digital Marketing Intern for Surgery 101 . As a non-profit organization based out of the University of Alberta’s Department of Surgery in Edmonton, Surgery 101 provides free online learning resources related to surgery topics and procedures to medical students and surgical residents all around the world. Fun fact about myself: I have never had chicken pox! It is so cool that you are working for Surgery 101! Tell us more about your co-op position, what projects are you currently working on? One of my first tasks when I joined the team was to design a summer social media strategy to guide Surgery 101’s summer social media activities. My daily tasks at Surgery 101 include daily community management of its Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn profiles, and reviewing and updating its newly created social media content calendar as necessary. I also work with another summer student with social media content production and to support her in updated branding efforts. How did you join ISOW and what is your favourite memory? After learning about ISOW’s humanitarian work, I joined ISOW as the Assistant Secretary in my second year. I ended up staying involved in ISOW for four years, eventually taking up the Secretary, Director at Large, and President role. There are so many, but one of my favorite memories of ISOW was its annual Middle Eastern Cultural Festival hosted each fall. It’s such a fun and casual event that helps celebrate the Middle Eastern culture of many ISOW Scholars through food, dance, and art. It’s always a fun evening! What did you find most challenging while being on the Public Affairs team? Managing your time well and remembering that when external communication is sent out to the wider ISOW audience, you are not speaking in a student’s voice, instead you are speaking from a non-profit organization that is partnered with prestigious brands and organizations. It’s a different mindset from a student posting on their personal social media account or submitting an essay that’s only for their professor’s eyes. What was your favourite Public Affairs project or moment? My pick would be updating the ISOW website in 2018! It was so much fun because I worked with Innovasium , ISOW’s website developer, to completely re-organize the website’s layout by adding new website copy, pages and updated images. I could be as creative as I wanted to be and I had the team’s trust that I would complete the project to the highest quality. Were you able to apply what you have learn while with ISOW into your career post-graduation? If so, how? For sure! My experience with ISOW as a student volunteer lead to different opportunities after graduation. One of them was a paid opportunity to promote ISOW’s Educators in Emergencies conference in March 2019 because of my proven track record as a Public Affairs volunteer. As the conference’s Lead Digital Marketing Strategist, I designed and executed a campaign strategy that included social media tactics and email marketing to promote the conference and encourage signups. I also designed the conference’s digital and print materials, including two conference posters and the event program. This opportunity gave me the chance to put what I learned as a volunteer into further practice and with a new target audience. My experience leading the Educators in Emergencies conference communications strategy helped solidify my passion for digital marketing prior to starting the Digital Media Marketing program at George Brown College. Why should students become involved in ISOW and volunteer their time as a busy university student? ISOW allows you to make a difference in your own community, whether at Laurier, the City of Waterloo, or abroad. Your every commitment reaches so many people and it makes such a big impact, whether you fully understand the reach or not. ISOW gives you the space to develop your professional reputation – as a student, individual and a worker. There will be so many opportunities to prove to yourself, others, and your future employers that you have developed initiative, leadership, and time management skills. ISOW’s team is like a family, and you’ll meet so many wonderful friends while making ISOW memories. Do you have any advice to someone who may be applying to an Assistant Director of Public Affairs position? If you are considering joining, do it! However, being part of ISOW is a large time commitment with a lot of responsibility, so be prepared to commit your attention and focus to your team. ISOW is more than a club, and if you join the team with an open mindset and a willingness to learn, you’ll be able to craft your own experience with ISOW into a unique experience based on your own interests and goals. You don’t need to know everything, all you have to do is: show up, work hard and put effort into learning! Your commitment would reach so many people and it makes such a big impact, whether you fully understand the reach or not Interested in joining ISOW? Please email isow@wlu.ca for more information!
Emily Grass is a Development Assistant with Alumni Relations & Development at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry at Western University, and a former ISOW student leader. “Whether you're interested in politics, finance, social media, you name it, ISOW can provide you with that experience.” Check out this blog post featuring Emily Grass , a former ISOW Scholarship Initiative student leader, who chats about her transition to becoming a working professional after graduation, and how volunteering with ISOW helped her with career planning.
Middle Eastern Cultural Festival
ISOW Day, 2019
Second Ottawa Trip to Parliament Hill
Trip to Parliament Hill, April 2017
*The social media practices and opinions of ISOW Scholars do not necessarily reflect the views of Wilfrid Laurier University and ISOW*
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