Unified Action for a Global Challenge
April, 2025
Empowering Student-led Solutions for the Human Right to Education
Introduction
Students around the world spoke out against injustice, as seen in the powerful campus protests in solidarity with Gaza. They called on their institutions to address human rights concerns. Rather than waiting for governments or institutions to lead, many students stepped up to advocate for change.
The Unified Action for a Global Challenge: Empowering Student-led Solutions for the Human Right to Education workshop, which took place in Tokyo, Japan from April 25th to April 27th, 2025, embodied the spirit of this action. It brought together students from Canada, Japan, and South Korea—three countries with unique perspectives on the global refugee crisis. Together, they explored the role of Canadian students in building a program that provides refugee protection through education, while imagining how this approach could be applied in Japan and South Korea.
Armed with huge resources, universities and governments failed to meet the urgency of the global refugee crisis; students led the charge, challenging them to partner and maximize the impact of their shared commitment. The workshop empowered student delegates to realize the power of their social location to catalyze positive change. Students returned to their universities equipped with the motivation and knowledge necessary to create or strengthen student-led initiatives that will shape the future of refugee protection through education.
Day 1 – Roundtable on Higher Education and Pathways for Burmese and Rohingyas to Japan
Day 2 – ISOW Presentation at the International Christian University
ISOW students delivered a presentation on Friday, April 25th. The session was followed by a reception hosted by International Christian University (ICU). The session began with some welcoming remarks from Mark Williams (Vice President of International Christian University). Followed by the ISOW team presentation delivered in two main parts. The opening 30 minutes featured a formal presentation by ISOW's student leadership team, including KZP (President), Sharmaine (Vice-President), Jaron (Vice-President & Director of Scholar Support), and Anika (Director of Finance), with the session moderated by Erica (Director of Finance). During this segment, the student team introduced ISOW, explaining its mission, structure, and how it operates within the university as a student club. They also covered several key components of ISOW, including refugee and at-risk students’ access to higher education, ISOW’s scholar selection process, its sustainable fundraising model, and the experiential learning and professional development opportunities it offers to Laurier students.
After the formal presentation, participants engaged in small-group breakout sessions facilitated by other ISOW student leaders. In these groups, attendees had the opportunity to hear personal stories, reflections, and insights from the student leaders involved in ISOW. These conversations provided a deeper understanding of ISOW’s impact and allowed for questions from the audience to enable interactive discussions.
Following the breakout sessions, guests were invited to a reception where they continued conversations and connected with ISOW members and attendees in a more informal setting. The reception began with remarks from Dr. Gavin Brockett (ISOW Faculty Advisor), and Shoichiro Iwakiri (President of International Christian University).
Day 3 – Unified Action for a Global Challenge: Empowering Student-led Solutions for the Human Right to Education Workshop
As demonstrated by student movements worldwide, meaningful change often began at the grassroots level. However, transformational change required strong partnerships. The workshop began with a panel on Understanding the Need for University Engagement, which examined how students could partner with their universities to increase the impact of their efforts. Students then had the unique opportunity to hear from Mr. Enrique Piñeyro, an Argentinian businessman who had recently invested his wealth in Solidaire. Mr. Piñeyro shared some of his experiences overcoming obstacles in the delivery of humanitarian aid in some of the most complicated situations in the world. This inspirational session motivated students to take lessons learned from the workshop and transform them into meaningful action.
From there, students transitioned into a collaborative problem-solving session, where they identified next steps for their own program’s development by discussing potential challenges and possible solutions. It was here that the power of community and collective action came to the forefront, as students identified opportunities for organizational growth. The workshop then guided students through the process of making a compelling case for why universities should prioritize humanitarian action. It equipped them with the tools to advocate effectively and engage with key stakeholders. The workshop culminated with students working in university-based groups, where they outlined concrete next steps for collaboration and implementation, ensuring they left the workshop with a clear plan to advance their initiatives. Students left with more than just knowledge: they gained a renewed sense of purpose and the strength that came from discovering a new international network to champion their initiatives. The connections they built, the strategies they refined, and the lessons they learned empowered them to lead the way in advocating for refugee rights through humanitarian action. The leaders of tomorrow demanded a brighter future, and this workshop was a step in equipping them to drive the change needed to create a more just and compassionate world.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to connect, learn, and be a part of the solution.
Thanks to Our Collaborators!
A Proposal for an ISOW Education Complementary Pathway
ISOW Ottawa 2024: Team Insights on Why ISOW Matters and What We Seek to Learn
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.
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
