Congratulations, Brenda Arakaza, the 2022 Winner of the Lewis Perinbam Award

WUSC, in collaboration with Cooperation Canada and the trustees of the Lewis Perinbam Award, are pleased to announce the 2022 recipients of the Innovation and Impact Awards in Honour of Lewis Perinbam. 

The award was presented during a virtual ceremony held on February 9, 2023 in the presence of over 100 attendees, including the Minister of International Development, Harjit S. Sajjan.

Individual Award Winner: Brenda Arakaza

Originally from Burundi, Brenda Arakaza has lived, studied, and worked on three continents. She is currently the President of the Development and Peace – Caritas Canada, an international movement for solidarity that focuses on changing unjust social, economic, and political systems. 

Her lived experience of community transformation, her passion for bringing people together for a common purpose, and her ability to build consensus while bringing vision to life support the joyful courage that distinguishes her leadership. Her studies in microbiology and biochemistry, years of experience in pastoral ministry, and participation in youth movements in many communities has given her a unique perspective in community building and systemic change. 

Brenda Arakaza’s steadfast commitment to empowering women is anchored in the belief that to liberate a woman’s spirit and strength is to enable the best of social actors in their own communities. As an immigrant and young African woman, Brenda’s impact through the changes she has guided her organization through, has helped bring further a journey to de-colonize the approach to international development and public engagement for global justice.

In her current role, Brenda works to activate her organization’s Canadian members, especially youth, in effective action for systemic justice, while advocating for dynamic partnerships for community change with 65 partners around the world. Through this work, Brenda’s contributions get at some of the deeply entrenched colonialist practices and old structures, including by creating arguably the most significant change seen in her organization’s by-laws in the last 55 years. She has ensured lasting change that will make the organization more democratic and accountable to its membership in Canada and its partners around the world, especially in the global south.

Brenda is willing to ask difficult questions, listening to responses and providing important leadership to ensure their organization’s work is as accessible and inclusive as possible. 

“I can’t imagine a more appropriate changemaker to honor Lewis Perinbam’s legacy this year, than Brenda.”

– Chris Eaton, Executive Director, WUSC

Organizational Award Winners: Farm Radio International and Justice Education Society

The Organizational Award was granted to two recipients this year due to the high number of quality applications. One, to Farm Radio International for using radio and community-based methodologies to reach remote populations in their work. The second was presented to Justice Education Society (JES) for celebrating inclusion, local ownership, and the use of technology in their initiatives empowering people to access and deliver justice in Canada and globally. 

Learn more about the Innovation and Impact Awards in Honour of Lewis Perinbam.