Fireside Conversation on Refugee Education
Canada is a global trailblazer in feminist international assistance, on girls’ education in conflict-affected contexts, and in providing durable solutions for refugees. This has been demonstrated time again by commitments such as the Feminist International Assistance Policy, the Charlevoix Declaration, and the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.
Recently, Canada once again demonstrated its commitment through the launch of a new global campaign to address the education crisis for refugees and internally displaced children and youth. The Together for Learning campaign is a 3-year international effort to promote quality education and lifelong learning for refugees, forcibly displaced and host-community children and youth.
A key pillar of this campaign is the Refugee Education Council, made up of youth advocates, women, teachers, parents and community leaders with lived refugee or forcibly displaced experiences. This dynamic group (which includes several members of the WUSC network) will share their knowledge and experience with the Minister and her team, shaping solutions and approaches to help address education needs.
Following this recent announcement, WUSC was pleased to host a Fireside Chat featuring the Honourable Karina Gould, Canada’s Minister of International Development, and three young advocates for refugee education, two of whom presently sit on the new Refugee Education Council.
About our Speakers
The Honourable Karina Gould
Minister of International Development
Minister Gould was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Burlington in 2015. A graduate of McGill University and the University of Oxford, Minister Gould is passionate about public service and international development. Before her election as the Member of Parliament for Burlington, she worked as a trade and investment specialist for the Mexican Trade Commission in Toronto, a consultant for the Migration and Development Program at the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., and spent a year volunteering at an orphanage in Mexico. Minister Gould lives in Burlington with her husband Alberto and son Oliver.
Amelie Fabian
Member of the Refugee Education Council
Amelie Fabian is a candidate in the Dual Masters’ degree in Public Policy and Global Affairs at SciencesPo Paris and the University of Toronto. She holds a BCom from McGill University. Amelie is passionate about youth empowerment and international development and the role that education can play to facilitate this. Amelie began her journey with WUSC as part of the 2014 Student Refugee Program cohort. She continued her involvement by volunteering with WUSC on campus. She has since represented WUSC at several events including the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. Amelie is currently the Regional Member, Ontario on the WUSC Board of Directors.
Ella Ininahazwe
Ella Ininahazwe is a Healthcare Management graduate and works as a Refugee College Guidance Counselor in Rwanda with Kepler – an organization that provides students in East Africa with access to higher education. Ella first advocated for refugee education while studying at Keper herself. As a Guidance Counselor, Ella is responsible for managing Kepler’s scholar preparation programs throughout Rwanda, developing the curriculum for teacher assistants, and supporting refugee students before, during, and after their studies. Ella is determined to increase the number of refugee youth who can access higher education, especially girls and young women. Originally from Burundi, Ella came to Rwanda in 2015.
Foni Joyce Vuni
Member of the Refugee Education Council
Foni Joyce Vuni is a graduate of Mass Communication with a major in Public Relations. Foni believes that interaction and education is crucial to promoting peace and appreciation of cultural diversity. Foni is the co-chair of UNHCR’s Global Youth Advisory Council (GYAC) and the focal point for education. In 2018, she represented South Sudanese refugees at high-level peace talks held in Khartoum. Together with a Kenyan friend, Foni founded the community-based YEMI Initiative. YEMI’s aim is to enable the local community and especially youth to realize and utilize their potential. YEMI counsels, mentors, and inspires through mentorship programmes, career talks and panel discussions.
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