The weekend of the 18th August to the 20th August could not go unspoken of! WUSC hosted our Local Committee National Training, bringing together over 80 participants from every corner of Canada. The WUSC  National Training is an annual event where Local Committee representatives from various campuses across Canada assemble to learn, collaborate and hone…

Congratulations to the newest cohort of graduates from the Student Refugee Program! Many of our new grads are now preparing to begin a new stage in their lives, from pursuing further studies in their fields of interest to moving to a different city or country to embarking on a new career path.  Access to post-secondary…

Although we are now seeing many Canadians eager to engage in international volunteer opportunities once again, we have heard from our IGNI+E partners that bringing together volunteers who can represent both national and international perspectives not only helped sustain momentum, but—as was the case at ACADES—also strengthened their results. So we undertook a study with our partners to learn more about their experiences during this unanticipated adaptation of our volunteer mobilization approach. Here are five key findings.

Receiving a work permit or business license creates positive impacts in the lives of refugees and for their communities. In practice, access to work permits and business licences is complicated by several barriers. A new report, led by the University of Oxford’s Refugee-Led Research Hub and supported by Mastercard Foundation and WUSC, explores the gaps that exist between policy and practice of refugee access to Class M work permits and business licences in Kenya, and identifies what support is needed to improve access to sustainable livelihoods for urban and camp refugees

On June 13, 2023, WUSC collaborated with Expectation State with funding from Mastercard Foundation to organize a virtual event on economic opportunities for refugee and displaced youth. Close to 100 people from different parts of the world participated in the event who were members of civil society organizations, academia, and post-secondary institutions. The aim of…

Around the world, only 6% of refugees have access to higher education, according to UNHCR.  When accessing higher education systems, refugee students are confronted with many challenges, including high tuition fees and living costs, legal restrictions, and strict language requirements.  Increasing access to higher education among refugees is key to building an inclusive and sustainable…

Forced to confront the double discrimination of gender and displacement, young refugee women face many unique barriers to accessing health services, advanced education opportunities, and ultimately a seat at the table on discussions that directly impact their lives.  Around the world, in the often overlooked shadow of displacement, refugee youth are coming together to challenge…

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in the broader West Africa context Despite West Africa’s  reputation for stability and economic growth there are a number of significant economic and political crises unfolding in the region. Most recently, the Mali‒Niger‒Burkina Faso tri-border area (Central Sahel) has become one of the fastest growing displacement crises in the world.…

Have you ever been curious about entering the global development sector? Have you ever wanted to exchange your unique skill set for an opportunity to volunteer abroad?  International volunteering provides you with an experience where you are able to directly contribute your skills to development. This experience is unlike any other, as you are placed…

Access to quality sexual and reproductive health services is an essential component to ensuring a good quality of life. This is particularly true for adolescent girls, for whom early pregnancy can quickly alter the trajectory of their lives—limiting the opportunities that are available to them and even becoming life-threatening. Globally, complications during pregnancy and childbirth…