Volunteering for Development

A guide working with Casa Relax Chuquiñapi, a community-based tourism project in the La Paz region of Bolivia, shares his experience with the participants of the 2017 International Seminar. Were you among the 1.3 billion tourists who travelled internationally this year? With the development of more advanced and affordable forms of transportation, and the expansion…

In the forests of Sri Lanka, elephants are known to deploy a unique strategy to protect their young. In the face of a threat, adult elephants will form a tight pack, herding their young into the middle for safety. It was this imagery that inspired the name for Sri Lanka’s first reality show on social…

Émilie MacIsaac, Volunteer with the Women’s Economic Linkages in Employment and Development (WE LEAD) program Jordanian women hold one of the highest literacy rates in the Middle East at 85.9%. Yet women face many barriers to accessing quality training and jobs in Jordan. As a result, the country has the lowest female economic participation rate…

When you think back to what you thought you could be when you were growing up, the chances are that ‘mobile app developer’ was not an option you considered. The employment landscape has changed so much over the years. And it will only keep on changing, fast. Entrepreneurs play a big part in determining the…

As we celebrate Canada Day today, we wish to honour the engagement of the thousands of Canadians who contribute each year to creating a more equal world by giving their time and sharing their knowledge, skills and expertise as international volunteers. Through their engagement, optimism, willingness and concrete daily actions working with local partners, these…

In July of 2017, 21 youth leaders from Canada and Bolivia gathered in La Paz, Bolivia, for the 2017 International Seminar on sustainable community tourism. An extraordinary human adventure Living up to its reputation, the 2017 International Seminar was an incredibly enriching experience. It provided youth with an opportunity to connect with their peers from…

From October 15 to 25, 2017, WUSC and CECI welcomed a delegation made up of six partners of their international cooperation program, Uniterra, who work in the tourism industry. The trade mission was planned to coincide with the International Tourism and Travel Show in Montreal, with the main goals of encouraging business relations between partners…

At the 2017 World Bank annual meeting, an important theme was the call for new instruments and tools to mobilize private capital to fight poverty more effectively across the globe. Indeed, beyond available taxes and development assistance, it is estimated that $2.5 trillion in private financing is required annually to fully implement the Sustainable Development…

By: Cécile Robert, International Seminar Coordinator, Uniterra Program Not every student would be willing to spend their summer holidays producing research reports on sustainable tourism. But for the 21 participants of the 2017 International Seminar in Bolivia, it was a no-brainer. They happily traded in their vacation plans because they knew these reports could be…

By: Cécile Robert, International Seminar Coordinator, Uniterra Program Yesterday, we launched the 71st International Seminar. For the first time in its long history, the Seminar will be held in Bolivia and will focus on sustainable community tourism. Established by WUSC in 1948, the International Seminar is an educational gathering that offers students and young professionals…