Description:
The Project is a Quebec-wide initiative implemented over five years (2026–2031) by the Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI), in collaboration with the Inter-Council Network (ICN). Building on AQOCI’s role as a convenor of over 70 organizations across 14 regions, the Project strengthens inclusive global citizenship engagement and contributes to Canada’s international assistance efforts, with a strong emphasis on gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It focuses on mobilizing individuals and communities, strengthening organizational capacity, and fostering collective action, while integrating feminist, intersectional, and decolonial approaches and amplifying the voices of historically marginalized groups.
The Project enhances public understanding of global issues through a comprehensive global citizenship education approach that combines awareness-raising, capacity-building, and community mobilization. It places particular emphasis on engaging, underrepresented groups, including youth, Indigenous communities, diaspora groups, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with disabilities, while ensuring outreach across urban, peri-urban, and rural regions of Quebec. These groups are the primary beneficiaries of the Project’s activities, which are designed to foster inclusive participation, strengthen local leadership, and connect local and global issues.
In Quebec, AQOCI serves as a key hub for global citizenship education and international cooperation, working in partnership with civil society organizations, academic institutions, and community actors. Project activities include: (1) increasing awareness of global inequities and development issues through public engagement initiatives and educational activities; (2) building the capacity of partners and change agents through training, knowledge exchange, and collaborative learning spaces; and (3) fostering inclusive participation and collective action through dialogue spaces, co-creation processes, and strengthened pan-Canadian coordination mechanisms that support shared learning and impact.
Expected Results:
The ultimate outcome of the Project is to strengthen support for Canada’s international development assistance, including gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among people across Quebec as engaged global citizens, with a particular emphasis on youth and underrepresented populations. The Project achieves this outcome through inclusive global citizenship education, public engagement, and capacity-building programming delivered both in person and digitally, reaching an estimated 743,070 direct beneficiaries over five years, as well as more than 10 million individuals indirectly through communications and outreach efforts. Beneficiaries include women, youth, and individuals from Indigenous, diaspora, 2SLGBTQIA+, and other marginalized communities across urban, peri-urban, and rural regions.
The expected outcomes of this Project include: (1) increased awareness and engagement of people in Quebec, particularly underrepresented populations, in global issues and international development in support of gender equality and the SDGs; (2) strengthened capacity of individuals and organizations to design and deliver inclusive and transformative global citizenship initiatives grounded in feminist, intersectional, and decolonial approaches; and (3) enhanced coordination and knowledge-sharing across Quebec and within pan-Canadian networks, contributing to more coherent and impactful public engagement efforts in support of international development.