The Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC) connects the different international development groups through the province together.
Brandon Bertram with the SCIC explains that any international development group can be a part of the larger organization, and that means any group that is helping out developing countries around the world. These groups do things such as building schools or work to alleviate poverty. He says that there are normally around 70 organizations that are associated with the SCIC at any given moment.
"We are really a coalition of organizations, everything from small organizations that are based out of Saskatchewan like Help International to everything up to Oxfam, UNICEF and big organizations like that. Basically any organization with roots in Saskatchewan that works to alleviate poverty," Bertram says.
He notes that it doesn't matter how large the organization is, since the work is valuable either way. He notes that Help International out of Weyburn is doing valuable work with sustainable ecology, and they have built a model African village to help develop their ideas and they bring in a lot of international interns to help create solutions to problems.
Much of the work of the SCIC is engaging people within Saskatchewan in international development, as well as educating people on the difference international development makes. The recent International Development Week was a vital opportunity to engage people in that way, Bertram says, bringing information to schools and hosting events to get the people of the province active and engaged, in order to work to improve the world.
One of the focuses is to work with schools, providing material for teachers and programs to start engaging kids in the province and get them seeing the impact they have as a global citizen from an early age. This is reflected in the Global Classrooms in the 306 program, which nominates different classes and rewards them for the work they are doing to be engaged. He notes that this year, classrooms from Rossthern and Davidson were selected by doing really cool and innovative things in their communities.
"It's really cool to be able to engage the youth in these issues and get the young people to begin thinking about themselves as citizens instead of just consumers. A lot of our society is built around consumerism so it's really meaningful for us to be able to change that discussion a little bit and help open young people's minds to all the good they can do in the world, if they learn about issues and get engaged and bring their friends and family along with them," Bertram says.
He admits that Saskatchewan is relatively far away from most international development, but there are many groups of dedicated volunteers which raise awareness, and funds, to help people around the world.
People can find out ways to get involved at earthbeat.sk.ca.
