Please note that as of June 2009, the Foundation is no longer considering grant proposals for the global citizenship program. For more information, please contact Natasha Sawh at natasha(a)gordonfn.org
Changes to the Global Citizenship program
Like many other foundations, the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation has been severely affected by the ongoing turmoil in the financial markets. In June 2009, the Foundation’s Board of Directors held a 3-day retreat to discuss a more strategic direction for the Foundation. As a result of this discussion, our efforts will be concentrated on two long-standing programmes: Freshwater Resources Protection and the Canadian North.
While the Global Citizenship grants will be discontinued, our interests in global issues will continue by developing the international components in our North and water programs, and through a new initiative examining Canada’s foreign aid. For a summary of the decisions made regarding the Foundation’s future focus, see our July e-newsletter and announcement by Board Chair Hugh Segal.
The Gordon Global Fellowship program will enter its fourth and final
year with a new cohort of fellows who will begin their fellowships in
September 2009.
McMaster University, Global Citizenship Conference
photo by Greg Atkinson
Background on the Global Citizenship program
Our efforts in this programme area focused on two groups of Canadians – members of diaspora communities and young Canadians – who share an abiding commitment to solving global challenges and who are poised to contribute significantly to shaping Canada’s international policies.
Our decision to discontinue the Global Citizenship program was not taken lightly, and we continue to see great value in advancing the work of young Canadians and members of diaspora communities in shaping Canada’s role in the world. To this end, we will continue to profile the work produced with support from the Global Citizenship program over the last four years. We hope others will find this new knowledge and insight useful.
More information on our grants focused on youth engagement and diaspora and transnational communities, including our diaspora diaries series, is still available on our website, as well as the publications that have been produced through the global citizenship programme. An archive of the background and context for the global citizenship program can be found here.