Canada World Youth (CWY, in French : Jeunesse Canada Monde, JCM) was an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing youth with a voluntary opportunity to learn about other communities, cultures and people while developing leadership and communications skills. [1]
Founded in 1971 by Jacques Hébert (1923–2007) a former Canadian senator and lifelong promoter of youth and international development programs, Canada World Youth has sent over 50,000 youth volunteers in 69 countries worldwide to participate in its programs. The organization is currently in the process of winding down operations.
Save Canada World Youth is a grassroots movement initiated by alumni of the Canada World Youth/Jeunesse Canada Monde (CWY/JCM) program, which is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing international volunteer and exchange opportunities for Canadian youth. The movement was formed in response to the Canadian government's decision to significantly cut funding for the CWY/JCM program in 2012. The alumni believe that the CWY program has had a significant impact on the lives of Canadian youth and the communities they serve around the world and that it is an important tool for promoting cross-cultural understanding and global citizenship. The Save Canada World Youth movement aims to raise awareness about the value of the CWY program and to encourage the Canadian government to reinstate funding to ensure its continued success. The movement has organized various campaigns, including a petition on Change.org, social media campaigns, and outreach to Canadian parliamentarians and decision-makers, to draw attention to the importance of the CWY program and the need to secure its future. [2] [3] [4]
Due to COVID-19 and political factors, the youth program was discontinued to the dismay and heartbreak of alumni in 2022. [5]
AIESEC is an international "youth-run" and led, non-governmental and not-for-profit organization that provides young people with business development internships. The organization focuses on empowering young people to make a progressive social impact. The AIESEC network includes approximately 40,000 members in 120+ countries.
Scouts Canada is a Canadian Scouting association providing programs for young people between the ages of 5 and 26. Its aim is "to help develop well-rounded youth, better prepared for success in the world." Scouts Canada, in affiliation with the French-language Association des Scouts du Canada, is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.
Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver is an American activist for people with intellectual disabilities. In 1989, he founded Best Buddies International, an international organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities to find employment and social opportunities. Through his mother, he is a nephew of World War II casualty Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Senator Ted Kennedy.
Youth Parliament of Manitoba Inc. (YPM) is a non-partisan, non-denominational, and incorporated registered charity based in Manitoba, Canada.
Children International is a global nonprofit humanitarian organization that helps children break the cycle of poverty. It addresses children’s critical needs through early intervention and regular interaction in community centers. The goal is to help children overcome the effects of poverty, support their education, and prepare youth to contribute to society.
The 519, formerly known as The 519 Church Street Community Centre, is an agency by the City of Toronto. A Canadian charitable, non-profit organization, it operates a community centre in the Church and Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 519 serves both its local neighbourhood and the broader lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) communities in the Toronto area. The 519 defines its local neighbourhood by a catchment area that spans from Bloor Street to the north to Gerrard Street to the south, and from Bay Street in the west to Parliament Street in the east.
Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI) is a global non-governmental youth music organization founded in Brussels, Belgium, in 1945. Its mission is to "enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries." JMI operates in four primary areas: Young Musicians, Young Audiences, Youth Empowerment, and Youth Orchestras & Ensembles.
Citizen Corps is a program under the Department of Homeland Security, founded in 2002 as part of the USA Freedom Corps, that provides training for the population of the United States to assist in the recovery after a disaster or terrorist attack. Each local Citizen Corps Council partners with organizations, volunteers and businesses to organize responders, volunteers and professional first responders for an efficient response so efforts are not wasted by being duplicated. By training in Incident Command, volunteers know whom to report to and how the incident is organized. This prevents sites from being inundated by untrained and unprepared personnel preventing operation. Citizen Corps also works in conjunction with the Corporation for National and Community Service in promoting national service opportunities for promoting homeland security needs.
The Air Cadet League of Canada is a volunteer organization that provides financial support and oversight to the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. The Air Cadet League owns all of the aircraft used in the Air Cadet Gliding Program. The League is organized into three levels: the National, the Provincial, and the local level, each of which is responsible for different areas of the League.
The Global Peace Foundation (GPF) is an international nonprofit organization with a stated mission to promote “an innovative, values-based approach to peacebuilding, guided by the vision of One Family under God.” GPF partners with government ministries, community and faith-based organizations, and United Nations offices to develop and execute programs in 20 countries.
NetCorps was a volunteer-organizing coalition consisting of nine Canadian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and managed by the NetCorps coordination unit. Through the program, the organizations created international information and communication technologies (ICT) internships in developing countries around the world. Interns typically participated in six-month programs, leaving between August and November for host organizations in the placement countries. Positions were limited to 19–30-year-old Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who had "appropriate information and communication technologies skills". Typical duties included creating webpages, developing databases, computer networking, setting up hardware, preparing manuals and other documentation, and general-to-advanced computer instruction.
Youth Challenge International (YCI) is a youth-centered, non-profit, non-religious, non-governmental organization focused on international development issues. It aims to equip developing country youth with skills and resources to contribute positively to their communities along with engaging Canadian youths in international development and social justice issues. Over 201 Canadian youth volunteer overseas annually with YCI.
Citizen Schools is an American nonprofit organization that partners with middle schools across the United States to expand the learning day for children in low-income communities. Its stated mission is "educating children and strengthening communities". Currently, Citizen Schools serves over 5,000 students and recruits over 4,280 volunteers over 31 program sites in 13 cities across 7 states. The center pieces of the Citizen Schools model are its apprenticeship programs run by volunteers that culminate in public demonstrations called WOW!s, and partnering with some middle schools to expand learning time for students. Citizen Schools offers the AmeriCorps National Teaching Fellowship providing a 2-year paid service opportunity for citizens interested in using their personal talents to enhance life opportunities for middle school students. Fellows in their second year can participate in a residency program operated by one of three university partners to obtain teacher certification in California, Massachusetts and New York. In honor of its 20 anniversary in 2015, Citizen Schools honored 20 alumni of the Fellowship who continue to make a profound impact in the community today.
International Voluntary Services,Inc. (IVS) was a private, non-profit corporation for benevolent, charitable, and educational purposes chartered under the laws of the District of Columbia in 1953 to place volunteers in international humanitarian and development projects. From its founding until its dissolution in 2002, IVS placed volunteers in 39 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Its largest and longest programs were in South Vietnam, Laos, Algeria, and Bangladesh. Although the organization's roots were grounded in part in Christian pacifism, it operated on a nonsectarian basis, accepting volunteers regardless of their religious beliefs or nationality., Over its lifetime, the IVS program evolved from the placement of only American citizen volunteers to placement of internationally-recruited volunteers and then in later years to recruitment of local volunteers from within the country being assisted. Elements of the IVS program model have been adopted by the U.S. Peace Corps and many present day non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Sections below discuss the IVS program model, activities over time, and legacy.
Masa Israel Journey was established in 2004 by the Jewish Agency and the Government of Israel. Dedicated to its mission, Masa offers young Jewish adults from the diaspora transformative experiences in Israel. Masa's commitment to fostering personal and professional growth, combined with cultural exchange, has proven them as pioneers in the realm of immersive Israel experiences, spanning from 4 week to 10 month programs for ages between 16-50.
Cuso International is a Canadian international development organization that connects communities around the world with skilled Canadians to help end poverty and inequality. Established in 1961, Cuso International has deployed more than 15,000 volunteers and has worked in more than 100 countries on long-term development projects.
International volunteering is when volunteers contribute their time to work for organisations or causes outside their home countries. International volunteering has a long association with international development or environment, with the aim of bringing benefits to host communities. It can include a range of services, from healthcare advancement to economic development to governance.
Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) is a Canadian non-profit organization that provides technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership training programs for young people around the world.
Thierry Zomahoun, born in Benin in West Africa, is a Beninese-Canadian national. Zomahoun is a political economist, an industry leader, a grand strategist and a global thought leader for innovative education initiatives.