Centre for Global and Community Engagement - University of Ottawa

Joanne C. Chartrand, Academic Administrator, Faculty of Education leaves for Tacna, Peru, to work as a human resources advisor for a municipal company (Empresa Prestadora de Servicios de Saneamiento), which provides drinking water and drainage services for over 61,000 people in the cities of Tacna and Locumba. Tacna is situated 1,290 kilometres south of the capital, Lima, does a great deal of business with Chile, just 35 kilometres away across the border. Joanne’s mandate includes support for the human resources department in the implementation of activities related to its annual action plan and its recreation, culture and sports program, which aims to improve employee wellbeing and promote the strengthening of team spirit. During her stay, she takes part in employee training and professional development programs.

Nicole Ouimette, Chief Administrative Officer, Faculty of Arts works in Ouagadougou as action plan development advisor for the Burkina Faso Union des Coopératives Agricoles et Maraîchères (Union of Agricultural and Truck Farming Cooperatives - UCOBAM), which is an umbrella organization that started producing and exporting fruit and vegetables in 1968. The organization has publicized Burkinan green bean production for international markets. Nicole is a project management professional and she supports the organization as it develops a new action plan to match the organization’s present situation, production potential and the current demand from European and international markets. Her role includes taking part in the development of an organizational diagnostic of the Union, assisting with the consideration of potential solutions and helping develop a three-year action plan. Nicole is delighted at having such a great opportunity and believes that it is an excellent chance for a reciprocal learning experience.

Nicole Tremblay, Manager, Centre for Organizational Development and Learning, Human Resources leaves on an organizational management and networking project with the Coalition burkinabé pour les droits de la femme (Burkinabe Coalition for Women’s Rights - CBDF), which includes 15 member organizations and offers a number of services, including advocacy for, promotion of and training courses in equality of the sexes and the fight against violence committed towards women and girls. It also provides information distribution and networking. The CBDF is endeavouring to improve its organizational management and networking. Nicole’s mandate includes supporting the Coalition burkinabé pour les droits de la femme in the effective implementation of a sub-regional action plan. Nicole is, therefore, involved in a number of activities including an organizational diagnostic to improve the way the CBDF is run and the implementation of a strategy for the identification of the key players whose support it needs to attract. She interacts with other involved countries’ networks and coalitions from the sub-region that are also part of the action plan. Although she loves travelling, this is her very first time visiting Africa. She has a network of people to help her learn about the country and give her advice. Its main members are Phillippe Douamba, who is from Burkina Faso, works in the Office of the Vice-President, Research, and actually took part in a Leave for Change project just last year, and Marielle Gallant, CODL Project Manager, who was also involved in an international support project in Burkina Faso when she was working for WUSC. Nicole keeps in touch with her family, friends and the CODL team throughout her mission and also plans to write a blog. She is really looking forward to those aspects of the project related to knowledge transformation and transfer.

Dave Weatherall, Gazette Editor in Chief, Communications Directorate, External Relations, leaves on a three-week mission to Bamako with the Fédération nationale des Associations de Santé Communautaire du Mali (Mali National Federation of Community Health Associations - FENASCOM), founded in July 1994 and with around 950 members.

Dave Weatherall’s initial mandate had to be changed because of the current situation in Mali. He will now work as a policy advocacy advisor with the Federation of Community Forestry Users (FECOFUN) in Katmandu, Nepal, and will begin in early May 2012.

Since its inception in July 1995, FECOFUN has grown into a national federation of forest users across Nepal dedicated to promoting and protecting users' rights. It represents about 8.5 million people. The policy advocacy program for which Dave will work has been conducted by FECOFUN since September 2005. Activities undertaken under the program pertain to governance, to a rights-based approach (RBA) and advocacy for improved governance and to enhancing the advocacy capacity of groups.

Several issues raised in communities have policy implications at the local, district and national levels. Community-level issues are resolved by through the development and implementation of community-level advocacy plans.

However, there is a lack of appropriate mechanisms to bring these issues to the district and national levels to effect policy change. Therefore, during his stay in Nepal, Dave will strive to build FECOFUN’s capacity in lobbying and advocating for favorable policies and strategies by designing a policy advocacy strategy to be used at the national and district levels.