This is the end of Canada’s World Youth Program

Tens of thousands of young Canadians have participated in educational programs at home and international internships over the years.

However, this was discontinued during the pandemic.

Without the ability to travel, our programs were cut and we saw a significant reduction in funding. It will simply take too long to find the resources to restore it without immediate additional support.“- said in the press release of the organization.

Lack of funds

President and CEO of World Youth Canada, Susan HandriganHe says the lack of new funds hastened the end of the organization.

After everything was closed, we changed our operations, but we did it mainly with internally reserved funds. We have been continuing for the last year and a half [de trouver] Financing decisions [nos] programs, but unfortunately we had no newsMrs. Handrigan, herself a former participant of the program, laments.

The organization’s main financial partner was the Canadian government, through Global Affairs Canada. It also relies on the generosity of several donors.

Our proposals, which we have made for programming, have moved on to global affairs, to something else [organisations]noted Susan Handrigan That leaves little hope for the organization’s survival.

According to Ms. Handrigan, there was too much uncertainty to keep the organization going. A dozen employees announced that the organization will be closed in a few months, time to make some commitments.

World Youth Canada offered international internship programs, but also ran the International Aboriginal Youth Internship Program and the Aboriginal Youth Leadership Program. The organization also supported the Women’s Livelihood and Entrepreneurship (WELI) programme.

At the time of writing, Global Affairs Canada had not responded to Radio Canada’s questions.

Disappointed former participants

Canada World Youth was founded by Senator Jacques Hébert in 1971 to offer international education programs to young people.

One of the participants of the first cohort, Raymond Chiasson, is disappointed with the end of this adventure.

I find it very sad. I don’t think it was a huge burden on the federal government. When you think about the expenditure elsewhere, to me it was a good expenditure that gave a lot of young people a chance to discover something else.He says in an interview given in the ICI Acadie program La matinale.

He went to Cameroon in 1972, where he stayed for six months. There, he discovered a passion for photography that allowed him to pursue a career in the field.

I come from Rogersville. It was an opportunity I would never have had [on ne me l’avait pas offert], that’s for sure. I was not traveling at that time. I barely left Rogersvillehe recalls.

” My parents knew it was the only way. They did not have the opportunity. We were at the farm. »

For Guillaume Duguay of Petit-Rocher, New Brunswick, the program’s disappearance is a big disappointment.

I’m really disappointed because it helps our young people get involved in different things, whether it’s in the community or sustainable or international development. It opens doors for many young peopleAccording to a man who traveled to Ontario and Honduras in 2010.

Now an industrial mechanic, he feels Canada’s World Youth has allowed him to become more involved in his community, where he often volunteers.

According to Ocean Information Doucet and Shaw Dila From ICI Acadie