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Virtual Engagement Resource Centre for All

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Welcome to VERCA - The Virtual Engagement Resource Centre for All.

The process of engaging the Canadian public for international aid contributes to promoting global citizenship among the population. Canadians become aware of Canada's international aid efforts, including the Feminist International Assistance Policy and, more broadly, of Canada's contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, by better understanding how local issues relate to global issues, Canadians will be inclined to take actions that will contribute to a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive world.

The PE Toolkit is a collaborative and evergreen platform to support Canadian organizations that want to engage Canadians on global issues. It has been designed for a wide audience of practitioners, regardless of their level of familiarity with the field of public engagement. The tools and resources presented in this package have been developed by Global Affairs Canada, Canadian partners, other federal entities and international organizations.

Share your development stories, videos and photos to be included in Global Affairs Canada’s development stories:

• Send an email to stories-histoires@international.gc.ca with any relevant content, from small anecdotes about individual projects to sweeping trends in agriculture and education.
• Consult these tips and guidelines on how to create effective stories.
• Be sure to include a note on the program or project, for example, the date, location, speaker’s name and title, and whether a credit is needed.
• Please note that video should include natural sound whenever possible and be free of narration, music and titling; photos should not include text.
• Remember to inform and copy your project officer at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) if your story is related to a GAC-funded initiative.
• Once you contact us, we will provide you with a link where you can upload your content.  
• Note that GAC will always consult with you before sharing your content with media or on any of our channels.

Share your public engagement tools and resources.

To keep yourself updated whenever new information is added to the toolkit and If you wish to contribute to this toolkit or collaborate with us (new ideas, links, suggestions, etc.), send an email to engagement.dev@international.gc.ca (in French or English)

Working definition of public engagement activities[edit | edit source]

At the moment, Global Affairs Canada uses the following as guiding principles for public engagement (PE):

Public engagement activities aim to promote global citizenship and engage Canadians as global citizens.

More specifically, this means activities and initiatives that must demonstrate:

• The connections between major global challenges and local issues;
• The impact of global challenges on Canadians;
• The ways in which Canada’s international development efforts directly contribute to alleviating these global challenges.

At the moment, the Government of Canada is using the following ultimate outcome for funded initiatives: “Canadians are expected to take action in their own ways and as a result, become global citizens.”

However, some communications activities do not correspond to Global Affairs Canada’s interpretation of public engagement. These include:

• Fundraising

• Annual general meetings

• Partisan political advocacy or lobbying

• Online and social media activities used to promote an organization

• Activities that take place outside of Canada

What is a "Global Citizen"?[edit | edit source]

In the context of this toolkit, Global Affairs Canada defines global citizens as individuals who are aware of global issues and understand the complexity of the world, including their place in it. These citizens usually understand that major global challenges have repercussions in their local reality, and vice versa. They are also aware that Canada’s international development efforts contribute to alleviating global challenges. In some cases, and at different stages of their lives, they may take various types of actions that allow them to take an active role to help build a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive world.

As individuals become more engaged, they tend to better appreciate the impact of Canada’s international development efforts in the context of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and the collective contributions of Canadians toward the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The global citizenship “continuum” or cycle[edit | edit source]

Individuals who identify themselves as global citizens continuously move along a continuum from basic awareness of global issues, to deeper understanding (or knowledge) of global development challenges through to active involvement and informed action. (In our interpretation, knowledge and awareness mean the same thing.)

The learning process is not linear and individuals can be at different stages of this continuum, depending on circumstances. For example, one might be at the awareness level regarding judiciary reform, at the understanding level for peacebuilding and at the action stage on women’s rights.

As well, organizations may get involved at different stages of the continuum and with different target groups. One could, for instance, provide information to the general public or deliver education programs to students to deepen their understanding, while providing opportunities for concrete actions to individuals and groups.