Gould made a visit to the World Renew offices in Burlington to learn about their work and offer her encouragement.
Gould was elected as a Member of Parliament during the 2015 federal election. She was also appointed to be the Parliamentary Secretary to Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Canadian Minister of International Development.
“It is such a pleasure to have Ms. Gould as the elected representative right in our riding,” explained World Renew Director, Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo. “She has a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to international development, so it is wonderful to have her right in our backyard. We were pleased to welcome her to our office and foster relationships that appreciate each of our roles in working with people to overcome poverty, injustice and disaster.”
Gould visited the World Renew office for about an hour on July 6. World Renew staff told her a bit about their work in the fields of international development, disaster response and refugee resettlement. They also shared about the strong support they receive from Christian Reformed Church across Canada and from many other caring Canadians.
“We are all in the business of building strong global citizens,” she said. “I encourage you to continue fostering engagement on global issues with Canadians across the country.”
Before she left, Ms. Gould encouraged World Renew to keep up the good work. “We are all in the business of building strong global citizens,” she said. “I encourage you to continue fostering engagement on global issues with Canadians across the country.”
“We can only move at the speed of trust,” she concluded, noting the strong local partnerships and networks that World Renew has forged, building trust globally.
Ms. Gould also encouraged World Renew to provide their expertise to the International Assistance Review that Global Affairs Canada is conducting this summer. Through nationwide consultations, Canadians have an opportunity to engage in this discussion and share what is important to them. Ms. Gould said that of the consultations she’s already attended, there is general consensus about what Canada should be doing, but there is a need for organizations like World Renew to offer innovative suggestions for how to do it.
On Wednesday, July 13, 2016, World Renew will host its own community consultation at our head office in Burlington, Ontario. The consultation will focus on three areas in which World Renew works – the Health and Rights of Women and Children, Innovation and Partnerships.
The consultation is open to the public and feedback will be gathered from a range of participants that include local citizens, global staff, community partners, international development professionals and students, church members who have participated in World Renew’s work, and anyone who wishes to share how we can work as a global community to bring about transformative change.
To participate or for more information visit http://worldrenewconsultation.eventbrite.ca
*Top photo: Karina Gould (left) poses with World Renew-Canada Director Ida Kaastra-Mutoigo