This Giving Tuesday, support a generation of committed, resilient leaders
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
As our world continues to become more complex, from climate change concerns, growing income inequality to the uncertainties of artificial intelligence, many are looking to the current ‘powers that be’ for meaningful solutions and rightfully so. And while politicians and others who possess structural and instrumental power ought to be accountable to those they serve, at ICA Canada, we are particularly inspired by individuals who are willing to lead from where they stand. There are many great examples of people around us doing just this (our teachers, mothers, activists, entrepreneurs, nurses, college and high school students, etc.). For us, leadership is not about a title or status, it about having an internal conviction to stand up for what’s right, including having a desire to make a positive difference. Doing this through openness, courage, collaboration, fortitude and compassion.
We also know that authentic leadership or ‘social pioneering’ can be an extremely challenging journey, and at times, an isolating one. It takes courage to create alliances with people who think differently from us, it takes genuine openness to seek wisdom from others, it takes resilience to delve into the unknown, and to stay the course when the road gets bumpy. And as Brian Stanfield suggests, “in the midst of it all, the social pioneer needs to be one who stands firm in the chaos like an iron pillar of freedom” (The Courage to Lead, 2012). It is for all these reasons and more, that ICA Canada is honoured to support young people in their leadership journeys’ as they explore how to:
- Create impactful social change projects.
- Seek to collectively solve local and global problems.
- Navigate complex workplace dynamics.
- Work towards being the best leaders they can be (i.e. “transform self, transform society”).
So, this year, our fundraising goal is to raise $5000 CAD before the end of 2019 to support young people in building and strengthening their leadership capacity. We’re excited to grow our program offerings in 2020 and your generous contributions will definitely help us realize this.
How your donation will make a difference:
- Your gift of $50 will contribute to two ICA Canada books for one youth participant.
- Your gift of $100 will provide one youth participant the opportunity to participate in a 13-week Courage to Lead (CTL) online study. The value of the CTL online study is worth $300 per participant, however, we offer it at a reduced rate of $100 CAD.
- Your gift of $200 will provide one youth participant the opportunity to participate in a Train-the-Trainer facilitation series program, an initiative that is currently in development for 2020.