Six years ago, I started University without a clue of what I wanted to do. I sort of wanted to be a journalist, but ended up taking Communications instead because it was more broad. I signed up for an elective course called "Introduction to Human Rights" taught by Bill Skidmore. Within one lecture, I was completely blown away. I could not believe that Canada, a country that prides itself on its peace keeping reputation, had been so implicit in so many atrocities.
I learned that a Canadian boy (Omar Khadr) was being held in Guantanamo Bay, and the Harper government was doing nothing to bring him home. I learned that until 1996, Canadians rounded up Aboriginal children and forced them to attend Residential schools where they were essentially whitewashed, physically and sexually abused, and robbed of their languages and distinct cultures. I also learned about the now infamous "Torture Memos" and how in the wake of the so-called War on Terror, the Bush Administration changed the definition of torture so that it would only include interrogation that caused organ failure or death. Water boarding and other psychologically traumatic procedures were now fair game.These are just a few of the topics that I had never heard of before attending University. At age 17 I began to realize that I do not want to live in a world, let alone country, where these types of issues are swept under the rug. I immediately changed my degree so that I graduated in 2010 with a BA in Human Rights and Communication Studies.
After graduating from my BA program, I felt like I was at a cross roads. I didn't even really want to graduate yet. I loved writing essays on international law, genocide, gay rights etc. However, I didn't feel ready to pursue a Master's degree. I searched Master's programs in Human Rights and realized that to pursue that path I would have to move to Costa Rica or Australia, and probably wouldn't be any closer to my dream job than I was at that point. I ended up working for a year as a receptionist at a promotional marketing company. I hated every minute of it. The people were nice, but I felt that selling pens and mugs was doing absolutely nothing to improve the world around me. I decided I would save enough money until I could travel and volunteer in a developing country.
I looked around at various websites, but found it a bit unsettling that most agencies charge thousands of dollars for only a few weeks of volunteer work. Why should I be paying all this money as a volunteer? The more I looked around, the more I understood the notion of "voluntourism". Basically, I had very little skills to offer any reputable NGO. The only ones that accepted students or unskilled persons were agencies that charge a large ammount to babysit you while you spend a couple of days hanging around an orphanage or building a school before heading off to safari. I really wanted to make a difference, not participate in a program like that. I eventually stumbled on the website for Humber College's International Development post graduate certificate program, formerly known as International Project Management (IPMP).
Which brings me to where I am today. I moved to Toronto and enrolled in the Humber post-grad program. I've learned a lot in the past few months about international development, economics, the future of aid, and the NGO world. With this blog, I would like to share my thoughts on topics and current events as they unfold. I also am extremely passionate about the power of documentary film. I will continue to share documentaries I have watched over the years and my opinions on them. I will also post relevant articles, book reviews etc. I'll keep you posted on how the "saving the world" thing works out for me.
