By Velma Morgan and Fellows, Melenna Awaju and Emmanuelle Younger
For us, October is critical for a number of causes, one being a yr because the historic election of Honourable Speaker Greg Fergus – the primary Black speaker in Canadian historical past. It additionally marks the fifth yr anniversary of1834 Foundations’s 1834 Fellowship program. Every year, the 1834 Fellowship seeks out twenty high-potential Black youth from throughout Canada who want to enter or improve their capability for civic management roles and embarks them on an intensive eight-month coverage and civic management program.
Parts of this system embrace month-to-month “civic mixers” that are intensive weekend workshops of varied public coverage areas supposed to show Fellows to a wide range of civic management roles and public coverage areas, 1-on-1 mentorship from a seasoned coverage skilled, and an in-person 1834 Fellowship convening in Ottawa or Toronto. This yr it was in Toronto, held on October third to sixth.
We had been two of the Fellows on this yr’s cohort. We had the pleasure of studying from seasoned coverage consultants from inside authorities, the political sphere, public relations, non-public sector organizations and the authorized area on the necessities of efficient coverage growth and civic engagement. These consultants relayed insights garnered after a number of years in public coverage that set the groundwork for progressive coverage growth while inviting the Fellows to have interaction in self-reflection to make clear their aspirations inside public coverage.
At the beginning, public coverage is the inspiration for a thriving economic system, interactive neighborhood and a well-oiled society. Consequently, it can be crucial that public coverage makers symbolize the variety of our nation by way of experiences, views and data for insurance policies which can be equitable and efficient. Public coverage can also be multidisciplinary. Along with huge “P” coverage, points administration, communications and public relations are additionally crucial components to good coverage. These working inside coverage are inspired to develop abilities in these areas in order that their insurance policies could also be well-received publicly. Lastly, given the breadth of public coverage alternatives, consultants on the 1834 Convention emphasised balancing private values and profession targets with the sensible realities of working in several sectors of public coverage in order that the Fellows might decide which coverage profession trajectories align finest.
The 1834 Fellowship went past equipping fellows with public coverage fundamentals. Since Black youth are traditionally marginalized and underrepresented in civic engagement and management, the Fellowship was particularly designed to cater to the distinctive experiences and wishes of aspiring Black youth. It in the end created a community of Black Canadians, forming a bridge between the present coverage makers and the longer term coverage makers of Canada.
This yr’s 1834 Convention was a chance to have fun the previous as we stay up for the longer term. We celebrated alumni that moved on to pursue distinctions akin to Rhodes scholarships and the trailblazers of Black Excellence. These trailblazers included the Honourable Chief Justice Michael H. Tullock, the primary Black Canadian to sit down on an appellate court docket in Canada and Honourable Speaker Greg Fergus, the primary Black Canadian Speaker in historical past. Collectively, the Fellows and their newfound community of trade consultants and mentors made this October weekend a pivotal second in time by paving the highway in the direction of a united imaginative and prescient for Black illustration in coverage.
It’s of paramount significance for our neighborhood to unite to create moments of hope and resilience in occasions of resistance. The 1834 Convention supplied a exceptional alternative for such gathering, serving as a beacon of inspiration and collaboration for all Fellows. Lastly, robust bonds had been shaped throughout this expertise that can allow the Fellows to depend on one another as they progress with their skilled endeavors but in addition personally as effectively.
The 1834 Fellowship program goals to bridge the hole for public policymakers and have interaction younger Black Canadians in native and nationwide civic actions. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that the setting will be unwelcoming, making this path much less interesting for some. That’s why we’re notably happy with speaker Fergus, who’s dedicated to selling decorum and respect inside Parliament. We hope this strategy will lengthen to all areas of the political setting and civil service in Ottawa and throughout the nation.
For extra info on the 1834 Fellowship, please go to: www.1834foundation.ca and comply with us on social media at 1834fellowship
