Bibeau announces funding for Sherbrooke's Carrefour de solidarité internationale youth program
The Minister of International Development and La Francophonie and MP for the riding of Comptonstanstead, Marie-claude Bibeau announced Monday funding of $2 million for the Carrefour de solidarité internationale de Sherbrooke (CSI) for its International Youth Internship Program (IYIP).
This funding will allow the CSI to offer 112 youth internships in four countries - Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru and Senegal. Most trainees will participate in projects promoting democracy and gender equality, while others will focus on economic and rural development that is environmentally friendly, and on food security.
The IYIP aims to strengthen the professional, interpersonal and intercultural skills of young Canadians and add to their understanding of international development. It gives them tools to integrate more easily into the job market. This program also demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to tackling youth unemployment and skills development while advancing the priorities of Canada's new Canadian International Women's Aid Policy.
"The internship I did in Morocco when I was 22 years old changed my life,” Bibeau said. “I encourage all young people to have an international development experience, and the internships offered by the CSI are the perfect opportunity."
"We are extremely pleased to be able to allow young Townshippers to have an international solidarity experience with our overseas partners,” added CSI Director-general Étienne Doyon. “These internships are not only exceptional professional development opportunities, they are also unique moments in a lifetime."
The CSI, established in 1976, is a nonprofit organization that manages development projects in partnership with non-governmental organizations in the South, sends trainees abroad, and conducts outreach and education activities for the public.