– In this assignment, you will examine the work of Canadian CSOs in another part of the world, assessing to what extent their work employs a charity versus a social justice approach. Your assignment is to compare and contrast two Canadian organizations and their work in one particular country, and to consider how their work responds to one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
1) Learn about the UN’s SDGs (https:// sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ ?menu=1300), and choose one of the SDGs as the main focus of your assignment.
2) Learn about the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) by examining its website (www.ccic.ca). Over many years, the CCIC has developed a guiding framework for its member organizations meant to reflect the social justice aspirations of Canadian civil society in the area of international development. To learn more, pay particular attention to the “About Us” tab, specifically to the CCIC’s “Code of Ethics and Operational Standards” and its “10-point Agenda” (originally adopted in 2008 and reconfirmed in 2017 as its “guiding framework”), and to the “What we do” tab.
3) Choose two Canadian organizations that are members of the CCIC to examine for this assignment (there are more than 80 organizations to choose from). The Member Organizations are listed under the “members” tab on the CCIC homepage. You will find links to the organizations’ own websites there. You need to find two organizations that work in the same country doing comparable work, i.e. work that responds to the same SDG.
4) Examine the websites of the two organizations. Consider how they conform to the standards and agenda of the CCIC. Also, assess the work they do in the country of your choosing in light of the UN Sustainable Development Goal(s) on which you are focused and in light of the standards and agenda set by the CCIC. Compare and contrast these organizations and their work.
5) Find a recent independent source (a newspaper, blog, etc.) that you consider reliable (recall SPARK) and that addresses the issue(s), country and/or organizations you have examined. Cite this source and reference it in your analysis. How does this source affect your view of the two organizations and their work?
6) Read one academic article from those listed below that discuss the concept of civil society and the role of civil society organizations. How does this source affect your view of the two organizations and their work? Use the author’s ideas to further analyze the work of the two organizations you are considering. Cite this source and reference it in your analysis.
7) Read one article from the list below that discusses the differences and similarities of a charity approach versus a social justice approach. Think about whether you see the work of the CSOs you have considered as classic “charity”, i.e. trying to “help” without thought to how their work conforms to the tenets of social justice and undoing-oppressions. Cite this source and reference it in your analysis.
-Your essay requires a clear thesis regarding the extent to which the CSOs fit under the ‘charity model’ versus the ‘social justice model’. It should also provide the reader with a coherent review of the study and analysis you have conducted by going through the above steps. While it is important to briefly describe aspects of the work of the organizations in order to ground your analysis, remember that the assignment is principally analytical rather than descriptive.
Format: The essay should be typed, double spaced, with 12-point font and one inch margins. Be sure to type your name, student number, your TA’s name, and tutorial time at the top of the first page. Also put the word count in bold. You may be penalized if the essay exceeds the preferred length of 800 WORDS! Remember that the bibliography does not count as part of the total word count. The essay will be marked for both content and writing style. Please re-read, proofread, and revise your work before turning it in. Don’t forget to use spell-check.