If you haven't heard already - we started a new program in Winnipeg this year, 2015. Nadia was kind enough to share a few words about who she is and where she hopes to take NU WPG:
I am so thrilled to be involved in the first ever Next Up Winnipeg program! Having just come back from a trip to Next Up HQ in Vancouver and seeing for myself the way in which a leadership program like this can impact participants, I can’t wait for this unique program to inspire a new pool of young, passionate leaders right here in this city.
Though I have a background in leadership and community development, this lens of climate justice is very new to me. So, on a selfish level, I’m looking forward to expanding my own understanding of the ways in which climate justice impacts all other spheres of society: politically, economically, socially and culturally.
We’ve already formed a “dream team” for our Next Up Winnipeg Advisory Council, and I’ve been amazed and overwhelmed by everyone’s genuine excitement about this program. It seems like Winnipeg has been waiting for a program like this for some time.
I was born and raised in Cardiff, Wales. After graduating from Oxford University with a B.A. and M.A. in Politics and History, I moved straight to Winnipeg in 2004 (it's my husband's fault, he's a Winnipegger). For the past decade, I have worked across various sectors, each intersecting with my passion for working on issues related to diversity, multiculturalism, community development and capacity building, particularly within the newcomer community. I began working for several grassroots and non-profit organisations and then went on to work for the Government of Manitoba, Dept. of Multiculturalism and Immigration as a research consultant. In 2011 I began working for CBC Manitoba as a journalist and continue to freelance for CBC and write for the Winnipeg Free Press. I was the co-founder and program designer of the Canadian Muslim Leadership Institute and program manager for CMLI from 2012- 2014. Currently I’m the Co-Chair of the Institute for International Women's Rights and board member of the Legal Help Centre. I have 2 young boys and therefore well versed in Minecraft, Pokemon and other equally important cultural phenomena.
-Nadia Kidwai, Next Up Program Coordinator, Winnipeg