Day one: Thursday, February 6, 2020

Location: Marquis Events Centre, University of Saskatchewan (USask)

8:00 – 9:00 Registration and Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 Prayer: Louise Halfe, Elder and Traditional Knowledge Keeper
                   National Anthem: Kiela Caudillo, International Partnerships Specialist
                   Welcome Remarks: Karen Chad, Vice-President Research

9:15 – 10:15 Keynote Speaker: Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director, United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR)

10:15 – 10:30 Networking break

10:30 – 12:00 Sustainable Development Session: FOOD, LAND, WATER – SECURITY AND SOVEREIGNTY

Session Moderator: Karsten Liber (School of Environment and Sustainability)

Floods, fish and people: Life in the Jurua River, Amazonas (Brazil)
Presenter: Tim Jardine (Toxicology Centre and School of Environment and Sustainability) 

Connecting People, Places and Processes - Indigenous Pathways between Local and Global Well-being (New Zealand)
Presenter: Simon Lambert (College of Arts and Science, Indigenous Studies) 

Practical advances towards the 2030 agenda (Guatemala)
Presenter: Ginny Lane (School of Public Health) 

Improving cereal production in Ecuador to address sustainable production, poverty and education (Ecuador)
Presenter: Randy Kutcher (College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Plant Sciences)

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 Exhibit, Student Competitions and Concurrent Sustainable Development Workshops

1. LEADERSHIP AND THE ROLE OF PLURAL SECTOR IN STRIVING FOR UN SDGs Workshop Facilitator: Anurag Saxena, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Education
2. WATER FUTURES FOR THE WORLD WE WANT Jointly facilitated by: Global Institute for Water Security; Global Water Futures; and, College of Arts and Science, Department of Geography and Planning. Lead facilitator: Corinne Schuster-Wallace

2:30 – 2:45 Networking break

2:45 – 4:15 Sustainable Development Session: SUSTAINABLE, EQUITABLE AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

Session Moderator: James Robson (School of Environment and Sustainability)

Peaceable Experiential Education: cultivating sustainable, equitable, and diverse communities (Nicaragua; Guatemala)
Presenters: Geraldine Balzer (College of Education, Curriculum Studies) & Luke Heidebrecht (PhD Candidate, College of Education) 

Myths re-visited through visual arts: Can old stories guide us to a more sustainable society? (Greece)
Presenter: Allyson Glenn (College of Arts and Science, Art and Art History) 

From Moja (Me) to Pamoja (We): Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Tanzania)
Presenter: Cara Spence (Health Sciences, Collaborative Research) 

The SDG Indicators: Forgotten Levers of Sustainable Development
Presenters: Jeremy Rayner (Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy) and Glenna Dureau Sargsyan (PhD student)

4:25 – 4:30 Day One Closing Remarks

5:30 – 8:00 Art Exhibit – Stories of Love and Kinship - Bridges Art Movement, 5-113 3rd Ave. So.
Doors open at 5:30 pm; opening remarks 6:30 pm

We support and welcome you to attend, in conjunction with the PAW 2020 conference, "Stories of Love and Kinship". This is an art exhibit and fundraiser for the people of Kanyawara, Uganda, featuring a collection of poetry and photography from Zoey Roy, Nico Trick, and Irena Creed.

*Art Exhibit will be open February 6 – 10, from 12 pm – 8pm each day.

Day two: Friday, February 7, 2020

Location: Marquis Events Centre, University of Saskatchewan (USask)

8:00 – 9:00 Breakfast

9:00 – 9:15 International Blueprint Overview – Darcy Marciniuk, Associate Vice-President Research

9:15 – 10:15 Keynote Speaker: Jon Beale, Manager, Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) of Canada

Why the World Needs the Sustainable Development Goals (and How Academia Can Help Achieve Them) 

10:15 – 10:30 Networking break

10:30 – 12:00 Sustainable Development Session: HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Session Moderator: Darcy Marciniuk (Office of the Vice-President Research)

Paths to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 in Nigeria: Disentangling social factors that influence childhood mortality (Nigeria)
Presenters: Daniel Adedayo Adeyinka (PhD candidate) & Nazeem Muhajarine (College of Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology) 

Development of nutrient-rich oil-in-water nanoemulsions for diarrhoeal disease and associated malnutrition management in developing nations
Presenter: Supratim Ghosh (College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Food and Bioproducts Sciences) 

An international research program in childhood asthma (Eastern Europe)
Presenter: Josh Lawson (College of Medicine, Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture) 

Land-based healing on Turtle Island and Aotearoa: Finding common overlaps and areas of revitalization (USA; New Zealand)
Presenter: Michelle Johnson Jennings (College of Arts and Science, Indigenous Studies); Derek Jennings (College of Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology); Alison Green (Misiweskamik Indigenous Post-doctoral Research Fellow, College of Arts and Science, Indigenous Studies) 

12:00 – 1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 Exhibit, Student Competitions and Concurrent Sustainable Development Workshops

Concurrent Sustainable Workshops (1:30 - 2:30) Rooms 70.4 Place Riel and 299 Murray Library 

1. LEADERSHIP AND THE ROLE OF PLURAL SECTOR IN STRIVING FOR UN SDGs Workshop Facilitator: Anurag Saxena, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Education
2. WATER FUTURES FOR THE WORLD WE WANT Jointly facilitated by: Global Institute for Water Security; Global Water Futures; and, College of Arts and Science, Department of Geography and Planning. Lead facilitator: Corinne Schuster-Wallace

2:30 – 4:00 Sustainable Development Session: PATHWAYS TO CLIMATE ACTION AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

Session Moderator: Irena Creed (Office of the Vice President Research)

Renewable Energy in Northern, Remote and Indigenous Communities Flagship Program (Circumpolar North)
Presenters: Greg Poelzer (School of Environment and Sustainability), and Bram Noble (College of Arts and Science, Geography and Planning)

Promoting Sustainable Regulation for Ice-Jam Flood Management of Inland Deltas of Socio-Economic and Ecological Importance (Germany)
Presenter: Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt (Global Institute for Water Security) 

A Global Review of Climate Change Education: Tracking Progress on Sustainable Development Goal 13 Through an Analysis of National Submissions to the UNFCCC (Multi National)
Presenter: Marcia McKenzie (College of Education, Educational Foundations)

Paris of the Prairies: Making the Paris Agreement a Reality at the University of Saskatchewan (Multi National)
Presenters: Jason McLean (College of Law), and Joel Seaman (JD Law Student)

4:00 – 4:30 Closing Keynote

SDG Water Report

Keynote presenters: John Pomeroy and Corinne Schuster- Wallace, Global Institute for Water Security, Global Water Futures

4:30 – 4:45 Award Announcements: Nancy Turner, Director, Teaching and Learning Enhancement

• PAW 2020 Student Poster Competition
• Internal International Project Grants (2019-2020)
• Internal Internationalization Recognition Awards (2019-2020)

Conference Closing Remarks: Meghna Ramaswamy, Director, International Research

Introduction of Visiting Researchers Networking Reception: Ken Wilson, Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations

4:45 – 5:45 Visiting Researchers From Around the World

*Light hors d’oeuvres will be served. One complimentary drink ticket for each participant; additional drink tickets will be available for purchase.

PAW 2020 will be located at:

Marquis Events Centre
University of Saskatchewan
97 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, SK S7N 4L3

Click here for a Google Map listing.

PARKING

There is no dedicated parking for conference registrants; however, pay parking is available across from Place Riel and other areas around campus.

Nikhil Seth 

United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director, UNITAR 

On 8 June 2015, Mr. Nikhil Seth was appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as UN Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Before assuming the post of the UNITAR Executive Director, Nikhil Seth was the Director of the Division for Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) at the United Nations Secretariat in New York. In this role he served as head of the Rio+20 secretariat and of the secretariat for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States, spearheading the preparations for these conferences in Rio, Brazil, and Apia, Samoa. He was also closely engaged in coordinating and advancing their follow-up. Mr. Seth’s Division was also responsible for supporting the intergovernmental negotiations for the post-2015 development agenda, which was adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 in September 2015.

Keynote:

Judging by what was said and done in New York at the UN General Assembly (September 2019), SDG implementation and Climate action are the major preoccupation of the UN and its member states.

At UNITAR we are committed to helping UN Member States and UN stakeholders to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by providing innovative training and capacity-building services. Last year, 85,000 individuals benefitted from our work.

We recognize the importance of partnerships for providing training and learning opportunities and changing peoples’ mindsets. The Sustainable Development Goals will not be achieved without the strategic engagement by the academic sector

We have therefore been very pleased to join forces with universities to scale education for the SDGs. For a longer period we have developed joint master’s programs with a number of universities. Last year we were thrilled to support the launch of a new platform on university leadership for the Sustainable Development Goals – the University Global Coalition.

I call on you to engage your university in SDG leadership.

SDGs:

In September 2015, world leaders from all 193 United Nations member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide global action on the urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges facing our planet. Four years into the mandate, progress has been slow. No country is on track to achieve their SDG commitments, and many countries are moving backwards with inequalities and environmental degradation continuing to rise.

The SDGs offer a ‘whole-of-society’ approach to tackling humanity’s biggest challenges and provide a framework from which diverse groups can compare approaches, align efforts, and monitor outcomes. From changes in our energy sector, to ensuring clean drinking water in Indigenous communities, to housing shortages in our cities, the SDGs create an opportunity to unite Canadian voices and ensure that transitions are just and that the most vulnerable are not left behind. In achieving these ends, Canada’s academic institutions play a critical role to drive innovation that leads to societal transformation oriented to the SDGs.

Jon Beale 

Manager of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) of Canada, hosted at the University of Waterloo. SDSN Canada is part of a global SDSN movement to build a network of universities, colleges, and knowledge institutions working together to create practical solutions to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Jon’s experience comes from a variety of community and economic development roles throughout his career. This includes starting new agricultural businesses with farmer cooperatives in Zambia, leading tourism and climate change research with Inuit and Métis communities in Labrador, and working with municipal leaders throughout North America to identify and highlight economic opportunities with clear pathways for action. Jon’s academic background is in Economics and International Development, with degrees from Queen’s University and the London School of Economics.

Keynote:

In September 2015, world leaders from all 193 United Nations member states adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to guide global action on the urgent environmental, political, and economic challenges facing our planet. Four years into the mandate, progress has been slow. No country is on track to achieve their SDG commitments, and many countries are moving backwards with inequalities and environmental degradation continuing to rise. 

The SDGs offer a ‘whole-of-society’ approach to tackling humanity’s biggest challenges and provide a framework from which diverse groups can compare approaches, align efforts, and monitor outcomes. From changes in our energy sector, to ensuring clean drinking water in Indigenous communities, to housing shortages in our cities, the SDGs create an opportunity to unite Canadian voices and ensure that transitions are just and that the most vulnerable are not left behind. In achieving these ends, Canada’s academic institutions play a critical role to drive innovation that leads to societal transformation oriented to the SDGs.

Dr. John Pomeroy  

Director of the Global Water Futures Programme – the largest university-led freshwater research project in the world. At the University of Saskatchewan he is the Canada Research Chair in Water Resources and Climate Change, Distinguished Professor of Geography, Director of the Centre for Hydrology, Director of the Coldwater Laboratory, Canmore, AB and Associate Director of the Global Institute for Water Security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the American Geophysical Union and the Royal Geographical Society, is the 2019 recipient of the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada, was the 2017 recipient of the J Tuzo Wilson Medal from the Canadian Geophysical Union and serves as Institute Professor of the Biogeoscience Institute of the University of Calgary and Adjunct Professor of the University of Waterloo. He leads the International Network for Alpine Research Catchment Hydrology project of the World Climate Research Programme. Dr. Pomeroy has authored over 350 research articles and several books that have been cited over 15,000 times on the impact of land use and climate change on hydrology and water resources.

Dr. Corinne Schuster-Wallace

Faculty member in the Department of Geography and Planning. Dr. Schuster-Wallace focuses on coupled systems approaches to water-health challenges. This includes environmental change impacts on water-related disease and the linkages between local water security and wellbeing in rural and remote communities. 

Keynote:

Water Futures for the World We Want

Jointly facilitated by: Global Institute for Water Security; Global Water Futures; and, College of Arts and Science, Department of Geography and Planning. Lead facilitator: Corinne Schuster-Wallace

Learning outcomes are to:

• Understand the role of water in sustainable development; and,
• Identify practical actions that can be undertaken by individuals and institutions towards achieving SDG 6 targets.

Corinne Schuster-Wallace focuses on coupled systems approaches to water-health challenges. This includes environmental change impacts on water-related disease and the linkages between local water security and wellbeing in rural and remote communities. She is a faculty member in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Saskatchewan.

Global Institute for Water Security is the top water resources research institute in Canada and one of the most advanced cold regions hydrology centres in the world. GIWS is dedicated to helping protect freshwater resources, mitigating the risk of water-related disasters such as floods, droughts, and fires, and predicting and forecasting extreme hydrologic change. 

Global Water Futures is a seven-year, University of Saskatchewan-led research program established within GIWS, funded in part by a $77.8-million grant from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund in partnership with the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, and Wilfrid Laurier University. The research goal is to transform the way communities, governments and industries in Canada and other cold regions of the world prepare for and manage increasing water-related threats.

Workshop Summary: Canada is not on track to become a water sustainable nation. Now Canada is also on the front lines of rapid climate changes that will further limit our progress, with warming temperatures in the north more than three times the globally predicted average. Canada has not reached universal access to reliable, potable water supplies for everyone. In municipalities, aging water and wastewater infrastructure is becoming a health and safety concern. A recent report has indicated that 11 cities across Canada have neighborhoods with higher than recommended lead levels.

Historically, water quality degradation and changes in water run-off have occurred as a result of land use changes and urban development. Catastrophic water-related experiences such as increasing frequency and severity of floods, drought, fires, and toxic algae blooms are “creeping threats”[1] that undermine our quality of life, health, and safety. They also cost our economy, and those costs are rising.

SDG Links: While only one of the seventeen SDGs is explicitly dedicated to achieving progress on water issues ranging from access to drinking water, to wastewater, pollution, and transboundary water resources management (SDG6), a total of 40 targets across the other sixteen goals are related to water.ii This interconnectedness shows just how central water is to overall sustainability, and that the Goals are not separate blocks that can be snapped together. With water often at the heart of many social and economic inequities it is critical to address water quantity, quality, and access issues in order to meet all of the goals and to achieve the global sustainable development vision.

This workshop will center on water (SDG 6) and its interlinkages with other SDG goals, specifically nutrition (SDG2), health (SDG3), Gender (SDG5), and climate action (SDG13).

The intended audience will include anyone with an interest in water as a critical element of sustainable development. The workshop format will accommodate a flexible number of participants. If more than 20 people participate, the discussion section will be split into two parts - small breakout groups to ensure that all voices are heard followed by a plenary report back with additional discussion. There are no additional requirements for the workshop beyond microphones and projector. At least five staff or students from GIWS / GWF will be at the workshop as rapporteurs.

[1] Renaud, F. and Schuster-Wallace, C.J. (Eds.). (2018). Groundwater and Human Security. United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Hamilton ON. Available from: https://inweh.unu.edu/groundwater-and-human-security/

Leadership and the role of plural sector in striving for UN SDGs

Workshop Facilitator: Anurag Saxena, College of Medicine, Postgraduate Medical Education

Learning objectives:

1. Discuss the plurality in plural sector as compared to private and public sectors.
2. Discern challenges to enhancing the voice of the plural sector in striving towards UN SDGs.
3. Articulate strategies to further develop the role of plural sector and its leadership in achieving UN SDGs.

Workshop Summary: This highly interactive workshop is aimed at exploring and expanding the role of the plural sector (groups/associations of people owned neither by public nor private sector – including many universities and healthcare organizations, Mintzberg, 2015) in striving for the UN SDGs. SDG no.17 refers to the partnerships for achieving the goals; however, within the context of developing shared agreements, despite small- and large-scale efforts and innovations, plural sector has the most feeble voice compared to the private (economic) and public (political) sectors.

It is informed by Mintzberg’s work on rebalancing societies and extant literature on moral courage, power of narratives in normalizing and marginalizing societies, and the concept of “belonging” in organizations. The participants will work together to enhance our understanding of the role of formal and informal leadership (in general and more specifically in educational and healthcare institutions) with respect to, a) the stable unchanging elements that we need to keep without succumbing to the over-fuelled process of constant change, b) claiming plural sector's rightful place alongside private and public sectors, c) an expansive and more inclusive perspective on health and higher education, and d) leveraging underrepresented and untapped human potential towards the ultimate aim of achieving UN SDGs for the well-being of humanity and the planet.

Workshop format: A brief introduction to the key concepts and participant(s) engagement in co-creation through “think-pair-share” discussions. End with personal reflection for consciously applying the explored abilities to strive to be a moral leader irrespective of any position in the organization or society.

Key words: SDGs, plural sector, moral courage, narratives, leadership.

Floods, fish and people: Life in the Jurua River, Amazonas (Brazil)
Presenter: Tim Jardine (Toxicology Centre and School of Environment and Sustainability; Fellow of the Canadian Rivers Institute and conducts interdisciplinary research in large rivers of Canada, Australia and South America.)

The presentation outlines a partnership between Canadian, Brazilian, Ecuadorean and British scientists to study fisheries production in the Jurua River, a tributary of the Brazilian Amazon. There, we are working with local fishermen to understand how to sustainably manage populations of arapaima, the largest freshwater fish in the world, as well as the food web that supports it. We use a combination of chemical tracers, diet observations and interviews to construct the food web of the arapaima in floodplain lakes that are under community-based management. Some lakes allow open fishing, others are used for subsistence only, and others are protected. We are determining how the management regime of these lakes affects arapaima populations and other fish species in the lakes, and also testing fish samples for the presence of the toxic metal mercury, which could threaten the viability of this food production system.

Connecting People, Places and Processes - Indigenous Pathways between Local and Global Well-being (New Zealand)
Presenter: Simon Lambert (College of Arts and Science, Indigenous Studies)

This presentation is about an ongoing project that connects Indigenous participants across five networks to build multi-scale capacity in Saskatchewan, Iqaluit, New Zealand and a fourth site (TBD) so that Indigenous communities can contribute to, and benefit from, sustainable development. It will do this by embedding Indigenous voices, approaches and communities into local, regional and global strategies towards selected Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). Importantly, we acknowledge our communities are increasingly urban and we proactively engage with urban groups to further their goals of wellbeing and cultural connection with traditional lands while exploring what sustainability means within city boundaries.

Of the five networks, two are Saskatchewan based, two are multinational, and one is in New Zealand. The objective is to support Indigenous practitioners, leaders and scholars working with their communities in development, climate change, biosecurity, disaster risk reduction, and mental health. These participants are supported to engage with SDG discourse in, , No Poverty (SDG #1), Climate Action (13), Life on Land (15), Sustainable cities and communities (11) and Good health and wellbeing (3) to the benefit of their communities while contributing to Federal and Provincial strategies, and to wider planetary sustainability. Exchanges will be established between participating nodes, with three internal support groups co-designing specific approaches: Indigenous Knowledge holders/Elders; Indigenous women in STEM; and land managers/community liaison.

Practical advances towards the 2030 agenda (Guatemala)
Presenter: Ginny Lane (School of Public Health)

Over the past five years we have developed a partnership with the Universidad de San Carlos (USAC) in Guatemala focused on food security research. In partnership with USAC and Redmisar, a local women's organization, we have obtained grant funding that has supported the initiation of a food security project in Momostenango, Guatemala. The overall objective is to promote the adoption of healthier dietary practices among Indigenous people to improve nutritional health and prevent the development of chronic diseases in an economically, culturally and environmentally sustainable manner. We assessed baseline food security and nutritional status and identified hen and egg operations and women's home-based businesses as appropriate interventions. We subsequently delivered materials to 10 families to construct chicken coops. We also delivered training on how to construct market baskets to 10 women so they can develop home-based businesses.
The next phase of this project involves recruiting additional families, establishing a control group, and inviting more women to be trained. We will measure changes in food security, health status and family dynamics. We will also work with the families to determine how to move forward with supporting business growth through exploring market expansion and business models, such as cooperatives or group marketing.

Improving cereal production in Ecuador to address sustainable production, poverty and education
Presenter: Randy Kutcher (College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Plant Sciences)

This project focuses on the management of stripe rust of cereal crops (wheat and barley) in Ecuador. In Ecuador, as in Canada, rust diseases are major impediments to cereal production. The impact of rust diseases on food production and security is well established in North America, Europe and Asia. Although, the rusts are common in Ecuador and affect cereal production, upon which many indigenous Ecuadorians depend, they are the focus of many fewer scientists than in other countries of the world. There is relatively little information on the pathogens that cause these diseases in Ecuador. Furthermore, rusts are known to travel long distances naturally on air currents and inadvertently through human travel. Therefore, it is important to understand the diversity of this pathogen throughout the Americas as new races that appear in the southern hemisphere will be transported to the northern hemisphere and vice versa. This project is a collaboration Dr. M. Leiva-Mora (plant pathologist and professor) and Mr. F. Romero (retired professor with ESPOCH University in Riobamba, Ecuador. In addition, we will work with Dr. L. Ponce, research scientist at INIAP Ecuador (federal government). The project will involve training of undergraduate and graduate students in rust pathology.

Peaceable Experiential Education: cultivating sustainable, equitable, and diverse communities (Nicaragua; Guatemala)
Presenter: Geraldine Balzer (College of Education, Curriculum Studies) & Luke Heidebrecht (PhD Candidate, College of Education)

In August 2017, residents from four Nicaraguan and four Guatemalan communities gathered in Managua, Nicaragua for three days to discuss their experiences hosting groups from the Global North participating in various forms of Experiential Education (EE). This was a culminating event of a four-year collaborative research project investigating the various impacts these experiential programs have on host communities as well as visitors from the Global North. Working alongside local community organizations, NGOs, as well as with agencies/institutions that organize experiential education programs in these countries we identified areas of strength and weakness and began the process of articulating, from various perspectives, how to define and work toward reciprocity for all involved. This initial study has now provided a foundation for an ongoing inquiry into how to develop sustainable partnerships through EE as well as how to design future global research projects from a decolonizing perspective.

Myths re-visited through visual arts: Can old stories guide us to a more sustainable society? (Greece)
Presenter: Allyson Glenn (College of Arts and Science, Art and Art History)

This project builds on three years of established partnerships between Associate Professor Allyson Glenn, Dr. Caterina Pizanias (independent curator and educator), the Vorres Museum, the Cultural Foundation of Tinos, the Canadian Embassy to Greece, Tia Furstenberg (USask Fine Arts undergraduate student), and the OTE Choir (choral ensemble, Athens). Glenn and Dr. Pizanias led the project, while the Cultural Foundation of Tinos and the Vorres Museum, two significant art institutions in Greece, hosted Passages – concurrent solo exhibitions of Glenn’s artwork (paintings and drawings). Building on previous projects – Passages uses ‘myth’ as a tool to disseminate topics surrounding land, people, and sustainability. The artworks explore the complex intertwining between ancient stories, archetypes and current events.

From Moja (Me) to Pamoja (We): Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Tanzania)
Presenter: Cara Spence (Health Sciences, Collaborative Research)

This project was funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as part of a research partnership with the Canadian government, the University of Saskatchewan, the Tanzanian NGO Green Hope Organization, and the Nelson Mandela Institute for Science and Technology. The project, called Mama Kwanza Socio-economic Health Initiative (MKSHI), set up a network of healthcare clinics to provide clinical care, along with economic and social capacity-building opportunities for women, families, children, and orphans throughout the Arusha district of Tanzania. Cara will speak about equitable partnerships and collaborative work within the Health Sciences.

The SDG Indicators: Forgotten Levers of Sustainable Development
Presenter: Jeremy Rayner (Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy)

One of the central aspirations of the SDGs is improved policy coordination. No country can achieve all of the goals and, in a world of scarce resources, countries need to set priorities and confront trade-offs between the goals. If the SDG reporting requirements work as intended, these trade-offs will be explicit and transparent, in contrast to the situation with MDGs, where countries could “cherry pick” the goals that suited their strengths without reference to those that exposed their challenges. Much of the feedback and learning that will, in theory, improve coordinated efforts at achieving the SDGs is to be delivered via the indicators that accompany the goals. Largely behind the scenes, there is a huge effort to build on and improve the SDGs indicators so that they can perform this function both nationally and locally.

This paper reports on the different approaches in Norway, Sweden and Canada to incorporating SDG indicators into policy development. Specifically, the paper focuses on lessons from a partnership with the newly established Troms og Finnmark county in northern Norway, where a reorganization of local government is being undertaken within an equally novel framework of strategic planning using the SDGs.

Paths to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 in Nigeria: Disentangling social factors that influence childhood mortality (Nigeria)
Presenters: Nazeem Muhajarine (College of Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology) & Daniel Adedayo Adeyinka (PhD candidate)

Keeping children alive is one of the most pressing concerns in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While it remains a challenge, there is also little evidence to guide policymakers on appropriate interventions to reduce the large number of children dying in the LMICs. For example, Nigeria has a high number of deaths of children under the age of five (1 in 10 children will die before reaching the age of five years) and represents the second largest contributor to the global number of deaths of under-five children. This number is 4 times higher than the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG-3) target of 1 death out of 40 children.

Development of nutrient-rich oil-in-water nanoemulsions for diarrhoeal disease and associated malnutrition management in developing nations
Presenter: Supratim Ghosh (College of Agriculture and Bioresources, Food and Bioproducts Sciences)

Enteric bacteria cause diarrhea throughout the world, especially in developing countries of Asia and Africa. Intestinal infection by these bacteria leads profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting, which may be fatal. At present, there is an urgent need of nutrients and energy for the proper functioning of the body for many diarrheal and malnourished children. Therefore, our goal is to develop a novel nanoemulsion-based ready-to-use therapeutic drinkable fluid that would provide necessary energy from highly beneficial lipids, combat protein energy malnutrition, as well as provide necessary ions and glucose. Such a challenging research is done in an international collaboration between researchers from U of S and University of Calcutta, India. In the first part of the research at the U of S, we are developing oil-in-water nanoemulsions suitable for delivery of bioactive lipids and proteins along with necessary salts and glucose. The ready-to-use therapeutic fluid will be tested for long-term stability, ability to withstand high-temperature processing, change in pH, salinity and the encapsulation and protection of bioactive lipids. In the second part, in vitro and in vivo assessment of bioavailability of nutrients and bioactives from the nanoemulsion-based therapeutic fluid will be done at the University of Calcutta, India.

An international research program in childhood asthma (Eastern Europe)
Presenter: Josh Lawson (College of Medicine, Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture)

This presentation will focus on our international research partnership between Canada and centres in Eastern and Central Europe. In 2009, we initiated an international research and education collaboration to improve epidemiologic information, care, and research capacity related to chronic lung disease. The collaboration has focused mainly on pediatric asthma and has been conducted by an interdisciplinary team of international researchers. Our member sites are located in Poland, Republic of Northern Macedonia, Republic of Georgia, Belarus, and Ukraine as well as Canada. Most of our research work has focused around two large studies that were conducted in 2010 (n≈15,000) and in 2013-16 (n≈14,000). The choice of these six locations allows a range of “Westernization” and also represents varied health care access and practice as well as research capacity. The major activities and results from those activities will be described. This will include investigations into international differences in asthma prevalence and severity as well as issues around diagnostic labeling and the personal, environmental, and social correlates of childhood asthma.

Land-based healing on Turtle Island and Aotearoa: Finding common overlaps and areas of revitalization (USA; New Zealand)
Michelle Johnson Jennings (Choctaw) (College of Arts and Science, Indigenous Studies); Derek Jennings (Quapaw/Siouan; Sac&Fox Anishabe) (College of Medicine, Community Health and Epidemiology); Alison Green (Māori) (Misiweskamik Indigenous Post-doctoral Research Fellow, College of Arts and Science, Indigenous Studies)

Land-based healing refers to the practice of healing from and upon the land. Indigenous communities across the globe have engaged in land-based ceremonies for thousands of years. Colonization and ongoing oppression have disconnected Indigenous peoples from the land- reducing their ability to heal, especially from trauma, effectively. Current health interventions, including randomized clinical trials, have begun utilizing land-based healing practices to transform trauma and promote health from an Indigenous framework. This session will identify the common overlaps in Indigenous land-based healing approaches within Turtle Island and Aotearoa, as well as implications for future research.

Partnership and Renewable Energy as Platforms from Sustainable Development: Lessons from the Circumpolar North
Presenters: Greg Poelzer (School of Environment and Sustainability) and Bram Noble (Global Institute for Water Security)

The United Nations Development Programme’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 has set ambitious targets for energy, climate change and sustainable development.  By 2030 it aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services; increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology; and, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, especially island countries and regions.  Yet, in Canada, Alaska, and Russia, the very same challenges exist for many Northern and Indigenous communities.  Led by the University of Saskatchewan, the CASES (Community Appropriate Sustainable Energy Security) Partnership  tackles these issues through a multi-sectoral, multi- country team of Indigenous, Northern industry, and utility partners.  Indeed, there are parts of the Circumpolar North that are leaders in creating local, sustainable economic opportunities, enhancing energy access and energy security, through renewable energy.  This presentation outlines the goals of the CASES project, identifying key opportunities and potential lessons.

Promoting sustainable regulation for ice-jam flood management of inland deltas of socio-economic and ecological importance (Germany)
Presenter: Karl-Erich Lindenschmidt (Global Institute for Water Security)

The river systems in the high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere are particularly sensitive to environmental change. Anthropogenic and climatic induced changes to flow regimes have posed significant threats not only to ecological integrity but also to traditional way of life of indigenous communities. Of special interest is the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) in western Canada, which is recognized as a Ramsar Site, inhabited by indigenous communities, and predominantly located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both climate and regulation induced changes to the hydrological regime of the Peace River has raised concerns over the ecological health of the PAD. The major concern is the reduced frequency of ice-jam floods, which are particularly effective in replenishing the high-elevation basins of the PAD. Previous studies have suggested that releasing water at opportune times from the dam could promote ice-jam flooding of the delta, but ice-jam flood events can also be disastrous to communities. Thus, a conundrum is how to promote flooding in the downstream deltaic ecosystem without increasing the flood risk in upstream communities. This project identifies a balanced approach and demonstrates that it is possible to promote ice-jam flooding in the PAD without necessarily causing flooding in the upstream communities.

A Global Review of Climate Change Education: Tracking Progress on Sustainable Development Goal 13 Through an Analysis of National Submissions to the UNFCCC (Multi National)
Presenter: Marcia McKenzie (College of Education, Educational Foundations) & Nicola Chopin (Sustainable Education Policy Network)

Since 1992, the need to mitigate dangerous human interference with the climate system has been recognized in the international United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, 1992). Article 6 of the UNFCCC specifically calls for climate change education – hereafter understood as formal “education, training, public awareness, public participation, and public access to information – as an imperative means of mitigating and reducing anthropogenic climate change. In 2015, the importance of this global education agenda was reinforced with the ratification of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement and with the launch of UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on climate change education (UNFCCC, 2015; United Nations General Assembly resolution 70/1, 2015).

In this presentation, we will summarize the results of a study commissioned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with the UNFCCC, in which we examined education content in 377 country submissions under the UNFCCC. The study (1) provides a benchmark of the extent of existing data on countries’ progress that could be used for global monitoring of SDG 13 and (2) highlights achievements and implementation status of climate change education globally.

Paris of the Prairies: Making the Paris Agreement a Reality at the University of Saskatchewan (Multi National)
Presenter: Jason McLean (College of Law)

“Paris of the Prairies: Making the Paris Agreement a Reality at the University of Saskatchewan” examines the obstacles and opportunities associated with deep decarbonization at the University and beyond. The project examines the University’s scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 GHG emissions, and proposes a series of options to reduce and eventually eliminate each. The project also examines the socio-technical obstacles to achieving deep decarbonization at the University, and presents a model for overcoming those obstacles. Finally, but by no means least importantly, the project incorporates and learns from local Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. This project is as much about decolonization and reconciliation as it is about decarbonization.

“Paris of the Prairies” builds on and adds to both the scientific literature on polycentric, ground-up climate policy and governance as well as the emergence of universities as “living laboratories” of innovative climate policy learning and leadership. This project was inspired by an initiative undertaken by the University of California system, and its objective is not only to inspire change here at the University of Saskatchewan, but also to connect and collaborate with other universities around the world in discovering new and exciting ways to transition to a sustainable future.

Call for Abstracts for Poster Competition – PAW 2020 Conference

Does your research address one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals? We are pleased to announce this Call for Abstract Submissions for the 3rd Annual PAW Conference poster competition held at the University of Saskatchewan, February 6 – 7, 2020. Outstanding poster presentations will be evaluated by a panel of judges for one of three cash prizes of $300, $200, and $100.

Submit your abstract here.

Deadline for submissions is January 24, 2020 @ 4:30 PM

For more information about PAW 2020, click here. 

Enter a draw to win Free Registration to PAW 2020 Conference

Are you interested in entering a draw for free conference tickets to the PAW 2020 conference? There are 3 free tickets to be given away. To enter, pick one of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tell us how you have or would address this SDG. You are free to choose any format for your submission (photo, collage, poem, art, video, etc.). Your submissions will be made available on social media, the university website and other platforms as needed.

Apply here. 

Deadline for submission is January 24^th, 2020 @ 4:30 pm 

For more information about PAW 2020, click here. 

PAW 2020 supports and welcomes you to attend, in conjunction with the PAW 2020 conference, "Stories of Love and Kinship" an art exhibit and fund raiser for the people of Kanyawara, Uganda.

February 6 - 10, 2020 | 12 - 8 pm
Bridges Art Movement
5 - 115 3rd Avenue South

Opening night reception, February 6 at 5:30 pm featuring Zoey "Pricelys" Roy

This exhibit features a collection of poetry and photography from Zoey "Pricelys" Roy, Nico Trick, and Irena Creed. Poster

To bring wellness to communities, we need to restore harmony to the people-planet relationship by empowering local citizens to meet their needs in sustainable ways.

The Kibale National Forest is located in the foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains in western Uganda. It contains one of the highest diversity and concentration of primates in Africa (and the world).

Tensions exist between the needs of the Batooro and Bakga tribes, local people living adjacent to the Kibale National Park, and the need to protect the park itself. People rely on the forest as a source of food, energy, and water. As the population increased almost 10-fold, restrictions have been put on people from entering the park. The traditional resources provided by the park are no longer accessible as the park is now legally protected – driving increased rates of illegal extraction on the one hand, and crop raiding by elephants and chimpanzees from the park on the other hand. The human health and well-being of people living in the many villages that surround the edge of the park are at risk.

We need to restore the harmony between the people and the park.

Artist Statement

Stories of Love and Kinship features a collection of poetry and photography from Zoey Roy, Nico Trick and Irena Creed. This body of work is an act of solidarity with women in Uganda. Throughout our time in Uganda, we learned about the transition communities are going through as the climate continues to change. We see the love, the fear, and the commitment amongst women to maintain a life on their traditional homelands. The day-in-day-out work that is their reality is unfamiliar to the first-world eye. With privilege comes responsibility – so we seek to honour their stories and walk beside them by offering a source of hope, support, love, sisterhood, and friendship. We are in this together. 

Zoey “Pricelys” Roy is an activist, advocate and performance artist. She completed her Master of Public Policy at the University of Saskatchewan and recently started her PhD in Education at York University. A published poet, author, musician, and community engagement consultant, Roy specializes in youth engagement and community-based solutions to deep-rooted colonial issues in Canada. Under the stage name Pricelys, she has performed storytelling, music, rap, and spoken word across North America. She worked as the Artist in Residence in Africa with Queen Elizabeth II Scholars Program in the spring of 2019.

Nico Trick is a photographer and undergraduate student in the Interactive Systems Design program at the University of Saskatchewan. She volunteered her time as a photographer and editor with the Queen Elizabeth II Scholars Program in the spring of 2018 and 2019, documenting relationship between the land and the communities that inhabit it.

Irena Creed is an enthusiastic photographer of the global human condition and professor at the University of Saskatchewan. Creed served as the Executive Director of the School of Environment and Sustainability before being appointed Associate Vice-President Research. She has been internationally recognized both for her science and her humanitarian work. Creed led the Queen Elizabeth II Scholars Program on Planetary Health, taking many undergraduate and graduate students to Africa.