Dear friends, partners, and supporters,
2023 was a transformative year for SeeChange and a pivotal moment for our organization. Our fifth year of operation was marked by successes and challenges, and we are pleased and proud to share our journey with you.
Our commitment to advocating for, and supporting the leadership of Inuit communities in Nunavut in responding to health crises through an intersectional and community-driven approach remained at the forefront of our mission.
A highlight was the historic and emotional healing journey of a group of Inuit TB sanatorium survivors, their family members, and youth to the site of the former sanatorium in Hamilton in July. The visit was the culmination of months of partnership with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and helped raise awareness of this little-known part of colonial history and the intergenerational harm it caused, including its ongoing impact on the TB crisis in Nunavut. The Elders told us how important the visit was in their journey towards finding healing and closure.
Another highlight was SeeChange’s advocacy on tuberculosis, including our September spotlight event featuring Inuk singer and mental health activist Beatrice Deer and Naomi Tatty, SeeChange’s Nunavut-based intercultural health lead. Our presentations at numerous Canadian policy forums, and the publication of an opinion article arguing that TB is a social justice issue, underscored our commitment to raising the profile of the tuberculosis crisis in Inuit communities and promoting community-led solutions.
The commitment, patience, and partnership of the Pathy Family Foundation in this complex work over the past five years has been critical to the TB initiative’s success. The coming years will build on the trust and special relationships built with Inuit communities to shift and strengthen programming and action into the hands of Nunavut-based partners.
Read our Impact Report 2023
In parallel, we continued activities in other parts of the world, informed by our commitment to influence major humanitarian organizations to embrace decolonized and community-centered approaches. Our partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders (MSF) entered its second year, and we completed pilot projects in Venezuela, Sierra Leone, and Peru. Building on the success of these pilots, we deepened our expertise in monitoring, evaluation, and participatory learning tools and will apply them to new projects in Venezuela, Nigeria, and Brazil. In collaboration with MSF Brazil, our work has flourished, especially in demonstrating the need to integrate communities in the design of humanitarian responses.
Amidst the successes, we were deeply affected and shocked by the state of the world in 2023. Alongside dramatic crises in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Yemen, and Ukraine, it was the egregious silence and inaction around the war crimes and the risk of genocide in Palestine that compelled us to speak out on the failure of the humanitarian system and what is causing it.
We hosted our first webinar, debating the principle of neutrality in humanitarian action—a well-attended and lively discussion that emphasized the importance of co-creating brave spaces for discussions on decolonial and community-centered humanitarian action. We will continue with a series of webinars in 2024, as well as hosting a conference on Decoloniality and Humanitarian Action. We are also piloting education and awareness sessions focusing on the impact of colonialism and the Indigenous struggle for rights and self-determination.
Shifting power and influence away from traditional humanitarian and governmental actors toward communities also involves using innovative approaches to financing. The current financial structure of the humanitarian system often reinforces outdated colonial and neo-colonial models, maintaining control and decision-making in the Global North.
Generously funded by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, we conducted extensive research on community-driven financial models in 2023, laying the groundwork for the development of a CommunityFirst Perpetual Fund that we plan to pilot in Nunavut, contributing to showcasing how local communities can autonomously manage their funds to effectively address health crises.
Acknowledging the interconnected nature of global challenges, we cannot work on health and emergency response without incorporating a climate change and environmental degradation lens. Looking ahead to 2024, we are committed to developing a comprehensive climate action and equity strategy for our organization. This includes conducting an internal audit for mitigation measures and exploring the potential of a pilot project in Nunavut that unites youth, Elders, TB, mental health, art, and climate change, reflecting our holistic approach to community well-being.
Internally, SeeChange has been diligently working on organizational structures and direction, refining our Theory of Change, and conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the past five years of activities in Nunavut. Our focus on financial management, board development, and team and board retreats have further strengthened our foundation.
As we reflect on the achievements and challenges of 2023, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Pathy Family Foundation, Chamandy Foundation, The Sidhu Singh Family Foundation, MacMillan Family Foundation, Canadian Women’s Foundation, and Power Corporation of Canada for their unwavering support. Your contributions have been instrumental in driving our mission forward.
With warm greetings,
Rachel Kiddell-Monroe, SeeChange founder and CEO
Ekambi Mbella, SeeChange President of the Board
Read our Impact Report 2023
