MaRS Strategist Wins Global Youth Fellowship

The “Best and the Brightest” recognized by Walter and Ducan Gordon Fundtion for their special impact on Canada’s role in the world

Toronto, July 13, 2006 — The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation awarded six of Canada’s best and brightest with Global Youth Fellowships today. This new program recognizes and supports young Canadians who work in the international arena on the most pressing challenges of this century including political unrest, climate change, human rights and global health pandemics. The Foundation will give each recipient $20,000 to use at their discretion allowing them to further their work.

“Canadians play an extremely valuable role internationally, making improvements to the lives of so many around the world and at the same time enhancing Canada’s reputation on the world stage,” said Patrick Johnston, President, Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation. “The Global Youth Fellowship was created to encourage younger Canadians to enhance their efforts to find innovative and constructive ways to make an impact on these tough global challenges.”

The six Canadian award winners, ranging in age from 26 to 35, come from Saskatoon, Toronto, St. John’s, Ottawa and Montreal. The Foundation expects to run this program annually, awarding six young Canadians with Fellowships each year. Recipients were chosen for their sustained commitment to a global issue, leadership potential, interest in policy making and proven track record participating in collaborative projects.

The Fellows include:

• Alexandra Sicotte-Lévesque, Montreal, is the co-founder and Executive Director of Journalists for Human Rights and is currently working in Sudan. Alexandra will pursue research on balancing Canada’s mining interests and human rights in Ghana.
• Adrian Bradbury, Toronto, is the co-founder and director of GuluWalk. In 2005, Maclean’s magazine named him one of its “newsmakers of the year”. Adrian will conduct further studies into the role that the international community can play in protecting the rights of vulnerable populations affected by conflict.
• Martha Robbins, Saskatoon, was named in 2002 by Maclean’s magazine as one of the “25 leaders of tomorrow”. Martha will focus her research on migrant farm workers and food sovereignty.
• Anuradha Rao, St. John’s Newfoundland, is a global activist with a focus on environmental conservation and human rights. She will focus her research on how climate change affects coastal regions in Canada and internationally.
• Ross Wallace, Toronto, is the Director of Corporate Strategy with MaRS Discovery District. He will be studying the possibility of harnessing Canadian innovation and drug expertise to fight global health pandemics.
• Farouk S. Jiwa, Ottawa, is a mentor at the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. He will be investigating Canada’s use of multiculturalism in informing foreign policy and whether the pluralism of identity offers more.

“I am extremely grateful for this Fellowship and the recognition that the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation is giving to young people who are working so hard abroad to improve civil society,” said Fellow Alexandra Sicotte-Levesque. “The award will allow me to further my research on Canada’s responsibilities towards communities in Africa that are affected by Canadian mining interests.”

The Global Youth Fellowship was designed to identify and support some of the best and brightest young and emerging Canadian leaders who demonstrate the potential to play an even greater role on the world stage in the future. This program was established because the Foundation believes that many Canadians, especially young Canadians, are playing a vital and creative role on the world stage and need to be recognized for their achievements.

About the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation

The Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation was established in 1965 by Walter Lockhart Gordon, his wife, Elizabeth, and brother, Duncan. As a registered charitable foundation, The Foundation aspires to the ideal of a sovereign Canada that is dedicated to the security and well being of all Canadians and committed to tolerance, pluralism and democratic participation. The Foundation is dedicated to the development of sound and innovative public policies, founded on those values fundamental to Canadians, and designed to foster the continuing evolution of a dynamic and independent Canada. For more information on the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation please visit www.gordonfn.org

Contact

Patrick Johnston / Marjan Montazemi
Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation
Office: 416-601-4776
Cell: 416 451-4140
patrick@gordonfn.org / marjan@gordonfn.

Stephanie Bell
Media Profile
416-504-8464
stephanie@mediaprofile.com

About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com) is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre located in Toronto and networked across Ontario, focused on building Canada’s next generation of technology companies. MaRS works closely with entrepreneurs to grow and scale their ventures into global market leaders in life sciences and health care, information, communications and digital media technologies, cleantech, advanced materials and engineering, as well as innovative social purpose business.

For more information, contact:
Linda Quattrin
Director Communications
MaRS Discovery District
416.673.8104
lquattrin@marsdd.com