QPID is a venue for collaboration among students and members of our host communities to share knowledge and promote development consciousness. QPID uses a holistic approach to development through engagement in critical thinking and informed action.

Mandate

QPID’s...
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QPID is a venue for collaboration among students and members of our host communities to share knowledge and promote development consciousness. QPID uses a holistic approach to development through engagement in critical thinking and informed action.

Mandate

QPID’s mandate consists of two equally important aspects:
Education - To inspire awareness and action on international and development-related issues through the promotion of diverse views, well-researched information, and innovative possibilities. QPID works to provide a positive environment for critical dialogue, while empowering socially-conscious choice within Queen’s campus, the Kingston community, and beyond.
Summer Projects - In cooperation with host partners, QPID sends students on summer projects that provide an encouraging environment for development in marginalized communities. QPID works on mutually beneficial projects that are desired by the community and have the capacity to make long term contributions to quality of life. We believe that providing student knowledge and skill-sets is most valuable when accompanied by cross-cultural learning and reciprocity between QPID cooperants and their host communities. Through this exchange, cooperants gain an appreciation for the complexities of development and the importance of active global and local citizenship.

Guiding Principles

QPID’s five guiding principles reflect considerations made in both daily operations and long term planning. We seek to fulfill our mandate by:
Translating our Beliefs into Action: Central to our beliefs is the notion that small contributions can make a meaningful difference. We seek to have long-term impacts by applying student knowledge, creativity, and enthusiasm to our Canadian and international projects.

Promoting Social and Environmental Responsibility: In all our efforts, QPID is guided by values of justice, equality, and ecological sustainability. This applies to all aspects of our daily operations, campaigns and summer projects.
Valuing Diversity: Effecting change requires that we respect all points of view. Although QPID has a long history within the Queen’s Engineering Society, we have developed an interdisciplinary approach that includes education, gender issues, health, technology, and the environment as important aspects of development. We value diversity in opportunities, perspectives, and our membership.
Remaining Student-Run and Volunteer-Driven: QPID is committed to providing students with opportunities for experiential learning in development-related work and activism. While we are student-run, we do maintain a high degree of professionalism, transparency, and accountability.
Being Reflective and Responsive: QPID strives for rigorous self-evaluation. Through a dynamic and critical approach, we can better adapt to the challenges we face as an organization.
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QPID is an entirely student run organization with 70 volunteers working on campus, in Kingston Ontario and in 3 summer project regions, Guyana, Ghana and Nunavut.

On campus QPID collaborates with various like minded organizations promoting current development issues and inspiring...
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QPID is an entirely student run organization with 70 volunteers working on campus, in Kingston Ontario and in 3 summer project regions, Guyana, Ghana and Nunavut.

On campus QPID collaborates with various like minded organizations promoting current development issues and inspiring students to make a positive difference. Our Social Action team is in the process of creating a booklet for youth explaining the environmental and social implications of everyday actions. The booklet will also provide alternatives that are more environmentally and socially conscious.

In the Kingston community our Kingston Projects (KP) Team focuses on youth empowerment through interactive workshops for high school classes and interest groups. Furthermore, the KP team runs an annual free one day forum on youth empowerment in development.

QPID also partners with communities in Guyana, Ghana and Nunavut in the Summer months. We send cooperants to add value to existing projects and NGO partners initiatives.

Guyana: We are sending four cooperants to two different partner organizations focusing on IT Business Management.

Ghana: We are sending four cooperants to two different partner organizations focusing on energy access.

Nunavut: QPID is sending six cooperants to three communities in the Kivaliq region. In these regions QPID parters with community leaders and elders to run a literacy appreciation camp that values English and Inuktitut.
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With up to 70 volunteers a year QPID is able to provide ample opportunities for Queen's students to engage in NGO work experiences in project management, national and international projects, financial management and community involvement.

Youth have the opportunity to participate...
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With up to 70 volunteers a year QPID is able to provide ample opportunities for Queen's students to engage in NGO work experiences in project management, national and international projects, financial management and community involvement.

Youth have the opportunity to participate in QPID's collaborative programs on and off campus and in the communities in which we work. The annual youth forum this past year engaged over 120 students in the Kingston and surrounding community.
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