Olaolu Adeleye and Dr. Moussa Magassa will be leading a seminar building on the generative discussion held in the first SOVI COMMUNITY SPACE event. Hosted by SOVI's Cristina Venturin.

This event is for international development practitioners and aspiring practitioners; and non profit practitioners and aspiring practitioners living and working in the CRD. We welcome the participation of students and those in any stages of their career or post-career.

Olaolu Adeleye has a passion for social development issues seen through the application of an intercultural lens which is informed by his studies in international development and experiences with various global organizations. These include the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Right to Play, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and UNICEF Peru. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Development from Dalhousie University (2008) and a Master of Science in Poverty Reduction: Policy and Practice from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (2013). As an associate faculty member at Royal Roads University, Adeleye translates this international experience into engaging approaches that reframe contemporary global issues.

Dr. Moussa Magassa is the UVic Human Rights Education Advisor and Specialist in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Partnerships. He focuses on on enhancing understanding of, and commitment to, the university’s human rights and equity goals, increasing diversity and creating a fair and inclusive work and study environment at UVic. Dr. Magassa is also an associate faculty at UVic and Royal Roads University, and teaches the UBC Centre for Intercultural Communication. His educational research focuses on critical race theory, Anti-racism education, Islamophobia, human rights education, diversity, equity & inclusion, and immigrants and refugees’ integration and adaptation in host communities. Moussa also holds an MA in human security & peacebuilding; BA (Hons) in conflict resolution and peace studies ; and various advanced certifications in human rights, humanitarian law and the law of armed conflicts, conflict mediation, and intercultural development and assessment. Dr. Magassa was born in Senegal and speaks many languages in addition to English and French.

Cristina Venturin is SOVI’s Youth Chair. She is a Political Science and Applied Ethics student at the University of Victoria and has joined the SOVI steering committee as the Youth Chair. She has grown up on the unceded territories of the Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ peoples. She is the Director of Events for the Undergraduates of Political Science at UVIC and has held a myriad of positions on the board throughout her undergrad to better engage students with the department. Her passions are humanitarian law, political activism, and international relations, as well as connecting others in interpersonal development.