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International Development Week (IDW) 2025
Come celebrate IDW 2025 from February 2 to 8. The theme this year is: Building a better world together.
What is International Development Week?
Each year, on the first full week of February, Canada celebrates international Development Week (IDW). It's a time to understand and be proud of how Canadians help to eradicate poverty worldwide.
Together, we contribute to making our planet more:
- peaceful
- inclusive
- prosperous
IDW is celebrated across Canada with over a hundred events.
Take this opportunity to:
- inform
- inspire
- get involved
- celebrate our global impact
Who is welcome to get involved?
- civil society
- private and philanthropic sectors
- schools and post-secondary institutions
- community organizations
- non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
- people in Canada
Join us as we come together to learn, share stories and create change for a brighter, more equitable world.
Participate in an IDW activity
Each year there is a wide range of IDW activities from coast to coast. To find out more about activities taking place in your part of the country consult our calendar of events.
The Inter-Council Network can help you find ways to participate in IDW. There are eight councils across Canada. Find the one that is right for you:
- Atlantic provinces: Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC)
- Alberta: Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC)
- British Columbia: British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC)
- Manitoba: Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC)
- Northern regions of Canada: Northern Council for Global Cooperation (NCGC)
- Ontario: Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC)
- Quebec : Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI) (in French)
- Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC)
Organize an IDW activity
Check out the tips, ideas and resources below to plan, organize and share your IDW engagement activity or story.
Are you an educator?
- Spark a discussion in the classroom on an international assistance topic. For example:
- the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, access to quality education
- gender equality
- climate change
- Show a film that addresses a global issue.
- Organize an essay contest on global issues.
- Highlight books and novels available in the school library that touch on global issues.
- Coordinate a virtual international assistance fair and invite international assistance organizations or experts to participate.
Are you part of civil society or community organization?
- Invite a guest speaker working in international assistance to give a video presentation to your organization.
- Share a list of thought-provoking books, novels and films on global issues.
- Profile stories or testimonials of coworkers who have international assistance experience.
- Highlight the stories of partners in the field.
- Use social media to communicate the importance of Canada’s role in international assistance to a political representative.
- For more information on how to organize a public engagement activity, please visit the Virtual Engagement Resource Centre for All.
Are you a student?
- Start an IDW club at your school to coordinate IDW celebrations.
- Invite an international assistance expert to speak to your class online.
- Host a film screening on a global issue.
- Coordinate an international assistance fair and invite international assistance organizations to participate.
- Tell other students about IDW by writing an article or a letter to the editor for your student newspaper.
- Donate your time to a cause or an organization that supports international assistance.
Are you a journalist or a member of the media?
- Write an article or prepare a news story on a Canadian who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to the cause of international assistance.
- Highlight a Canadian innovation that contributed to the resolution of an international issue (e.g. insulin, pacemakers, Blue Helmets).
- Cover an IDW event happening in your region.
- Send an email to our media relations team to help promote international assistance.
Promote your IDW activities
To promote your event efficiently, take into consideration the following tips:
- Use IDW promotional material.
- Promote your events on social media using the official hashtag: #IDW2025.
Talk about IDW online
If in-person events are not your thing, you can still celebrate IDW online by using these ideas:
- Subscribe and follow Global Affairs Canada – Development on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram (see handles below).
- Share your IDW stories, photos and videos on your personal social media channels using the official hashtag, #IDW2025.
Read about international assistance
Learn more about Canada’s role in delivering international assistance:
- Success stories
- Canada's international assistance priorities
- Canada's Feminist International Assistance Policy
- Getting involved in international development
- Volunteering and internships abroad
- Project Browser
- Canada and the Sustainable Development Goals
- Virtual Engagement Resource Centre for All (VERCA)
Contact us
- Email: idw-sdi@international.gc.ca
- X (Twitter): @CanadaDev
- Facebook: @CanadaDevelopment
- Instagram: @canadadev
- Date modified:
