Our MDP Community

We are working with a broad and diverse network of partners including Indigenous governments, scholars, organizations and Elders, universities, research institutions involved in health, environment, community development, social policy etc. and with government agencies. Some individual leaders have been invited to serve on our Indigenous Advisory Circle, an integral component of the University of Winnipeg’s MDP program, given our focus on Indigenous development.

The Indigenous Advisory Circle is led by Dr. Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. The purpose of the Advisory Circle is to serve as informed advocates in local, national and international communities for the advancement of the Master's in Development Practice at The University of Winnipeg. The Advisory Circle will advise the Academic Coordinator of the MDP and assist in ensuring that the MDP program is sensitive to the histories and cultures of Indigenous peoples, in Canada and around the world. The Advisory Circle will also assist in fundraising and promoting the MDP.

The Indigenous Advisory Circle has local, national and international participation to advise on issues of global concern to the world’s 400 million Indigenous peoples and its function is to provide counsel on how best to record and document the stories and life experiences of developing peoples to ensure cultural and historical continuity can be preserved. It is also designed to attain the MDP's goal of training individuals to be world leaders in sustainable development. The program understands and is active in the Indigenous Development Imperative and the relevance of development in the Indigenous Global Context.

The MDP Secretariat supports sustainable development practice programs worldwide that integrate interdisciplinary approaches. As part of the MDP community, we are committed to creating the optimum Indigenous development program in the world.