What is the Coady International Institute?
The Coady International Institute is world-renowned as a centre of excellence in community-based development. The Institute has been promoting community self-reliance since it opened its doors over 40 years ago to educate leaders from around the world. Established by St. Francis Xavier University in 1959, the Institute was named after Rev. Dr. Moses Coady, a prominent founder of the Antigonish Movement. The global reach of the Institute has grown immensely. Nearly 4,000 development organization leaders from over 120 countries have taken part in the Institute's campus-based programs. The Institute also forms partnerships with development organizations overseas.
What is the Antigonish Movement?
The Antigonish Movement is a people's movement for economic and social justice that began in Nova Scotia, Canada during the 1920s. This local community initiative originated as a response to the poverty afflicting farmers, fishers, miners and other disadvantaged groups in Eastern Canada. Two prominent founders of the movement, Rev. Jimmy Tompkins and his cousin, Rev. Dr. Moses Coady, were teaching at St. Francis Xavier University and saw the need to reach out to the rural areas. They used a practical and successful strategy of adult education and group action, which began with the immediate needs of the local people. The Antigonish Movement enabled people to change their lives and their futures. Over the next two decades, this pioneering effort in university extension became known worldwide as the Antigonish Movement.
Building on the experience of the Antigonish Movement and on contemporary development practice, the Coady International Institute continues to provide programs that promote education, innovation, group action and sustainable economic activities for disadvantaged groups. Through the work of the Coady Institute, the impact of the Antigonish Movement continues to increase with the co-operation and networking of community-based organizations and educational institutions around the world.
Principles of the Antigonish Movement
How has the Coady Institute adapted to changes in the field of development?
Over the past 40 years the Coady Institute has been continually innovating its programs to meet the changing needs of development practitioners from around the world. While remaining deeply rooted in the Antigonish Movement's community-based approach to development, our programs have both expanded in scope and focused in areas of particular relevance to today's development professionals.
In recent years we have adapted our diploma program and introduced certificate programs. We have invested a major part of our resources in developing the capacity of Southern training and educational institutions to deliver effective, sustainable, results-oriented programs in their respective regions. The Coady Institute and its partner institutions in the South have also been forming a global network—to create a vehicle for the dissemination of best practices and a forum for shared learning. Currently, we are developing a new distance learning program to further increase access to Coady's educational programs.
Who was Rev. Dr. Moses Coady?
Moses Michael Coady (1882-1959) was born on a farm in North East Margaree in Nova Scotia, Canada on January 3, 1882. Described by many as a "giant of a man," the six-foot-two Cape Bretoner completed his BA degree at St. Francis Xavier University in 1905 and went on to study for the priesthood at the Urban College in Rome. He was ordained in 1910. Upon his return to Nova Scotia, he taught high school for three years before attending the Catholic University in Washington, DC. He began serving the Church and the people of Atlantic Canada in the 1920s and spearheaded what became known as the Antigonish Movement. Dr. Coady became the founding Director of the StFX Extension Department in 1928. Through his work, the department created a unique self-help program that combined grassroots adult education with co-operative group action. This movement touched the lives of thousands of fishers, farmers and miners throughout Atlantic Canada. He officially retired in 1952, but as Director Emeritus, Dr. Coady continued his extension work both nationally and internationally. Less than six months after his death in 1959, the StFX Board of Governors established the Coady International Institute in his honour.
Where is the Coady Institute located?
The Coady Institute is located on the historic campus of St. Francis Xavier University. The campus is nestled in the heart of Eastern Canada's scenic coastal town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. With a population of almost 6000, Antigonish boasts a diverse heritage, rich in Scottish, Aboriginal, French and African-Canadian ancestry.
What educational programs are offered at the Coady Institute?
The Coady offers several educational programs. In addition to our world-renowned five-month Diploma Program in Community-Based Development, the Institute also offers several specialized one-month Certificate Programs.
Our educational programs are highly participatory, providing candidates with an opportunity to share ideas and to exchange experiences with each other and with Coady staff. A wide variety of presentation, case study, experiential and participatory educational methods are used.
Who can apply to one of Coady's educational programs?
Most of our programs are designed for experienced mid- to senior level program managers and trainers working with development organizations, internationally or in Canada. Preferred organizations include indigenous and international NGOs, women's organizations, co-operative and other community-based organizations, church organizations, aboriginal organizations, and relevant government departments. Special efforts are made to encourage women to attend.
Specifics regarding the admission requirements for each program can be found by visiting Our Programs.
How do I apply to one of Coady's educational programs?
Information about how to apply can be found by visiting Our Programs.
Is the Coady Institute involved, directly, in development overseas?
In addition to the educational programs on campus, we have our Global Partnership Program and the International Youth Internship Program.
Through the Global Partnerships Program, the Coady International Institute is able to support Southern agencies in the development of their programs, while also providing Institute staff with valuable insights into innovative and successful development practice at the local level.
Does the Coady Institute provide opportunities for young people to get involved in International Development?
Yes. The Coady provides several opportunities for young people, through our Youth Programs. For example, Coady's International Youth Internship Program (CIYIP) gives recent Canadian university graduates experience working with development organizations in their area of expertise to increase their understanding of development issues and their role as global citizens. CIYIP also provides an experience that will improve participants' employment opportunities when they return from their internships.
The StFX Interdisciplinary Development Studies Program provides StFX undergraduates with the opportunity to examine community-based development from the perspective of more than one discipline. The program, developed jointly by the teaching staff at the Coady International Institute and faculty members of StFX, allows students to learn about development in Nova Scotia, other parts of Canada and abroad—within the context of such disciplines as sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, nursing and business administration.
Who funds the Coady Institute?
Coady Revenue for 1999/2000:
| Canadian International Development Agency (for program funding) | 40% |
| Earned Revenue | 32% |
| Donors and other supporters | 22% |
| StFX University | 6% |
The Coady Institute relies on the generous support of individuals, foundations, community groups and corporations to conduct its programs both in Canada and overseas. If you are interested in learning more about how you can help, please visit the Make a Difference page, phone us at (902) 867-3960, or send e-mail to coady@stfx.ca
How many students attend the Coady Institute each year?
Between 50-70 students attend the Institute each year. Those accepted to the Diploma Program remain on-campus from July to December. Students of the Certificate Programs remain on-campus for approximately one month. Certificate Programs commence in either May or November.
Where do the Coady participants come from?
The majority of Coady participants are community leaders who live and work in the developing countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America, the Middle East and the Caribbean. Since 1959, almost 4,000 women and men from over 120 countries have taken part in the Institute's campus-based programs. For a full list of countries that have been represented at the Coady Institute, visit Global Reach.