McGill top laureate in 2006 Forces AVENIR awards
McGill University has once again distinguished itself, with awards in five of 12 categories at the 8th Forces AVENIR Gala.
Forces AVENIR, an initiative funded by the Quebec and federal governments as well as business, rewards young people for projects that contribute to knowledge, community service and collective rights.
The following McGill students and projects were recognized:
Samuel Vaillancourt, a medical student, was awarded the undergraduate personality AVENIR award, tied with two other students. Intensely committed to promoting health, mutual help and humanitarian aid, Samuel takes meaningful actions that lead to concrete and lasting results in the treatment not only of individuals but also of society itself. He is deeply involved in many local projects, particularly the Community Health Action Partnership of McGill, which also received an award last night. Abroad, he has worked on social and health projects in Haiti, Burkina Faso and Ecuador.
Lina H. Kalfayan won the graduate personality AVENIR award. A doctoral student in immunology and microbiology, Lina is a true ambassador of humanitarian aid. Every project she involves herself in, whether in Quebec or elsewhere, aims to promote determination, solidarity and social action. During her university career, she has already been honoured with numerous scholarships and awards. At the moment, she dedicates her efforts to fighting illnesses that decimate the world population.
The Community Health Action Partnership (CHAP) received the health AVENIR award. CHAP is a daring initiative conceived by first- and second-year medical students at McGill University that was so successful it will be integrated into the faculty's study program in 2010. CHAP throws students into the heart of destitute communities by means of weekly meetings with aid organizations that work in those places. It results in a better understanding of the reality and issues they face, helping the doctors of tomorrow become more involved with the communities they will be serving.
The Re-CYCLE Project, created by Katrina Harris, a bachelor in economics graduate, was awarded the AVENIR Project Par Excellence award. Katrina set up a system allowing pedicab drivers in Kisumu, Kenya's third-largest city, to become owners of their vehicles rather than renters. Her study showed that 81 percent of drivers were unable to meet their everyday needs during the previous year because of job insecurity. Her project succeeded in giving them back financial autonomy, which allowed them to have access to health care and educational services.
Finally, the Mutual Aid, Peace and Justice AVENIR award was granted to the Ashraya Initiative for Children (AIC). McGill students participated in the setting up of this project to help street children in India. More than a simple shelter, the AIC Centre is a family answering the physical, emotional and social needs of the children it welcomes. So far, the team has adopted 11 children between the ages of 6 and 14. In addition to attending school and participating in family life, these children develop their individual talents and become fulfilled individuals involved in their community.
"McGill University is proud to include among its ranks dynamic students whose taste for success, initiative and local and international involvement contributes to the improvement of the collective well-being, enriches knowledge and heightens the world reputation of our institution," says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Heather Munroe-Blum. "I am anxious to congratulate each and every one of the laureates in the 2006 crop, as well as all the people involved in the success of the award-winning projects."
