GNED 500

Author Bios

Kritee Ahmed

Kritee Ahmed is a professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and has regularly taught GNED 500. He has contributed to the OER textbook and participated in course revisions.

Paula Anderton

Paula Anderton is a professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences and the GNED 500 coordinator. She was the OER project lead and a contributor to both the previous and current textbook and course revisions.

Selom Chapman-Nyaho

Selom Chapman-Nyaho is a professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Liberal Arts and has contributed to several versions of the GNED 500 textbook and online course. He is also an instructor in the departments of Criminology and Sociology at York University.

Sein Kipusi

Sein Kipusi is a professor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and has regularly taught GNED 500. She is also a lecturer at the University of Toronto in the department of Social Justice in Education.

Athanasios Tom Kokkinias

Athanasios Tom Kokkinias is a professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Tom has been teaching GNED 500: Global Citizenship since 2008, alongside various philosophy courses. He has also contributed to several editions of the GNED 500 textbook and helped develop the online version of the course.

Sabrina Malik

Sabrina Malik is a professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences, where she teaches GNED 500 and other courses in the social sciences. She contributed to the previous edition of the GNED 500 textbook, as well as the current GNED 500 OER and course revisions.

Meera Mather

Meera Mather is the Chair of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences and oversees the curriculum and delivery of the Global Citizenship (GNED 500) course.  She is involved in the GNED 500 comprehensive review and ongoing curriculum modifications.  Meera has initiated and led the past and current iteration of the GNED 500 textbook. 

Kisha McPherson

Kisha McPherson is a professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences and Liberal Arts and has contributed to several versions of the GNED 500 textbook and course.

Soudeh Oladi

Soudeh Oladi is a professor in the department of Humanities and Social Sciences and she contributed to the GNED 500 OER textbook. She is also an instructor and researcher at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto.

Chet Singh

Chet Singh developed the initial curriculum framework for the GNED 500 course and has been involved in updating several editions of the course textbook. He has contributed to numerous social action initiatives to bring about systemic change in the education system and larger society.

Statement of Diversity

Centennial College and its Board of Governors value and embrace diversity, equity and inclusion as fundamental to our mission to educate students for career success within a context of global citizenship and social justice.

We recognize that historical and persistent inequities and barriers to equitable participation exist and are well documented in society and within the college.

We believe individual and systemic biases contribute to the marginalization of designated groups. These biases include race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ancestry, nationality, place of origin, colour, ethnicity, culture, linguistic origin, citizenship, creed (religion, faith), marital status, socio-economic class, family status, receipt of public assistance or record of offence. We acknowledge that resolving First Nations sovereignty issues is fundamental to pursuing equity and social justice within Canada.

We acknowledge the richness and diversity of the community we serve. As our community has evolved, and our staff and student population have changed, we have implemented policies and practices to address issues of inclusion. In moving forward, we will build on this work to embed commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in every aspect of what we do.

Our Guiding Principles

We believe social justice requires that we value diversity, equity and inclusion. We believe that the principles and practices of diversity, equity and inclusion strengthen the social and economic development, growth and well-being of our student population, our employees, and our local and international communities.

We uphold our social responsibility to contribute to a society that is equitable, fair and just. In accordance with our mission, vision and values, we will demonstrate leadership in eliminating barriers, and implementing and promoting diversity through our Academic Framework, policies, special initiatives and proactive measures.

We are committed to eliminating all forms of harassment and discrimination. We will prevent, remedy and redress these inequities. We will create an environment of inclusion in teaching, learning, employment and support services so we can fully serve our communities and prepare students to excel in the workplace and in society.

We will be accountable for the changes we need to make. We will continue to comply with existing federal and provincial legislative requirements. We will continue to develop and implement goals, policies, competencies and special initiatives founded upon principles of social justice to promote equity and inclusion. We will collect data to track progress and regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the initiatives we undertake, and we will communicate the outcomes to our community.

Our Commitment

A safe, secure, inclusive and accessible environment for learning, teaching and working
Centennial College will be free from discrimination, harassment and hate. We will fully support the right of everyone to study, participate and work with dignity in an environment of mutual respect. We will include and respect the abilities, experiences, perspectives and contributions of our students, our employees, our partners and our communities.

Curriculum and instruction that reflect diversity and promote equity and inclusion
Our curriculum and instruction will draw on a variety of knowledge, perspectives and experiences. Our teaching and learning will help students recognize different forms of discrimination and understand the factors that cause inequity in society. Through our commitment to global citizenship and social justice, we will prepare students with the skills and knowledge to challenge unjust practices and build positive human relationships in an increasingly diverse society.

Equitable and accessible opportunities for student success
We will identify and remove institutional barriers that prevent access and impede student success. Our teaching and support services will demonstrate equity and inclusion. We will provide transformative and inclusive curriculum that will help students attain academic excellence and positive social and career outcomes.

Building knowledge and evaluating effectiveness
We will ensure we are knowledgeable about diversity, equity and inclusion. We will critically analyze and research current practices. We will evaluate our effectiveness by tracking our progress, analyzing what is working well and determining how we can best improve.

Human Resource Management systems, policies and practices that reflect diversity and promote equity and inclusion
We will implement bias- and barrier-free recruitment, selection, hiring and promotion at all levels. We will ensure that our employees’ skills and knowledge are respected, valued and used appropriately. We will provide equitable opportunities for professional development and advancement for all employees.

Training and staff development in equity and diversity
We will provide ongoing training and staff development to build understanding and ensure that equity and inclusion are central to the work we do. We will recognize and reward initiatives that support diversity, equity and inclusion.

Accessible and inclusive college communication
We will reflect diversity in communications that promote Centennial College, our programs, services and curriculum. We will ensure that college communication is respectful, and that our information is accessible and widely available.

Strategic engagement with diverse communities
We will undertake strategic outreach to develop meaningful relationships with diverse communities. We will engage with these communities and encourage their fullest contribution to, and participation in, our activities and consultations.

Relationships and partnerships that align with our mission, vision and values
We will actively seek relationships that enhance our values and offer domestic and international opportunities to prepare our students to work effectively and successfully in a global and diverse marketplace. We will ensure that our contractual relationships with businesses and organizations comply with our standards of equity, human rights and fairness.

Committing financial and human resources to promote diversity, equity and inclusion
We will provide resources to support the work of our employees, our students and our partners in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Support Team Bios

Matthew Maaskant

Matthew Maaskant is a graphic designer for print & web who’s company is called Maaskant Media Productions, which includes the developer on the project Jenna Maaskant. Together they designed the overall look for the GNED 500 OER textbook and implemented that design in WordPress.

Shelby Stinnissen

Shelby Stinnissen is the Copyright Services Librarian at Centennial College Libraries. Shelby provided support for copyright compliance, permissions, open licensing and attribution for this edition of the GNED 500 open textbook.

Kathryn Willms

Kathryn Willms is an editor and writer who specializes in educational work. Her company is called Kwill Communications. She edited the GNED 500 OER textbook.

Student Artist Bios

Elena Escalada Barroso

Upon graduating with master’s degrees in neuroscience and psychology, Elena Escalada worked as a child psychologist for more than ten years in Spain before moving in 2014 to Toronto. After becoming a mom two years ago, Elena decided to switch careers to her true passion—graphic design.

Zia Foley

Zia Foley is an emerging mixed media artist based in Toronto. Having lived abroad for many years, her artwork is influenced by a wide range of cultures. She has exhibited her artwork in Turkey and Canada, and won first place in the drawing category for CICan’s 2020 Student Contest.

Linh Le

Linh Le is a graphic design student at Centennial College and an aspiring illustrator/ graphic designer based in Toronto. Her fascination for the Japanese art culture reflects in the style and subjects of her works, and it inspires her to pursue her interest in game design. She enjoys collecting pieces of concept designs, character designs and environment designs from different animated films and games.

Phoenix Mounce

Phoenix Mounce is currently a third-year student studying graphic design at Centennial College, residing in Toronto. She aspires to be a professional illustrator and graphic designer, specializing in music branding, merchandise, logo, and package design. She is very fond of coffee and loves collecting vinyl records.

Tuncel Mustafa

Tuncel Mustafais an emerging artist with a focus on realistic painting and drawing and a passion for landscape painting. She has participated in Centennial College exhibitions at the Story Arts Centre, Corridor Gallery, Closet Gallery, and the Scarborough Hero Award Project. External shows include Artist Network Gallery, Art Fair, and Radio Perfect commissioned work.

Ankita Nema

Ankita Nema is a visual artist with a number of successful art exhibitions around the Greater Toronto area. As an illustrator, she has published an eBook on Amazon.com. She likes to experiment with various art mediums such as pencils, pastels, charcoals, oils, watercolors, and acrylics on canvas.

Anna Rasti

Anna Rasti is a second-year Graphic Design student at Centennial College with a passion for illustration and editorial design.  She has spent most of her life designing and creating, which led her to Architecture school in her home country of Iran, where she graduated from the program.

Kenneth Reaume

Kenneth Reaume is a graphic designer and illustrator from Scarborough, Ontario. His designs and illustrations were honored with the Peter Dickinson Award as well as being showcased in Centennial College’s student artwork competition for the 2021-25 Renewed Academic Plan. He was also nominated for a JUNO Award for album artwork and design.

Aleksandra Rodneva

Since childhood, Aleksandra has had a passion for creating visual images. Back in her hometown Vladikavkaz in Russia, she studied at the S. D. Tavasiev Municipal Children’s Art school. In 2017, Aleksandra moved to Canada, enrolled in Art and Design fundamentals and then Fine arts Studio courses at Centennial College, where she kept looking for new things to use for visualizing her ideas.

Sidia Atabales-Schnitzler

Sidia Atabales-Schnitzler is an emerging artist who lives and works in Toronto, Ontario. Although her roots are in drawing and painting, she also explores antique photographic methods, such as cyanotypes.

Anna Zabashta

Anna Zabashta is a student in the Fine Arts Program at Centennial College, where she is learning about art and participating in art communities. Her favourite media are watercolour and acrylic. Anna’s other artistic interests include abstract painting and digital art.

Copyright Information

Except where otherwise noted within the work, Global Citizenship: From Social Analysis to Social Action (2021) by Centennial College, Kritee Ahmed, Paula Anderton, Selom Chapman-Nyaho, Sein Kipusi, Athanasios Tom Kokkinias, Sabrina Malik, Meera Mather, Kisha McPherson, Soudeh Oladi, Chet Singh is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). You can read about the terms of the license here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Any content not licensed under a Creative Commons open license should be assumed to be All Rights Reserved and may require permission from the copyright owner for further uses.

Material included in this text that is not be covered by an open license:

• Photo by Cultural Survival in the module “Social Action for Social Change,” used with permission.
• Photo by Cultural Survival and Indigenous Media Caucus in the module “Critical Media Literacy,” used with permission.
• Google Search Result Screen Capture in the module “Social Media and Disinformation,” used with permission.
• Third-party weblinks and linked online video. Check the source for copyright restrictions for any other use.

Cover Design by Anna Rasti is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License.

Land Acknowledgement

Centennial College is proud to be a part of a rich history of education in this province and in this city. We acknowledge that we are on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and pay tribute to their legacy and the legacy of all First Peoples of Canada, as we strengthen ties with the communities we serve and build the future through learning and through our graduates.

Today, the traditional meeting place of Toronto is still home to many Indigenous People from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work in the communities that have grown in the treaty lands of the Mississaugas. We acknowledge that we are all treaty people and accept our responsibility to honour all our relations.