The suspension of the Rwanda Initiative, a Carleton-Rwanda journalism exchange program, doesn’t have to mean complete termination.
It does, however, mean new sources of funding must step up to meet the program’s financial needs.
The initiative, which in five years has sent around 200 Canadian journalists to Africa, acts as a major selling point used by Carleton to attract prospective journalism students.
The university, then, should do more to uphold this program.
The $240,000 needed to run the program for one year is pocket change next to the millions of dollars being put into the university’s new River Building, Canal Building, residence and upcoming library renovations.
While the Canada-India Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, Trade and Policy (to be housed in the River Building) is a step forward for international relations at Carleton, creating new partnerships doesn’t make it acceptable to abandon previous ones.
Though the Rwanda Initiative isn’t directly related to the India partnership, this loss is a step backward for the university in terms of forging international relationships.
Then again, as easy as it is to hold an institution accountable, Carleton has arguably produced some of the most successful journalists in Canada.
Many of them expressed disappointment to see the program end.
Perhaps they could also pitch in to help revive the program.
In setting an example for the emerging generation of media practitioners, it is within the alumni’s means to help a developing country, and at the same time, enrich the educational experience of their successors.