Eduardo Sousa on Facebook Eduardo Sousa
They may still in the future!
Biography
Eduardo is a Portuguese immigrant, and the father of two young boys and a teenager.
He works for Cowichan Tribes as Referrals Coordinator. Previously he worked as an Advisor with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative which fosters Indigenous nationhood as a way to conserve and manage Indigenous lands. He runs a consultancy, Caminho Do Meio, providing strategic planning and communications, and project management support for Indigenous communities.
Eduardo also worked for over a decade as senior forests campaigner and planner, successfully implementing the world-renowned and award-winning Great Bear Rainforest Agreements with First Nations, the BC Government, the logging industry and other environmental organizations.
Prior to arriving on the west coast, Eduardo worked many years as Ontario-Quebec Organizer for the Council of Canadians on public policy issues related to healthcare, water, trade and Canada-US relations.
Eduardo was also an environmental/parks planner and special projects coordinator for the City of Toronto Parks Department, working with communities on environmental stewardship and community gardens.
He sits on Duncan City Council's Advisory Design Panel Committee and Official Community Plan Committee, and is a Board Member for Cowichan Green Community.
He has a Master’s in Environmental Studies from Toronto's York University, with a focus on watershed planning and community mobilization and development, and an Honours BA in Social-Cultural Anthropology / Environmental Studies, from Victoria University/University of Toronto.
Eduardo has various articles published in books and magazines and online, regarding watershed stewardship and planning, water issues and environmental history.
Reason for running
Care for All
As Trustee, I want to help foster a learning environment where students and their "teams" – teachers, parents and mentors – are empowered to be their best. This means prioritizing inclusion, safety, poverty reduction, healthy relationships and reconciliation with Quw’utsun people, lands and waters.
As well, addressing the unspoken effects of the pandemic must be a key focus for our School Board. It is not business as usual.
Climate Readiness
We need to prepare our children for the climate crisis upon us – through K-12 dialogue and by instilling a sense of hope: there are solutions, and they have the power to create their own.
I also want to review/update policies to ensure facilities and operations are climate ready. The current Board Strategic Plan, while very good, falters in this area.
Diligence
As Trustees, we must apply budgetary due diligence with integrity, compassion and a curious mind. We must consider how we obtain and/or re-allocate funds: to address mental health issues in students and teachers; and to nurture in all schools across the district meaningful reconciliation programs that go beyond Land Acknowledgements.
And we must commit to holding ourselves accountable to the investments and decisions we make as a Board to ensure great outcomes for our learning communities.