March 6, 2006

University of Northern British Columbia student David Walraven is oneof 20 outstanding Canadian students who will travel to Botswana in Mayto participate in a six-week workshop on HIV/AIDS in the SouthernAfrican country.

Originally launched in 1948 by World University Service of Canada(WUSC), the International Seminar is delivered through Uniterra, ajoint program of WUSC and the Canadian Centre for International Studiesand Cooperation.

Each year, the 20 Seminar participants are selected from a field ofabout 100 applicants from across Canada. Students are evaluated on thebasis of academic excellence, community leadership and demonstratedcommitment to international understanding.

Walraven, 20, is originally from Prince George. He is currently inhis third year at UNBC,completing a joint political science/international studies program. Hebecame interested in international development when he was exposed tointernational issues and ideas through his academic program at UNBC.

While in Botswana, Walraven will be paired with a local student andwill volunteer with a local organization focusing on HIV/AIDSprevention and care.

He is thrilled about the opportunity to gain first-hand experience thatcould launch his career in international development. He says he isparticularly concerned about strategies for the prevention of HIV/AIDS.

“It’s through education that the proliferation of the disease can bestopped—there is a direct relationship between the level of educationan individual receives and the likelihood that they will contractHIV/AIDS,” says Walraven, who has also been active in WUSC’s StudentRefugee Program at UNBC.

Active on over 50 university and college campuses across Canada, WUSCis a leading development agency whose mission is to foster humandevelopment and global understanding through education andtraining.  Through our Uniterra program, we mobilize people andorganizations in Canada and the developing world to reduce povertythrough the achievement of the United Nation’s Millennium DevelopmentGoals. Visit www.uniterra.ca for more information.


Contact:
Stephanie Levine, World University Service of Canada - 613.761.3670 / Stephanie@wusc.ca
or Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC - 250.960.5622