Ryan Cadamia

“I believe that every person has equal value. I believe that the world, our society, should be fundamentally based on this fact. I believe in equality, not just equality of treatment but equality of situation. I do not believe that people choose poverty. I believe that poverty is chosen for them and that it is our responsibility to change this.”

 

Ryan Cadamia is a 27-year-old Filipino-Canadian (Mistiso) currently living in Victoria, working with the Victoria International Development Education Association (VIDEA), and studying International Relations at the London School of Economics.

 

Unlike many young people who become passionate about international development and social justice issues early on, Ryan came somewhat late to this field, and in a roundabout way: by following his passion for music. He initiallywanted to be a rock star, and he has some recordings to prove it! And so directly after high school, Ryan pursued a career as a recording technician. This led him to travel with Power to Change – a Christian international development organization – to several developing countries, recording audio for language preservation projects: “I found myself working with translators, educators, and local leaders who were working hard to create change and promote development in their countries. Before long, I realized that the most fulfilling part of my job no longer had anything to do with the technical work I was doing.”

 

This realization led Ryan to reflect on how he wanted to invest his time and his life. New directions included moving to Victoria to be with his wife, and beginning studies by correspondence with the London School of Economics in Political Science and International Relations. Ryan also took a position with the Salvation Army Addictions Rehabilitation Centre: “This opened up a whole new avenue of social justice for me and gave me the opportunity to promote social change in an entirely different way.” He then moved into a more hands-on position as a support worker for youth in addictions at the Beacon of Hope House, where he helped to design the evening curriculum focusing on practical life skills and goal setting: “As you can see I kind of just fell into the whole ‘save the world,’ non-profit thing, but I’m glad I did.”

 

In his current role with the Victoria International Development Education Association (VIDEA), one of Victoria’s oldest international development organizations, Ryan has been working on a variety of projects ranging from fair trade and cultural preservation to development-centered education and advocacy. A significant part of his work is focused on inspiring youth to get involved in global issues, through initiatives such as a youth media board that encourages young people to use video and photography to spur on real conversations and inspire thought and action: “This is really my main goal with VIDEA (and really my goal in life): I want to help people to see problems that need to change, and to inspire them to find solutions and create change.”

 

Ryan’s motivation comes from feeling that he’s a citizen of the world: “I come from a place of being fundamentally human; my passions are equality and social justice. We are all the same, there shouldn’t be inequalities in the world.” And this relates as much to his work in Victoria – his local community – as it does to his work internationally. Ryan strives to inspire young people to tap into their interests and passions, and to then use those interests for furthering equality in the world.

 

Ryan hopes to complete his Bachelor of Science in International Relations from LSE by 2012. Eventually, he would like to be a delegate for international development, and to work in the area of humanitarian response to international emergencies and conflicts. But most importantly, he wishes to keep working for organizations that are making a difference.

 

To other Canadian youth who are trying to make a difference, he has this to say: “Spend your time doing things that you think matter. Deep down inside, very few people just want to make money, that’s not what drives people. I’m always encouraged by conversations that I have with young people – people do care. Everybody cares. They just don’t necessarily know how to act to make any kind of real difference. You CAN make a difference. You have to follow your heart, and if you know that there are changes that need to be made, and everybody does know this, then absolutely, go out there, don’t be scared to make those changes, to start movements, to just get involved in the world. Change the world, that’s what I say!”