Cuso Changes Lives

By Sally J M Douglas
Director, Engagement at Cuso International

When I joined Cuso International (Cuso) nearly two years ago, I couldn’t have imagined the depth of commitment I was going to witness and how much it would change me. Commitment from Canadians who choose to stand in solidarity with communities, supporting initiatives they may never see first-hand. I’ve seen volunteers leave the comforts of home to work in unfamiliar places, not to give but to learn, share skills, and work alongside local partners who are leading change in their own communities.

In a world often overshadowed by crisis, these quiet acts of solidarity remind us that collective care and goodness persist. International development rarely makes headlines, yet its impact is profound. Canadians should be proud to be part of this network of change that supports a more just and sustainable future.

Among the many people I have been fortunate enough to meet is one of our Volunteer Alumni who became a Board Director and subsequently a Cuso donor. Bruce McKean, like so many Canadians, tends to prefer to fly below the radar but he graciously gave me the opportunity to hear and share his story. The story of how Cuso changed his life.

Bruce’s commitment to giving back started early, inspired by parents who led by example. Even before finishing high school, he was volunteering at his local hospital. Later, at university, he discovered Cuso through a professor and admired peers who had signed up to serve overseas. At 24, Bruce embarked on a two-year placement in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. It was July 30, 1971- a date Bruce always remembers because that same day, Apollo 15 was landing on the moon.

Long before cell phones or the internet, he arrived in a remote community, facing the jarring adjustment every international volunteer knows. But the greater change came when he returned home. Bruce told me:

“Every volunteer will tell you when you arrive on post it is a shock to the system. But the real shock happens when you come home. Because home and community is exactly the same. But you have changed! Your world view, your understanding of what’s out there and what’s important, and how fortunate you are.” 

Bruce harnessed that learning and newfound perspective and channelled it into a career in public service. First with the Foreign Service and later with the Department of Natural Resources.

In 2015, Bruce joined the Cuso Board and would find his life changed by the organisation a second time. During that period, Cuso had begun to consider working here in Canada as well as internationally. As Bruce explained, “Cuso should not be restricted by borders or nationality. We may be an international development organisation, but it doesn’t mean we cannot work here at home.”

There were others on the board including Nora Murdock, Germain Deschant, and the then-Chair Lloyd Axworthy who also believed Cuso needed to be active in Canada but alas they were not the majority and there was no funding. Not yet anyway.

Cuso later contributed to the investment of a Truth and Reconciliation workshop which once complete, the leadership team was invited to attend and Bruce joined as a representative of the board. On the morning of the first day the facilitator, Wally Chartrand, a respected Indigenous Knowledge Keeper, was ready to work with the Cuso team. He was unassuming, quietly spoken, and low-key. He kicked off the session explaining how important their days together were going to be and in recognition of that, Wally sang a song he had written for the group of 17. He went on to first explain and then conduct a smudging ceremony.

Whatever Bruce was thinking in that moment, both he and everyone else were not prepared for the significance of what they learnt in the coming hours and days. Collectively, they were forever changed with a deep learning, a renewed understanding around Truth and Reconciliation, and for Bruce, a need to put those feelings into actions.

At the end of the three days his most valued take away was that “we individually have to reconcile ourselves with our history and First Nations are willing help us.” Bruce explained it is not that “everyone will speak the truth and we will reconcile together.” Instead, “We need to know the truth and reconcile ourselves to it.”

While Bruce was already participating with the Wabano Centre in Ottawa and would go on to invest in the Chief Mungo Martin Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health at the University of Victoria, he was open to doing much more. When our CEO, Nic Moyer, pitched the Canadian Indigenous Program, Bruce was ready, determined to show his support by donating significantly to get the program up and running.

Today, that same program is thriving and growing every year. To get here we have needed to follow, not lead. Learn and listen instead of teach and talk. We have found our Indigenous friends and partners to be beyond generous and open in their sharing with us. It has been a significant learning journey for all of Cuso, particularly those here in Canada, and definitely one that continues.

We focus on supporting Indigenous youth across the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon, building strong relationships with Indigenous Nations, Friendship Centres, youth groups, and grassroots organizations. Guided by Cuso’s mission of sharing skills for better futures and informed by decades of experience working with Indigenous peoples globally, we support community-designed solutions. Through youth micro-grants, cultural and land-based activities, and spaces for dialogue and storytelling, we empower young people to share their knowledge and strengthen their communities. This work is a testament to what collaboration and respect can achieve.

Bruce McKean has come to be known as one of Canada’s most generous philanthropists. Since founding Waverley House Foundation in 2017 his giving has spanned mental-health care, pediatric precision medicine, academic research, Indigenous mental-health practice, international child protections and thankfully, Cuso International.

Bruce knows Cuso changes lives, and together, we can change even more. In a world where challenges feel overwhelming, every act of generosity matters. Every volunteer, every donor, every partner plays a role in creating opportunity and hope. His story reminds us that transformation begins with a single decision to act.

Today, you have that same power. Whether by sharing your time, your skills, or your resources, you help build a future where communities thrive, here in Canada and around the world. Join us. Stand with us. Because when we work together, change isn’t just possible. It’s inevitable.