Marie-Joie Brady

The Trudeau Scholarship allowed me to fully concentrate on my doctoral studies and spread my ideas all over the world. I had the opportunity to speak at conferences in many continents, and I met incredible researchers and even more amazing community actors. The Trudeau Scholarship helped me further my understanding of Canada, to make concrete some of the concepts I encountered in class, and add practical experience and observation to my theoretical learning. Being part of such a dynamic community of thinkers confirmed and strengthened my will to work at improving the lives of my fellow citizens and take action in my community. The prestige associated with the Trudeau Scholarship opened doors for me in the political, governmental, non-governmental and academic worlds, by giving me a level of credibility that I probably could not have achieved otherwise. The people I have met through the Foundation – other Scholars as well as Mentors and Fellows – have changed my life, and for me, this is the true impact of the Foundation.

Biography

Marie-Joie Brady has completed her Ph.D. in political science and Canadian studies at the University of Ottawa, where she is studying the political theory of Gil Rémillard, André Burelle and Mary Ellen Turpel, three important contributors to the development of the Meech Lake and Charlottetown constitutional accords. She comes from Mont-Laurier, in Quebec’s Laurentians, and left home at 16 to live in England for a year, where she not only learned English but, more importantly, lived an incredible experience of intercultural friendship and hospitality, which became central themes in her life. Then she completed a bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Ottawa, followed by a master in Theory, Culture and Politics at Trent University in Peterborough. During that time she worked in several federal government departments, where her professional interests still lie. A dedicated traveller, gardener and activist, Marie-Joie is also interested in the role of conflict in politics, intercultural relations, official language debates, Aboriginal policy and Canadian political theory.