Coady's Dream

Mary Rose Bacani Valenti

July 21, 2009
coadyAlmost four years ago, in December of 2005, I was filming a documentary in a place I'd never heard of -- Antigonish. It's a small town in northeastern Nova Scotia that may not be known to a lot of Canadians. But if you go up to somebody in Africa or South America and mention you're Canadian, don't be surprised if they ask, "Oh, are you from Antigonish?" Outside of North America, Antigonish is famous because of Father Dr. Moses Coady and the Coady International Institute. Fr. Coady commanded the attention of Canada and the world from the 1930s to the 1950s. He was a Catholic priest, a complex personality, and the pride of Nova Scotia. He shook the lives of ordinary people out of their complacency during the Depression years by urging them to take ownership of their lives. He roared that democracy and peace will be achieved when the people learn to participate in the economic, social and educational forces that condition them.
The Coady International Institute was established soon after Coady's death in 1959 to continue his vision of the full and abundant life for people, not only in the Canadian Maritime provinces, but also in the less developed regions of the world. Every year, people from Africa, South America, India and other places in the world come to the Institute to learn about community-based initiatives in a variety of areas including agriculture, savings and credit, microenterprise, cooperative development, education, health, environment, women's rights, human rights, and so many more. Over 5,000 Coady alumni and numerous global partners are currently working in over 130 countries to improve people's lives.
Coady's Dream centers on the relationship between Fr. Coady and the people he loved and inspired in his time, and how this extends to the people who go to the Coady International Institute today. Tune in to Salt + Light Television on Saturday, July 25th, at 9 pm ET or Tuesday, July 28th, at 8:30 pm ET to watch Coady's Dream.