Christopher John Chanco

Background

About Christopher John Chanco

Policy analyst, media literacy trainer, and journalist with nine years' experience in research, international development consulting, and the civil society sector. Areas of expertise include refugee law and migration policy, aid policy, human rights, media support, civil society, and peacebuilding. As a Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst for Universalia, a Canadian consulting firm, I have contributed to strategic evaluations of aid programs and the peacebuilding portfolios of United Nations agencies and multilateral development banks, gaining firsthand insights into the inner workings of these organisations and the mechanisms of the international aid industry. I previously supported initiatives promoting media freedom and independent journalism for the Global Forum for Media Development, a network of media support actors. My interest in global development stems from my work as a policy analyst in the civil society sector in the Philippines, my home country. These engagements exposed me to the realities of social injustice, armed conflict, and human rights abuses—issues that continue to inspire my journalism, which remains a core component of my professional identity. I am drawn to the stories of people in movement—migrant workers, refugees, and asylum seekers. Over the years, I have published stories on immigration and refugees, interreligious conflict, social movements, democratisation, and human rights. As a media literacy trainer, I conduct workshops on disinformation for local high schools and community centres in Montreal, while organising conferences as correspondant for the French monthly le Monde diplomatique. Through the years, I have adapted to diverse professional, linguistic, and cultural environments, acquiring solid intercultural skills through collaborations with international teams.