---
title: "Inside Canada’s First ‘Mock Embassy’: How Black Youth Are Getting a Seat at the Diplomatic Table"
description: Black youth step into diplomatic roles in Canada’s mock embassy, building confidence, civic engagement and leadership for a more inclusive future
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2025-11-11T14:01:52.000Z
updated: 2026-02-26T15:52:04.944Z
canonical: https://richwoman.co/article/inside-canada-s-first-mock-embassy-how-black-youth-are-getting-a-seat-at-the-diplomatic-table
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/f13wwitgqt0.jpg
categories: Female leadership
content_type: Spotlight
region: Ontario
publication: Rich Woman Magazine
---

The room buzzes with nervous energy as seventeen-year-old Maya adjusts her blazer and takes her place at the negotiating table. Around her, other young people flip through briefing papers, their voices carrying the weight of representing entire nations in a heated discussion about climate action and trade agreements. This isn’t a classroom exercise – it’s the floor of Canada’s first mock embassy, where Black youth are learning that diplomacy isn’t just something that happens to them, but something they can shape.

When Maya stands to present Canada’s position on sustainable development partnerships with Caribbean nations, her voice grows steadier with each word. The confidence filling the room is tangible – these young people aren’t just playing dress-up in diplomatic roles. They’re discovering they belong at tables where decisions about their communities and their futures get made.

## What Happens When Young People Step Into Diplomatic Shoes

The [mock embassy in Windsor, Ontario](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/social-development-partnerships/supporting-black-communities/supporting-black-canadian-communities-initiative.html) doesn’t pretend to be a simulation. Instead, young people dive straight into the mechanics of real diplomatic work – negotiating trade agreements, crafting policy briefs and building relationships with international partners. Rather than sitting through lectures about how embassies function, participants spend their time doing the actual work diplomats do every day.

The programme connects directly with established international bodies including the Organization of American States, the World Trade Organization in Geneva and UN mechanisms that focus on people of African descent. When these young people practice presenting Canada’s positions, they’re engaging with the same frameworks and challenges that actual Canadian diplomats navigate in their daily work.

## Breaking Through Concrete Ceilings

The need for this kind of direct pathway becomes clear when you look at the numbers. [Black representation in Canada’s core public administration](https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/news/2025/02/the-government-of-canada-unveils-new-initiatives-to-support-black-employees-in-the-public-service.html) sits at just 4.6%, dropping to only 2.7% at the executive level where foreign policy decisions get made.

The barriers facing Black Canadians in diplomatic careers go well beyond the numbers. [Systemic challenges include limited career development opportunities](https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/resources/newsroom/significant-barriers-remain-racialized-people-seeking-management-and-executive) and workplace discrimination that affects advancement and retention across federal service roles.

‘We’re building more inclusive institutions for us and by us, where we dismantle employment-related access barriers and break concrete ceilings facing Black youth and communities,’ says Candies Kotchapaw, founder of Developing Young Leaders of Tomorrow, Today (DYLOTT) and the mock embassy’s Ambassador-designate.

The programme receives funding through the [Government of Canada’s Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative](https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cbjs-scjn/ttc-ect/a1.html), which has invested over $200 million since 2019 in Black-led organisations. By 2025-26, this funding stream will direct $36 million towards capacity building and addressing systemic barriers.

## Learning Diplomacy by Doing It

Inside the mock embassy, young people rotate through different diplomatic roles – one week they might represent Canada in World Trade Organization discussions, the next they’re coordinating with CARICOM partners on regional development projects. [This hands-on approach to learning](https://richwoman.co/article/inside-the-nasdaq-tech-conference-how-fordham-students-took-the-lead-and-changed-their-future) means they draft position papers on sustainable development goals, practise the art of diplomatic negotiation and learn how international agreements actually get hammered out behind closed doors.

The programme deliberately connects these activities to [the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals](https://www.unac.org/generationsdg), helping participants see how diplomatic work translates into real change in their communities. When they’re discussing Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth) or Goal 10 (reduced inequalities), these aren’t abstract concepts – they’re policy frameworks that shape opportunities for their friends, families and neighbourhoods.

## Building Voices That Carry the Future

Minister Patty Hajdu, who oversees federal economic development for Northern Ontario, describes the programme’s impact in practical terms: ‘Participants will gain firsthand experience in international relations, negotiation and cross-cultural communication – equipping them with the tools to navigate diverse environments, express their voices confidently and envision broader possibilities for their futures in Canada and beyond.’

That confidence shows up in unexpected ways. [Research on youth civic engagement programmes](https://rhf-frh.ca/media-releases/understanding-youth-and-child-civic-engagement-in-canada/) shows that experiential learning approaches – where young people take on real roles rather than observing from the sidelines – build sustained confidence and long-term engagement. [Finding your voice](https://richwoman.co/article/finding-your-voice-the-women-and-men-who-discovered-confidence-when-left-self-doubt-behind) in spaces where you’ve never seen people like yourself requires both skill-building and unwavering support.

Kotchapaw frames the programme’s significance in generational terms: ‘It’s marking the first International Decade for People of African Descent in Canada in a way that matters to young people.’

## Skills That Travel Beyond Embassy Walls

The mock embassy addresses more than just diplomatic skills. By creating space for young Black Canadians to see themselves in international leadership roles, the programme tackles what researchers identify as key barriers to civic engagement – feelings of being unqualified or unwelcome in formal political spaces.

When participants learn to articulate Canada’s position on trade agreements or sustainable development partnerships, they’re developing [the same communication and leadership capabilities](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/youth/canada-service-corps/services.html) that drive success across professional fields. The ‘by us, for us’ approach means these young people see their experiences and perspectives as assets rather than obstacles.

The programme also serves as entrepreneurial infrastructure, supporting participants who want to develop their own initiatives around inclusive economic development and storytelling projects that amplify Black Canadian voices on the global stage. [Real-world experience like this](https://richwoman.co/article/how-internship-is-giving-young-women-a-real-way-to-make-a-difference) builds the kind of confidence that extends far beyond any single programme.

## What Comes Next

The mock embassy represents the kind of targeted investment that [Global Affairs Canada acknowledges](https://www.international.gc.ca/transparency-transparence/future-diplomacy-avenir-diplomatie/06-2023-discussion-paper-document-travail.aspx?lang=eng) is needed to build a foreign service that reflects the country’s diversity. As the department works to reform its recruitment approach to better reach underrepresented populations, programmes like this provide both pipeline and proof of concept.

Future cohorts are already in planning, with expansion discussions focusing on how to replicate this model in other regions while maintaining the hands-on approach that makes the programme effective.

Back in the mock embassy, the session ends with participants gathering for a group photo. As they stand together in their diplomatic roles – some still wearing name tags identifying them as Canada’s representatives to various international bodies – they’re not just posing for a picture. They’re documenting the moment they decided their voices belonged in rooms where decisions about their futures get made.

Maya, who started the day nervous about speaking up, now talks animatedly with classmates about the trade negotiation strategies they’ll try in next week’s session. The confidence isn’t just individual – it’s collective, building the foundation for a generation that expects to help shape Canada’s place in the world rather than simply hope someone else considers their interests along the way.