Canadian Council of Churches

Our Staff

Deivit Montealegre, MA

Associate Secretary, Intercultural Leadership and Learning — Louisville Postdoctoral Fellow

Deivit is a passionate advocate for intercultural leadership, a path he’s walked personally and professionally. Currently serving as Associate Secretary for Intercultural Leadership at the Council, he brings three years of experience as Teaching, Research, and Program Coordinator from the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning (FILL). Deivit is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto, where his research explores the profound intersections between economics, theology, decolonial thinking, and ethics. This academic pursuit complements his diverse practical background, which includes roles as an Educational Consultant for the World Council of Churches’ Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) and as the Latin American Program Director for the NGO Globethics. These experiences have solidified Deivit’s conviction that intercultural understanding is a catalyst for transformative change. He envisions interculturality as a bridge, connecting faith with social action to create a more just and equitable world for all.

Carmen Ramirez

Teaching, Research, and Program Assistant

Carmen Ramirez’s main role is to organize the Engage Difference program that belongs to the Forum of Intercultural Leadership and Learning. Carmen was born in Peru and came to Canada at the age of five. She is a PhD candidate at Palm Beach Atlantic University. She holds an MA from York University, MTS Wycliff College, University of Toronto and a BA in Criminology from York University. 
 
Carmen has been a part of the Engage Difference program since its beginning in 2012. She believes the program is effective in providing tools for ministers and lay people who would like to begin and continue conversations on making their faith communities more intercultural.