Minister Bibeau’s Sierra Leone visit highlights need to invest in quality education
This past Saturday, Sept. 8, International Literacy Day was celebrated around the world with the theme ‘literacy and skills development,’ reminding us all that literacy is a fundamental human right essential for human capital development and the creation of equitable and sustainable societies. It also reminds us that literacy—long recognized as a lever to attain […]
Canada can do even more to boost aid to the world’s most needy
This year’s federal budget increased the baseline for humanitarian assistance to $738-million per year. This is very good news. The new base should improve predictability and timeliness in responding to humanitarian crises. More resources should also advance Canada’s efforts to promote gender-responsive humanitarian action in the implementation of the Feminist International Assistance Policy and increase […]
They risk their lives to help others, but aid workers need protection too
Aug. 19 was a day that was keenly felt by my colleagues at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This day has been designated as World Humanitarian Day, when we honour the 22 colleagues who lost their lives in the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad 15 years ago. It also serves as an occasion […]
Kofi Annan had his flaws, but he inspired a generation
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—I met Kofi Annan only once, but I remember the encounter as if it were yesterday. The former United Nations secretary general’s calm demeanour, genuine interest in people, and undeniable charisma were all evident in the few minutes I had to speak with him at a UN meeting in Geneva. Despite that short meeting, […]
Why the world needs to pay more attention to land degradation
In Woldiya, in northern Ethiopia, a series of gullies scar the landscape. Where once there was farmland, land has eroded, opening up 10-metre-deep crevices, separating farmers from their fields and children from their schools. In 2013, the local government estimated that five hectares of gullies are formed in the community every year, equivalent to more […]
How much can the private sector do to end world hunger?
The private sector is ready, willing, and able to work with governments and non-profits to solve global poverty and hunger. At least that is the impression created by Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy and the recently created International Assistance Innovation Program. That’s good news. But is the optimism well founded? Ottawa believes it is. It […]
Myanmar at a crossroads as Rohingya crisis deepens
The last year for Myanmar has been difficult, especially in terms of its international image. The plight of the Rohingya has dominated headlines and captured the suffering of hundreds of thousands of displaced people in refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. A country that had, for decades, been one of the most isolated states dominated by […]
Zimbabwe’s ambassador, diplomatic corps dean, leaves Canada after ’13 winters’
After “13 winters” of ups and downs, Zimbabwean Ambassador Florence Zano Chideya, the longest-serving head of a foreign diplomatic mission in Canada, has finally wrapped up her tour of duty in the country. “I’ve been here for 13 winters…I’ll miss the country. I think it’s been home. And when you are home, you are comfortable. And I’ve […]
Trudeau must show Canada is part of global fight against TB
Centuries of neglect have transformed tuberculosis, a curable disease, into the biggest infectious killer today, claiming more victims than HIV and malaria combined. Every year, 10 million human beings contract TB. Every year, 1.7 million die of it. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown great leadership by promising to end TB in Canada’s North, but […]
Religion is an important part of civil society and ought to be heard
On May 28 and 29, a major civil society summit was held in Ottawa in advance of the June 8 and 9 G7 meeting in Charlevoix, Que. The summit—dubbed the C7—brought together representatives from all G7 member states and the European Union, along with representatives from civil society groups in Canada, to discuss ways to create a fairer, more sustainable […]
