Only the poor die screaming
LONDON, U.K.—If you had a million dollars to spend (but not on yourself), where would it do the most good? Well, the cost to cover morphine or a morphine-equivalent pain-relief treatment for all the sick children younger than 15 years who are in serious pain in low-income countries would be just $1-million per year. About […]
The other Myanmar
MYITKYINA, MYANMAR—Scrambling past crippled dogs is a legless beggar approaching a table of people dining at a restaurant. Hands outstretched, with cataract-filled eyes, he looks up as he’s handed a dirty 50 kyat note, the equivalent of about a nickel. It’s lunch hour in this city of a few hundred thousand in Kachin state, in […]
Investing in grassroots women’s groups is our best hope for global peace
During the recent UN peacekeeping defence ministerial conference in Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s Elsie Initiative to employ more women as “boots on the ground” in peace operations. While the idea of more female peacekeepers generated interest, the government’s recently announced Feminist International Assistance Policy could have more far-reaching and longer-lasting positive impacts for global […]
When it comes to foreign aid, Canada’s a deadbeat
There’s a lot in the news lately about wealthy Canadians avoiding their fair share of taxes by using offshore accounts. Ordinary Canadians are rightfully outraged, but they need to know that our own federal government has being doing the same for years. Official development assistance (ODA) is the money that countries contribute to help the […]
Canada not ready to walk the talk with development financing without increase to foreign aid
Canada’s new development finance institution will be operational as of January 2018, and, if set up effectively, can help bring economic growth and stability to some of the world’s most volatile regions, promote sustainable development, and create new business opportunities for the private sector. Development finance has broad political support across parties, and yet, it […]
Climate action: economic opportunity with social justice
Re: “Canada misses opportunity for climate justice,” (The Hill Times, Nov. 27, p. 17). Who apart from the coldest heart could not agree with Shaughn McArthur? But he misses the key point. The big picture here is that we are just in the early phase of catastrophic changes due to climate change, and already governments […]
Celebrating and sustaining Canadian engagement in international development
In public life it is a good idea to pause now and then to take stock of what has been achieved, and reflect on what more needs to be done. Dec. 5, International Volunteer Day, is a moment to celebrate the individual accomplishments of Canadians who volunteer and to consider what our country can collectively […]
In South Sudan, good intentions are not enough
In South Sudan, the world’s newest country, insecurity and protracted fighting has created a need for humanitarian assistance for eight million people, including 4.3 million children, whose essential needs are not being met. Hundreds of thousands of these children are suffering from extreme malnutrition, do not have access to safe water and are being deprived of […]
Education, the neglected solution
At the COP23 global climate-change meeting last week in Bonn, scientists warned that abrupt environmental changes are threatening the security of humankind. Although this is not something that can be fixed, we still can try to make it less difficult to face these challenges by slowing population growth. Though paradoxical, many countries have completed or are about […]
Vancouver UN peacekeeping conference focuses on child soldiers and women’s participation
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan hosted the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference the last two days at the waterfront Vancouver Convention Centre overlooking the mountains in his home city of Vancouver. During an otherwise rainy and overcast week, the clouds opened up for the main plenary to give international guests a peak at the spectacular view […]
