Why Canada stands to lose its UN Security Council bid
OTTAWA—My father was no expert in political science, but he gave me some advice many years ago that stuck with me when I ran for office: “When someone tells you they are going to vote for you, they are probably fibbing. Knock on another 10 doors.” This wisdom stemmed from his loss in a workplace […]
What we need to do to get children in developing countries learning
Meet Gloria. She is 15 years old and like many teenagers around the world, she dreams of her future—her own home, family, and a career. She loves to draw and is an excellent runner. She attends public school in Tanzania and although she is near the top of her class, she only reads and writes […]
Heretic thoughts on 0.7, the foreign aid Holy Grail
Point seven per cent. It is perhaps the most bandied about and least understood phrase in the global development “catechism.” The figure refers to the objective of offering seven-tenths of one per cent of gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA) budgets. It has ostensibly been the objective of the Canadian government since […]
Criticizing Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi not the answer
The current crisis involving the Rohingya people in western Myanmar is both tragic and complex. There have been calls in Canada to strip Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi of her honorary Canadian citizenship and even demands to have her Nobel Prize revoked. Such calls are both short-sighted and misplaced. On Aug. 25, Myanmar […]
Expanding role of micro, small, and medium enterprises provide opportunities for sustainable development
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation is home to 40 per cent of the world’s population, 50 per cent of global trade, and 60 per cent of global GDP. Over the last quarter century, APEC has shaped and transformed the global economy and supported half a billion people in their rise out of poverty. Few Canadians know […]
On nutrition: put your money where your mouth is
When my father was a boy he would be lucky if he got one orange in his Christmas stocking. Nowadays, a person can eat oranges to their heart’s content. This is just one of the countless improvements in our diet over the past century. Study after study has shown the direct link between good nutrition […]
As Afghan politicians squabble, Afghans die, and Canada looks the other way
On July 24, dozens of civilians died as a result of a terror attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. The attack coincided with the first anniversary of a similar incident in which nearly 100 civilians, mostly students, died in Kabul’s Deh Mazang Square. Why has Afghanistan been plagued by a constant stream of bloodshed, and what is […]
Yemen deserves Canada’s help and voice
It’s a far-away, poor country with few linkages to Canada. So it’s no surprise Yemen hasn’t made much of a dent in Canadian news recently, nor has it been a hot topic for politicians. But it’s a country Canada should care about. Yemen’s people have endured one crisis after another for years. Bordered by regional […]
It’s time Canada report how it’s following global Sustainable Development Goals
In the next 20 years, Canada will become a country of large, diverse urban centres with a growing visible minority, Indigenous, and newcomer populations. By 2036, according to the latest Statistics Canada figures, around 30 per cent of all residents will have been born outside the country. These demographic shifts are not isolated, but rather […]
Canada must tackle root causes of displacement, conflict, as well as their effects
OTTAWA—Twenty million people in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Yemen are facing famine. It is being called the largest humanitarian crisis since the inception of the United Nations. In Yemen, the last two years of conflict has caused such severe economic breakdown that today some seven million people do not know where their next meal […]
