Dion’s Sri Lanka visit: Step in right direction, but more must be done
Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion’s visit to Sri Lanka last week was a welcome symbol of the important steps that Canada is taking to help support reconciliation efforts in the island nation. Although Sri Lanka’s devastating civil war ended in 2009, post-conflict rebuilding efforts remain unfinished and a lasting and permanent peace has yet to […]
If working with mining, Canadian aid needs to get more sophisticated
In the Canadian government’s current review of international assistance, there is a great deal of discussion on the role that the private sector can play in global development. This review is taking place in the context of the United Nations’ recently launched Sustainable Development Goals, which correctly recognize that the private sector must be involved […]
What we really, really want is an end to violence against women
To mark its 20th anniversary, artists from India to Nigeria recently revamped the Spice Girls’ world-famous Wannabe video. What they “really, really want” this time around is an end to violence against women. I really, really want that too. Because I know that our world continues to be an unequal, dangerous, and even deadly place […]
How Canada should support low-carbon growth abroad
At last year’s Paris climate change agreement, all countries committed to help adapt to climate change and reduce emissions. Canada’s official development assistance (ODA) now needs to focus on realizing these commitments. Ensuring maximum impact will require attending to areas where need is greatest and where Canada has particular expertise. A core focus should be […]
Feminist approach to peace, security requires more than words
On July 1, we marked the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. The slaughter of hundreds of thousands of young men echoes through the century. I am Canadian because of my Scottish grandmother. She turned 19 the year the First World War ended. She looked around and saw that “there were no young […]
The way forward on human rights
Céline, a tenacious grassroots women’s human rights defender in Chad, once asked me, “if our views are not sought and we are not free to express them, how can we hold the government to their promises?” She has, to say the least, been outspoken in her own views and unrelenting in her own efforts to […]
Reaching every child by 2030: the promise of equity
Every child is born with the same rights to a healthy start in life, a safe, secure childhood, and the opportunity to reach their full potential. We have made tremendous progress in realizing these rights: child deaths have been reduced, more children are attending schools, and millions have been lifted out of poverty — including […]
Time to give shape to Canada’s place in the world
“Canada’s back” and “Because it’s 2015” are two phrases that have triggered a process that could reshape Canada’s image in the world. Last month, Global Affairs Canada launched a review and consultation on their proposed approach to international assistance, a process that could give meaningful shape to these phrases. The review represents potentially the most […]
It’s time Canada makes access to justice a reality for all
When a child is denied access to school, or an ailing person is shut out of a hospital, the media are quick to expose the injustice. Denial of health care or an education is unthinkable for most Canadians, yet access to justice, particularly for non-criminal issues, is out of reach for millions in this country, […]
Canada’s opportunity for refugees
“I don’t want to sit around and wait for assistance. I want to work. I want to be able to support my family.” This was a message I heard clearly from Ahmed, a father I met in Jordan who fled the conflict in Syria and is now living as a refugee. This is a universal […]
