In Afghanistan, chronic malnutrition a bigger threat than conflict
War in Afghanistan continues amid uncertain peace talks. Renewed fighting in recent weeks is yet another confirmation that this is one of the world’s most dangerous places. Nearly two decades after the fall of the Taliban and the deployment of Canada’s military, perceptions are still being shaped by news stories about conflict, terrorist attacks, and […]
The glass ceiling remains to be shattered for women in peace and conflict-prevention efforts
When representatives of the Liberal government attend Women Deliver next week, they are likely to showcase their Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), which is supposed to represent a major shift of Canada’s approach to women in its foreign relations. And why shouldn’t they? A focus on gender equality including the promotion of sexual and reproductive […]
Silence is bad for women’s health
Powerful forces of change have swept across the world since the start of the #MeToo movement two years ago. That movement has put the issue of widespread sexual assault and harassment front and centre among the challenges facing women today; it has helped break down barriers holding back women at work and at home. Tarana […]
Untying food aid in Canada: policy matters
When Cyclone Idai devastated crops in Mozambique and neighbouring countries in March, humanitarian agencies rushed in to supply food to the cyclone victims, sourcing that food from farming areas close to the disaster. That practice—local sourcing for food aid—is a relatively new development in the humanitarian field. Before 2008, Canada’s food aid was almost all […]
Time is ticking for MPs, Senators to pass human rights bills
There is an enormous amount of consequential human rights legislation approaching the parliamentary finish line. The time to get it across shrinks daily. Only four sitting weeks remain in this session of Parliament for MPs, five for Senators. Rather than return to Parliament in the fall, MPs will be out hustling for votes. That means […]
Canada should weigh in on the crisis in Central America
OTTAWA—The history of United States’ intervention in Central America is a long, bloody, and depressing story. How many tens of thousands of civilians—mostly peasants—were tortured and killed by U.S. soldiers and their proxies and the right-wing dictatorships Washington has backed for a century in the region is unknowable. But the record of atrocities and suffering […]
Let’s show international solidarity for flood victims
For the past several days, many of our fellow citizens have been going through situations of angst with the floods that have hit the eastern part of Canada. This horrible occurrence should at least open us a bit to the fate of countries of the South. In India, the country is dealing with a violent cyclone, and in Mozambique, floods just appear […]
Global Fund calls on feds to increase funding by ‘at least’ 15 per cent, as development observers criticize Liberal foreign assistance
A multinational humanitarian organization is looking for the Canadian government to increase its funding by 15 per cent to fight global epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, at the same as the Liberal government’s foreign assistance funding is being questioned. The Global Fund is seeking $14-billion from its donor countries in October to cover the […]
The world’s at a crossroads with malaria. Canada can help push it over the edge
April 25 is World Malaria Day. Little known by most Canadians, malaria threatens almost half the global population: more than three billion people. Hundreds of thousands die each year. New strains of multi-drug-resistant malaria are emerging and need to be destroyed quickly before they have a chance to spread and create a global catastrophe. Thankfully, the […]
Budget misses the mark on international development
On March 19, Finance Minister Bill Morneau released his government’s fourth federal budget. In an election year, it sought to reach potential voters on what matters to them: millennials with support for home ownership, parents with child-care subsidies, seniors with pensions, and workers with skills training. It also used spending and incentives to signal a […]
