Budget bill will reduce government accountability for Canadian foreign aid
To help ensure that Canadian foreign aid is spent on supporting people in need in developing countries, rather than things like white elephants and Canadian commercial interests, Canada has legislation that mandates a focus on poverty reduction. The legislation also seeks to ensure that the government takes into account the perspectives of poor people and […]
Pipeline contractors, charities lead October lobbying blitz as activity picks up
Lobbying activity has spiked in the last couple of months as groups sought to redouble their efforts in the lead-up to the next election, according to the federal lobbyists’ registry. Lobbyists filed a total of 3,126 communication reports in October and 1,816 in September, compared to 1,054 in July and 1,157 in August, lobbying records […]
Toilets save lives, people without them deserve our help
World Toilet Day was Nov. 19. The United Nations feels that proper sanitation is such an important issue it has dedicated a day to the subject. We get up in the morning and most of us do not give a thought to the fact we have a toilet. We use it, then we flush it […]
Canada tackling link between early marriage, preterm birth
KIGALI, RWANDA—As a humanitarian worker from Ontario, I’m proud to put Canada’s feminist foreign policy into action by championing the health and rights of women and girls around the world. Earlier this week, I was in Rwanda for the International Conference on Family Planning, along with the federal government and other international agencies, to advance […]
Liberal changes to foreign aid bill raise ‘red flag,’ say Grit MP, critics, aid groups
A Liberal MP says he’s “skeptical” a provision tucked in the government’s massive budget implementation bill that makes changes to a law governing foreign aid accountability is as harmless as it appears. Opposition critics and foreign aid groups also say the proposed change to the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act found in Bill C-86 is […]
Pakistan: dammed if you do, damned if you don’t
“India is shrinking the flow of water into Pakistan,” Pakistan’s chief justice Saqib Nisar reportedly said on Saturday, renewing a ban on showing Indian TV shows and Bollywood films on Pakistani television. “They are trying to [obstruct the construction] of our dam and we cannot even close their [television] channels?” On the face of it, […]
Canada, Slovenia see ‘eye to eye’: new envoy
Slovenia’s new ambassador, Melita Gabrič, says she sees many parallels between Canada and her country—priorities such as a feminist foreign policy that speaks to her history working in human rights and equality. “I very much appreciate the focus of Canada on empowerment of women,” said Ms. Gabrič in an Oct. 3 interview at her downtown corner office […]
A Canadian mother’s plea for Venezuelans
Pa’ lante es pa’ alla. That translates to: “don’t look back, keep going.” It’s a saying embedded in every Venezuelan arriving in Colombia looking for safety. This is what I heard when I met pregnant women, sick children, and the elderly, all with gaunt faces during my recent two-month emergency deployment with the UN Refugee […]
Canada, Turkey could alleviate global humanitarian crises together
OTTAWA—Turkey has traditionally been a land that offered safe haven to many people from different religions, races, and languages throughout history. Turkish people have opened their homes and hearts to those forced to leave their homelands for various reasons, including violence. Turkey’s open-door policy will continue. The Turkish nation’s attitude towards migrants, refugees, and asylum […]
Time for global collaboration to address sexual, reproductive health and rights
Parliamentarians from more than 150 nations are gathering in Ottawa this week to tackle one of the most serious challenges facing humanity. At the International Parliamentarians’ Conference on the Implementation of the ICPD Program of Action, or IPCI, a forum for all global regions, political leaders will work towards collective action on issues related to population […]
