Why Canada should sustain its COVID-19 aid to Myanmar through the border areas
If Canada were to end its direct funding to Indigenous civil societies working in areas outside of the Myanmar government control, it would have an enormous impact on Indigenous communities served by Canada’s life-saving assistance. The way COVID-19 support to Myanmar—including to the 600,000 Rohingya living in refugee camps in Bangladesh—was handled by the central […]
As hunger rises amidst pandemic, Canada can and should make an impact
“When we were home, we used to eat good things, now there is nowhere to farm—it is too dry,” said Martin, a refugee from South Sudan, living in Uganda’s Rhino Camp Settlement. By 2017, there were more than one million South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, forcibly displaced by violent conflict. Conflict, climate disasters, and economic […]
Pandemic risks undoing progress at achieving gender parity
Sunita is 16. She has been married for four years. At the age of 12, she became a child bride—forced into marriage and out of education by her parents in the Indian state of Bihar. “It felt terrible because I was still very young and was attending school with my friends,” says Sunita. “All my […]
Caremongering started at home but it shouldn’t end here
It has been moving to experience and witness the generosity of Canadians over the last six months. It was not uncommon to hear stories in the midst of fears around food scarcity and grocery store paranoia, of neighbours delivering baskets of hard-to-find supplies and food. During COVID-19, Canadians across the country have rallied to support […]
Canada, host countries should bolster efforts to mitigate COVID-19 spread in ‘displaced communities,’ says refugee advocacy group
With the peak of the pandemic still “three to six months” away from hitting regions gripped by humanitarian crises, an international refugee advocacy group is calling on the global community to step up its efforts to ensure vulnerable groups receive support needed to protect themselves from the virus. In a report released on Wednesday, Refugees […]
Where’s the money?: Questions loom over need for better foreign policy funding
Following Canada’s failure to win a seat on the UN Security Council, foreign affairs experts and former diplomats are raising the concern that funding for Global Affairs is insufficient despite budget increases over the last four years. Former Chrétien-era cabinet ministers and past diplomats Allan Rock and Sergio Marchi penned an op-ed this week in […]
Inclusive and resilient global agriculture systems can address climate crisis and COVID recovery
Global hunger has been rising since 2015, and food producers are hardest hit. Erratic weather is making it harder to produce food. Gender inequality holds back women, who make up a large percentage of farmers in developing countries. And now COVID-19 is impacting producers and consumers alike. Canada has taken bold actions on the global […]
UN Security Council election win could boost Trudeau’s international capital, says former diplomat
With the UN Security Council election set to take place in a week, Canada’s success or failure in the vote could have a lasting effect on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s foreign policy legacy in what may be a “barometer” on Canada’s place in the world. If Canada is to fall short of the necessary 129 […]
On guard for thee: global citizenship and Canada-U.S. relations
To suggest the United States would station troops along the longest undefended border in the world slashed a psychological wound between Canada and the United States. COVID-19 shut the Canada-U.S. border down, but it was the speed with which leaders of historically friendly countries agreed to go their separate ways that left indelible scars. Under […]
Read all about it: Digital Government Minister Murray’s team so far
Digital Government Minister Joyce Murray is busy leading efforts to replace the government’s Phoenix pay system and cut down the pay backlog, among other things, with Ashley Wright in place leading her policy team. Along with serving as director of policy to Ms. Murray, Ms. Wright is also currently acting as chief of staff to […]
