Articles

• Nigel Fisher the humanitarian—and his brush with Hollywood

  16 décembre 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  When Nigel Fisher flew to Nigeria more than three decades ago to teach and travel around West Africa, he likely didn’t think that at the end of his career he would be playing a version of himself in a Sean Penn film. read more

• How Michaëlle Jean became the Francophonie head

  2 décembre 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  With rumours that Michaëlle Jean was thinking of running to lead the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, it was no surprise that the ex-governor general showed up among the VIPs at the annual Africa Day diplomatic reception on May 27. She’d need the support of African countries, (...)

• Michaëlle Jean a front-runner to lead Francophonie

  27 novembre 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  Michaëlle Jean appears to be a front-runner to lead the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, but a Canadian win is by no means assured. read more

• No clear process for deciding crisis aid contributions : AG

  25 novembre 2014, par cplecash@hilltimes.com
  The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development doesn’t have a clear process for deciding how much money to contribute to international relief efforts in unfolding humanitarian crises, according to the latest report from the auditor general of Canada. “[A]lthough the Department takes (...)

• Feds take industry advice on social responsibility policy

  18 novembre 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  The Harper government’s updated corporate social responsibility policy for Canadian oil, mining and gas companies operating abroad generally follows what the mining industry wanted. While at least one industry association is largely happy with the changes, several regular critics of Canadian (...)

• New extractive-sector CSR strategy set for release Friday

  13 novembre 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  The Harper government is set to release its long-awaited revised corporate social responsibility plan for Canadian mining, oil and gas companies working abroad on Friday. read more

• Mining, oil and gas ‘not on same page’ on transparency bill

  28 octobre 2014, par cplecash@hilltimes.com
  Canada’s oil and gas and mining sectors are voicing their support for new transparency legislation included in the federal government’s latest budget bill, but the two powerful industries are at odds over whether they should be required to disclose payments on a project-by-project basis. read (...)

• Adapt or die : The new NGO funding reality

  14 octobre 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  Five years ago, the social justice group KAIROS was hit in the gut. For 34 years, the Canadian International Development Agency had funded part of its budget so it could give grants to partner groups overseas, pay salaries and expenses, and talk to Canadians about foreign aid. When the (...)

• 'Stick to the knitting' : Charities face similar scrutiny in UK, Canada

  26 août 2014, par cmeyer@embassymag.ca
  In June, about six weeks before news broke that Canada’s tax office had told a major charity it didn’t consider “preventing poverty” a charitable goal, a familiar story was playing out across the pond. Oxfam Canada’s affiliate in the United Kingdom had tweeted about a "perfect storm" for poverty (...)

• Foreign aid NGOs optimistic for funding fix

  31 juillet 2014, par cmeyer@embassymag.ca
  The head of a coalition of Canadian foreign aid groups says it has a “tacit agreement” with the federal government that would help groups gain new access to funding, after what they describe as years of drought. read more

• Quebec, 2015 election cited as key to feds’ warming to aid groups

  29 juillet 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  When Julia Sánchez talks about International Development Minister Christian Paradis, she uses words like “openness” and “engaged.” When Ms. Sánchez, the head of a coalition of more than 70 foreign aid groups, has sat down with him for meetings, she says he’s taking notes, “really listening” and not (...)

• Aid priorities shift unsurprising, say observers

  30 juin 2014, par kshane@hilltimes.com
  Expanded aid priority-country list overlaps trade interests Several observers and an opposition critic said they were unsurprised with the government’s picks in an announcement last week of an expanded list of countries to which it funnels much of its bilateral aid. The new list of so-called (...)

• Expanded aid priority-country list overlaps trade interests

  27 juin 2014, par cmeyer@embassymag.ca
  Aid priorities shift unsurprising, say observers Canada's foreign aid minister has dropped three countries from Canada’s list of development focus countries and added eight, including areas of Canadian business interest like Myanmar and Mongolia. The changes, to be announced this morning (...)

• NGOs welcome Paradis effort to fix bad blood

  20 mai 2014, par benoit@hilltimes.com
  A national coalition of international development groups says that aid minister Christian Paradis’s efforts to fix relations with its members “is a welcome breath of fresh air” after a years-long funding drought and closed ministerial office door. read (...)

• Ghosts of abortion debate haunt maternal, child health summit

  13 mai 2014, par benoit@hilltimes.com
  The same concerns about a lack of funding for safe abortions and sexual and reproductive health that bubbled up four years ago when Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared maternal, child and newborn health his main development priority threaten to boil over again as Canada and the world look to (...)

• Canada builds ties with emerging foreign-aid players

  22 avril 2014, par benoit@hilltimes.com
  Canada has sealed a deal with the United Arab Emirates to co-operate on foreign aid, including in places of mutual concern like Syria. It’s part of broader push to connect with emerging players in international development, as aid recipients become donors. But while aid analysts say (...)

• Budget 2012 saw over 300 CIDA positions cut : Docs

  1er avril 2014, par benoit@hilltimes.com
  More than 300 positions, including program managers for the Middle East and Africa and environment specialists, were slashed at the former Canadian International Development Agency following the 2012 federal budget, according to documents obtained by Embassy. read (...)