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Johnson took over from Theresa May this week as UK prime minister. Marie Le Conte looks at his track record, including his time as foreign secretary, for clues as to his leadership style.

The US needs to address its own badly bungled policies in Central America. But, as Kelli Maria Korducki writes, Canada shouldn’t feel off the hook when it comes to the region, or its people.

After decades of operation, the International Monetary Fund faces a crucial question: do existing governance arrangements reflect the realities of the twenty-first century?

As recent incidents in Canada show, China’s treatment of Uighurs and Tibetans is increasingly felt globally. Raphael Tsavkko Garcia reports on the tactics used — and the international response.

The G20 leaders' summit runs June 28 and 29 in Japan. What will Justin Trudeau's most useful service be if the event is sidelined by a Xi-Trump meeting?

Winning essays from a recent competition that asked junior Canadian scholars to define the challenges facing Canada today.

An ongoing federal court case could determine whether Canada can consider the US to be safe enough for refugees and asylum-seekers — especially women facing violence.

Montreal hosts RightsCity on June 3. In advance of the conference, participants share their views on the current gaps when it comes to addressing human rights.

Women have been at the forefront of the uprising in Sudan, but can they translate that role into a more positive positioning in the country’s next chapter?

With the launch of a new network of security experts in Canada, Steve Saideman chats with OpenCanada about the state of defence research in this country and the issues on his radar.

There is a long history of military involvement in political transitions in Latin America. So, as Luis Horacio Nájera asks, can we actually expect a peaceful transfer of power in Venezuela?

Six Canadian academics reflect on the challenges of teaching in a world of fast-paced news and distrust of sources.

We look at the foreign policy issues that have become more urgent in recent weeks, as the six-month countdown to Canada’s federal election begins.

An increasing reliance on private investment for international development makes evaluating government contributions trickier, write Matt Gouett and Rachael Calleja.

Researchers studying the role of young people in society offer suggestions — and praise — for Greta Thunberg’s climate movement and others like it.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali is at a critical juncture, making Canada’s refusal to fill a logistical gap even more disappointing, argues Ousmane Diallo.

Now a Canadian resident, Régine Uwibereyeho King explains what reconciliation and post-conflict programs might learn from her own experience.

Canada’s carbon pricing system is being implemented as a way to help meet the country’s global emissions targets, but its future remains uncertain. Can industry assist in overcoming opposition?

This International Women’s Day, we asked 10 Canadian or Canada-based women working on international issues to reflect on those who inspire them.

This week marked 40 years since the Iranian Revolution. As Irwin Cotler and Yonah Diamond argue, the anniversary is an opportunity to renew efforts to hold the architects of the ongoing repression to account.

Six Canadian academics reflect on the challenges of teaching in a world of fast-paced news and distrust of sources.

As
part of our coverage of a ‘just transition’ to a green economy, we speak with
oil and gas specialist Julia McElgunn.

From our editors With tension and intrigue between leaders of […]

With less than a year to go before the next federal election, OpenCanada’s new election-watch series aims to keep track of the issues that will — or should — be front and centre.

As Canada brings representatives from like-minded countries together to save
a ‘broken’ World Trade Organization, Erin Hannah, Adrienne Roberts and Silke
Trommer look at how championing gender could bring new relevance to the
institution.    

This week, we’re looking at the ways in which cities and
regions collaborate to push global standards. Part two of three looks at how
cities can lead the way when global challenges — such as those identified by the Sustainable Development Goals — feel intractable. 

After the late Sunday
announcement that Canada, Mexico and the United States have reached a new trade deal,
Kim Richard Nossal asks: Did it all come down to the name? 

As tech experts, entrepreneurs, activists and academics from around the world gather for the annual 6 Degrees forum, we asked three of this year’s participants to give their vision for a future citizenry.

On the
heels of ‘grave errors’ in the humanitarian sector, aid groups are pledging to redouble
efforts to prevent the sexual exploitation and abuse of the world’s most
vulnerable.

International Development Studies is a
lesser-known area of study in Canada, but new research shows such education is
a great way to prepare the next generation of globally-minded professionals for
the workforce. 

Ahead of the launch of POLITICO Pro Canada next month, executive director
Luiza Ch. Savage and reporter Lauren Gardner lay out the cross-border stories their
team will be focusing on, from NAFTA to cybersecurity to marijuana.  

With continued calls for increased defence spending — despite levels at an all-time high — investment in governance institutions and initiatives may take a hit. Here’s why they are just as key to global security.

As polarization plagues the world around us, young people are not immune. On International Youth Day, we must recommit to bursting our filter bubbles.

Despite the US taking centre stage, Stéfanie von Hlatky argues the meeting served to reinforce priorities and
identify some, though not all, of NATO’s challenges. 

For decades, the UN deployed hundreds of
thousands of peacekeepers to clean up after devastating armed conflicts. The
current UN Secretary-General is intent on elevating conflict prevention to the
top of the agenda — here are the reforms needed to make it work.    

The Trudeau government has raised expectations that it will
advance gender equality, especially during its G7 presidency. Here’s how
its latest initiative can make an impact and empower women economically.

Once
responsible for Assad’s offensive cyber operations, the Syrian Electronic Army is
back. Its new mission, to reconquer Syrian cyberspace for the regime, may prove
impossible. 

Much has changed since terrorism was first defined within Canada’s Criminal Code. But, as Amarnath Amarasingam and Stephanie Carvin ask, what would it mean for the term to be broadened?

António Guterres appears determined to rejuvenate the UN, but he has his work cut out for him. Javier Delgado Rivera takes stock of the UN chief’s tenure so far and the challenges ahead, from US disengagement to internal issues around sexual assault.

Ousmane Aly Diallo peels back the layers of complexity surrounding UN peacekeeping efforts in Mali and suggests what could actually make a difference.

We asked 10 leading thinkers, policymakers, journalists and activists what feminist foreign policy means to them. They each support the idea — here’s how they see it working.

With its G7 presidency, Canada faces the challenge of applying
a gender lens to policy areas like trade, peacekeeping and diplomacy. Such
efforts put the feminist foreign policy concept under the microscope. 

From our editors Like others covering global affairs, our team […]

In the fight between
‘America First’ and ‘progressive trade,’ real change may be the first casualty,
write Stuart Trew and Scott Sinclair as they reflect on a year of heated trade
talks.

While Lester B. Pearson is most remembered for his contributions to peacekeeping, he added just as much to Canada’s foreign policy legacy with his leadership on international assistance, argue Robert Greenhill and Marina Sharpe.

Along the border between Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland, communities have worked hard to move on from a more
violent time in the island’s history, when customs posts and military
checkpoints were the norm. But, as Brexit looms, is a return to the past
inevitable?

The inaugural Victoria
Forum, which runs November 17 to 19, promotes diversity and inclusion, and
debates the challenges ahead for the global community.

Le premier Forum de Victoria, du 17 au 19 novembre, met de l’avant la diversité et l’inclusion, et débat des défis à venir pour la communauté internationale.

Discussions in Vancouver this week
are part of a broader effort to make peacekeeping missions more effective, write
Clark Soriano and Rhonda Gossen. Here’s how that can be done.

As Roland Paris and Margaret Biggs write, unlike many of its peer countries, Canada lacks a strategy to boost participation in global education and it shows. Here’s why international learning benefits both students and Canada itself. 

From narrowing in on the final text of the Paris rule book to providing a platform for Indigenous knowledge, here are the priorities for this month’s climate conference in Germany.

If Canada is to play a leadership role in its G7 year, it must be seen as an effective advocate of meaningful solutions to global problems, writes James A. Haley, as IMF annual meetings get underway in Washington.

How can we create more inclusive communities? From fighting censorship
on social media to creating a new unifying European identity, guests of this
year’s 6 Degrees forum in Toronto put
forward examples of barriers that are in desperate need of breaking down.  

Can home be a place
you’ve never been or are prevented from visiting? Author Marcello Di Cintio
visits Palestine to understand the dilemmas of the displaced.

Canada isn’t the first to promote global development
via the private sector. As Chris W. J. Roberts explains, decades of experiments
have provided crucial lessons for effective support.

The first round of renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement kick off this week in Washington. Here’s what — and who — you need to know.

As Canada marks 150 years, seven global experts look
at how the Responsibility to Protect doctrine can protect human rights in the
21st century, and how it can evolve going forward. 

As countries prepare to meet in London for the Family
Planning 2020 conference on July 11, Canada has a unique opportunity to remind
the international community that promoting sexual and reproductive rights during humanitarian crises saves lives —
just like clean water, shelter and food.

Jerónimo Mohar Volkow and Benoît Gomis
on how skewed coverage of conflict and terrorism can be used politically — and
how to think more critically when it comes to understanding violence. 

A defence minister who served in Afghanistan. A new International Criminal Court investigation. Ongoing calls for an inquiry. Will Canada’s handover of detainees come back to haunt this government?

As the U.S. announces it is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, Matthew Hoffmann argues it had already abandoned leadership
on climate change. That’s why other countries — such as Canada and
China — and corporations need to step up.

For the 2017 Lieutenant Governor’s Climate Change Essay Challenge, Grade 12 students from across Ontario were invited to tell their story of how Canada will stop climate change by 2067. Here are the three winning entries.

While it has recently been proposed that Canada leverage the Commonwealth to push for progress on LGBT rights, it should first try committing direct funding.

The implementation
of Brexit is not simply a UK-EU problem — countries like Canada should also be
concerned, writes Armand de Mestral for our partners at CIGI.

Despite this recent commitment to provide military support in Ukraine until 2019, the conflict is
likely to remain frozen.

There are occasions when outsiders should recognize historical atrocities, writes David A. Welch. But new Ontario legislation wrongly wades into East Asian identity politics. Here’s why.

Data shows that, despite the change in
government, Canada’s support for international assistance remains well below
historical and international benchmarks. The human cost of this shortfall was equivalent to half a million lives
in 2016 alone. 

Data shows that, despite the change in
government, Canada’s support for international assistance remains well below
historical and international benchmarks. The human cost of this shortfall was equivalent to half a million lives
in 2016 alone. 

Canada offers a significant market and unique tech expertise for U.S. automakers. The automotive industry is also deeply integrated between the two countries. Should we still be worried?

From our editors 2016 marked a new start for OpenCanada.org. […]

Our friends at Arctic Deeply introduce us to the people who stand apart when it comes to improving education, fighting climate change, boosting international collaboration and revitalizing Indigenous culture in the Arctic. We highlight some below, and link to the full list.

With a global power vacuum, middle powers like Canada and Mexico need to boost their support of, and cooperation on, anti-atrocity initiatives.

Cyber-security experts, hackers and civil
society advocates recommend six ways to push back against global digital
threats to civil society.

With the election of Donald Trump for U.S. president, we asked Canadian diplomats to name their one hope for his approach to foreign policy.

Canada’s idealist leader can play ball with his pragmatist counterpart on a number of issues, from NAFTA to renewable energy. The key is their shared interest in infrastructure.

Donald Trump’s surprise win this week has many wondering
what the impact will be on trade, regional politics and even political science
as we know it. OpenCanada rounds up some of this week’s best reactions.

Canada’s responsibility to protect Yazidis in Iraq should extend beyond resettlement to the creation of “safe zones” in the region, argue Kyle Matthews and Silke Melbye-Hansen.

Analysis of more than one million Twitter posts reveals the political maneuvering in portrayals of Syrian refugees, and the global pivot on the issue triggered by the image of Alan Kurdi in 2015. 

Whether humanitarians or jihadist groups, who is finding “success” online? We ask five experts for their insights.

From what to do if you’ve been hacked, to the secure messaging apps you can use, here are the best tips to ensure your own digital security.

While the Trudeau government’s attempts to re-establish relations with Russia on the Arctic file have been welcome, this past year has seen missed opportunities to provide leadership and strategic direction, write Heather Exner-Pirot and Joël Plouffe. From our partners at Arctic Deeply.

How can we create more welcoming and compassionate societies? One […]

As the descendant of a determined Apache woman from Mexico, Luis Horacio Najera’s identity has been shaped by his heritage. Only recently did he realize how important that history was in carving out his place as a new Canadian. His story is part of a new series on inclusion.

How do we create a system that treats refugees with dignity and better distributes the responsibility? As world leaders meet to discuss the global refugee crisis, these five factors should guide their thinking.

The backlash from Enrique Peña Nieto’s
invitation to Donald Trump serves as a lesson for all of
North America.

In both Japan and China, strong links exist between national academies
and government, and research is well funded. Canada should take note. 

Following disturbing reports of attacks in July, and with
the authorization of an increase in troops for the UN mission, we asked six
experts what government, aid agencies and local actors need to do to improve
the situation in South Sudan. 

Unlike many other countries, such as China and Norway, Canada lacks a formal strategy for Africa. As a result, the impulse to
“find a mission” may lead Canadian efforts in the wrong direction. 

As the Islamic State harnesses the power of the
Internet, jihad has become ‘do it yourself.’ To counter the threat of lone wolf attackers far from Iraq and Syria, governments need to take action to simultaneously disrupt ISIS’ online communications and get to the root of the problem at hand: ideology. 

The
Canadian Arctic is attracting more tourists than ever before. Arctic tourism
experts Jackie Dawson and Margaret Johnston offer suggestions on making the
most of a visit to these remote communities and fragile ecosystems.

As the Games kick off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5, the focus will be on athlete performances. But can we imagine a more just Olympics? We asked three experts.

This week’s missile launch
by North Korea is the latest in a line of tests exacerbating tensions with its
neighbours and adversaries. Yuk-Kuen Annie Cheung examines Kim Jong-un’s recent behaviour for insight
into how North Korea is conducting its foreign policy. 

North American leaders met in June to tackle the shared
challenge of climate change. For OpenCanada and Arctic Deeply, Thomas F.
Pedersen explains why the Arctic is the key piece to that puzzle and why the new
action plan stops one step short.  

Canada’s planned contribution to a NATO brigade would mean
little if an attack from Russia would be unlikely to lead to retaliation, argue
Misha Boutilier and Shahryar Pasandideh.

A cruise through the Northwest Passage changed the way authors Connie and Peter Roop thought about Arctic tourism. There are benefits, but the risks remain great. Some trips should not go ahead, they write, in this co-publication with Arctic Deeply.

Anecdotal evidence suggests there is an economic benefit to
workforce diversity in Canada, yet few studies have measured the impact
nationally. We’re setting out to change that.  

OpenCanada’s Krista Hessey speaks with Jared P. Scott about his latest film, Age of Consequences, as it premieres in Toronto: ‘This is not your left-leaning hippie outfit, this is the Department of Defense saying that climate change will burden the economy.’

Canada’s Arctic is facing real security concerns, but the prospect of an incursion from Russia is far-fetched at best, argue Adam Lajeunesse and Whitney Lackenbauer. From our partners at Arctic Deeply.

OpenCanada is featuring excerpts from
all five Shaughnessy Cohen finalists this week. This is Greg
Donaghy’s Grit: The Life and Politics of Paul Martin Sr.

The U.S. has declared ISIS’ actions to be genocide but, as history has
shown, using the term without action only weakens its legal effectiveness,
argue Robert Murray and Aidan Hehir.

If the Brussels attacks are
shocking, other ISIS crimes should incite an even bigger reaction, including
real talk in Canada’s House of Commons, argue Kyle Matthews and Riley Healey.

In rapidly-changing Arctic societies, security can no longer be exclusively about military threats,
and sovereignty cannot fixate solely on the rights of states. From our partners at Arctic Deeply.

Marking International Women’s Day, this week the
Canadian government announced a long-term investment in women and girls around
the world. Here are 10 reasons to celebrate.

‘He
inspired a generation of young Canadians to study Canada, the country he dearly
loved, and to ask big questions about the world all around us.’

The first World Humanitarian Summit is bringing NGOs, government, the
private sector and many others together in May. Here’s what participants — and
the sector at large — should keep in mind.

We
asked two of Canada’s leading Arctic experts whether the two nations could mend
their rapport through shared interests in the Arctic.

In
conversation with researcher Jon Waind, UN Special Rapporteur Heiner Bielefeldt
clears up misconceptions about the links between religion and violence and why fostering
understanding is even more complex than we imagined.

Global Affairs Canada reaches 2.5
million people online. But can the government turn Facebook likes and retweets
into something more substantive? 

Where will Canada make its greatest impact
globally? From trade to human rights, experts discussed the country’s new foreign
policy approach at the recent Ottawa Forum.

While the Canadian government asserts its
support for multilateralism, international cooperation is not done as it once
was. Still, opportunities for impact and innovation abound. 

As activity in the far north increases maritime traffic — along with risks of emergency situations — collaboration between nations, NGOs and business becomes more crucial. From our partners at Arctic Deeply.

Benchmarking Team Trudeau’s foreign policy, from diplomacy to defence

While the U.S. took over chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Canada last year, it also created an Arctic Executive Steering Committee. Arctic Deeply speaks to AESC executive director Mark Brzezinski about U.S. priorities in the region.

Here are
the pros and cons of the mechanism within the Trans-Pacific Partnership for
solving disputes between investors and foreign governments.

Can policy change lead to more equitable access
to life-saving medicines?  

While Canada’s education
system ranks high among OECD countries, socioeconomic inequality factors in at
all levels. This is why it matters.

Nine questions on the TPP’s potential impact
Canadians should be asking.  

The link is clear, so
what can be done?

When tension grows between people and profit, communities must learn how
to extract, manage and share resources in a just way.

With changes to the way we do journalism, humanitarian work,
banking and war — the world will be transformed by these five technologies on the rise
in 2016. 

China’s
public-public partnerships could offer lessons for the international community
when it comes to paying for sustainable development projects.

Six foreign policy experts weigh in on how
Canada can best engage in the war in Syria and Iraq.

There
is an urgent need for Canada’s new government to rebuild its science policy
regime. Is COP21 signalling a revitalization of the relationship between science and policy? From our partners at Arctic Deeply.

Produced by News Deeply, with the support of OpenCanada.org and the Centre for International Governance Innovation, Arctic Deeply launches today. In this introductory note from managing editor Hannah Hoag, she welcomes the site’s first readers.

Researchers at Waterloo’s Centre for International
Governance Innovation were in Paris for the UN climate change
conference, COP21, which ran from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, 2015 (the final agreement was reached Dec. 12). Their reports appeared here. 

In the battle
over the Crimean Peninsula, electricity, fresh water, gas and telecommunications are key to control. Is Ukraine close to completely losing the territory
to Russia?

A look at the contributions
made by think tanks, the link between their reach and a country’s standing in
global affairs and their future in Canada.

As the TPP reminds us, Canada is a Pacific state. But relations with the Asia-Pacific must go beyond trade.

The Green Party leader has been working on the climate change agenda since 1986, but she’s still hopeful.

In this candid interview, Abramson sits down with the CBC’s Anna Maria Tremonti as part of the Lind Initiative with UBC’s Liu Institute for Global Issues.

In this excerpt of False
Security, authors Kent Roach and Craig Forcese assess the aftermath of the
2014 attacks in Canada, their concerns with Bill C-51 and why giving their new book
a title was particularly challenging. 

Technology can help build a stronger warrior, but when it comes to human beings, how far can we push the limits? 

When Trudeau announced the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development would now be known as Global Affairs Canada, many of you loved the change. Here’s why.

Contributing personnel and technology can improve Canada’s standing with the U.S. and the international community, all the while helping to modernize peacekeeping operations 

With major global events just around the corner, here are 10 prime candidates to represent Canada abroad.

We asked Canadian diplomats to name the most important changes or elements for Canada’s foreign policy going forward. With Liberal Justin Trudeau elected as Prime Minister on Oct. 19, this wish list is now in his hands.

Canada knowingly transferred detainees in Afghanistan to facilities where torture was rife. Since then, the Canadian government has avoided all accountability. This is our unfinished business.

Media attention can inspire policy change and promote a greater understanding of an issue. On Boko Haram, we have a long way to go. 

In less than 20 years, the oilsands have gone from nearly unknown to inspirational to intensely divisive. The journey reveals much about both the future of the energy sector and the potential of the environmental movement to make change. At its heart lays a single pipeline project — Keystone XL. 

Impunity for violence in Mexico is the result of a complex political history, and a sign of a democratic system now in desperate need of reform 

From Lima, business journalist and researcher Kevin Carmichael answers five questions on this week’s annual meeting.

Much of the recent debate over Canada’s global engagement has focused on tone. We decided to focus on the substance of Canada’s global engagement.

Trade infrastructure, gender issues, China — important topics were left out of Monday’s debate. Still, it might have been the best discussion this election.

The photo of Alan Kurdi, the three-year old Syrian boy whose body appeared […]

Snapshots of five compassionate moments in Canada’s history.

Harper pledged to increase reserves this week. That’s an opportunity not for more military might, but for more Canadians to be invested in future missions

Mexico’s Ambassador to Canada lists the top 10 issues we need to face together.

These digitally empowered campaigns provide guidelines for making change.

Russia is betting on a new flow of gas into Europe to reassert economic power and political prestige.

A once-taboo word is finally being spoken, but current attention on Rohingya’s plight remains insufficient.

The Alliance has had a rocky relationship with Canada, especially after it was perceived to let us down in Afghanistan. Are we headed for a separation?

How can we protect women’s rights abroad but not within our own ranks?

Every aspect of Boko Haram’s violence in Nigeria and West Africa demands as much international attention as ISIS has been given.

Two Canadian authors reflect on the life of the literary dissident.

When states are ineffective, civil society groups become key to bridging the ‘responsibility gap’.

States have never been moral actors and R2P has failed to compel them to act. It is time to rethink how we protect communities at risk.

Europe increasingly frames migration by sea as a security issue. That only makes routes more dangerous while failing to appreciate the humanitarian nature of the crisis.

Is reunification worth the gamble? By Tina Jiwon Park.

Could the new deep sea port in Chabahar alter Asia’s trade dynamics?

Jennifer Jenkins reflects on what the fall of the Berlin Wall meant 25 years ago.

Tina Park and Victor MacDiarmid on how the West can fulfill its responsibility to protect Iraqi civilians from ISIS.

Don’t cut ties with Russia and let the U.S. be the bad cop, writes Hanna Kassab. Canada must keep its ‘good cop’ status.

States need not wait for global bodies to protect Internet freedom – they can enact legislation at the national level, argue Gabriel J. Michael and Colin Agur.

Robert Muggah and Justin Kosslyn on how forward-thinking organizations are supplementing their written reports with code.

Navid Hassibi and Wisam Salih on what Ottawa can do to help the fight against the Islamic State.

Navid Hassibi and Wisam Salih on how the U.S. and Iran can work together to fight ISIS in Iraq.

Since 2003 Canada has departed from its historical policy-making prerogatives and hurts its soft power reputation, says Hanna Samir Kassab.

Tina Jiwon Park assesses the implications of the Canada-Korea FTA for Canada’s future role in the Asia-Pacific region.

From Ukraine to Iran to the Middle East Peace Process to China, the lack of leadership and absence of strategy from the West is striking. Ferry de Kerckhove asks, where is Canada in all this and is it even a player?

Should a state ever consider negotiating with terrorist organizations? And if so, under what circumstances? We asked some experts to weigh in on the debate.

The world has changed enormously since Ottawa’s last foreign policy review nearly a decade ago. Taylor Owen and Roland Paris consider how Canada should change with it.

A group of countries with more fluid approaches to the international order are increasingly reshaping that order, say Tim Mauer and Robert Morgus.

The recent European Parliament elections have demonstrated a widespread distrust of Brussels. Here’s how to fix it.

Twenty years ago, Canadians blamed others for not helping to prevent the Rwandan genocide. Today, it is Canada on the sidelines.

Russia’s economy is already shaky. If the West expands sanctions to include it’s energy industry, it could get a lot worse, say Glen Hodgson and Kip Beckman.

Ukraine reminds us that territorial divisions still very much matter.

Ayatollah Masoumi-Tehrani, a prominent imam and scholar, has reached out to the persecuted Baha’i community in Iran.

While much has been made of foreign ownership of land in Africa, the bigger issue is foreign influence on the continent’s food systems, contend Adam Sneyd and Lauren Sneyd.

The Arctic should not be included in NATO’s strategy against Russia, argue Robert Murray and Tom Keating.

* Pour la version Anglaise, cliquez ici. En date de […]

DFATD’s online presence is exploding. What’s missing is a comprehensive strategy to manage it.

Ukraine can be said to be facing three challenges, says James W Dean: democracy, nationalism, and globalization.

Churches are uniquely positioned to address conflict before it gets out of hand, says Lois M Wilson. Yet they failed to act 20 years ago in Rwanda.

Robert Muggah and Eduarda Hamann on why Brazil should not sidestep issues like peace, safety, justice, and governance.

Politics trumps any moral obligation to intervene in a conflict argue Derek Burney and Fen Hampson. Just look at Syria.

Hanna Samir Kassab on how the Cold War strategy used against the Soviet Union could be utilized again against Russia today.

Without gun control legislation, gun violence will continue to rise and citizens will bear the costs, argue Topher McDougal and Robert Muggah.

On the occasion of World Water Day, Gary White and Matt Damon, Co-founders of Water.org, offer their thoughts on sustainable access to water.

Russia’s insistence that it is protecting ethnic Russians in Crimea is the latest chapter in the debate over when international intervention is justified, says Sir Jeremy Greenstock.

Better government policy can get more people working, argue Brett House and Pierre Yared.

Eric L. Olson on why the protests in Venezuela may continue for a while yet.

A l’occasion de la Journée internationale de la femme, Marika Anderson et Brieuc Van Damme considèrent le rôle des hommes dans la promotion des droits des femmes.

Russia is attempting to cloak aggressive action through the mantle of humanitarian intervention, says James P. Rudolph.

Chavismo is facing its greatest test yet, says Eric L. Olson.

James P. Rudolph on the role the ICC can play in the CAR conflict.

Canada, the U.S., and Mexico need to focus on immediate, common challenges, not high-level negotiations, argue Jennifer Jeffs and Stephen Blank.

Cathy Nangini and Robert Muggah on how data can be used to better understand the conflict in the DRC.

While there is a new emphasis on smaller Canadian companies becoming more active in emerging markets and developing countries, not all small- and medium-sized businesses will succeed, argue Danielle Goldfarb and Sui Sui.

Robert Muggah and Eduarda Hamann consider the debates currently happening in Brazil around future development goals.

With NATO set to withdraw from Afghanistan this year, other international actors like China will and must step in, say Benjamin Zyla and Kirsten Van Houten.

The country’s prisons are overpopulated, brutally violent places, say Robert Muggah and Ilona Szabo de Carvalho. So why do Brazilians tolerate them?

Francis is being hailed as a radical Pope who will transform the Vatican. The reality is that the role of the Holy See has always changed with history, argues A. Alexander Stummvoll.

The recent activity of al-Qaida-linked insurgents in Iraq’s Anbar province presents an opportunity for closer cooperation between the three countries, argue Wisam Salih and Navid Hassibi.

Mandela is the most significant public intellectual of my lifetime. […]

The site took home three awards at the Canadian Online Publishing Awards, including content of the year and best online-only website.

William Bendix and Paul Quirk on how government surveillance got out of control.

The potential reach of these agencies into our personal lives might leave Canadians wondering whether online privacy is obsolete, argue Steven Staples and Matthew Tomlinson.

Canada’s international affairs think tanks are in trouble, but a renaissance is within reach. By Taylor Owen and Robert Muggah.

Taylor Owen and Robert Muggah on how to bring about a Canadian think tank renaissance and how that could bolster Canadian foreign policy.

Canada has been caught spying on Brazil. Rafal Rohozinski and Robert Muggah on why Canadians should care.

Laura Dawson and Danielle Goldfarb on how Alberta recruits U.S workers to plug skills gaps.

Jennifer L Jenkins on what Angela Merkel’s election victory means for Germany and for Europe.

Gabriel C. Goyette sur le secteur extractif comme illustration de la nouvelle politique d’aide de facto du Canada.

David Carment and Yiagadeesen Samy evaluate CIDA’s initiatives on state fragility.

An introduction to the “Rethinking Canadian Aid” symposium, a conversation about foundations, contradictions, and possibilities for Canadian aid.

Laura Macdonald and Arne Ruckert on how Canada’s development assistance to the Americas is changing.

Certain décisions dans la gestion de l’aide canadienne publique au développement peut être lié à la positions idéologique des conservateurs.

Dominic H. Silvio explores the extent to which Canadian attitudes toward foreign aid influence government policy.

Ensuring this year’s G20 Summit isn’t held hostage to U.S.-Russia tensions will challenge world leaders. But the bigger challenge, argue John Kirton and Julia Kulik, is to make globalization work for the benefit of all.

Paul Bennett on “piggyback” defence operations, America’s War on Terror, and the risks to Canadian sovereignty.

Stay tuned for information about upcoming events for the 2013-2014 […]

CIC President Jennifer Jeffs and OpenCanada.org Editor-in-Chief Taylor Owen on the two-year anniversary of the site.

The U.S. State Department’s new office of religious engagement begs the question: What forms of religion should be protected? Elizabeth Shakman Hurd considers the consequences.

Ferry de Kerckhove on what the West has gotten wrong about the Arab Spring and what it can do about it.

For a country like Canada to call for regime change […]

Canada’s reaffirmation of its leadership on R2P is a welcome as the war in Syria continues says Tina Jiwon Park.

Geoffrey Cameron and Robert Joustra on why the rights of Iran’s religious minorities won’t be respected until those of the majority are as well.

James Manicom and Whitney Lackenbauer on why the decision to grant Asian states access to the Arctic Council is the right one

Robert Muggah and Ilona Szabo de Carvalho on how emerging powers can lead efforts to reform the United Nations Security Council.

Canada’s North is opening up. What does that mean for search and rescue operations there?

Benjamin J. Muller on why up-close-and-personal films about war don’t bring us any closer to the reality of the battlefield.

Ambassador Dr Tuncay Babalı of Turkey on his country’s rising power and growing responsibilities.

Robert Muggah and Jennifer Welsh question the accepted development assistance formula, and look south for answers.

Atsushi Tago and Srdjan Vucetic compare the Canadian and Japanese F-35 decisions.

Ophelie Brunelle Quraishi and Peter Dent on how Canada is fighting corruption.

Folding CIDA into DFAIT will bring to an end some […]

The International Criminal Court should give Kenya’s new president a chance.

Canada is well-positioned to profit from the growing market for food, but policymakers must enable Canadian food exports to seize this opportunity.

We asked the former Liberal MP about what kind of year it has been for women’s rights.

Michael Van Pelt on why Canada’s new Office of Religious Freedom is an opportunity to build on our vibrant pluralist heritage.

Africa needs more help than the UN can offer to stop the spread of Islamist extremism. Alexander Moens and Jimmy Peterson make the case for NATO to step up.

Geoffrey Cameron and Eric Farr ask, is freedom of religion worth defending?

After five years of combat engagement in Kandahar, with 149 […]

“An Asia Strategy for Canada”, announced by the Prime Minister. […]

Jack C. Chow on how drones can dramatically change aid – if only we can overcome the stigma associated with them.

Nathaniel A. Raymond, Brittany Card, and Ziad Al Achkar on why drones should not be deployed in humanitarian operations

Brookings senior fellow Peter W. Singer on the broader implications of the use of drones for surveillance and war.

Evelyn Amony was held by the LRA for 11 and a half years. Here she tells the story of her captivity and her life afterward.

Ato Kwamena Dadzie reflects on experiences working on radio in Ghana.

Martha Kargbo on what it’s like to be a journalist covering the election.

Damon van der Linde on whether the election will be a tipping point into established democracy or renewed violence.

Sarah Logan and Madeline Carr on Internet freedom, the Internet Governance Forum, and Azerbaijan.

Genia Kostka and Sarah Eaton on China’s green leap forward.

Bessma Momani and Kevin English on challenges facing the IMF.

War is now being promoted as bloodless, humanitarian, and hygienic. This is not the reality.

Integrating militaries and humanitarian actors in Afghanistan came with a cost.

Aid agencies must find a way to work with militaries and still be neutral.

When war no longer comes with a political risk, what does that mean for democracy?

There’s more to justice than capturing Kony.

Toronto recently declared its first inaugural “Will to Intervene Day.” Will Ottawa follow suit?

We are delighted that OpenCanada.org is expanding rapidly. Our community […]

No: if the government of Canada is intent on embracing […]

Canada already has a number of legislative tools for limiting […]

By continuing to do precisely what it has been doing: […]

After 18 days of protest in Tahrir square, the president […]

The question assumes that “North America” as anything more than […]

In American elections, the old saw has it, Canadians always […]

When RoboCop replaces Private Jackson: Brookings’ Peter Singer on the impact of technology on war.

While the Arab Spring rocked the world and the euro collapsed, OpenCanada too saw lots of action. 2011 in review.

We have only been live for 6 months, but we […]

Public lecture by the author of the CIC’s intellectual property […]

Branch members’ social gathering. Meet current executive. Share ideas for […]

This will be held in Durban, South Africa. For more […]

It is always hazardous to dig up a faintly-remembered past, […]

In January 1969 Pierre Elliott Trudeau famously declared that “the […]

Painting petroleum derived from Alberta’s oil sands as more “ethical” […]

The melting waters of the Arab Spring are fast turning […]

The short answer is that the Liberals under Chretien-Axworthy promoted […]

The short answer is that the Liberals under Chretien-Axworthy promoted […]

Although the Harper Conservatives came to power in 2006 with […]

Although the Harper Conservatives came to power in 2006 with […]

The Libyan domino probably won’t knock over the Syrian domino. […]

The Libyan domino probably won’t knock over the Syrian domino. […]

Harper has put the Royal jelly back into the Canadian […]

Harper has put the Royal jelly back into the Canadian […]

The restoration of the historic names of the three services […]

The restoration of the historic names of the three services […]

You might call them the Blackberry hooligans given their dependence […]

Lawyers would call this a leading question: it is worded […]

Lawyers would call this a leading question: it is worded […]

It appears to have been highly effective and most Canadians […]

It appears to have been highly effective and most Canadians […]

Like the shocked viewer of Goya’s stark rendering of Saturn […]

The idea of an “ultimate” objective is alien to most […]

John Baird’s “new era” in Canada-China relations is really just […]

Baird’s visit to China, the first official visit of a […]

The short answer is a categorical NO.  The Organization of […]

Canada’s sovereignty over its Arctic territories is not in question […]

Only the Eurozone can save the Euro, and doing so […]

It is not up to Mme. Lagarde and the IMF […]

Afghanistan has both dominated and distracted Canadian foreign policy in […]

Canada’s commitments in Afghanistan have been a defining, watershed moment […]

Never mind what I think.  Here’s what the Asia Pacific […]

Economic power is shifting away from the United States, Canada’s […]