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Election 2025: What are the Parties Saying About Foreign Aid?
- Analysis
- April 23, 2025
The recent turmoil in Washington has reshaped Canada’s 2025 election campaign, driving fundamental discussions on how Canada should position itself in the world. With election day looming, what are the contenders saying about foreign aid?
The Liberals, the current …
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How the Insurance Sector is Practically Ignorant to Climate Risks
- Analysis
- April 22, 2025
With the financial losses of climate change increasing by the year, claims made to the insurance sector have followed suit. This has both driven up premiums across the sector but, more importantly, revealed how many assets are uninsured against climate …
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Growing Knowledge, Growing Nations: Indigenous Autonomy in the Academy
- Analysis
- April 17, 2025
In early April, 2025 I had the honour of speaking at the GCTF Workshop on Indigenous Prosperity across the Indo-Pacific, hosted by the Centre for International Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa. Representing the Faculty of Native Studies …
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A Response to Our Critics – Re: Can Canada-U.S. Defence Ties Survive Trump?
- Analysis
- April 2, 2025
On March 21, we published an op-ed in the Globe and Mail arguing that Canada had to become less reliant on the United States in matters of national defence. We held that Canada should rely more on itself and build …
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Canada’s Africa Strategy: A Robust New Foreign Policy?
The timing was unusual. After being delayed by well over a year, the Trudeau government finally released its Africa strategy, a mere eight days before a new government was sworn in and probably only a few weeks before new …
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Double Truths: When Fiction Reveals What Academia Cannot
- Analysis
- March 17, 2025
After years working in the World Bank’s Result Measurement Unit, I found myself confronting an uncomfortable reality: development aid to impoverished countries primarily benefits aid facilitators, donors, and a select few wealthy clients—rarely empowering those it’s meant to help on …
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Why is the United States Leaving the WHO?
- Analysis
- February 24, 2025
On January 20, 2025, one of Donald Trump’s first executive orders was to withdraw the United States from the WHO (World Health Organization). In 1975, the Republican Gerald Ford decided to leave the ILO (International Labour Organization). The Reagan administration …
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The Rate of Change and the Role of the State: Understanding Fracture in Today’s World from a Polanyian Perspective
- Analysis
- January 27, 2025
We live in a period of profound change and transformation, with neoliberalism now under siege and becoming channeled in new directions. At the center of all of this is the state, especially states that are also great powers. Shifting geopolitical …
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Laws Discriminating Against Women in Iran and Afghanistan Go Beyond Borders
- Analysis
- January 13, 2025
The recently-released third edition of the Gender Equality and Governance Index (GEGI) found, not surprisingly, that the two countries with the lowest scores in the index are Afghanistan and Iran. Both countries have institutionalized gender inequality through laws and …
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Mjadala Afrika: The AU Chairperson Elections & 2024 Candidate Debate
- Analysis
- December 19, 2024
Three African politicians seeking the role of Chairperson of the African Union Commission met on Friday, 13 December 2024 in a debate at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. The debate was organized in line with Article 18 (b) of …
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Femmes et gestion des crises en période de conflits armées : enjeux de l’implication des femmes dans la promotion de la paix et la sécurité au Cameroun
- Analysis
- December 18, 2024
Depuis plusieurs années, le Cameroun fait face à de nombreux conflits armés qui menacent la paix et créent un climat d’insécurité sur le territoire. Pour venir à bout de ces crises qui déstabilisent le pays de façon générale, l’Etat et …
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The 2% NATO Defence Spending Target is Not Evidence-Based Policymaking
- Analysis
- December 16, 2024
With Donald Trump’s recent election victory in the United States, pressures on Canada to boost military spending to meet NATO’s 2% GDP target are bound to intensify. Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO members, including Canada, for not contributing “their fair …
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Security Choices: Nuclear Deterrence or Common Security
- Analysis
- December 13, 2024
If a state believes possessing nuclear weapons — or relying on those of allies — provides safety, then it may be less inclined to consider other options even if nuclear deterrence is extraordinarily dangerous.
The arguments for retaining nuclear weapons …
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Is Angela Merkel’s Ghost Pushing Germany From the World Stage?
- Analysis
- December 12, 2024
Otto von Bismarck left a social insurance program; Willy Brandt, the “Neue Ostpolitik” (new eastern policy); Helmut Kohl, German Unification; – and Angela Merkel, paralysis? That’s what critics claim. While Germany at the end of 2024 is in crisis, blaming …
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Strategic Cultures in Flux: Slovakia, Germany, and NATO’s Eastern Flank
- Analysis
- December 11, 2024
The war in Ukraine has strengthened the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) cooperation, but it has also revealed the power of domestic dynamics to destabilize the alliance. Slovakia’s “pro-Russian turn” under Prime Minister Robert Fico and Germany’s ambivalent approach to …
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Atteindre 2% du PIB d’ici 2029
- Analysis
- December 10, 2024
Le Canada s’est engagé à dépenser l’équivalent de 2% de son produit intérieur brut (PIB) en dépenses militaires d’ici 2032. Cette date d’échéance est toutefois hautement spéculative puisqu’elle fut énoncée à la hâte en juillet dernier, en marge du sommet …
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The Enablers: How Nuclear-Dependent States Hinder Nuclear Disarmament
- Analysis
- December 9, 2024
Debates on nuclear disarmament often focus on two groups: nuclear-armed states, whose arsenals pose existential risks, and the majority of states advocating for their abolition. Overlooked, however, is a crucial third group—nuclear-dependent states—whose policies significantly hinder progress toward a nuclear-free …
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Crypto-Atlanticism: Policy Elites and Neutrality in Europe
- Analysis
- December 6, 2024
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Sweden and Finland, long-standing militarily neutral and non-aligned states, swiftly applied for NATO membership. How can such a quick shift be understood? The research Catherine Hoeffler and I conducted within a …
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NATO’s Core Mission: The Collective Defence of What?
- Analysis
- December 5, 2024
In invading Ukraine in both 2014 and 2022, Russia twice contested the now decades-long project that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) began in the early 1990’s to construct a European security architecture grounded on shared values rather than historical …
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Bridging Cultures: Indigenous Connections Between Taiwan and Canada
- Analysis
- December 4, 2024
In an increasingly interconnected world, relationships between Indigenous peoples globally are growing stronger. A fascinating example is the developing ties between the Indigenous communities of Taiwan and Canada. Both nations, while geographically distant, share significant parallels in their histories, struggles, …
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Sleepwalking to War
- Analysis
- December 3, 2024
It is very likely that the European Union’s response to the “America First” policy of President-elect Donald J. Trump will be its own variant of “Europe First.” Neither policies should be viewed as bringing dramatic change to the already existing …
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World of the Right: Radical Conservatism and Global Order
- Analysis
- December 3, 2024
When Donald Trump moves back into the White House in January 2025, he will have many more international friends than when he first became President. The last couple of years have been good for the radical Right: In Austria, the …
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Dueling Diplomacy on Outer Space Security
- Analysis
- November 29, 2024
At first glance outer space security appears to command universal support at the UN General Assembly. Each year since 1981 the General Assembly adopts a resolution with near universal support on the “Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space” …
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Does Article 5 Still Work for Poland? NATO’s Response to Hybrid Threats
- Analysis
- November 13, 2024
Poland was one of the countries warning the Western world about growing Russian imperialism. They supported the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, Georgia in 2008 during Russia’s attack, and later Ukraine again in 2014 during the annexation of Crimea …
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Cameroon Celebrates National Dialogue Anniversary, But Critics Say Outcomes Remain Unmet
- Analysis
- November 11, 2024
Five years ago, Cameroon organized a major national dialogue to resolve the country’s Anglophone crisis – an armed conflict that killed hundreds, displaced thousands, involved sexual violence against women, and forced many children to leave school. The …
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The UN and the Puzzle of Forging International Consensus on Afghanistan
- Analysis
- November 4, 2024
The United Nations efforts to mobilize regional and global support for a concerted international approach to the crisis in Afghanistan face significant challenges. A constellation of factors situated at the domestic, regional and global levels of analysis severely shrink the …
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Israeli Strikes on Iran
- Analysis
- November 1, 2024
Israel’s recent attack on Iran was a militarily impressive feat. While much about the mission will remain secret for many years, some information is trickling out which permits an evaluation of what was accomplished, how it was done and, most …
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“Blended Finance is not for NGOs”: Canadian Development Cooperation Organizations and the Beyond Aid Agenda
- Analysis
- October 21, 2024
Time is running out for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Donor governments, including Canada, have increasingly turned to blended finance—using public money to leverage private sector investments—to fill the financing gap and meet the SDGs.
While blended …
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Canada Needs a Paradigm Shift in Supporting Democracy Abroad: Leveraging Activists-in-Exile
- Analysis
- October 14, 2024
Canada has long championed human rights and democratic governance as core components of its foreign policy. Programs like the Voices at Risk guidelines reflect this commitment by supporting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs)—individuals recognised by the United Nations for their advocacy, …
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Cynicism, (Performative) Honesty on Defence in Central & Eastern Europe & NATO
- Analysis
- September 12, 2024
NATO commits partners to act in case of an attack of against any single partner. Each alliance partner will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked. Reality is more nuanced than politicians, pundits, and critics admit. …
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Addressing Errors and Inconsistencies in Russia-Related Sanctions Declarations
- Analysis
- December 4, 2023
Western countries have repeatedly deployed sanctions against Russia, targeting its activities and seeking to punish individuals and organisations. However, profiles of key security actors reveal three recurring issues with sanctions declarations: basic factual errors; the neglect of key actors; and …
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Canada: A Global Leader For International Protection?
- Analysis
- November 23, 2023
Canada’s contribution to protecting the world’s refugees is undeniable. Through its resettlement programmes and, more generally, its promotion of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), Canada has demonstrated a firm commitment to the goals and principles enshrined in the 1951 …
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Enhancing Canada-Europe Ties in a Changing Global Landscape
- Analysis
- November 22, 2023
As we approach the upcoming leaders’ summit between Canada and the European Union (EU), it is a good time to reflect on the dynamics at play in this crucial partnership. A recent roundtable discussion of business, government and academic experts …
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Making Money Out of Thin Air? Or Should We Axe the Voluntary Carbon Market?
- Analysis
- November 21, 2023
By making standing trees worth more than dead ones, the concept of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+) was expected to be a quick, cheap and easy way to lessen the climate impacts …
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On Israel-Gaza, Canada must rise to the humanity of the moment
We recently joined over 300 lawyers and legal scholars in an Open Letter urging the Canadian government to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, in line with international law. The ongoing refusal to do so is an utter failure …
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Inevitable or Inadmissible? Threatening Nuclear Weapons Use
- Analysis
- November 10, 2023
Of the world’s nine states with nuclear weapons, two – Russia and Israel – are now fighting high intensity wars. Another three of the nuclear nine – the United States, the United Kingdom, and France – are deeply invested in …
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The Security Challenges of Emerging Technologies: Commons-Based Options for Canada
- Analysis
- November 8, 2023
Some new technology will be unstoppable. We are not going to be able to stop unmanned drone technology. At best we can try to regulate its usage, which in times of war can be like whistling in the wind.
In …
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The Arms Race in Outer Space – Prevention or Proliferation?
- Analysis
- November 7, 2023
Diplomatic efforts towards the goal of preventing an arms race in space are floundering as leading space powers opt for confrontation over cooperation.
The importance of outer space in terms of the continued operations in that environment free from threats …
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Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Nagorno-Karabagh: The Next Step
- Analysis
- October 31, 2023
…READ MORE
In 2020, a war took place between Armenia and Azerbaijan, resulting in several thousand casualties. The 44-day war ended with an Azeri military victory over Armenia and the capture of an important part of Nagorno-Karabagh. Following a ceasefire and the
In the Israel-Palestine war human rights must prevail
…READ MORE
For all who say this is not the time to discuss the wider human rights context to this conflict, we say there has never been a more necessary time.
If ever there was a time for a serious discussion about
The Raouf Farrah Case: Why Canada Should Defend Academic Freedom
- Analysis
- October 12, 2023
Never has our world been more in need of research. Whether dealing with the climate emergency or with organized crime, major global challenges are complex and divisive. The only way to break out of the echo chambers that polarize debates …
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What the Alliance des États du Sahel Means for Security Politics in West Africa
- Analysis
- October 4, 2023
The Sahel region has been at the heart of African peace and security concerns for over a decade. While the ongoing conflict in Mali is an epicentre of insecurity in the region, no state has been untouched by jihadist insurgencies …
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Space Security: Unresolved Problems, Emerging Challenges
- Analysis
- September 8, 2023
Space is crowded. There is a traffic jam in low earth orbit (LEO, 200 to 2000 km above the earth). There are a very large number of both civilian and military satellites in LEO, both operational and defunct – not …
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🏅2020 CIPS Blog Award Winner! MBS admits “full responsibility” for the Khashoggi murder: What this means for the Kingdom’s allies
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince is either behind the assassination of the journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, or has no control. Either way, the situation begs a serious response
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (the now notorious ‘MBS’) recently admitted his …
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Le Canada et le développement démocratique dans le monde
- Analysis
- November 25, 2019
Le Canada affiche un maigre bilan en matière de soutien à la démocratie dans le monde. Ce blogue suggère quelques pistes pour corriger le tir, tel qu’adopter un plan d’action
À plusieurs reprises, tant au Canada qu’à l’étranger, l’ancienne ministre …
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Most wars don’t make states (so what’s a policymaker to do?)
- Analysis
- November 11, 2019
Most modern warfare is intrastate. Most take place in poorer, weaker states and challenge many of our assumptions about the evolution of most states. Foreign policymakers should reevaluate their priorities and focus on ending civil wars rather than building centralised …
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Key Drivers in US-North Korea relations
- Analysis
- November 7, 2019
North Korean and US relations have oscillated between hostility and limited detente for decades. This has only grown more intense in recent years. What are the underlying drivers in US-North Korean relations in the age of Donald Trump and Kim …
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Issues in Repairing U.S.-Russian Strategic Relations
- Analysis
- October 24, 2019
Similar to during the Cold War, the US and Russia are once again nuclear peer competitors. However, the emergence of a range of new nuclear actors hamper traditional understandings and represent a new – more complex – era in nuclear …
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What does a new ambassador mean for Canada-China relations?
- Analysis
- October 17, 2019
By John Gruetzner and Geoffrey Ziebart
The appointment of former McKinsey executive, Domonic Barton, as Canada’s new ambassador to China presents a new opportunity to reset bilateral relations. However, while Barton is well-positioned to further Canadian interests in the world’s …
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Star Wars: Coming soon to a space near you – the diplomatic alternative
- Analysis
- October 3, 2019
Will Outer Space become a new frontier for international conflict? Or can it remain a global commons? As states dither, this question may soon be taken over by other actors.
I confess that I gave this blog its title with …
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History, memory, and politics in post-communist Eastern Europe
- Analysis
- September 19, 2019
The fact that East European trauma under communism is not adequately understood and appreciated in the West is the central grievance of these movements, and this feeds into new cycles of victimization
In October 2017, a commemorative plaque “In Memory …
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CAR’s Peace Accords and Rebel Warlords
- Analysis
- May 17, 2019
By Gino Vlavonou
After ten years in power, in 2013, Séléka rebels ousted the Central African Republic’s (CAR) President François Bozizé, after which Anti-Balaka militia groups rose up in response. The country has since been searching for peace, and seven …
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Is the Sky the Limit? Risk, Uncertainty, and Nature
- Analysis
- May 11, 2019
By Sylvain Maechler
The Living Planet Report 2018, published by the World Wild Fund for Nature in collaboration with the research division of the Zoological Society of London, recently valued nature at an estimated US$125 trillion.
The International Organization …
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What Makes a Market Economy?
- Analysis
- May 11, 2019
By Alice Chessé
What makes a market economy? To many, the answer is simple: they are countries where the market is the main mechanism of resource allocation. Yet, this intuitive definition is at odds with the political impact of the …
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China, State Capitalism, and the Global Financial Order
- Analysis
- May 11, 2019
By Johannes Petry
In 1989, capital markets did not exist in China. Fast forward to 2018, China’s capital markets have become the second largest equity markets, second largest futures markets, and third largest bond markets in the world. More …
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What Canada Can Do About the Rohingya Genocide
- Analysis
- May 1, 2019
By Payam Akhavan and John Packer
Twenty-five years ago, as young UN human rights officers working together in Geneva, we witnessed how the world watched and did nothing as close to a million Rwandan Tutsis were exterminated. Brimming with idealism …
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Transforming the Global Refugee System
- Report
- April 2, 2019
In a recent CIPS blog — New Partnerships for Minister Monsef? — John Sinclair asks why supporting refugees is not a central goal of development co-operation when development issues have so much impact on refugees. Here, CIPS presents a short …
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“Nothing to Lose”: The Daily Struggles of Venezuelans
- Analysis
- February 5, 2019
By Rosana Lezama Sanchez
Venezuelan emigrants always talk about how much they miss the country they left behind. I returned to Caracas in August of 2018, but I too miss Venezuela. The Venezuela that I grew up in was certainly …
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Canada Can’t Put Human Rights on the Back Burner in 2019
- Analysis
- December 19, 2018
By Stéphanie Bacher
Over the past year, Canada has taken some important steps to promote and protect human rights abroad. However, the picture is not as rosy as often presented by the government, and Canada still has a long way …
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Facing the Biggest Challenges of Our Generation
- Analysis
- December 18, 2018
By Gabriel Bichet, Eve Cassavoy, Maddie Hunt, Jasmine Sebastian, and Emma Turner (ENG1100Q), edited by Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr
In September, I took on teaching three sections of ENG1100: Workshop in Essay Writing, a required course for first-year students at the University …
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Competitive Financing: An Alternative Solution for Doing Business in China
- Analysis
- December 12, 2018
By John Gruetzner
Canada is currently exploring the parameters permitted under USMCA Article 32.10 for realistic mechanisms to improve its commercial position in the Chinese market.
In the Joint Outcomes of the First Canada–China Economic and Strategic Dialogue, the Government …
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How Do You Make Donald Trump Laugh? Democrats Should Think About It.
- Analysis
- November 23, 2018
By Jeremy Kinsman
Many times in the past two years, people have told me they’ve never seen Donald Trump laugh.
So, what would it take?
A sure bet would be if — after the mid-term elections that bore very ominous …
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Bulldozing Human Rights in Tanzania
- Analysis
- November 16, 2018
by Dane Degenstein
Tanzania has recently started a campaign to identify, track down, and arrest gay people, an unprecedented move in a previously more tolerant country. The regional governor of Dar es Salaam, Paul Makonda, announced a task force to …
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Sectoral Free Trade with China: Harder than it Looks
- Analysis
- November 12, 2018
by Philip Calvert
Canada has announced a change of tack in its pursuit of free trade with China. Instead of pursuing a broad free trade agreement, Canada will seek reductions in Chinese tariffs through bilateral sectoral agreements. The agriculture sector …
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Lest We Forget Why We Fought World War I
- Analysis
- November 7, 2018
Lauchlan T. Munro
School of International Development and Global Studies
On Remembrance Day, I think of my two grandfathers and my two great uncles who served in the Canadian army in World War I. I remember their sacrifice. But I …
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Thinking with Maps: Geospatial Reasoning in War
- Analysis
- October 31, 2018
by Antoine Bousquet
Visual representations of space have long served a role in military affairs, assisting the strategic planning of campaigns, the design and placement of defensive fortifications, and navigation in unfamiliar territory. Yet it is only in the past …
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Decisive Action is Overdue to Protect the Rohingyas
- Analysis
- September 15, 2018
By John Packer
Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa and Neuberger-Jesin Professor of International Conflict Resolution
Finally, the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar has stated the obvious: the Rohingya …
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Treason or Good Management? How Officials React When the Boss Goes Rogue
- Analysis
- September 12, 2018
Lauchlan T. Munro
School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa
Should we be surprised that a senior official in the Trump administration has admitted to thwarting the president’s expressed wishes and intentions? I for one am not. …
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Moving On: The West Adjusts to a Rogue US President, Part 1
- Analysis
- August 27, 2018
By Jeremy Kinsman
The summer of 2018 has shaken the rules-based world order that emerged from the devastation of the Second World War. A rogue president of the United States has apparently chosen unilateralism and nationalist competition over the multilateral …
READ MOREMoving On: The West Adjusts to a Rogue US President, Part 2
- Analysis
- August 27, 2018
By Jeremy Kinsman
Part 1 of this article appears here.
Though Trump’s electoral victory was a shock, allies hoped it was hyperbole when Trump declared in his inaugural address in January, 2017, that he placed the interests of America …
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Germany: Yet Another Migration Debate?
- Analysis
- August 1, 2018
Asli Ilgit, Cukurova University
Audie Klotz, Syracuse University
Once again, pundits predict the downfall of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Why? Her migration policies appear to fuel the rise of the nationalist …
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Making the United Nations Fit for Purpose in an Illiberal Era
- Analysis
- July 15, 2018
Louise Riis Andersen, Senior Researcher, Danish Institute for International Studies
The return of geopolitics and the rise of populism have reinforced crude and divisive distinctions between “us” and “them.” As a result, the notions of collective security and the …
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How History Helps Us Uncover the Real Successes of Middle Power Internationalism
- Analysis
- July 15, 2018
Heidi Tworek, Assistant Professor in International History, University of British Columbia, and Visiting Fellow, Center for History and Economics, Harvard University
Over 15 years ago, Barry Buzan and Richard Little lamented that international relations had long sustained “a dominant …
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Small States vs. Middle Powers — What’s the Difference?
- Analysis
- July 15, 2018
Njord Wegge, Senior Research Fellow, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)
In early June 2018, Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide expressed in an interview with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) that Norway, as a “middle-sized economy,” benefited from …
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Opioids and Capitalism
- Analysis
- July 10, 2018
by Paulo Pereira
In recent years, tens of thousands of Americans have died of opioid related overdoses, and millions of Americans are classified by the country’s health agency standards as having some sort of problematic opioid use. Canada is facing …
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Mona Mahmudnizhad, 10 September 1965–18 June 1983
- Analysis
- June 19, 2018
by Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr
The 35th anniversary of the death of Mona Mahmudnizhad seems to have passed without world notice yesterday. On 18 June 1983, she was executed in Iran for being Baha’i and for teaching that faith to the …
READ MORENeed More Proof of Genocide in Myanmar? It’s Being Born Right Now
- Analysis
- June 3, 2018
by John Packer
Nine months since the violent attacks of August 25, 2017, and thereafter forced 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, the first of thousands of pregnancies as a result of rape are coming to term.
For these …
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The G7: Hard Talk or a Sleepwalk?
- Analysis
- May 24, 2018
by Jeremy Kinsman
As the Charlevoix G7 approaches, there is some question as to how the June 8–9 summit could play out as a Trumpian disaster. As veteran diplomat Jeremy Kinsman writes, if the disruptive president plays skunk at the …
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Is Facebook Just a “Tool”?
- Analysis
- April 14, 2018
by Nolen Gertz
This past week, Facebook CEO, chairman, and founder Mark Zuckerberg testified before members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives to answer to the growing scandal surrounding Facebook’s role in helping Cambridge Analytica (and, by …
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Russian Expulsions: “If there was ever a time for diplomacy, this is it”
- Analysis
- April 5, 2018
By Jeremy Kinsman
About 50 years ago, Swedish writers Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo created addictive detective stories rooted in sociology. The reader knew who was murdered and often learned early on who did it. The mystery to be solved …
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream”
- Analysis
- April 4, 2018
I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand …
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Why Deleting Facebook Isn’t Enough
- Analysis
- April 4, 2018
By Taylor Owen and Ben Scott
While being pessimistic about the depressing tableau of Silicon Valley malfeasance is easy, let us not forget that the internet has brought tremendous value to our society. Therefore, the answer is not to lock …
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Drug Dealers on Death Row?
- Analysis
- March 25, 2018
By Dane Degenstein
Donald Trump has suggested the death penalty for drug dealers.
It has been difficult to pin down President Trump’s policies on anything and the opioid crisis is no different. The fact that he uses language similar …
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Russia: Foreign Policy of a Country In-Between
- Analysis
- January 21, 2018
by Viatcheslav Morozov
University of Tartu, Estonia
How much do we know about the driving forces behind Russia’s foreign policy? Despite our repeated failures to predict the Kremlin’s actions, we actually do understand a lot. Probably the most important thing …
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The Central African Republic: Forgotten by the World?
- Analysis
- December 18, 2017
By Gino Vlavonou
International news headlines move quickly from one disaster to another. A political crisis in one country is forgotten as turmoil unfolds in the next: Mugabe’s fall from power; a mass shooting in the US; sub-Saharan African …
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How Rational are Capitalists in the Developing World?
- Analysis
- December 13, 2017
By Thomas Chiasson-LeBel
A questionable fundamental assumption underpins a great deal of the literature in International Development studies. It suggests that given the proper incentives, a “national bourgeoisie” will adequately reinvest its profits and provoke a virtuous cycle of reinvestment …
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Mapping Out a North Korean Peace Process
- Analysis
- December 11, 2017
By John Gruetzner
There are ultimately four critical components to a peace process:
The first component is to submit and then finalize a draft of a document acceptable to the original signatories that converts the armistice agreement signed on 27 …
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Canada Doubling Down on Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula
- Analysis
- December 11, 2017
By John Gruetzner
Canada has announced that it is co-hosting a 16-nation summit with the United States early next year to explore options to engage North Korea. Prime Minister Trudeau is also likely to meet this month with US Secretary …
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Canada Needs a Wait-and-See Approach on Afghanistan
- Analysis
- September 1, 2017
By Lindsay Rodman
Will US President Donald Trump’s new plan for Afghanistan pull Canada back into a war that many deem a “lost cause”? Mr. Trump explicitly invited other nations to contribute in support of his new plan. Although Prime …
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CETA after Opinion 2/15: Legal Clarity or Confusion?
- Analysis
- July 13, 2017
By Jens Ladefoged Mortensen
Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen
The EU’s trading partners must wonder what goes on inside Europe. What does it take to get a trade deal done? True, trade negotiations are notoriously complex. The CETA …
READ MORE
After Abdication
- Analysis
- July 9, 2017
By Peter Marcus Kristensen
University of Copenhagen
American observers of international affairs are currently enmeshed in a debate on the uncertain future of the “US-led liberal international order.” This is, of course, spurred by the election of President Trump and …
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Liberal Interventionism: The Crisis Within
- Analysis
- July 9, 2017
By Katja Lindskov Jacobsen
Center for Military Studies, University of Copenhagen
Liberal interventionism today not only responds to crises in countries experiencing violent conflicts, distress, and disaster. It also responds to a crisis within. This crisis is not simply about …
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What to Watch for this Summer
- Analysis
- June 14, 2017
We asked our CIPS experts to give us a heads-up on what to watch for this summer. No one can predict the next coup or terrorist attack, of course, but we can be certain of some things. Donald Trump will …
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The Politics of Border Security in the Sahel
- Analysis
- May 9, 2017
By Philippe M. Frowd
A casual observer of the Sahel could be forgiven for understanding this region of West Africa as a space of threat: radicalization, terrorism, massive population growth, and irregular migration all grab the headlines. …
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A Treaty to Protect the Rights of Older People is Long Overdue!
- Analysis
- April 24, 2017
By Gordon Digiacomo, Martine Lagacé, and Caroline Andrew
“Homelessness, malnutrition, unattended chronic diseases, lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation, unaffordable medicines and treatments and income insecurity are just a few of the most critical human rights issues …
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In Memoriam: Professor Rezaul Karim Siddique, murdered 23 April 2016
- Analysis
- April 20, 2017
By Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
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Because I was not a …
The New Colossus
- Analysis
- March 30, 2017
by Ruth Bradley-St-Cyr
“Give me your tired, your poor,/ Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” The words inscribed at the base of the statue of Liberty are famous, and yet hardly anyone knows that they are from a sonnet …
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Canada–China Free Trade Part 2: Forging an Agreement
- Analysis
- March 10, 2017
by John Gruetzner and Phil Calvert
A new free trade agreement with China, in whatever form it takes, should be advanced within the context of a broader strategy for Canada’s engagement with China, particularly (but not exclusively) the strategy of …
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Canada–China Free Trade Part 1: Business before Politics
- Analysis
- March 10, 2017
by John Gruetzner and Phil Calvert
Canada and China have begun exploratory discussions on a possible free trade agreement (FTA). Expanding Canada’s economic ties with China and moving the commercial relationship forward is a positive step. If it is properly …
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#rezist: Protest in Romania
- Analysis
- March 9, 2017
by Teodor Lucian Moga
In the past weeks, Romanians have staged the largest mass protests since the country’s break from Communist rule in 1989. On Sunday, February 27, several thousand protesters gathered in front of the government building in Bucharest’s …
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Humanitarian Action on the Front Lines
- Analysis
- March 1, 2017
by Dominik Stillhart
The ICRC is mandated by the international community to assist and protect those affected by conflict or violence, including promoting international humanitarian law, monitoring respect for that law, and assisting people affected by war. This mandate reflects …
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Community Engagement in Mining: Sharing Experiences and Best Practices
- Report
- January 30, 2017
By Caitlin Sievert and Ainsley Butler
Resource-rich countries are home to 3.5 billion people. When these resources become a source of conflict between communities, corporations, and government, opportunities for community development are often lost.
The immovability of natural resources …
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Syrian Refugees and Canada’s “Defining Moment”: One Year On
- Report
- December 7, 2016
By Elke Winter, Benjamin Zyla, Charlotte Murret-Labarthe
University of Ottawa
Origins of the crisis
In March 2011, three months after the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, fifteen Syrian schoolchildren were arrested and tortured for writing on a …
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Gender and Peacebuilding: Trudeau Can Do More to Support Gender Rights in Africa
- Analysis
- December 1, 2016
By Dr. Annie Bunting
With the Canadian government about to confirm the deployment of peacekeepers to Africa (likely to Mali), and Prime Minister Trudeau’s recent visit to Liberia and address to the Francophonie on the centrality of the rights of …
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We Must Not Close the Doors to Spontaneously Arriving Asylum Seekers
- Analysis
- November 8, 2016
By Stephanie J. Silverman
Governments understandably focus on enhancing security, surveillance, and risk management for their citizens, and as we have seen, particularly since 9-11, much of this increased attention is directed at national borders. While every person enjoys the …
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Working Towards a Trinity of Trust: A Few Suggestions on National Security Reform in Canada
- Analysis
- November 3, 2016
by Stephanie Carvin
A year after its election, the Trudeau Government is now taking steps to fulfill its campaign promises to improve intelligence oversight in Canada and reform Bill C-51 — the Harper Government’s controversial terrorism legislation. So far, there …
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The European and Canadian public needs a reasoned debate on CETA
- Analysis
- October 26, 2016
This is an open letter to Europeans and Canadians signed by 16 academics based in Canada who believe in the value for democracy and society in a more reasoned and balanced debate on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) …
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Between Past and Future: Canada’s Next Role in International Democracy Assistance
- Analysis
- July 29, 2016
by Gerald J. Schmitz
Where can Canada go from here in re-establishing its role as a partner in promoting democracy? Let us focus on four main areas: Parliament’s role, research capacity, stable funding, and healthy democracy at home.
- Parliament’s Role
A New Era for Persons with Disabilities and International Development?
- Analysis
- May 13, 2016
by Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo
Momentum behind the disability-inclusive development agenda is at an all-time high — and growing. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the key international document, now has 163 States-Parties. Additionally, the Addis Ababa …
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Intersectionality and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Global Development
- Analysis
- April 28, 2016
by Julianne Acker-Verney, Pamela Johnson, and Susan Manning
Intersectionality is a tool that can guide researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to learn about and respond to the diverse experiences of women and men, girls and boys with disabilities and the …
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Disability and Development in Africa: What Role for Canada?
- Analysis
- April 21, 2016
by David Black
It has become widely accepted that the previous Conservative government sharply diminished Canada’s focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Against this backdrop, the new Liberal government has signalled its intent to re-engage.
There are several problems with …
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W.E.B. Du Bois: From Global to Transnational Justice
- Analysis
- April 7, 2016
By Inés Valdez
Theories of global justice spring from a genealogy of internationalism that includes the Parliament at The Hague, the League of Nations, and the United Nations. These theories rely on a conceptualization of the West as homogeneously affluent, …
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Bringing Canada “Back” for the Long Haul
- Analysis
- March 10, 2016
By Margaret Biggs and John McArthur
This week Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will lead a delegation to Washington with great fanfare. Like many of our fellow Canadians, we are excited to see the outcomes of the country’s first White …
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Slow and Costly: The Crisis Confronting Internationalized Criminal Justice
- Analysis
- March 6, 2016
By William Wiley
Internationalized criminal justice is in crisis — a crisis laid bare by the limited criminal-justice response to the conflict in Syria and, more widely, the struggles endured by the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International …
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It Had to Happen: China Finally Gets Tough on North Korea
- Analysis
- March 4, 2016
By David Slinn
China was always going to get tough with Kim Jong-Un’s North Korea. It wasn’t a question of whether, but when.
North Korea is supposed to be China’s buffer against South Korea and the US. Until DPRK started …
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Ending Poverty by 2030: Sharing Prosperity with the Bottom 40%
- Analysis
- March 1, 2016
By Christopher Lakner, Mario Negre, and Espen Beer Prydz
While the world has seen a rapid reduction in extreme poverty in recent decades, the goal of “ending poverty” by 2030 remains ambitious. The latest estimates show that in 2012 almost …
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Information Might be the Key to Dealing with North Korea’s Nuclear Threat
- Analysis
- February 18, 2016
By David Slinn
Dealing with North Korea is not easy. Dealing with a dictatorship never is. It took the West 45 years to overcome the challenges posed by the Soviet Union.
North Korea has now developed into a serious threat …
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Interview: Margaret Biggs and John McArthur – Welcoming a new era of global development
- News
- February 2, 2016
This post originally appeared on the Open Canada blog.
In the months following the election of Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, there has been much debate in academic and public policy circles as to what Canada’s priorities should be when …
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La Turquie, est-elle destinée à durer ?
- Analysis
- January 27, 2016
par Halil Karaveli
La Turquie était censée représenter un « modèle » pour le Moyen-Orient. Pour l’Occident en quête d’un antidote à l’islamisme, le pays a incarné les espoirs de laïcité et de démocratie: La preuve qu’un pays puisse être …
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Turbulent Times: Volatility in Foreign Policy
- Analysis
- January 20, 2016
By Eleonora Mattiacci, Amherst College
In 2015, two momentous rapprochements took place on the international stage. In July, the United States and Cuba restored diplomatic relations. In December, Pakistan hosted a surprise visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, …
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‘Are there any women here?’ Gender Representations in Hyena Road.
- Analysis
- December 11, 2015
By David Mutimer
In 2010 Christopher Dornan argued that “Alone among G8 nations, Canada apparently has no great appetite for making war movies.” While that observation is probably still apt, it is perhaps a little less true than it was …
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Welcoming Syrians, detaining others
- Analysis
- December 8, 2015
By Philippe Bourbeau
The newly elected Trudeau government seems to be moving quickly on one of its promises made during the federal election campaign: to accept 25,000 Syrians by January 1, 2016.
On November 9, while announcing the formation of …
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Back To Tehran: Strategies for Success
- Analysis
- November 27, 2015
By John Mundy
It won’t be easy for Canada to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, but it’s worth the trouble.
In September 2012, the Harper government suspended diplomatic relations with Iran, closed the Canadian embassy in Tehran and expelled Iran’s …
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Working group on International Trade and Commerce
- Report
- November 17, 2015
What are the principal international trade and commerce challenges facing Canada—and how should Canada respond? CIPS convened a working group of seasoned policy experts and asked them to answer these questions. Their report, based on months of deliberation and consultation, …
READ MOREWorking Group on International Development
- Report
- November 15, 2015
The world is in the midst of a complex and dramatic set of transformations. The traditional view of “international development” as solely a matter of charity and moral importance, secondary to Canada’s hard interests, is long outdated. The complex, inter-related …
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Working Group Report on Human Rights in Canadian Foreign Policy
A new Canadian government has been elected. What should it do to promote human rights in its foreign policy? How can Canada best contribute to global efforts to protect human rights? CIPS convened a working group of seasoned policy experts …
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Working Group Report on Canada’s International Security and National Defence Policy
- Report
- November 4, 2015
What are the principal security and defence challenges facing Canada, and how should Canada respond? CIPS asked two former senior officials, one recently retired general, and two academic security policy experts to answer these questions. Their report, based on months …
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CIPS Working Groups: Canada and the World Policy Reports
- News
- October 20, 2015
New Directions for Canadian International Policy
…READ MOREIn Fall 2014, CIPS convened four working groups of academics and policy practitioners to explore new thinking and policy options in four areas: International Security and Defence, International Development, International Trade and Commerce, and
What Are ‘Hotspots’? The Inevitable Rise of Detention in the Quest for Asylum Solutions in the EU
- Analysis
- October 16, 2015
Mstyslav Chernov/Creative Commons
By Stephanie J. Silverman
The Syrian refugee crisis has finally grabbed the world’s attention and is testing the sustainability of the European Union and its common asylum adjudication procedures. Policymakers are struggling to find solutions from under …
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Why Does the Reconciliation between Israel and Military Intellectuals Matter?
- Analysis
- October 14, 2015
By Philippe Beaulieu-Brossard
Appointing a new Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Commissioner rarely stirs up controversy, but in Israel it can easily turn into a media storm. This might not come as a surprise. Israel has an assault rate of …
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Clarifying the Caretaker Convention
- Analysis
- October 13, 2015
by Philippe Lagassé
What is the caretaker convention? When does a period of caretaker government begin? When does it end?
These questions should be pretty simple to answer. Shortly after the federal election began, the Privy Council Office (PCO) released …
READ MOREMaking Peace in a Divided World: New Roles for the United Nations?
- Analysis
- October 1, 2015
© Crown Copyright 2013
By Richard Gowan
There is no more annoying phrase in discussions of international affairs than “If the United Nations did not exist, we would have to invent it!” It is certainly true that the world urgently …
READ MORELow-Fee Private Schools and Development: What Do We Really Know?
- Analysis
- September 8, 2015
by Prachi Srivastava
I have been researching low-fee private schooling for nearly a decade and a half. No one could be happier that the issue is finally receiving the high-level attention it deserves, with discussions in development circles and an …
READ MOREThe Charter Strikes Back: A Step Forward for Refugee Rights in Canada
- Analysis
- July 30, 2015
By Stephanie J. Silverman
Almost a year after the Federal Court of Canada struck down the ban on refugee claimants’ denial of health care, a new judicial review finds that a pernicious aspect of the Conservatives’ overhaul of refugee rights …
READ MOREShining a Light on Canada’s Deteriorating Human Rights Record
- Analysis
- July 15, 2015
By Leilani Farha
Published in the Toronto Star, July 13, 2015 Last May I was appointed UN Special Rapporteur on the right to housing. The goal of this position is to advance the rights of marginalized communities around the world …
READ MOREThe Final Push: Canada and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal
- Analysis
- July 15, 2015
By Arne Ruckert, Ronald Labonté and Ashley Schram
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is nearing the end game of negotiations, creating a market of 800 million people with a combined economic clout of US$28-trillion annually. After the U.S. Congress granted fast-track authority …
READ MOREAt Any Cost: The Injustice of the ‘4 and 4’ Rule in Canada
- Analysis
- June 1, 2015
By Stephanie J. Silverman
Published on openDemocracy, May 29, 2015
Tens of thousands of law-abiding foreign workers residing in Canada became deportable last April. This sudden vulnerability to deportation resulted from the Parliamentary passage of a small legislative change …
READ MOREReflections on Gender in the DFATD Evaluation of Canada’s Afghanistan Development Program
- Analysis
- May 18, 2015
By Sarah Tuckey
In March 2015, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development released the Synthesis Report: Summative Evaluation of Canada’s Afghanistan Development Program. On April 14, CIPS and its Fragile States Research Network (FSRN) held a panel…
READ MOREL’émergence de l’Union européenne comme puissance militaire au XXIème siècle
- Analysis
- April 21, 2015
Par Michael E. Lambert, chercheur invité au Centre d’études en politiques internationales
Published on the CDA Security and Defence Blog, April 21, 2015
L’Europe apparait aujourd’hui comme la principale promotrice du dialogue pour solutionner les conflits, en témoigne le …
READ MOREL’émergence du smart power transatlantique
- Analysis
- March 30, 2015
Par Michael E. Lambert, chercheur invité au Centre d’études en politiques internationales
L’année 2015 s’impose comme celle des négociations sur la mise en place du TTIP et du rapprochement entre les États-Unis et l’Union européenne. Dans les faits, le Traité …
READ MOREMilitary Deployments and a ‘Political Convention’ of Commons Support
- Analysis
- March 24, 2015
by Philippe Lagassé
Published on Policy Options, March 24, 2015
Prime Minister Harper has presented a motion to the House of Commons announcing an extension and expansion of Canada’s mission against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant …
READ MOREHow Dangerous is C-51? You Might Be Surprised
- Analysis
- March 22, 2015
by Michael Geist
Published in the Toronto Star, March 13, 2015
As witnesses line up to warn about the dangers associated with Bill C-51, Canada’s anti-terrorism bill, it’s increasingly clear that the proposed legislation is an unprecedented undermining of …
READ MOREIntellectual Property, Industrial Espionage and the Future of Military Diffusion
- Analysis
- March 19, 2015
By Robert Farley, Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, University of Kentucky
What do intellectual property law, industrial espionage, and cyber-warfare have to do with one another?
Industrial espionage is, by definition, a violation of most existing schemes …
READ MOREInternational Aid Transparency: Cui Bono?
- Analysis
- March 10, 2015
By Catherine Weaver (University of Texas at Austin and Innovations for Peace and Development) and Josh Powell (Development Gateway and AidData, Washington, DC)
Over the past decade, the international aid transparency movement has made considerable progress in opening the information …
READ MORETo Understand International Security, Consider Social Relations
- Analysis
- March 5, 2015
By Jarrod Hayes, School of International Affairs, Georgia Tech
The world is a complex place. Social tides ebb and flow, diverse social systems interacting with agency to produce an ever-shifting mix of international challenges. This is all the more …
READ MOREShould Parliament ‘Oversee’ National Security Affairs?
- Analysis
- February 26, 2015
by Philippe Lagassé
Published on the Policy Options Blog, February 25, 2015
Bill C-51, the Conservative government’s anti-terrorism legislation, has sparked renewed debate about Parliament’s role in overseeing Canada’s intelligence services. Opposition parties and former prime ministers have …
READ MOREAn International Election That Canada Can Help to Fix
- Analysis
- February 25, 2015
By David Petrasek and Allan Rock
Published in the Toronto Star, February 24, 2015
The emergence of potential candidates reminds us that the 2016 race for the White House has already begun. Canadians will watch the American contest in …
READ MORESending Lethal Weapons to Ukraine May Not Be the Answer
- Analysis
- February 15, 2015
Roland Paris appeared on the Sunday morning broadcast The West Block with Tom Clark to discuss the question on whether Western countries should send lethal weapons to help the Ukrainian government.
Paris noted that there were no good policy options …
READ MOREBaird Improved Over Time, But Ultimately Fell Short
- Analysis
- February 8, 2015
By Colin Robertson
This is one of a series of CIPS Blog posts examining the legacy of John Baird as Canada’s foreign minister. See also the posts by Peter Jones, Ferry de Kerckhove and David Petrasek.
John Baird …
READ MORECanadian Mission Creep in Iraq? A CIPS Debate – Part 3
- Analysis
- January 30, 2015
by Philippe Lagassé
For Parts 1 and 2 of this CIPS debate, see the posts by Roland Paris and Thomas Juneau.
Published on Canadian Defense Politics, January 29, 2015
Did the Prime Minister mislead the House of Commons …
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