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Coming Soon: A Truly Global Human Rights Revolution?0
- Analysis
- March 31, 2014
Published on the openGlobalRights Blog, March 31, 2014

There is an unmistakable fin de régime sentiment to much current thinking regarding international human rights. Conferences and discussion forums convene to debate ‘the future of human rights’, with implicit in …
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With Russia Out of the G8, What About the G7 and G20?0
- Analysis
- March 25, 2014
Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Prime Minister Harper has insistently demanded that Russia be expelled from the G8. But what sort of G7 will survive that action? And what happens to the G20?

For now, the situation was resolved at …
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Europe Will Wake Up, and Putin Can Expect a Harsh Response 0
- Analysis
- March 25, 2014
Published in The Globe and Mail, March 19, 2014

There are many aspects to the current struggle over the future of Crimea which pose serious difficulties for an international community that would like to respond firmly. On the one …
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An Ex-CIDA Officer’s Reflections on Afghanistan: Looking Back, Looking Forward 0
- Analysis
- March 13, 2014
The departure of Canadian troops from Afghanistan does not mark the end of Canadian aid to that country. To move forward, however, Canada must accept the strategic mistakes of the past and record the lessons learned, not only to avoid …
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Russia’s Crimea Caper: One More Nail in the Non-Intervention Coffin 0
- Analysis
- March 6, 2014
Both Russia and those opposing its intervention in Crimea are making claims regarding the legality of its acts. Russia is asserting the right to use force in Crimea and, if necessary, in eastern Ukraine. The U.S., Canada, and European states …
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Crisis in South Sudan: What Role for Canada?0
- Analysis
- March 5, 2014
By Stephen Baranyi and Tag Elkhazin

The signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army sparked optimism that the country could find a way out of its devastating cycle …
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The Truth About Canada’s Mission in Afghanistan 0
- Analysis
- March 5, 2014
Canada’s military mission in Afghanistan officially ends this month. It began in 2001 with the dispatch of a small number of special operations troops to oust the Taliban and punish al-Qaeda militants in wake of the 9/11 attacks, and grew
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Reaping the Whirlwind in Ukraine 0
- Analysis
- March 4, 2014
The Russian media had a good laugh on March 2 at the expense of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who denounced Russia by saying, “[y]ou just don’t invade another country on a phony pretext in order to assert your …
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In Dispute with Muslim Organization, PMO Wrong to Allege Skeletons in Closet 0
- Analysis
- February 27, 2014
Published in the Toronto Star, February 26, 2014

Never forget: these are charged words for Canada’s ethnic or religious groups when it comes to keeping alive the memory of historical atrocities “back home.” But they’re also charged words, in …
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NATO, China and Afghanistan at the Security-Development Nexus 0
- Analysis
- February 24, 2014
By Kirsten Van Houten and Benjamin Zyla

Since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban in 2001, NATO has provided extensive security and development assistance to Afghanistan. While NATO is slated to withdraw from Afghanistan later this year, the international …
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Shale Gale or Shale Fail? Will North America’s Leaders Miss the Boat on Energy?0
- Analysis
- February 21, 2014
by Monica Gattinger

At the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico this week, Prime Minister Harper, President Obama and President Pena Nieto committed to tasking their respective energy ministers to meet in 2014 to “discuss opportunities to promote common strategies …
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Aid Budgets or Poverty Reduction? Worry About the Right Priority First 0
- Analysis
- February 20, 2014
The federal government announced a 7.5% cut in Canada’s Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget for the fiscal year 2012. In addition, former CIDA funds not spent (and thus lapsed) represented close to 10% of CIDA’s aid budget for 2012. The …
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