Event Date: February 8, 2024 - 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Location: FSS 4006, 120 Unversity Private, University of Ottawa

Presented by CIPS and the International Political Economy Network (IPEN)

Blended finance is a controversial aspect of contemporary aid policy. Promoters argue that it is a way to fill the ‘finance gap’ to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030). Detractors argue, on the other hand, that blended finance represents the commercialization of aid and that the scale and complexity of projects makes it inaccessible. In this presentation, we present the results of a research project that asked leaders from Canadian development cooperation and humanitarian aid organizations how they view the opportunities and the limits presented by blended finance initiatives sponsored by the Canadian government in the past five years.

Speakers: 

Susan Spronk is associate professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa. She is a co-founder of the Blended Finance Project.

Karen Spring is a PhD student in the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa. She works on human rights issues with communities and organizations in Honduras. 

Chair:

Jacqueline Best is a Full Professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. Her research is at the intersection of international relations, political economy and social theory. Her current research examines the role of exceptionalism, failure, and ignorance in economic policy, tracing their evolution from the early days of neoliberalism to today.