by Cooperation Canada | Mar 9, 2023 | Humanitarian Assistance, News, Press Release
March 9, 2023 (OTTAWA) Today, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-41, amending the Criminal Code to allow Canadian aid organizations to provide humanitarian support in Afghanistan without the fear of criminal prosecution. This is a critical and important step toward protecting the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide neutral and impartial aid in Afghanistan and other complex crises.
This action will bring Canada into better alignment with other nations such as Australia, the U.K. and the United States. In response to the introduction of this legislation, the #AidforAfghanistan Coalition of 18 leading Canadian organizations said:
“We welcome today’s announcement by the Government of Canada. We are encouraged that this step forward will not only support the need for humanitarian organizations to operate in Afghanistan, but also in similar contexts.
Today’s announcement is an important step forward in the right direction toward finding a permanent solution for the countless Afghan women, children and families who are counting on international aid and assistance to survive.
In the weeks to come, we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue and working together with all parties to ensure these amendments are passed effectively and efficiently to allow Canadians to provide critical humanitarian aid and assistance to the people of Afghanistan and other countries with similar contexts.”
Under the #AidforAfghanistan campaign, we have worked to raise awareness of the impacts of regulatory barriers and their chilling effect. Such restrictions have prevented us from getting life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable during Afghanistan’s deepening humanitarian
crisis. In recognition of the need to allow for life-saving humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, close to 10,000 Canadians have signed letters targeting their local MP, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, International Development, Justice and Public Safety.
Over the past eight months, we have worked with legal experts, Afghan Canadians, and women’s organizations to engage in constructive dialogue with all parties, who have all affirmed their commitment to ensuring that legislation must be amended to allow Canadian organizations to help the people of Afghanistan.
With today’s announcement, we look forward to continuing to work with all parties in the House of Commons to ensure that the solution allows for a definition of activities that is broad enough to encompass targeted gender programming, including education and healthcare for girls, food, shelter, clothing, and human rights work. We also call on all parties to work collaboratively to ensure this solution comes to fruition quickly.
The humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan today is dire. Over half of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance and there is a severe lack of food, medicines and essential supplies. This has resulted in grave impacts including an increase in child marriages and people taking extreme actions to survive. The people of Afghanistan need humanitarian aid, and they need it now.
Canada’s investment in Afghanistan over the last two decades has contributed to immense progress–particularly advances in gender equality. Canada has a long history of support for Afghanistan and the Afghan people and Canadians are particularly concerned for women and children, who have been increasingly vulnerable during the last 19 months.
Today’s proposed legislative change is a critical first step toward ensuring Canada’s legacy in Afghanistan continues in that spirit of support and commitment and to allowing Canadian organizations and our millions of supporters across Canada to once again provide desperately needed support to Afghan women, children and communities.”
For all media queries, please contact:
- Canadian Red Cross: (1-877-599-9602)
- Islamic Relief Canada: Reyhana Patel [email protected]
- Save the Children: Tiffany Baggetta [email protected]
- World Vision Canada: Lisa Baldock [email protected]
by Cooperation Canada | Oct 12, 2022 | export, News, Press Release
Wednesday, October 12th 2022 (Ottawa) – Cooperation Canada is excited to host the International Cooperation Futures Festival at the Shaw Centre, located on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, colonially known as Ottawa, Canada, from 17th to 20th October 2022.
The festival will bring together over 300 change-makers from Canada and the world to examine the trends and disruptors that are shaping the future of international cooperation. Sessions will cover the future of the humanitarian system, the global hunger crisis, intersectional feminism, climate justice, decolonizing development, democracy, human rights and innovative finance.
At a time when collision of COVID-19, conflict and climate crises has set the world back decades on poverty, Russia’s war on Ukraine has led to massive movements of people, the world faces a global hunger crisis, and there’s a resurgence of anti-democratic and anti-rights forces around the world, these conversations are more important than ever.
Speakers and participants will come from civil society, government, parliament, academia, business and philanthropy.
The Festival at a Glance
The International Cooperation Futures Festival will be an in-person conference. Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s CEO, explains:
“We heard from our members, government officials, civil society partners and others in the international cooperation ecosystem that there is a strong desire to come together in person – to reconnect, unlearn, envision and engage on the future of international cooperation. We are excited to welcome hundreds of people to this festival, to engage with new ideas, make new connections, and reflect on the collective action we need to take to realize a fairer, safer and more sustainable world.”
The festival will feature plenaries, interactive sessions, and networking experiences. World-leading social activists, analysts, journalists and decision-makers will attend the festival.
Here are some of the festival’s highlights:
- The Walrus Talks public event and reception on the global hunger crisis at the National Gallery of Canada, featuring: Rachel Blais, Executive Director, Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre; Sophie Gebreyes, Country Director, Ethiopia, World Lutheran Federation; Marcel Groleau, President, UPA Développement international; Neil Hetherington, Chief Executive Officer, Daily Bread Food Bank; Jean-Charles Le Vallée, Country Representative – Canada, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture; and Melana Roberts, Chair, Food Secure Canada. This is a joint event co-organized by The Walrus, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, World Vision Canada, World Food Programme, and Cooperation Canada.
- High-level plenary session on trends and disruptors shaping international cooperation, with: Katelynne Herchak, Manager – Indigenous Governance & Decolonial Practice and Policy, head of VIDEA’s Arctic Gender Policy programme; Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada; Dorothy Nyambi, President/CEO, MEDA; Magalie Noel Dresse, Co-President, Centre for Haitian Excellence; and Sara Pantuliano, Chief Executive, ODI. The session will be moderated by prominent Canadian Radio-Canada journalist Sophie Langlois.
- High-level plenary session on imagining the future of international cooperation featuring: Françoise Moudouthe, CEO, African Women’s Development Fund (virtual, in French); Heba Aly, CEO, New Humanitarian; Rasha Sharma, Founder, Peace Track Initiative; Bryanna Brown, Indigenous land and climate activist; Joseph Messinga Nkonga, Permanent Secretary – Fierté Afrique Francophone (in French). This session will be moderated by Jean Lebel, President of the International Development Research Centre.
- A conversation with the Minister of International Development, the Honorable Harjit Sajjan, with Rabi Adamu Musa, Founder, Mcrissar Foundation for Women and Girls – Nigeria; and Odette McCarthy, Executive Director, Equitas/Co-Chair of Board of Directors, Cooperation Canada. The session will be moderated by Afghan journalist in exile in Canada, Lotfullah Najafizada, CEO, AMU TV.
- Many more speakers and activities are featured. Check out the program here.
About Cooperation Canada
Cooperation Canada brings together Canada’s international development and humanitarian organizations and advocates for them by convening sector leaders, influencing policy and building capacity. Together, we work with partners both inside and outside Canada to build a world that’s fair, safe, and sustainable for all.
Press contact
Gabriel Karasz-Perriau
Communications Manager
Cooperation Canada
[email protected]
(514) 945-0309
by Cooperation Canada | May 30, 2022 | News, Press Release
May 30th, 2022 (Ottawa) – Cooperation Canada, along with 70 Canadian humanitarian and international development organizations, urges the Government of Canada to amend the Budget Implementation Act (BIA) to reflect the spirit of Bill S-216, the Effective and Accountable Charities Act. Changes to Canada’s charity regime proposed in the BIA released in April 2022 accentuate colonial and paternalistic relationships between charities and the partners that support their charitable objectives, both in Canada and internationally.
Initially encouraged by Canada’s commitment in the 2022 federal budget to implement the spirit of Bill S-216, many Canadian charities are disappointed with what is proposed in the BIA.
“Canada’s charity regime is outdated, colonial and patriarchal. It needs to change so charities can better support the organizations and movements responding to conflict and crisis, fighting for justice and human rights and investing in sustainable development around the world. We want to shift power and resources to the communities at the forefront of driving change, and need a charity regime that supports this”, explains Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s CEO. “We welcome the government’s openness to dialogue to address our concerns”, added Higgins.
Charities are concerned about integrity and want to preserve public trust. They are committed to the utmost accountability. But signatories to this letter are concerned that the BIA will make it more difficult for organizations to achieve their charitable purposes by inserting into the legislation a rigid and prescriptive approach to funding non-charities. The new rules proposed in the BIA allowing charities to make ‘qualifying disbursements’ or grants to non-qualified donees make the system more confusing, risky and difficult for registered charities and non-charities to work together and, as a result, may prevent philanthropic and charitable resources from flowing to the communities that need them most.
Cooperation Canada called on its civil society partners to sign an open letter calling on the Government of Canada to make immediate changes to the BIA. The changes proposed in the letter would increase the opportunities for partnerships between equity-seeking organizations and Canadian charities here in Canada and around the world, placing more resources in the hands of local partners so charitable funds can have the greatest possible impact.
“We need to fix the Budget Implementation Act and modernize Canada’s charity regime so we can unlock more resources and localize and decolonize our work with communities in Canada and around the globe”, said Carelle Mang-Benza, Cooperation Canada’s Policy Lead.
About Cooperation Canada
Cooperation Canada brings together Canada’s international development and humanitarian organizations and advocates for them by convening sector leaders, influencing policy and building capacity. Together, we work with partners both inside and outside Canada to build a world that’s fair, safe and sustainable for all.
Press Contact
Gabriel Karasz-Perriau
Communications Manager
Cooperation Canada
[email protected]
(514) 945-0309
by coopcanada2020 | Apr 26, 2022 | News, Press Release
The world is in intense turmoil. Day after day, the Ukraine crisis sends shocking reminders that peace and stability cannot be taken for granted. We must work collectively to uphold peace, democracy and human rights. Cooperation Canada urges Canada to continue to deploy its feminist leadership in its response to the crisis resulting from the attack on the sovereign territory of Ukraine. We call on Canada to continue to address humanitarian needs, contribute to peace processes, and stand up for democracy and human rights.
As casualties, suffering, and destruction increase, upholding the principles of International Humanitarian Law remains a top priority. This encompasses safeguarding all civilians, regardless of race, colour, religion or national origin, who are forced to flee or remain in Ukraine, protecting civilian infrastructure, and guaranteeing that humanitarian organizations have unobstructed access to people at risk. With mainly women, children, and the elderly on the move, the needs of those escaping the horrors of war are diverse. There are already distressing reports of human trafficking and Russian soldiers using sexual violence as a weapon of war. Canada must stand firm in its condemnation of such acts and take appropriate action to ensure safety for all.
The needs of Ukrainians are here and now, but the effects of the crisis are spreading and will be felt in the years to come. Conversely, the dividends of peacebuilding are long-lasting. As Canada articulates its feminist foreign policy, the approach must be comprehensive, coherent, and robust. Humanitarian assistance, peace-building efforts and long-term development funding should draw on Canada’s legacy of championing women as rightful leaders with proper representation at political tables and in consolidating peace and security. Supporting Ukrainian national and local civil society – who are on the frontlines of the humanitarian response to this crisis – is critical.
The ripple effects of the war in Ukraine are hitting those in precarious socio-economic situations harder. As these impacts increase, our attention and financial commitments to alleviating human suffering and addressing other crises cannot decrease. We welcome Budget 2022’s significant support for Ukraine. Nevertheless, it is imperative that resources are not diverted from other global hotspots. Canada must remain steadfast in its support for countries such as Afghanistan and Yemen, among others, and for the crises resulting from conflict, the global COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. Canada can lead the way and use its global voice to encourage the international community to do the same.
by Cooperation Canada | Apr 7, 2022 | News, Press Release
April 7, 2022 (Ottawa) – As conflict, humanitarian emergencies, COVID-19 and climate change wreak havoc across the globe, Cooperation Canada is encouraged by today’s 2022 federal budget which includes an increase in Canada’s international assistance and a willingness to address barriers to charitable activities in international cooperation.
This budget demonstrates that the government remains committed to international assistance as an effective way of enhancing health, security, prosperity and human rights around the world.
“International assistance is a proven tool to support peace, security and equitable and sustainable development,” said Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s CEO. “As the world faces the triple crises of conflict, COVID-19 and climate change, Canadian leadership is vital,” Higgins said.
The budget sees Canada’s international assistance reach over $8 billion, an increase from $7.6 billion in 2020-21. While no timetable for future spending is provided, it is encouraging that the government is moving forward on its commitments to increase Canada’s international development assistance budget each year in support of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This increase puts us on a path to being in line with our Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) peers.
Cooperation Canada is thrilled that this budget responds to the repeated calls by the charitable sector to reduce red tape that inhibits charitable activities in Canada and abroad through the government’s support for Bill S-216, The Effective and Accountable Charities Act. Cooperation Canada supports Bill S-216 as proposed.
“As the world faces multiple crises, we are encouraged by both the increase in Canadian aid and a willingness to make long-awaited reforms to outdated charity legislation that will enable Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations to advance equitable, feminist partnerships around the world,” Higgins adds.
About Cooperation Canada
Cooperation Canada brings together Canada’s international development and humanitarian organizations and advocates for them by convening sector leaders, influencing policy and building capacity. Together, we work with partners both inside and outside Canada to build a world that’s fair, safe and sustainable for all.
Press Contact
Gabriel Karasz-Perriau
Communications Manager
Cooperation Canada
[email protected]
(514) 945-0309
by Cooperation Canada | Jan 18, 2022 | News, Press Release
January 18, 2022 (Ottawa) – The Board of Directors of Cooperation Canada is delighted to announce the appointment of Kate Higgins as its new Chief Executive Officer. Kate will take on her new role on April 4, 2022.
“We are thrilled with this announcement and look forward to the energy and vision that Kate will bring to this role and to Cooperation Canada’s work to build a fairer, safer and more sustainable world. Kate is a strategic thinker and throughout her career has demonstrated her commitment to the principles of cooperation that Cooperation Canada endorses. We are in the best of hands with Kate at the helm, and look forward to working with her as she leads Cooperation Canada and its talented team into its next exciting phase,” said Eileen Alma and Richard Veenstra, Co-Chairs of Cooperation Canada’s Board of Directors.
Kate is an accomplished leader and experienced manager, with over fifteen years of experience in international development, civil society, think tanks, and government. She is currently the Deputy Executive Director of Oxfam Canada, where she has led the organization’s work on strategy and communications and spearheaded a number of organizational change initiatives, in addition to serving as Interim Executive Director in 2020. Before joining Oxfam, Kate worked for CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations, where she led strategy development and the organization’s work on data, sustainable development and citizen action. She has held senior policy and research roles at the North-South Institute and the Overseas Development Institute, leading work on chronic poverty, protracted conflict, women’s economic justice and international assistance and building several global, multi-stakeholder initiatives. Kate started her career at the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), working on the Indonesia and Papua New Guinea programs. She has lived and worked in Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Thailand and Uganda and has undertaken missions in several other countries. Kate has degrees in economics and development studies from the University of Oxford and the University of Sydney.
“I have collaborated with, admired, and celebrated the work of Cooperation Canada for many years. I firmly believe that Cooperation Canada plays a critical role in representing Canada’s international development and humanitarian sector and in pushing for ambitious Canadian engagement in the world. It will be an absolute privilege to lead this organization, and work with the Board of Directors, staff, members and partners to position Cooperation Canada, and our sector, for the future,” said Kate Higgins, Cooperation Canada’s incoming CEO.
Kate will replace Shannon Kindornay, who is currently serving as the Interim CEO. Shannon will continue as Cooperation Canada’s Chief Operations Officer. Maxime Michel, who replaced Shannon during her parental leave, served as Interim CEO in Shannon’s absence.
“Cooperation Canada is fortunate to have such a strong management team. The Board of Directors warmly thanks Shannon and Maxime for their dedication, competent management and leadership during the transition,” added Eileen Alma and Richard Veenstra.
About Cooperation Canada
Cooperation Canada (formerly the Canadian Council for International Co-operation) brings together Canada’s international development and humanitarian organizations and advocates for them by convening sector leaders, influencing policy and building capacity. Together, we work with partners both inside and outside Canada to build a world that’s fair, safe and sustainable for all.
Press contact
Gabriel Karasz-Perriau
Communications Manager
Cooperation Canada
[email protected]
(514) 945-0309
