Reports and presentations
Reports, articles, and presentations by Inter Pares and Inter Pares staff members, as well as other documents and reports related to our work. Documents may be listed under more than one theme.
Food sovereignty | Health | Violence against women | Migration | Peace and democracy | Economic justice | Control over resources | Citizen engagement | Development issues and policy
- Resetting the Table: a Peoples Food Policy for Canada, by the People’s Food Policy Project, April 2010
Over the course of two years, over 3500 Canadians participated in a groundbreaking grassroots project to define paths towards a food system that can provide adequate amounts of healthy, acceptable, and accessible food for all. This report is based on policy discussion papers generated through an extensive process that included three hundred and fifty Kitchen Table Talks, hundreds of policy submissions, dozens of teleconferences, ongoing online discussions, and three cross-Canada conferences. - Brief to the Commission sur l’avenir de l’agriculture et de l’agroalimentaire du Québec (in French only), by the Working Group on Canadian Science and Technology Policy, June 19, 2007
This brief was updated to include recent testimonies from a delegation of African scientists and farm leaders who came to Canada as part of an event series entitled Food Sovereignty and Agro-Biodiversity: Proposals for a real Green Revolution in Africa. The events sought to educate policy-makers and the general public of the risks and pitfalls of new philanthropic adventures such as the Gates and Rockefeller Foundations’ Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, while proposing real alternatives rooted in local knowledge and agricultural biodiversity. - Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, December 5, 2006
Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, December 7, 2006
Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher, one of the world's foremost experts on Terminator technology, was called as an expert witness to the House of Commons Agriculture Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee. These were the first-ever hearings on Terminator seeds to take place in Canada, giving the committees a better understanding of the science of Terminator technology and its implications for farmers and biodiversity. Dr. Steinbrecher called on Canada to respect the precautionary principle embodied in the Convention on Biological Diversity, to which Canada is a signatory. - Les OGM : une aide empoisonnée (in French only), by Eric Chaurette, published in Relations October-November 2006 (pdf)
In his article, Eric Chaurette explores how international aid is being used as a Trojan horse to facilitate the introduction of GMO crops in the South. He refers to African and Asian experiences to illustrate how farmer communities and civil society are organizing to protect biodiversity and their livelihoods. - Voices from the South: Biotech Seeds, Food Security & International Development, by the Working Group on Canadian Science and Technology Policy (formerly the Working Group on Canada's Policy with Regard to Agricultural Biotechnology and Developing Countries), 2005 (pdf)
This report is the proceedings from a roundtable entitled Voices from the South: Biotech Seeds, Food Security & International Development, held March 9th, 2005 in Ottawa. This report also presents an evaluation of the Roundtable and surrounding events, all of which sought the inclusion of Southern farmers' voices in the development of Canadian policy in the South on food and agriculture technology, food security, and rural development. - Genetically Modified Seeds, Biodiversity and Food Security: A Critical Assessment of the Impact of Agricultural Biotechnologies on Communities in Developing Countries, by the Working Group on Canadian Science and Technology Policy (formerly the Working Group on Canada's Policy with Regard to Agricultural Biotechnology and Developing Countries), 2005 (pdf)
This policy brief was developed by the Working Group as a result of "Voices From the South" (see above), and is intended to provide an overview of the key issues addressed during the events for Canadian policy-makers and politicians. - No More Technological "Silver Bullets": A Policy Brief on Canada's Role in Africa's Agricultural Underdevelopment, by the Working Group on Canadian Science and Technology Policy (formerly the Working Group on Canada's Policy with Regard to Agricultural Biotechnology and Developing Countries), 2005 (pdf)
This policy brief was prepared by the group currently known as the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (formerly the Working Group on Canadian Science and Technology Policy), in response to a request from the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs for information on Canadian foreign policies and their effects on agricultural development in Africa. - Controlling seeds: International delegation comes to Saskatchewan, By Darrin Qualman, National Farmers Union (NFU) (pdf)
In March 2005, a group of farmers, scientists and food activists from Africa, Asia and Latin America traveled to various cities in Canada to dialogue with Canadian policy-makers, farmers, indigenous groups and the general public regarding the impact of GMOs on food sovereignty and rural development. This article chronicles the Saskatoon portion of the initiative. - Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 22, 2005
In 2005-2006, the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs undertook a study on Africa. This transcript is from a hearing on the topics of the World Trade Organization, development and agriculture in Africa. Witnesses included Molly Kane, then Executive Director of Inter Pares. - Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 8, 2005
In 2005-2006, the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs undertook a study on Africa. This transcript is from a hearing on the topic of agricultural policy and food security in Africa. Witnesses included Ibrahim Coulibaly (Mali), Dr. Regassa Feyissa (Ethiopia) and Dr. Mwananyanda Lewanika (Zambia). - Community-Based Food Security Systems: Local Solutions for Ending Chronic Hunger and Promoting Rural Development, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, November 2004 (pdf)
This policy brief explores community-based food security systems based on examples from India, including community managed grain banks, ecological agriculture and uncultivated foods. The document puts forward key policy recommendations in support of these initiatives. - Sustainable agriculture, food security and gender, by Anna Paskal, CIDA Workshop on Children's Contribution to Working and Caring for the Land: The Links Between Agriculture and Child Rights, March 2nd, 2004 (pdf)
This presentation highlights the work of Deccan Development Society in India, emphasizing the connections between ecological agriculture, community-based grain banks and increased food security. - Stolen Seeds: the privatisation of Canada's agricultural biodiversity, by Devlin Kuyek, The Ram's Horn, 2004 (pdf)
This publication documents the growing privatization of Canada's agricultural biodiversity, focusing specifically on seeds. Stolen Seeds also delves into Canada's rich public seed breeding programs of the past, and what the strengthening and protection of these structures might mean for the future. - Making the Connections: Small-scale agriculture, food security and nutrition, by the NGO Food Security Program Effectiveness Group, 2002 (pdf)
This discussion paper explores the complex issues of food production and security in the south, and in particular, the impact of small-scale agricultural projects on food security and nutrition.
- Burma Health News - Diagnosis: Critical., October 2010. Diagnosis: Critical details the health conditions in these areas as amongst the worst in the world, and a clear result of government cuts to health care, the protracted conflict and the widespread and systematic abuse of civilians, including forced displacement and forced labour.
- Lessons from the Philippines: Public Health, Privatization, and Women's Activism, by Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio of Likhaan at Inter Pares Annual General Meeting, "Democracy, Health and Justice: Health Care in the Public Interest," April 2006 (pdf)
Dr. Sylvia Estrada-Claudio, co-founder and chair of the Board of Likhaan, a national women's health organization in the Philippines and long-time Inter Pares counterpart, spoke on the relationship between health and social justice. Sylvia reminded us that in 1978, governments around the world supported a global commitment to "Health for All" by the year 2000. Public health care in many countries, in the North and the South, has been privatized and downsized, and thus even less accessible to those who need it most - the poor and vulnerable. - Women and Pharmaceuticals, Twenty Years Later: The Future, by Karen Seabrooke on behalf of Women and Health Protection, during a Toronto Symposium organized to honor and celebrate the achievements of Ruth Cooperstock, 2005 (pdf)
In speaking about the future for women, Karen said, "Our lives would be different if we operated from a more holistic, public health framework, if we had expanded choices and a range of health services and alternatives to choose from, paid for by our health care system. Government decisions and actions would be based on principles of equality, social justice, and the precautionary principle and would 'do no harm'. Governments would put the public interest, and not private interests, first, because health is a public good, not a private one." - In the Name of Development: Exploring population, poverty, and development, by Rita Parikh in collaboration with Inter Pares, 1995 (pdf)
This booklet was written by activists, for activists, and examines population, poverty and development from women's health and women's rights perspectives. - Uncommon Knowledge: A critical guide to contraception and reproductive technologies, by Women's Health Interaction and Inter Pares, 1995 (pdf)
This book was written for health promoters, health practitioners, educators, and women who want to use reproductive technologies. It is the product of a collective process undertaken by Women's Health Interaction (WHI), with the support of Inter Pares. - Policing Population, by Peter D. Gillespie, in Canadian Forum, September 1994 (pdf)
This 1994 article was published in Canadian Forum magazine and explores the issues of population growth and population control in the Third World, as well as the human rights implications of these programs.
- Keynote address to the 2010 Barbara Schlifer Clinic Annual General Meeting, by Rita Morbia, Executive Director, Inter Pares
In November 2010, the Barbara Schlifer Commemorative Clinic, which provides free integral care for women experiencing violence, invited Rita Morbia, Executive Director of Inter Pares, to give the keynote address to their Annual General Meeting. Using stories from Inter Pares' programs, Rita explored the theme of Global Women's Solidarity with three assertions: that the agency of women is real and it is powerful; that women around the world have a lot to learn from each other; and that not taking no for an answer is a viable political strategy. - Violence Against Women in Conflict Situations: Inter Pares testimony to the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, November 30, 2009
In November 2009, Inter Pares’ Rebecca Wolsak was invited to testify before the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights as part of its examination of Canada’s international and national human rights obligations, particularly concerning women, peace and security. Rebecca spoke of the experiences of our Burmese counterparts who have documented rape as a weapon of war in Burma, and their recommendations about how to address it. - Women’s Struggles for Justice – A Roundtable on Confronting Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict, February 2009 (pdf)
This report and reflection paper documents a roundtable convened by Inter Pares in September 2007. This event brought together over twenty women’s rights activists from Africa, Asia, Latin America and Canada, who have significant experience working on issues related to sexual violence against women in armed conflict. This report presents the tensions, dilemmas, and contradictions confronting work on sexual violence against women in armed conflict, as well as the political and institutional challenges and opportunities.
Para la versión español de este documento, La Lucha de las Mujeres por la Justicia: Mesa Redonda sobre la Lucha Contra la Violencia Sexual en el Conflicto Armado, entra aquí. - In the Shadow of the Junta, by the Women’s League of Burma, October 2008 (pdf)
Surprisingly, Burma’s military regime ratified the Convention on the Elimination for All forms of Discrimination Against Women in 1997. In their two official reports to the committee, the junta has claimed that existing laws and social practices of the country were compatible with the Convention, reports that are in sharp contrast to the realities of life in Burma. This shadow report is the outcome of the collective efforts of a year-long process among women's groups, civil society groups and networks along all of Burma's borders.
- Inter Pares staff gives opening address at Canadian Council for Refugees 2010 Consultation
In June, 2010, Inter Pares’ Karen Cocq was invited to address organizations involved in the settlement, sponsorship, and protection of refugees and immigrants at a consultation held by the Canadian Council for Refugees. Karen spoke of Inter Pares’ long history of supporting the struggles of displaced peoples around the world, and highlighted the need to see ‘refugee rights’ as only one part of the much broader issue of migrant justice. - Open Migration and the Politics of Fear, by Brian Murphy, in Development, vol. 50(4), December 2007 (pdf)
In the fall of 2006, Inter Pares published a report, Out of the Shadowlands, documenting an international learning circle on migration issues. Pursuing the reflection on the notion of open borders, Brian Murphy, a close colleague and former staff member of Inter Pares, engaged in electronic exchanges with an international online research and reflection network, the Great Transition Initiative. The article presents excerpts from this original exchange. - Out of the Shadowlands: A report on an international learning circle on migration & citizenship, by Brian Murphy, November 2006 (pdf)
This report documents an international learning circle organized by Inter Pares in September 2006, which brought together activists, policy makers and academics from the around the world to discuss the issue of migration, and in particular the growing trend in state policies that control and harshly contain the movement of people. The report presents the dilemmas, questions, and challenges confronted by activists as they work to transform the politics of fear that runs though the migration debate. - The Boundaries of Belonging: Reflections on Migration Policies into the 21st Century, by Alison Crosby, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, June 2006 (pdf)
This paper was initially presented at the 10th International Conference of the International Association for the Study of Forced Migration (IASFM), Talking across Borders: Dialogues in Forced Migration Studies, York University, Toronto, June 2006. The paper examines how we categorize people who have been forced to leave their places of belonging, as well as the policies that enforce the boundaries of these categories. Para la versión español de este documento, Las Fronteras de la Pertenencia : Reflexiones sobre las Políticas de Migración Entrando al Siglo XXI, entra aquí.
- "Breath of Life: Indigenous nations at risk in Colombia. Dora Tavera, of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), was in Canada in December to speak about ONIC’s new international campaign for the survival of indigenous people in Colombia. Thirty-two nations with less than 500 members are at risk of disappearing due to severe human rights violations. ONIC is travelling the world to speak about the urgency of their situation, and to obtain support from governments and civil society. Read the full report in English. Download Spanish version here.
- "Testimony of Zaynab Elsawi of the Sudanese Women Empowerment for Peace before Canadian Parliament" In October 2010, Zaynab Elsawi of the Sudanese Women Empowerment for Peace, testified before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. Zaynab spoke of how Sudanese women from the North and South came together to create the conditions that would allow for a peace agreement to be signed in 2005, and how they are now working together to prepare for the coming referendum on Southern independence.
- "Venezuela, Colombia Priorities Revealed", published in Embassy magazine October 8th 2008
In this article, Inter Pares staff member Jean Symes offers her perspective on Canada’s engagement with Colombia. - "Two Activists Take Their Own Hard Line on Improving Women's Rights in Sudan," published in Embassy magazine (www.embassymag.ca), September 26th, 2007 (pdf)
In this article, Inter Pares counterparts Asha El-Karib and Fahima Hashim outline Sudanese women's struggles for equality. - The Canadian Muslim Network Tribute to Civil Liberties in Canada, by Dr. Tyseer Aboulnasr, Member of the Order of Ontario (pdf)
With clarity and passion, Dr. Aboulnasr describes the threat to civil liberties in Canada, while paying tribute to Canadians from all faiths that refused to accept injustice as the price for security. Canadian Muslim organizations from across Canada, along with civil liberties advocates and more than 60 MPs and Senators, attended the dinner held to honour Monia Mazigh and Maher Arar. Proceeds from the dinner were donated to establish the Arar-Mazigh Human Rights Scholarship at the University of Ottawa. - Quaker Initiative to End Torture, by Anne-Marie Zilliacus, December 2006 (pdf)
This article describes the torture industrial complex in our society and the work that is needed to end it. It was originally published in The Canadian Friend and describes the founding of the Quaker Initiative to End Torture, a movement that aims to translate the outrage people feel about torture into the political pressure that will abolish it. - Submission on the Factual Inquiry, presented by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) in September, 2005, to the Commission of Inquiry into the Actions of Canadian Officials in Relation to Maher Arar ("Arar Commission") (pdf)
This brief was submitted to the Arar Commission, which investigated the collusion of the Canadian government and its officials in the kidnapping and torture of Canadian citizen Maher Arar by the governments of the United States and Syria. The submission was presented by the ICLMG as input to the interim factual report being prepared by Justice O'Connor. The final report was released in December 2006. - Testimony on Sudan before the Canadian Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs
In May 2005, Asha El-Karib, director of the Gender Center for Research and Training, made a presentation to the Canadian Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs about the prospects for an end to the conflict in Sudan. She stressed the need to engender democracy during the peace process and the necessity to address the underlying causes of poverty. - ICLMG "Submission Concerning the Review of the Anti-terrorism Act (C-36)", presented April, 2005, to the House of Commons Subcommittee on Public Safety and National Security. (pdf)
Human rights and democratic values must be at the centre of any approach to human security. This submission to Canada's Parliament by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) -- a coalition of 34 Canadian national organizations, institutions and faith groups, including Inter Pares - calls for the repeal of the Anti-terrorism Act (C-36) passed in late 2001 and argues that it enables extreme measures, which undermine the fundamentals of a free and democratic society while contributing nothing to address the root causes of terrorism. - Canada's Role in Promoting Peace, Justice and Stability in Colombia and the Andean Region
Presentation by Jean Symes in February, 2005, to the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Human Rights and International Development. This presentation looks at the increasing American military involvement in the Andean region and argues that peace and stability must be built through concrete and incremental processes to achieve broad-based social justice and democratic economic development. It urges Canada to form common cause with those promoting non-violence, and a process of negotiated social and economic transformation. - Anti-Terrorism and the Security Agenda: Impacts on Rights, Freedoms and Democracy: Report from the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group public forum, by the ICLMG, 17 February, 2004 (pdf)
This report arises from a public forum held in February 2004 by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group to discuss "anti-terrorism and the security agenda". It articulates recommendations for policy directions to help inform and guide civil society and the Canadian government on the impact that such policies have on rights, freedoms and civil liberties. - In the Shadow of the Law: A Report by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) in response to Justice Canada's 1st annual report on the application of the Anti-Terrorist Act (Bill C-36), by the ICLMG, May 2003 (pdf)
This document was a response by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) to the first annual report on the application of Bill C-36, the Anti-Terrorism Act. In addition to a response on the Bill C-36 report, the document also addresses related effects arising from the Canadian government's anti-terrorism initiatives. - In Our Own Name: Promoting Peace Through Justice, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, April 2003 (pdf)
This paper was a contribution to discussions concerning Canada's role in the world, initiated by the Hon. Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in his call for a "Dialogue on Foreign Affairs" in January 2003. The reflections in this paper emerge from Inter Pares' direct international experience over almost thirty years. - Looted Land, Proud People: The Case for Canadian Action in Burma, by the Canadian Friends of Burma, 2002 (pdf)
This dossier provides the historical background to Burma's current military dictatorship, an overview of several key human rights issues, and suggested avenues for Canadian action.
- "Promoting Social and Economic Justice for All," by Jean Symes, February 2012
Inequality and disparity of income, wealth and power is on the rise in Canada and around the world. This essay, first published in the February 2012 edition of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Monitor, describes how Inter Pares has worked with others to find ways to redress power imbalances, and outlines concrete measures to begin to build the more just and equal world we envision. - "(In)Equality Matters: Social justice and the economy," by Jean Symes, November 9th, 2011
In November 2011, Inter Pares organized a four-city tour in Saskatoon, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, "(In)Equality Matters," to explore how to foster economic equality in our communities and around the world. In each city, residents came out to discuss this important issue with Inter Pares staff member Jean Symes, Yao Graham of Third World Network Africa, and Canadian counterparts: National Farmers Union (Saskatoon), Canadians for Tax Fairness (Toronto), La Ligue des droits et libertés (Montreal), and the Canadian Film Institute (Ottawa). This document is the text of Jean Symes's speech delivered at the Saskatoon edition. - "The Roots of Inequality: Mining profits soar, but Africans are still poor," by Yao Graham, published online by Embassy magazine, November 21st, 2011
Profits have ballooned in recent years, but African states haven’t seen their fair share. It’s time to look beyond the woefully inadequate compensation of voluntary corporate social responsibility actions by mining firms in Africa. During his visit to Canada for “(In)Equality Matters,” Yao Graham published this op-ed in the foreign-affairs magazine Embassy. - Pirate Bankers and the Shadow Economy, by Peter Gillespie, published in Au Courant, spring 2009
This article states that each year hundreds of billions of dollars are illegally transferred out of developing countries. This massive loss of domestic resources, which is far greater than aid inflows, maintains poverty, contributes to inequality, and deprives developing countries of the ability to invest in essential public goods and services. It is only recently that the role of offshore tax havens in enabling these losses has been examined. The article outlines the scope of the problem as well as proposed civil society measures. - Gone Offshore, op-ed by Peter Gillespie published by Straightgoods.com, June 27th, 2007
As corporations and wealthy individuals shift their assets into offshore tax havens, the loss in global tax revenues is now estimated to be at least $500 billion a year, more than enough to finance the UN's Millennium Development Goals. Peter Gillespie describes why civil society groups are challenging the offshore financial system and the social costs that tax evasion is imposing on societies around the world. - Deadly Investments, op-ed by Peter Gillespie published on April 5, 2007, in the Toronto Star
Cluster munitions are abhorrent instruments of war, responsible for killing and maiming thousands of civilians. Peter Gillespie reveals that Canadian banks and pension funds finance companies who manufacture cluster bombs, despite the Canadian government's agreement to ban their use and production. - Your pension contributions at work?, op-ed by Peter Gillespie published on December 22, 2005, in the Toronto Star
Peter Gillespie criticizes Canadian pension investments in the world's leading arms manufacturers, in companies that have been prosecuted for criminal activities, in the tobacco industry, and in companies complicit in human rights abuses overseas. He argues that our Canadian Pension Plan contributions should be invested in ways that are in the public interest and calls for the development of a socially responsible investment framework. - Towards a Feminist Political Economy, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, November 2004 (pdf)
This paper attempts to clarify how gender influences the social and political relationships and structures of power, and the differential economic effects that flow from these relationships and structures. The paper posits a political economy framework that begins to take these factors into account in promoting transformative actions for global justice and social development. - Beyond the Politics of the Possible: Corporations and the pursuit of social justice, by Brian K. Murphy, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, June 2002 (pdf)
This document was presented at Corporations as a Factor in Social Justice, a forum organized by Concordia University Institute in Management and Community Development in June 2002, and explores the limits of the concept of corporate social responsibility.
- Tierras y conflicto – Extracción de recursos, derechos humanos y la responsabilidad social de las empresas: compañías canadienses en Colombia, March 2010
This report, researched by Mining Watch Canada, CENSAT-Agua Viva, and Inter Pares, examines four case studies of Canadian extractive industry investment projects in Colombia for potential human rights risks. Referring to principles developed by the UN Special Representative on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations, the report identifies the need for transparent and independent human rights impact assessments to avoid the risk of human rights violations in existing and proposed extractive projects. Also available in English and French
Inter Pares study on Canadian investment in Colombia presented to parliamentarians, December 2009 - Fuelling Underdevelopment in Colombia: Poverty, Human Rights and Canada’s Role in the African Palm Oil Sector, by Garry Leech, October 2009 (pdf)
Canada's recently signed free trade agreement with Colombia and engagement to increase the use of biofuels in Canada are bound to increase the volume of importation of palm oil from Colombia. However, the cultivation of African oil palm in Colombia in recent decades has been directly related to violence perpetrated by right-wing paramilitaries against Afro-Colombian communities. This report examines the socio-economic, human rights, cultural, and environmental impacts of the expanding production of African oil palm and analyzes Canada’s current and future role. - Land and Conflict : Resource Extraction, Human Rights, and Corporate Social Responsibility : Canadian Companies in Colombia, September 2009 (pdf)
This report researched by Mining Watch Canada, CENSAT-Agua Viva, and Inter Pares looks at four case studies of Canadian extractive industry investment projects in Colombia, analyzing their associated potential human rights risks. Referring to principles developed by the UN Special Representative on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations, the report identifies issues and circumstances that clearly indicate that transparent and independent human rights impact assessments are necessary to avoid significant potential risk to human rights in existing and proposed extractive projects. - Canada in Africa: the mining superpower, published by Pambazuka News and AfricaFiles, November 21st 2008
Canada’s engagement with Africa is frequently seen as ‘progressive’ or perhaps anodyne. But the reality is murkier. This special issue, jointly published by Inter Pares colleagues Pambazuka News and AfricaFiles, analyzes why Canada became a superpower in mining investments and why Canadian stock exchanges are a global centre for risky investments. The issue includes case studies from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and a report on Canadian civil society efforts to hold our companies accountable for overseas activity. - In Defence of Land and Livelihood, by Faris Ahmed, 1997 (pdf)
This document chronicles the devastating effects that the shrimp industry has had on coastal communities in Asia, as well as the organization and resistance of communities to defend their right to sustainable livelihoods.
Inter Pares collaborators Étienne Roy-Grégoire and Jamie Kneen testified before the Standing Parliamentary Committee on International Trade on December 1, 2009. They presented the results of a joint study by Inter Pares, Mr Roy-Grégoire, Mining Watch Canada and CENSAT Agua Viva on Canadian investment in the mining and oil sectors in Colombia. Their presentation contributed to the committee’s reflections on Canada-South America trade relations.
- ICLMG report on human rights effects of watchlists and border controls
The International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group released this report on border controls and infringements to travellers' rights, based on the testimony of travellers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. The report sheds light on the real impact of "enhanced" border controls, no-fly lists and other government watch lists on the lives of real people. It calls on Parliament to urgently review Canadian Border Services Agency practices and the legality of the Canadian no-fly list program. - Voices-Voix Declaration
Inter Pares is part of a broad national coalition, Voices-Voix, founded in the spring of 2010 to defend and promote Canada's tradition of open democratic debate and reputation as an international leader in the promotion of human rights. Participating with Inter Pares in Voices-Voix are over 150 human rights, women’s, aboriginal, labour, environment, student, faith-based and development organizations from across the country working together to assert respectful civic interaction and debate, freedom of expression, and transparency in governance, as foundations of Canadian social and political life. Read the full declaration. - "Online fundraising strategies for small budgets", by Samantha McGavin and Rachel Gouin, published in Grassroots Fundraising, February 2009
Fundraising for social change is about building a financial and political base for socially transformative programs. In Inter Pares staff members Samantha McGavin and Rachel Gouin’s article, they outline ways in which the Internet and e-mail can be harnessed in this movement-building. This article is available directly from the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training for a nominal fee. - Reclaiming the Romance, keynote address by Molly Kane at Concordia University's Institute in Management and Community Development (IMCD), June 2007 (pdf)
This address was presented at the opening session of the IMCD's 15th annual Summer Program, "What are we part of? Personal Choice and Political Action." Reflecting on dilemmas and opportunities for community organizers and activists throughout the world, Molly invites us to unveil the cracks in power structures and to find hope in history and in people's stories from around the world. - Knowledge and Action: Challenging the Limits, keynote address by Brian Murphy at Inter Pares' 30th Anniversary Symposium, "Citizen Action: Challenging the Limits," April 2005 (pdf)
Highlighting some of the most pressing issues for activists, from militarism and the security agenda to poverty and invasive biotechnology, Brian explores contemporary paradoxes in political action while urging for mobilization toward progressive transformative change that challenges the limits of the (politically) possible. - Our Home is our Promised Land (in French only), Keynote address by Augusta Henriques of Tiniguena at Inter Pares' 30th Anniversary Symposium, "Citizen Action: Challenging the Limits," April 2005 (pdf)
With the motto, "resistance, creativity, and solidarity," Augusta conveys the realities of her beloved country, Guinea-Bissau, and how internal conflicts and devastating macro-economic policies have plunged it into instability. She shares her hopes for the future and calls citizens to mobilize for social change not only in Guinea-Bissau and Africa, but throughout the world. - Citizenship and Action: What's at Stake?, by Brian K. Murphy, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, September 2003 (pdf)
This document was presented as the keynote address to the Community Forum on Social Action, hosted by the Concordia University Institute in Management and Community Development in June 2003, and explores what is at stake in social change activism.
- Does it work? Feminist analysis and practice at Inter Pares As an organization engaged in the pursuit of social justice and equality around the world and in Canada, Inter Pares has also considered itself a feminist organization throughout the majority of its thirty-five-year existence. But this rich history has never documented or explored until now. With an interest in unearthing the links between a feminist analysis and methodology, and the results yielded by our work, Inter Pares embarked on a two-year participatory research project supported by the International Development Research Centre.
- Shining a light: Inter Pares’ thirty-five years of social justice action Keynote address to Inter Pares 2010 Annual General Meeting by Peter Gillespie, Ottawa, April 26, 2010. Peter Gillespie has been with Inter Pares for much of its 35 years, and has contributed greatly to the institution and its programs. At Inter Pares’ 2010 Annual General Meeting, Peter shared some of this rich history, reflecting on his work and telling some of the stories of the many relationships he has nurtured on behalf of Inter Pares with people around the world.
- Gender, the Paris Declaration and Women’s Emancipation, presentation by Molly Kane for a conference entitled “Does Aid Work? Can it work better? Crucial questions on the road to Accra and Doha,” North-South Institute, June 17-18, 2008 (pdf)
This conference focused on development cooperation and financing issues in the lead-up to the September 2008 Accra High-Level Forum on the “Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness” and the November 2008 Doha meeting on Financing for Development. Molly’s speech presented a provocation to these events, which are expected to have a significant impact on aid and development finance policy, as to how they view the roles of women and gender. - Canada and Africa: Prospects for Internationalism and Common Cause, keynote address by Molly Kane for Canadian Association of African Studies Annual Conference (CAAS)
Under the conference theme, “Reflecting on Africa's Riches: Resources, conflict and exploitation,” Molly offers her reflection on issues and dilemmas facing international NGOs today dedicated to international solidarity with people in Africa. By exploring the political economy of the aid industry and its implications for work promoting social justice and peace in the world, she invites us to press our government for concrete actions and also raises fundamental questions for anyone interested in global solidarity. - Rethinking Development: Promoting Global Justice in the 21st Century, Inter Pares Occasional Paper, November 2004 (pdf)
This paper reviews aspects of the global context that we anticipate will form the imperatives that frame international development cooperation in the years ahead, and summarizes some elements of our own attempts to "re-think" international development cooperation. - An Honourable Commitment: Policy coherence in Canada's relations with the global South, 2001 (pdf)
This document was a contribution to discussions within and outside of government concerning Canada's moral and political role in the world. Specifically, the paper reflects on Canada's relationship with the nations of the "global south". - International NGOs and the challenge of modernity, by Brian K. Murphy, in Debating Development, NGOs and the Future, (Deborah Eade and Ernst Ligteringen, Editors), Oxfam Publications, Oxford (UK), 2001.
This paper was originally commissioned as a contribution to a special 10th Anniversary Edition of the international journal Development in Practice (Vol. 10, Nos. 3 & 4, August 2000) which explored the future of social justice action within the international voluntary sector as we entered the 21st century. - Thinking in the Active Voice, by Brian K. Murphy, Keynote Presentation to the Expert Consultation on Guidelines on Poverty Reduction DAC/POVNET (OECD), Callantsoon, Netherlands, September 12-14, 2000 (pdf)
This presentation provides a reflection on the concepts of "development" and "modernization", and the philosophies and ideologies which underpin them.
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| Reviewed November 22, 2011 |  |
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