Group of 78 - Le Groupe des 78

MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE: Accelerating the Transition to a Post-Carbon World
2018-09-28 - 2018-09-29 | Cartier Place Suite Hotel, 180 Cooper St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Annual Policy Conference

Group of 78 Annual Policy Conference
Cartier Place Suite Hotel, Ottawa, September 28-29, 2018

Program Chair Statement
Credit Card Registration Register by Cheque/Email Transfer

Conference Outline
Accumulating evidence shows the world’s ecosystem careening towards ever more unpredictable and disruptive outcomes, even as the global community’s responses become increasingly disjointed and incoherent. If this course is not altered, the global community faces an existential crisis that, similar to the use of nuclear weapons, could spell the end to civilization as we know it, and perhaps of humanity itself.
The aim of the conference is to identify policies, actions and forces to be mobilized to achieve transformation to a fully sustainable society, in every nation state and globally.
Too often, news reports of climate change related disasters in all parts of the world do not make the connection to human causes. Thus much of the global public remains in denial of the serious need to act aggressively both politically and economically.
Yet there are solutions. A small but increasing number of governments are adopting policies and promoting actions to mitigate climate change. Market forces are shifting toward cheaper green energy and other low carbon technologies. Civil society is mobilizing public opinion and advocating constructive government action.
Against this backdrop Canada’s Liberal government has defined itself – and has been widely perceived – as a beacon of hope and positive engagement in sharp contrast to the depressing spectacle of a US government gutting environmental regulations, doubling down on use of fossil fuels and actively sabotaging the modest achievements of the Paris Climate Accord.
While the Canadian government’s language in this drama has changed for the better since the previous government’s “war against science”, the question remains how serious is our government’s commitment to the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recent projections indicate that Canada will fall well short of meeting its Paris commitments. Some argue that its efforts are incoherent and lack the ambition necessary to make more progress and show leadership on this front.
The conference will examine questions such as:

The complex context of the Climate Challenge, nationally and internationally, and the policy framework required to address it.
The leadership needed to promote global cooperation in addressing the Climate Crisis in a timely manner.
Creating coherence between green public policies and related socio-economic policies such as military and trade agreements.

A conference report will be shared widely and the Group of 78 will work with other organizations to press for changes in government policy and action to implement the conclusions and recommendations.

Program
THURSDAY, Sept 27, 2018 evening – $10.00 tickets at the door
6:45 p.m.

Film Screening: Anote’s Ark (2017), at Mayfair Theatre, co-presentation with One World Arts and the One World Film Festival
http://www.anotesark.com/
Panel & Discussion to follow

FRIDAY, Sept. 28, 2018 evening
6:00 p.m.
Dinner & Keynote Address:
What’s love got to do with it? Climate politics, solutions and the future of our planet

Indigenous Acknowledgement: Elder Verna Macgregor, Algonquin Nation
Moderator: Roy Culpeper, Chair, Group of 78
Keynote speaker: Joanna Kerr – Executive director, Greenpeace Canada

SATURDAY, Sept 29, 2018 day
8:30 a.m.
Panel 1: Magnitude of the Problem, A Comprehensive Approach Needed
Moderator: Manfred Bienefeld, Vice Chair, Group of 78
Speaker 1: Rohinton P. Medhora – President, Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)
Speaker 2: Prof. Gordon McBean – President, International Council for Science; Co-chair, Governing Council, Future Earth
Speaker 3: Mike de Souza – Managing Editor, National Observer
11:00 a.m.
Panel 2: The Trudeau Government’s Policies in a Global Perspective
Moderator: Susan Tanner, Board Director, Group of 78, & Chair, Conference Planning Committee
Speaker 1: Tzeporah Berman – Author, environmental campaigner, and Adjunct Professor, York University Environmental Studies
Speaker 2: Scott Vaughan, CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

12:30 p.m.
Lunch & Speaker: Serious About Climate Resilience? Empower Gender Equity
Tracy Mann, Climate Wise Women

2:00 p.m.
Panel 3: Getting from Here to There – Inspiring initiatives – Mobilizing People
Moderator: Andrea Harden, Climate Campaigner, Council of Canadians
Speakers:
1: Martin Settle, Co-Executive Director, USC Canada – Actions on Global Agriculture
2 : Karine Peloffy, Avocate conseil, Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement – Climate Lens on Environmental Assessment
3: Val Courtois, ED, – Indigenous Leadership Initiative on Indigenous Stewardship
4: Dr. Curtis Lavoie, CPHA, – Climate Change Impacts on Public Health

4:00 p.m. Conference Conclusion and Closing Remarks: Roy Culpeper & Susan Tanner

Group of 78 Annual Meeting to follow immediately

7:30 p.m. Climate Stomp: Dancing, Live Music, Cash Bar, and Appetizers will be Provided

Film Screening: Anote’s Ark (2017)
2018-09-27 18:45 - 22:00 (America/Toronto) | Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank St, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 3X3, Canada
What if your country was swallowed by the sea?

The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati (population: 100,000) is one of the most remote places on the planet, seemingly far-removed from the pressures of modern life. Yet it is one of the first countries that must confront the main existential dilemma of our time: imminent annihilation from sea-level rise.

While Kiribati’s President Anote Tong races to find a way to protect his nation’s people and maintain their dignity, many Kiribati are already seeking safe harbour overseas.
Set against the backdrop of international climate and human rights negotiations, Anote’s struggle to save his nation is intertwined with the extraordinary fate of Tiemeri, a young mother of six, who fights to migrate her family to New Zealand. At stake is the survival of Tiemeri’s family, the Kiribati people, and 4,000 years of Kiribati culture.
co-presentation with One World Arts and the One World Film Festival (http://www.anotesark.com/).
Panel & Discussion to follow – $10.00 tickets at the door – Members and senior discounts

Fifty Years and Counting: Is the Israeli Occupation Sustainable?
2018-06-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar St., Ottawa, ON, K2P 2L7, Canada
WHEN: Wednesday, 13 June 2018 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Knox Presbyterian Church – 120 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, ON

The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory is currently the longest in the world, at 50 years and counting. The Israeli settlement population continues to grow faster than the Israeli population, annexation legislation is being debated in the Israeli Knesset, and the peace process that ended in April 2014 shows no sign of revival. Gaza has become a serious humanitarian crisis, the Palestinian economy is flat-lining and the predominant mood in the occupied territory is despair. Amidst this gloom, is there any room for optimism for a sustainable and just peace accord between Israel and Palestine?

Event background PDF, Click Here
*****
Moderator:

Michael Atallah, Senior Middle East Analyst at the Privy Council Office

Speakers:

Michael Lynk, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Western University
Nadia Abu-Zahra, Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa

Online Registration
Tickets will also be available at the door
$10.00 – Early Bird, RSVP (Sale ends June 6th, 2018)
$15 – Regular Ticket (Also available at the door for $15.00, cash, cheque, and credit card will be accepted)
$5.00 – Early Bird, Student/Unwaged Ticket (Sale ends June 6th, 2018)
$10.00 – Regular Ticket, Student/Unwaged Ticket (Also available at the door for $10.00, cash, cheque, and credit card will be accepted)

Science for Peace Conference: How to Save the World in a Hurry
2018-05-30 09:00 - 2018-05-31 17:00 | University of Toronto, Room 140 University College, 15 Kings College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H7, Canada
Science for Peace invites you to attend the upcoming forum:

“How to Save the World in a Hurry”

WHEN: Wednesday & Thursday, May 30 and 31, 2018
WHERE: Room 140-University College, 15 Kings College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
TICKETS: General registration $100, Students & Unwaged $40
* Register now through Eventbrite

All participants will have an opportunity to question several experts before choosing a “Platform for Survival” — the 25 public policy proposals that seem most promising for reducing these six global threats: War and weapons (especially nuclear), Global warming, Famine, Pandemics, Radiation explosion, Cyber attack. For information about these crises, see the website: tosavetheworld.ca

******
Confirmed Speakers include:
Douglas Roche (Canadian senator and former ambassador for disarmament) • Doug Saunders (Globe and Mail columnist) • Gordon Edwards (Canadians for Nuclear Responsibility) • Dr. Larry Brilliant (Skoll Foundation chair of “End Pandemics” and former leader of campaign that eradicated smallpox) • Mark Z. Jacobson (Director of Stanford University’s Atmosphere/Energy Program) • Peggy Mason (former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament; director of the Rideau Institute).
******
Day 1:
we will have question-and-answer sessions with pairs of experts on each of these threats. Then most participants will have dinner in a restaurant and hear the Globe and Mail journalist Doug Saunders speak about the protection of democracy.
***Note: If you wish to attend the dinner and/or order box lunches, you must purchase them separately through Eventbrite when registering for the forum. None will be sold at the door. To do so, see Eventbrite’s “How to Save the World Meal Tickets.”
Day 1:
we will break into separate groups to select the most promising policy proposals for each threat. Then, upon returning to a plenary session, we will compile them to form a one-page-long list of 25 policy proposals called our “Platform for Survival.” All individuals and NGOs will be able to endorse it thereafter and use it as a common agenda for campaigns to repair our world and keep it safe for everyone.

How can Canada regain its reputation as a world leader on caring and safe communities?
2018-05-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Irvin Waller

How can Canada regain its reputation as a world leader on caring and safe communities? (PDF)

Tuesday, May 29, 2018
12:00 p.m.
Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday May 25, 2018 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.
Online Registration

Canada and world leaders committed to reducing violence against women and street violence when they endorsed the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Scientific evidence has identified how violence prevention can be both effective and cost effective. “Upstream” prevention is focused on youth outreach, mentoring for jobs and in sports, positive parenting, life skills curricula and other proven programs Pioneering cities such as Glasgow in Scotland reduced street violence by 50% within three years of implementing a citywide plan.
Canada has failed to demonstrate leadership in crime prevention. Compared to other G7 countries than the USA, Canada has a rate of homicide double their average and the homicide rate for Indigenous People is seven times that of non-Indigenous. Overseas, rapid increases in aid expenditures on policing, poorly trained and paid, is still common and not matched by equivalent targeted social investments.

Irvin Waller has won international awards for his groundbreaking work in criminology. He is the founding executive director of the UN-affiliated International Centre for Prevention of Crime. He has advised the governments of more than 50 countries around the world. His recent publication on Smarter Crime Control is a guide on how to invest in effective crime prevention. It is the third in a trilogy of books on crime victim rights and humane crime policies published in the USA and translated into Chinese, Spanish and other languages. He is retiring this year as Full Professor of Criminology at the University of Ottawa and as President of the International Organization for Victim Assistance in order to dedicate more time in Canada and internationally to the crime prevention agenda

www.irvinwaller.org | @IrvinWaller

How To Stop Corporate Tax Dodging
2018-04-24 12:00 - 14:00 | East India Company Pub & Eatery, Ottawa, 210 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON, K2P 0J4, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Featuring: Dennis Howlett
How To Stop Corporate Tax Dodging (PDF)

April 24, 2018

12:00 p.m.
East India Company Pub & Eatery,

210 Somerset St W., Ottawa

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)

$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)

RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday, April 20, 2018 by 12:00 pm

Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.

Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Online Registration

In the wake of the Panama and Paradise Papers scandals, revealing global tax evasion on a massive scale, and increasing evidence of tax avoidance by the world’s largest corporations, Dennis Howlett will talk about whether such practices can be stopped, and how.

Dennis Howlett

Dennis Howlett is currently the Executive Director of Canadians for Tax Fairness. Dennis has helped to launch campaigns to roll back corporate tax cuts, tackle tax havens and close tax loopholes. He is frequently called as an expert witness for the House of Commons Finance Committee and is often quoted in print and electronic media. He also serves as the Vice-Chair of the Global Alliance for Tax Justice.

For over 30 years he worked for a number of ecumenical social justice coalitions including Ten Days for Global Justice, the Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice and KAIROS where he led successful campaigns for cancellation of Third World debt, fair trade certification of coffee and other products, and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change.

Iran, the US and the Regional Crisis
2018-04-19 19:00 - 21:00 | Knox Presbyterian Church, 120 Lisgar St., Ottawa, ON, K2P 2L7, Canada
WHEN: Thursday, 19 April 2018 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Knox Presbyterian Church – 120 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, ON

Ambassador Seyed Hossein Mousavian will talk about the complexities of the bilateral relationship between Iran and the US, and will shed light on regional issues from different views, pointing the way forward necessary to foster sustainable peace and security.

Event background PDF, Click Here
*****
Moderator:

Roy Culpeper, Chair of the Group of 78

Speaker:

Hossein Mousavian is a Middle East Security and Nuclear Policy Specialist at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. From 1997 to 2005, he was the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran’s National Security Council; from 2003 to 2005, he served as spokesman for Iran in its nuclear negotiations with the European Union. He is the author of “The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir” published by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in June 2012.

Online Registration
Tickets will also be available at the door

$10.00 – Early Bird Regular Ticket, RSVP (Sale ends April 9th, 2018)
$15 – Regular Ticket (Sale ends April 19th, 2018, 6:00 pm)
$20.00 – At the Door
$5.00 – Student/Unwaged Ticket, RSVP (Sale ends April 19th, 2018 6:00 pm)
$10.00 – Student/Unwaged Ticket at the Door

South Africa and Zimbabwe - Limits to Change
2018-03-27 12:00 - 14:00 | East India Company Pub & Eatery, Ottawa, 210 Somerset St W, Ottawa, ON, K2P 0J4, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Featuring:Linda Freeman
South Africa and Zimbabwe – Limits to Change (PDF)
Paper from Linda Freeman is now available to download!
* Please Note: This paper is for a festschrift collection, not for quotation or reproduction

March 27, 2018
12:00 p.m.
East India Company Pub & Eatery,
210 Somerset St W., Ottawa

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday, March 23, 2018 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.
Online Registration

In the last months, events have produced a reconfiguration of forces in both Zimbabwe and South Africa. In Zimbabwe, the 37-year old regime of Robert Mugabe came to an end, while in South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa emerged as a powerful alternative to Jacob Zuma.
What a difference a year has made or has it?
This talk will explore the origins and nature of change in these two southern African countries and assess its significance. Does the rise to power of an authoritarian political leader in Zimbabwe offer a glimpse of South Africa’s future? Or will the different historical terrain and stronger institutions (the judiciary, the media, the political opposition and civil society) enable a positive alternative? Above all, what prospects are there for democratic forces within each country to secure greater accountability from hitherto dominant forces – be they corporate or state, foreign or local?
Linda Freeman
Linda Freeman is an emeritus professor in the Department of Political Science and the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University. Her study The Ambiguous Champion – Canada and South Africa in the Trudeau and Mulroney Years won the Harold Adams Innis Prize for best book in the social sciences, written in English in 1998/9. She specializes in African political economy, with a particular interest in southern Africa. She is working on a manuscript on South African relations with Zimbabwe. She has testified regularly to parliamentary sub-committees and is a frequent commentator on African affairs for the Canadian media.

Syrian Refugees - No Relief in Sight
2018-02-27 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Fatos Baudouin
Syrian Refugees – NoRelief in Sight (PDF)

February 27, 2018
12:00 p.m.
Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday February 22, 2018 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.
Online Registration

Dr. Baudouin will share her experience as the WHO consultant in Turkey in the city of Gaziantep where the two large refugee camps are located and the refugee population comprises 22% of the city population. She will argue that since the solution to Syria problem is nowhere in sight, it is time to look into the possibility of integrating the refugees to the existing societies by provide training, help finding jobs and provide job security. A lot of cooperation and collaboration is needed between the host government, UN agencies and the NGOs. Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, UN identified that some 13.5 M Syrians are requiring humanitarian assistance of which more than 6M are internally displaced within Syria and more than 5M are refugees from outside Syria. The UNHCR counted more than 1M asylum applicants in Europe as of August 2017. The journey that refugees take, the hardship and the tragedies lived is little understood by the outside world. Among the countries of the Regional Refugee and Resilience, (3RP), a coordination platform including the neighboring countries (excluding Israel and Egypt), the UNHCR counted more than 5M refugees as of August 2017. Turkey is the largest host country of registered refugees with over 3M registered refugees followed by Lebanon close to 1M.

Fatos Baudouin
Fatos Baudouin is a Mental Health Specialist and Research Scientist with a specific focus on Common Mental Disorders and PTSD as well as developing educational programs for Primary Health Care Professionals. She has completed her medical education in Ankara /Turkey and arrived in Canada in 1983. In Canada she has worked as research associate with the Royal Ottawa Psychiatric Hospital, Alcohol and Drug Addiction Unit while completing a two year of “Advance Program for Addiction and Mental Health Studies” at the Addiction Research Foundation (ARF, now named Center for Addictions and Mental Health, CAMH). She was a guest professor at the University of Tunis, Medical Faculty Department of Psychiatry as well as Istanbul University Medical Faculty Department of Psychiatry 1990-1994. Since 1991 she has been working as international consultant for the UNDCP, WB, WHO and the Canadian Federal Ministry of Health as well as Provincial Ministries of Health. While working in Geneva for the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse her responsibility was to complete and finalize an educational project entitled “Mental Disorders in Primary Care” targeting Primary Health Care Professionals across the globe.
Later, this educational program has been implemented in several provinces in Canada by Dr. Baudouin with funding from the Federal Ministry of Health, provincial Ministries of Health and with the collaboration of the medical schools. Her duty travels include Chad, responsible for 4 refugee camps on the Sudan border as well as running the Guereda field hospital. Philistine and Gaze (2 assingments) Diyarbakir/Turkey

Book Launch - A United Nations Renaissance: What the UN is, and what it could be
2018-02-09 16:30 - 19:00 | Army Officers’ Mess, 149 Somerset St. W, Ottawa, ON, Canada
John Trent and Laura Schnurr will launch their new book, titled “A United Nations Renaissance: What the UN is, and what it could be” on February 9, 2018.
They have been busy writing a book over the past couple years — it’s a small book about a big topic! In a nutshell, it’s about how we can better manage the big global issues of our time, such as climate change, terrorism, sustainable development and human rights. The United Nations is well-placed for this, but the book explores the major changes required for it to be capable of effectively governing the world.

Here’s what others have said about the book:
“This book makes clear why this is such an important cause for our time. And its focus on mobilizing young people to the cause is a worthy recommendation.”
– Lloyd Axworthy, Past President, University of Winnipeg, former Foreign Minister of Canada
“A concise, crystal clear, superbly informed explanation of how the United Nations works – and why it matters.”
– Michael Byers, Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law, University of British Columbia
“Trent and Schnurr provide a persuasive and user-friendly introduction for a new generation of change-makers.”
– Thomas G. Weiss, Presidential Professor of Political Science, The CUNY Graduate Center, Past President International Studies Association

DATE AND TIME
Friday, February 9, 2018
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
LOCATION:
Army Officers’ Mess,
149 Somerset St. W, Ottawa, ON
RSVP is NOT required.
For more information, check the Poster, as well as the Facebook event and the website https://unitednationsrenaissance.wordpress.com/.

North Korea After the Winter Olympics
2018-01-30 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Marius Grinius

North Korea After the Winter Olympics (event PDF)
Speaker’s Notes (PDF)

Tuesday January 30, 2018
12:00 p.m.
Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday January 26, 2018 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Online Registration
While yet another round of tougher UN sanctions is initiated against North Korea, tensions between North and South Korea have eased as they agree to talk to each other against the backdrop of the Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, a curious meeting on the nuclear standoff is convened in Vancouver, but without China or Russia. However, it is what happens after the Winter Olympics that will determine the way forward, as North Korea continues its march to achieve a credible nuclear weapons capability. Marius will argue that the window for verifiable and irreversible North Korean denuclearization has passed and we now need to look at the diplomacy of containment and de-escalation, all in the context of the “new Great Game” being played out by an ascendant China and a retreating United States.
Marius Grinius
After serving in the Canadian Army for 12 years Marius joined the Foreign Service in 1979. His early postings included Bangkok, Brussels/NATO and Hanoi. Assignments in Ottawa included Foreign Affairs (nuclear arms control, South East Asia), the Privy Council Office (social policy, security and intelligence) and Western Economic Diversification. Marius is the former Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam (1997-99), South Korea (2004-07) and concurrently North Korea (2005-07) and to the United Nations and Conference on Disarmament in Geneva (2007-11). Prior to retiring in 2012 he served at DND as Director-General for International Security Policy. Marius is a Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Panel Presentation: Canada's New Posture in the International Arena
2018-01-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Ontario
WHEN: Thursday, 18 January 2018 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Knox Presbyterian Church – 120 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, ON
The Trudeau Government’s claim that “Canada is back” in the international arena is highly contestable. The government continues to support defence and trade policies initiated by the Harper government as well as energy policies inconsistent with the Paris Accord. There is more similarity with the Harper Government’s foreign policy than with the peacebuilding and development initiatives associated with Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau.
Our foreign policy panel will engage in a wide-ranging debate, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and areas of coherence or inconsistency, and to make recommendations on whether and how Canada’s foreign policy can actually be returned to its traditional posture of a more progressive player in global peacekeeping and sustainable development.
Event background PDF, Click Here
*****
Moderator:

Roy Culpeper, Chair of the Group of 78

Panelists:

Peggy Mason, Former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament, President of the Rideau Institute
Julia Sanchez, President-CEO of the Canadian Council of International Co-operation (CCIC)
Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist, Canadian Labour Congress and Policy Fellow, Broadbent Institute
Ferry de Kerckhove, Honorary Senior Fellow and part time professor at the University of Ottawa and at Glendon College, Toronto /Professionnel en residence honoraire et professeur à temps partiel à l’Université d’Ottawa et au Collège Glendon de l’Université York à Toronto

*Bios for Moderator and Panelists, Click Here

Online Registration
Tickets will also be available at the door

General Admission – $15.00
Student/Unwaged – $5.00

Luncheon Speaker Series: Madelaine Drohan - Disaster Fraud
2017-11-28 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Madelaine Drohan

Disaster Fraud

Tuesday November 28, 2017
12:00 p.m.
Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday November 24, 2017 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Online Registration

The aid pipeline that stretches from donors to victims of crisis and disaster has sprung multiple leaks. Yet few governments, with the notable exception of the US, are trying very hard to find out how much is lost to fraud between donor and victim. Each party in the process has a reason for avoiding publicity: humanitarian organizations do not want to scare off donors; governments do not want to admit taxpayers’ funds have gone astray; victims rarely have a voice; and fraudsters are more than happy to avoid the spotlight.
Yet if no one speaks publicly about the problem, there will be no pressure to grapple with it. Technology is the fraudster’s friend, yet it might also lead to a solution if it gives the most important people in the aid pipeline – the victims – the ability to speak out about whether they received what they were promised. Ultimately the largest donors and international organizations will have to get over their reluctance to admit there is a problem and co-ordinate their efforts to reduce disaster fraud.
See background PDF, Click Here

Madelaine Drohan is the Canada correspondent for The Economist. For the last 40 years, she has covered business and politics in Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia. In 2016, she became a senior fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. In 2015-2016 she was the Prime Ministers of Canada fellow at the Public Policy Forum.
She is the author of The 9 Habits of Highly Successful Resource Economies: Lessons for Canada, a research report that she wrote in 2012 for the Canadian International Council.

Panel Presentation: Canada's New Posture in the International Arena
2017-11-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital, 43 Bruyère street, Ottawa, AZ, K1N 5C8
WHEN: Thursday, 09 November 2017 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
WHERE: Bruyère Hospital Auditorium – 43 Bruyere St., Ottawa, ON
The Trudeau Government’s claim that “Canada is back” in the international arena is highly contestable. The government continues to support defence and trade policies initiated by the Harper government as well as energy policies inconsistent with the Paris Accord. There is more similarity with the Harper Government’s foreign policy than with the peacebuilding and development initiatives associated with Lester Pearson and Pierre Trudeau.
Our foreign policy panel will engage in a wide-ranging debate, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and areas of coherence or inconsistency, and to make recommendations on whether and how Canada’s foreign policy can actually be returned to its traditional posture of a more progressive player in global peacekeeping and sustainable development.
Event background PDF, Click Here
*****
Moderator:

Ferry de Kerckhove, Honorary Senior Fellow and part time professor at the University of Ottawa and at Glendon College, Toronto /Professionnel en residence honoraire et professeur à temps partiel à l’Université d’Ottawa et au Collège Glendon de l’Université York à Toronto

Panelists:

Peggy Mason, Former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament, President of the Rideau Institute
Julia Sanchez, President-CEO of the Canadian Council of International Co-operation (CCIC)
Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist, Canadian Labour Congress and Policy Fellow, Broadbent Institute

*Bios for Moderator and Panelists, Click Here

Online Registration
Tickets will also be available at the door

General Admission – $15.00
Student/Unwaged – $5.00

Paul Robinson: Do We Still Need NATO? October 31, 2017
2017-10-31 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Paul Robinson
Do We Still Need NATO

Tuesday October 31, 2017
12:00 p.m.

Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday October 27, 2017 by 12:00 pm (pay by cash or cheque at the door)

Online Registration

NATO was created in order to defend Europe from the threat of the Soviet Union. That threat has long since disappeared, but NATO still exists, and has substantially expanded both its membership and its vision of its role to include so-called ‘out of area operations.’ But it is unclear what benefits either Europe or North America have gained from this expansion. In this talk, Professor Robinson will examine the arguments for and against NATO’s continued existence, and will challenge whether the organization continues to serve a useful purpose.
Paul Robinson is a professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. A former officer in both the British and Canadian armies, Professor Robinson received a doctorate from Oxford University, and has taught in Ottawa since 2006. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Russian and military history, military ethics, international security, and defence policy.

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday October 27, 2017 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Conference: Getting to Nuclear Zero / Arriver au Zéro Nucléaire
2017-09-22 - 2017-09-23 | Cartier Place Suite Hotel, 180 Cooper St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Annual Policy Conference 2017
GETTING TO NUCLEAR ZERO
BUILDING COMMON SECURITY FOR A POST-MAD WORLD

ARRIVER AU ZÉRO NUCLÉAIRE
CONSTRUIRE UNE SÉCURITÉ COMMUNE POUR UN MONDE POST–DMA

Group of 78 Annual Policy Conference
In cooperation with: The Rideau Institute, the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons,
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Mines Action Canada,
Physicians for Global Survival, Project Ploughshares,
World Federalist Movement – Canada
Cartier Place Suite Hotel, Ottawa, September 22-23, 2017

Online Registration
Register by Mail Inscription par courrier

Program Outline Grandes Lignes

Akaash Maharaj: Bringing Kleptocrats to Justice
2017-06-19 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series

Akaash Maharaj

Bringing Kleptocrats to Justice

Tuesday June 19, 2017
12:00 p.m.

Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday June 16, 2017 by 12:00 pm
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View the Power Point Presentation
Every year, corruption kills 140,000 children worldwide, by depriving them of medical care, food, and water. Yet, far too often, the perpetrators of the most outrageous acts of corruption are able to use their illicit wealth and power to pervert the very laws and institutions that should call them to account. As a result, the worst offenders are the least likely to face domestic justice.
Akaash Maharaj will explain how the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC) is working to establish “grand corruption” as a crime at international law, to enable international institutions to pursue, apprehend, prosecute, judge, and ultimately sentence the guilty. He will lay out the options GOPAC is pursuing, and the prospects for success.
Akaash Maharaj is Chief Executive Officer of the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), and leads the international alliance of democratically‑elected legislators in its work combatting corruption, strengthening good government, and upholding the rule of law. GOPAC has 60 national chapters, and is present in every region of the world.
A frequent contributor to international debate, his articles have been published by newspapers in every populated continent. He appeared as a broadcast essayist with TVOntario’s “The Agenda”, and Maclean’s magazine named him as one of Canada’s 50 “most well known and respected personalities”.
Outside of his professional life, he is an international athlete, and was a triple gold medallist at the International Championships of Equestrian Skill‑at‑Arms.
Akaash earned his MA from Oxford University in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, and was the first overseas student elected President of the student government in the University’s history. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, of the Royal Asiatic Society, and of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday June 16, 2017 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

G78 and RI Spring Fling 2017 - June 16th, 2017
2017-06-16 19:00 - 2017-06-26 23:30 | Bronson Center, 211 Bronson Ave, Ottawa, ON, K1R 6H5, Canada
Please join us at our upcoming Spring Fling Fundraising Party! Get ready to dance and welcome in the summer. Hosted by the Group of 78 and The Rideau Institute.
This evening will include live music, dancing, fundraising activities, door prizes, appetizers, and a cash bar!

Where: Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue
When: June 16th, 2017 – 7:00pm – 11:30pm
Advanced tickets: $30.00
Tickets available at the door: $40.00
Students: $15.00
Advanced tickets are available through:

Eventbrite

By calling The Rideau Institute and Group of 78 at 613-565-9449 ext. 22.

Email group78@group78.org

Musicians/Bands

THREE TIMES LUCKY

THREE TIMES LUCKY will be belting those blues away, back beat-rhythms rockin’ the stage, and players kicking out the jams, guaranteeing that ‘this party is only just getting started!’
So throw on your favorite dancing boots lads ‘n lassies, grab yer partner, and get ready to juke, chuck ‘n jive all night long!Band Members
Leslie Barkell Rohonczy – Lead Vocalist and Percussion,
Dave Reid – Guitars and Vocals
Jean Lamarre – Keyboards and Vocals,
Larry Deszcz – Drums, Percussion and Vocals,
Zteve Reid – Bass Guitar and Vocals, X-Box,

Christian Whalen

Christian Whalen
His unique approach to his music has made an impression on many who have heard him play. Spending some years touring with bands which covered all types of music, Christian has grown to produce his tunes in a solo style over the last few years lending his style to those who enjoy listening to the intricacies of the song.
Always looking to re-discover the music, he recently began listening to fingerstyle guitar which has had an influence on his more recent endeavours. Christian has played his music in Canada, the US and international venues which included playing for the troops in Afghanistan.

Stay-Tuned/Restez-à-l’écoute

Stay-Tuned/Restez-à-l’écoute:
The band’s repertoire ranges far and wide, from classics of the ‘great American songbook’ by the likes of George Gershwin and Jerome Kern, to songs by Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, and Sting.Band members

Bass: Gord Graham
Alto sax: Ian Schwartz
Drums: Tim Leah
Piano: Karl Nerenberg

Singers

Michele Castonguay
Ferline Regis

Maude Barlow: Water for Sale - How Trade and Investment Agreements Threaten Environmental Protection of Water and Promote the Commodification of the World’s Water
2017-05-30 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Group of 78 Luncheon Speaker Series
Maude Barlow

Water for Sale: How Trade and Investment Agreements Threaten Environmental Protection of Water and Promote the Commodification of the World’s Water

Tuesday May 30, 2017
12:00 p.m.

Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday, May 27, 2017, by 12:00 pm
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Maude will not only outline the threat of agreement like NAFTA and CETA to water but will put forward a way to protect water in trade deals.
Maude Barlow is the National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians and chairs the board of Washington-based Food and Water Watch. She serves on the executive of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and is a Councillor with the Hamburg-based World Future Council.
Maude is the recipient of fourteen honorary doctorates as well as many awards, including the 2005 Right Livelihood Award (known as the “Alternative Nobel”), the 2005 Lannan Foundation Cultural Freedom Fellowship Award, the Citation of Lifetime Achievement at the 2008 Canadian Environment Awards, the 2009 Earth Day Canada Outstanding Environmental Achievement Award, the 2009 Planet in Focus Eco Hero Award, and the 2011 EarthCare Award, the highest international honour of the Sierra Club (US).
In 2008/2009, she served as Senior Advisor on Water to the 63rd President of the United Nations General Assembly and was a leader in the campaign to have water recognized as a human right by the UN. She is also the author of dozens of reports, as well as 18 books, including her latest, Boiling Point: Government Neglect, Corporate Abuse, and Canada’s Water Crisis.

You can also read:
MaudeBarlow, Water for Sale: How Free Trade and Investment Agreements
Threaten Environmental Protection of Water and
Promote the Commodification of the World’s Water

$30 for luncheon and presentation (12:00 p.m.)
$5 for presentation only (arrive 12:45 p.m. coffee and tea will be available)
RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22 by Friday May 27, 2017 by 12:00 pm
Late registrations are welcome for presentation only.
Individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Complex security challenges: Whither the Comprehensive Approach?
2017-04-25 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Luncheon Series

April 25, 2017 – Michael Rostek
Complex security challenges: Whither the Comprehensive Approach?

Angella MacEwan: Technology, Trade, and the Future of Work
2017-03-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
March 28, 2017 – Angella MacEwen

Technology, trade, and the future of work

Rolf Holmboe: Syria, ISIS and the Prospects for Sustainable Peace
2017-02-28 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
February 28, 2017 – Rolf Holmboe

Syria, ISIS and the Prospects for Sustainable Peace

Dan Ciuriak - So Long, Globalization
2017-01-31 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
January 31, 2017 – Dan Ciuriak
So Long, Globalization V2: The Causes and Consequences

PowerPoint Presentation and Text

Annual Policy Conference 2015
2015-09-25 18:00 - 2015-09-27 12:00 | Cartier Place Suite Hotel, 180 Cooper St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation:
The United Nations at 70
Group of 78 Annual Policy Conference
Registration Now Open
September 25-27, 2015
Cartier Place Suite Hotel, 180 Cooper Street, Ottawa
Conference Program English French
Printable Registration Form (payment by cheque) English French
Online Registration Option (transaction charges apply) Click here
Speakers Bios

Ron Labonté - Ebola: What does it tell us about the state of Global Health?
2014-12-23 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Ebola: What does it tell us about the state of Global Health?
DATE: Tuesday January 27, 2015
TIME: 12:00 noon (sharp)
PLACE: Palais Imperial Restaurant,
311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
Luncheon Notice Labonte Jan 2015
COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation
$5 for presentation only
(For presentation only, please plan to arrive by 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available.)
RESERVATIONS: group78@group78.org or 613-230-0860 by Friday January 23, 2015
We regret that late registrations cannot be accepted.

Climate Change: From Science to Policy
2014-06-24 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Dr. John Stone
Climate Change: From Science to Policy
Luncheon notice Stone June 24 2014
DATE: Tuesday June 24, 2014
TIME: 12:00 noon (sharp)
PLACE: Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation, $5 for presentation only
For presentation only, please plan to arrive by 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available.
RESERVATIONS: Call 613-230-0860 or email
by Friday, June 20, 2014.
We regret that late registrations cannot be accepted.
The group is required to pay for those who reserve but do not come.
Therefore, individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Some Directions for an Alternative Canadian Foreign Policy
2014-05-27 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
John E. Trent
Some Directions for an Alternative Canadian Foreign Policy
DATE: Tuesday May 27, 2014
TIME: 12:00 noon (sharp)
PLACE: Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation, $5 for presentation only
For presentation only, please plan to arrive by 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available.
RESERVATIONS: Call 613-230-0860 by Friday, May 23, 2014.
Trent May 27 2014
We regret that late registrations cannot be accepted.
The group is required to pay for those who reserve but do not come.
Therefore, individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Redefining State Sovereignty: Historical Flaws and Contemporary Crises
2014-04-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Errol P. Mendes
Redefining State Sovereignty:

Historical Flaws and Contemporary Crises
DATE: Tuesday April 29, 2014
TIME: 12:00 noon (sharp)
PLACE: Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation, $5 for presentation only
For presentation only, please plan to arrive by 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available.
RESERVATIONS: Call 613-230-0860 by Friday, April 25, 2014.
Mendes Luncheon notice April 29
We regret that late registrations cannot be accepted.
The group is required to pay for those who reserve but do not come.
Therefore, individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

"Not for Sale" Slavery and human trafficking in Canada and around the world
2014-03-25 12:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mike Perry
“Not for Sale” Slavery and human trafficking in Canada and around the world
DATE: Tuesday, March 25, 2014
TIME: 12:00 noon (sharp)
PLACE: Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation, $5 for presentation only
For presentation only, please plan to arrive by 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available.
RESERVATIONS: Call 613-230-0860 by Friday, March 21, 2014.
Perry March 25 2014 Luncheon Notice
We regret that late registrations cannot be accepted.
The group is required to pay for those who reserve but do not come.
Therefore, individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.

Pluralism: A Pressing Global Challenge
2014-02-25 00:00 - 14:00 | Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
John McNee
Pluralism: A Pressing Global Challenge

DATE: Tuesday February 25, 2014
TIME: 12:00 noon (sharp)
PLACE: Palais Imperial Restaurant, 311- 313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa
COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation, $5 for presentation only
For presentation only, please plan to arrive by 12:45 p.m. Coffee and tea will be available.
RESERVATIONS: Call 613-230-0860 by Friday, February 21, 2014.
McNee luncheon notice Feb 25 2014
We regret that late registrations cannot be accepted.
The group is required to pay for those who reserve but do not come.
Therefore, individuals who do not cancel their reservations at least 24 hours before the luncheon will be billed $30.
