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What did two COPS conferences achieve (and where and how did they fail)?
January 5, 2023
War in Ukraine: Possibilities for a Peace Settlement
October 6, 2022
Do Green Bonds Matter?
June 15, 2022
What Ukraine tells us about nuclear deterrence and common security, May 3, 2022
Why we must take control of Artificial Intelligence, April 26, 2022
Global Food Security and the Ukraine Crisis, March 29, 2022
From Climate Laggards to Leaders: Transforming The Public Service Pension Funds, March 3, 2022
The Impossible Dream, February 22, 2022
Tribute to Clyde Sanger by Douglas Roche, February 4, 2022
Economic Sanctions: Legal and Policy Implications, January 16, 2022
Religious Leader Engagement—An Emerging Contribution to Peacebuilding, November 23, 2021
Putting your money where it can fight climate change, October 20, 2021
G78 40th Anniversary: Reflections by Lois Wilson, September 24, 2021
2021 Annual Policy Conference:
Adaptation: Building Resilience in the Global Climate Emergency, September 23-30, 2021
Video Series
(select which video you would like to by clicking on the three lines in the top right corner of the video below)
Video 1 of 8
Thursday, Sept. 23, 10:00 a.m. OPENING
Welcome to the Conference – Why Adaptation: Roy Culpeper, Chair, Group of 78.
40th Anniversary of the Original Statement that launched the Group of 78
and
Thursday, Sept. 23, 10:30 a.m. Keynote Address, Jayati Ghosh: Global Adaptation Challenges
Reforms to the global economic architecture are urgently needed to mobilize the necessary resources for Adaptation in the developing world.
Speaker: Jayati Ghosh, Development Economist, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, USA.
Video 2 of 8
Friday, Sept. 24, 1:00 p.m. Panel on Infrastructure Adaptation
Regardless of climate change, governments and businesses will continue to spend significant amounts of money building new and maintaining existing physical infrastructure in order to provide services and create products. What are the ways in which this infrastructure can also shield Canadians from the now inevitable impacts of climate change?
Moderator: John Stone, former member IPCC.
Speaker: Paul Kovacs, Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction/University of Western Ontario.
Speaker: Adam Fenech, Climate Change & Adaptation, University of Prince Edward Island.
Video 3 of 8
Monday, Sept. 27, 1:00 p.m. Panel on Food Adaptation
How do we redesign current food systems, in Canada and globally, to ensure equitable production and distribution of healthy food while preserving and restoring ecosystems?
Moderator: Bruce Currie-Alder, Canada’s International Development Research Centre, Program leader climate resilience
Speaker: Sophia Murphy, Executive Director, Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy.
Speaker: Darrin Qualman, National Farmers Union/Author.
Speaker: Sandra Yeboah & Nii Adjei Sowah, University of Ghana.
Video 4 of 8
Tuesday, Sept. 28, 1:00 p.m. Panel on Health Adaptation
With increase in disease, heat deaths, mental stress and physical risk because of climate change, what needs to change with health policies and systems to build resilience to meet these challenges?
Moderator: Christopher Huggins, Professor, International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa.
Speaker: Janet Hatcher-Roberts, University of Ottawa; Former Executive Director, Canadian Society for International Health.
Speaker: Nicholas Robinson, Environment Prof. Emeritus, Pace University, NYC; Former Legal Advisor, International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Speaker: Didacus Namanya, Geographer, Ministry of Health, Uganda.
Video 5 of 8
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 12:00 pm. Keynote Address, Bob Rae: Canada’s Role in the Global Context
Speaker: Bob Rae, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.
Video 6 of 8
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1:00 p.m. Communities Fit for the Future: Municipal Leadership, Doughnut Economics and adapting to a changing Climate.
A presentation on how municipalities can take leadership in meeting the challenges of the 21st century through adopting frameworks that track environmental and social outcomes, and focus on action to tackle the greatest challenge of our time, climate change.
Moderator: Susan Tanner, VP Group of 78; Secretary, OREC; Chair Conference Organizing Committee.
Speaker: Ben Geselbracht, Councillor, City of Nanaimo.
Speaker: Tyler Brown, Councillor, City of Nanaimo.
Video 7 of 8
Thursday, Sept. 30, 10:00 a.m. KEYNOTE Address: Adaptation, food security and the challenge of financing Adaptation in Africa
Speaker: Rachel Bezner Kerr, Professor of Global Development, Cornell University.
Video 8 of 8
Thursday, Sept. 30, 1:00 p.m. FINANCE AND SUSTAINABLE CLIMATE ADAPTATION.
Financing for adaptation to global warming are grossly inadequate; developments in multilateral finance, food and agriculture are reshaping the multiple challenges involved.
Moderator: Sara Alvarado, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Finance (ISF)
Speaker: Jomo Sundaram, Jomo K. Sundaram, Senior Adviser at the Khazanah Research Institute, Malaysia. Multilateral finance, food systems, and sustainable climate Adaptation.
Speaker: Blair Feltmate, INTACT Centre on Climate Adaptation, University of Waterloo, Adaptation policy and practice in Canada.
Speaker: Art Hunter, Developer of a major project demonstrating how an Ottawa home has adapted to not relying on fossil fuels or grid power by using solar power and geothermal energy using private financing.
A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency, September 14, 2021
NATO: Solution or Problem? August 10, 2021
Community Owned Renewable Energy, July 6, 2021
Global Vaccine Inequity: a Tale of two pandemics, June 16, 2021
Religious Soft Diplomacy and the UN – Dialogue with the Editors, May 25, 2021
Conflict in Ethiopia and Rising Tensions in the Horn of Africa, May 6, 2021
Our Way or the Norway Comparing Canada and Norway’s Climate Actions, April 27, 2021
Hot Takes on the Federal Budget: Where are we going with the Feminist Foreign Policy? April 21, 2021
Potentials and Pitfalls of Climate Responsible Investment – A forum for individuals seeking to do good with their investment choices, April 15, 2021
Paying their due: reforming international corporate taxation in the global recovery, March 30, 2021
The Global Ascendency of China, February 23, 2021
Pandemic Relief, Recovery, and Reshaping the World Economy, January 26, 2021
Israel and Palestine: Future Directions in the Middle East, January 13, 2021
Book Launch – Recovery: Peace Prospects in the Biden Era by Douglas Roche, December 9, 2020
Part 1 of 2, Finance, Climate Risk, and How to Make your Pension Fund Climate-Friendly: The crucial importance of shifting finance to address the climate crisis, November 24, 2020
Featuring: Adam Scott
Part 2 of 2 Finance, Climate Risk, and How to Make your Pension Fund Climate Friendly, December 1, 2020
Getting to the bottom of the crisis in Lebanon, October 27, 2020
Featuring: Ruby Dagher
2020 Policy Forum, September 24-October 4, 2020
The Future of Peacekeeping in the Transition to a More Peaceful World: Why UN peace operations are critical and need to be expanded
Video Series (select which video you would like to by clicking on the three lines in the top right corner of the video below)
The above playlist includes videos of:
Keynote Address: This will be a broad overview of the political and conflict environment in which UN Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) play an important role. The value-added of UN peacekeeping with the peace process as the “centre of gravity” of the overall mission will be highlighted.
Jean-Marie Guehenno, former USG for DPKO, former head of International Crisis Group (Speaking from New York City)
PANEL 1: Successes and Failures and Lessons Learned
Moderator:
Peggy Mason, President of the Rideau Institute
Speakers:
Lise Morjé Howard, Prof of Government at Georgetown University, author of Power in Peacekeeping and UN Peacekeeping in Civil wars (Speaking from Paris, France)
Richard Gowan, UN Director, International Crisis Group, broad expertise and hands-on experience with UN. (Speaking from New York City.)
Panel 2 CONTROVERSIES Impartiality Consent Use of Force
Moderator:
Peggy Mason, President of the Rideau Institute
Speakers:
Jane Boulden, Professor, Department of Politics and Economics at the Royal Military College of Canada, with a particular focus on UN efforts to manage conflict. (Speaking from Kingston, Ontario.)
Paul Williams, Professor and Assoc Director of the Security Policy Studies program in the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University. Co-editor of Oxford Handbook on UN Peacekeeping. (Speaking from Washington, D.C.)
Panel 3 FUTURE Options for UN Peace Operations
Moderator:
Peggy Mason, President of the Rideau Institute
Speakers:
Victoria K. Holt, Vice President of the Stimson Centre, former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Security (U.S. Dept of State) (speaking from Washington)
Peter Langille, Author and lead expert on UN Emergency Peace Service and “sustainable common security”. (Speaking from Ottawa)
Panel 4 Contributions by CANADA to UN Peace Operations
Moderator:
Jane Boulden, Fellow at the Queen’s University Centre for International and Defence Policy and a Professor at the Royal Military College of Canada
Speakers:
Peggy Mason, President of Rideau Institute, former Amb for Disarmament to the UN, former peacekeeping trainer (1995-2014), (Speaking from Ottawa)
Stephen Baranyi, Univ of Ottawa Assoc Prof in International Development and Global Studies, researching peacebuilding in fragile and conflict-affected states (Speaking from Ottawa)
Walter Dorn, RMC and Canadian Forces College professor, author, and a leading Canadian expert on UN peacekeeping including new technologies (Speaking from Toronto)
Panel 5: Conclusions and Recommendations
Panellists:
Jane Boulden, Professor, Dept of Political Science, Royal Military College of Canada, with a particular focus on UN efforts to manage conflict (Speaking from Kingston, Ontario)
Walter Dorn, RMC and Canadian Forces College professor, author, and a leading Canadian expert on UN peacekeeping including new technologies (Speaking from Toronto)
Howard Peter Langille, Author and lead expert on UN Emergency Peace Service and “sustainable common security”. (Speaking from Ottawa)
Moderator:
Peggy Mason, President of Rideau Institute, former Amb for Disarmament to the UN, former peacekeeping trainer (1995-2014), (Speaking from Ottawa)
Why the ‘Trump era’ could last for thirty years, August 25, 2020
Moderator:
Manfred Bienefeld, Professor Emeritus, School of Policy and Public Administration
Speakers:
Jayati Ghosh, Professor of Economics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
Robert H. Wade, Professor of global political economy at the London School of Economics.
Canadian Foreign Policy: Time For A Re-Set? July 28, 2020
Featuring: Peggy Mason, Daryl Copeland & Margaret Huber
Getting to Net Zero, June 23, 2020
Featuring: Senator Mary Coyle
The Battle for Universal Pharmacare in Canada, May 26, 2020
Featuring Marc-André Gagnon
The Battle for the future of food in the deepening climate and coronavirus global emergencies, April 28, 2020
Featuring Timothy A. Wise
Tim’s recent writings and reaserch
Financing a Global Green New Deal: Trade and Development Report 2019, January 31, 2020
Financement nouvelle donne écologique mondiale Rapport sur le commerce et développement 2019 (2020)
2019 ANNUAL POLICY CONFERENCE
Global Markets Inequality and the Future of Democracy, September 27-28, 2019
Video Series
The above playlist includes videos of:
Keynote Address by Robert Kuttner: Saving Democracy From Globalization:
Moderator: Roy Culpeper, Chair, Group of 78
Introductory Remarks: Ed Broadbent
Keynote speaker: Robert Kuttner, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University.
Dinner and Discussion: Q & A
Moderator: Roy Culpeper, Chair, Group of 78
Discussants:
Manfred Bienefeld, Professor Emeritus, School of Policy and Public Administration
Robert Kuttner, Heller School for Social Policy and Management,
Brandeis University.
Armine Yalnizyan, Former senior economist, Canadian Centre for
Policy Alternatives; Fellow at the Atkinson Foundation
Panel 1: Global and macroeconomic policies that drive increasing inequality and challenge democracy:
Moderator: Peter Venton, Former senior economist in Ontario Government
Speakers:
Mario Seccareccia, Professor Emeritus of Economics, University of Ottawa
John Myles, Professor Emeritus of sociology and Senior Research
Fellow, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto
Panel 2: National, microeconomic, social and labour market policies leading to wage stagnation, precarity, the gig economy, growing income disparities:
Moderator: Gordon Betcherman, Professor, School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa
Speakers:
Leilani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing, Executive Director, Canada without Poverty
Katherine Scott, Senior Economist, CCPA, gender equality and public policy
Ellen Russell, Associate professor in Digital Media and Journalism and Social and Environmental Justice programs, Wilfrid Laurier University
Keynote Address by Julie Delahanty: Public Good or Private Wealth?
Moderator: Roy Culpeper, Chair, Group of 78
Keynote speaker: Julie Delahanty, Executive Director, Oxfam Canada
Panel 3: Restoring policy space and national capacity to reverse growing inequality and strengthen democracy.
Moderator: Manfred Bienefeld, Professor Emeritus, School of Policy and Public Administration
Speakers:
Lars Osberg, McCulloch Professor of Economics, Dalhousie University
Toby Sanger, Executive Director, Canadians for Tax Fairness
Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist, Canadian Union of Public Employees
2018 ANNUAL POLICY CONFERENCE, September 28-29, 2018
MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE: Accelerating the Transition to a Post-Carbon World
Video Series
E1. MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE Accelerating the Transition to a Post-Carbon World (YouTube)
This episode is a recording of the opening remarks by Roy Culpeper and Indigenous Acknowledgement by Verna McGregor.
E2. MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE Accelerating the Transition to a Post-Carbon World (YouTube)
The second part of the opening remarks by Founder, Murray Thomson, where he explains how the Group of 78 all began.
E3. MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE: Joanna Kerr – Keynote Address
Keynote Address by Joanna Kerr – Executive director, Greenpeace Canada on Climate politics, solutions and the future of our planet
E4-E7: MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE: 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
E8-E10: MEETING THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE: 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: Dale Marshall, National Program Manager, Environmental Defence
Speaker 2: Scott Vaughan, CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
E11: Lunch Speaker: Serious About Climate Resilience? Empower Gender Equality, Tracy Mann, Climate Wise Women
E12-E16: Panel 3: Getting from Here to There – Inspiring initiatives – Mobilizing People
part 5 of 5
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
4: Dr. Curtis Lavoie, CPHA, – Climate Change Impacts on Public Health