2018 LUNCHEON SERIES

Location: Palais Imperial Resturant
311-313 Dalhousie St., Ottawa

COST: $30 for luncheon and presentation
$5 for presentation only
For presentation please arrive by 12:00 p.m., presentation only by 12:45 p.m. (Coffee and tea will be available).

RESERVATIONS: Group78@group78.org 613-565-9449 ext. 22
Deadline for reservation: Friday previous to the luncheon by 12:00 pm

Online Registration

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.


November 27, 2018 – Sarah Goldfeder

The Division of America- Looking ahead after the 2018 Midterm Elections

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In all likelihood, the Democrats will retake the House of Representatives in the November 6th elections. That will set the stage for an even more divisive atmosphere in Washington, as the Democrats will now be empowered to pass legislation in Congress that reflects their values and concerns. Will the 116th Congress look to heal wounds and find ways to build bridges or will it further entrench the two tribes? What will be the impact on Canada? For the global rules of order?

 

Sarah Goldfeder is a Principal at the Earnscliffe Strategy Group in Ottawa and a fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. She provides high-level insight on the inner workings of the U.S. and Canadian governments, including how they work together on important issues. With 15 years of experience in the U.S. federal government, Sarah most recently served as Special Assistant to two U.S. Ambassadors to Canada, fostering bilateral relationships at the most senior levels. Her understanding of the interplay between state and federal governments complements her service within the U.S. federal bureaucracy. She has expertise in a wide range of policy issues, which has enabled her to provide practical short and long-term advice on managing the economic, cultural and political dynamics in North America.

 


Nov 6, 2018 – Manfred Bienefeld
Making Sense of the Russia Trump Media Circus

Online Registration

According to the endlessly repeated official “line”, western powers are fully justified in waging economic and diplomatic war on all things Russian because it: has egregiously flouted international law (Crimea); lent active military support to a brutal dictator (Assad); violated the sovereignty of other countries by attacking people it considers “enemies” inside their borders (Skripal); and is actively seeking to sow dissention and influence elections in the US and elsewhere (the DNC hack). But even if all the above charges were accepted at face value, are Russia’s alleged transgressions so disproportionately more serious than those of other international actors, to justify this western hostility? After examining the available evidence, Prof. Bienefeld will argue that any Canadian truly concerned with creating a world in which international law will play a significant and effective role in protecting sovereign nations from hostile diplomatic, financial, informational or military interventions in their internal affairs, should focus on opposing the increasingly provocative and dangerous policies of NATO and its main western supporters, especially the U.S. and Canada.

Manfred Bienefeld is Professor Emeritus at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. Having taught, published and lectured widely on the political economy of international development his work has long focused on the key Keynesian insight that relatively unrestrained international capital flows would erode the capacity of nation states to manage their economies in response to their citizens’ needs and priorities and that this would eventually recreate the political, social and economic turmoil of the 1920s. And based on this insight he argued in a 1994 paper that dreams of a peace dividend would remain unfulfilled because, instead of moving into a multi-polar world, we were moving into a dangerous unipolar world in which the sole superpower was determined to universalize an indefensible and ultimately unsustainable neoliberal economic model.

 


May 29, 2018 – Irvin Waller
How can Canada regain its reputation as a world leader on caring and safe communities?

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

 


April 24, 2018 – Dannis Howlett

How To Stop Corporate Tax Dodging (PDF)

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.


March 27, 2018 – Linda Freeman

South Africa and Zimbabwe – Limits to Change (PDF)

Speaker’s Paper

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?

In this talk, Linda Freeman 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?


February 27, 2018 – Fatos Beaudouin

Syrian Refugees – No Relief in Sight (event PDF)

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.


January 30, 2018 – Marius Grinius

North Korea After the Winter Olympics (event PDF)

Speaker’s Note (PDF)

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.