May 2014 

What will development look like in the future?

  

Is Canada "missing in action" when it comes to playing a constructive role in the international arena? 

A panel of politicians from all stripes will debate this and other provocative questions at a public event planned in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) in Ottawa, May 13 and 14.



In addition, CCIC members will discuss what a sustainable development framework looks like after the Millenium Development Goals
expire in 2015. They will debate how global partnerships will build solidarity, equality, and mutual respect, will ensure respect for human rights, and will ultimately help eradicate poverty.

An assumption behind this conversation is that global partnerships pursued by Canadian NGOs in the past have not always reflected these ideals.

CCIC is a national coalition of 90 agencies working in the field of sustainable human development. Paul Heidebrecht, Director of the Ottawa Office, and Dan Leonard, Operating Principles Coordinator, will attend for MCC.

Parliamentary business:    
Sunshine Bill defeated

Last January, Liberal MP John McKay introduced Private Member's Bill C-474 -- also known as "The Sunshine Bill." McKay has worked hard over the years to enhance transparency and accountability in the Canadian mining industry.

If passed, the bill would have required all mining companies to publicly disclose payments they made to foreign governments and officials to secure mining concessions. The bill was intended to "shine light" on corruption, bribery and other common practices.

The bill was quietly defeated in the House of Commons on April 9. But the movement to ensure Canadian mining companies act transparently and with respect to human rights and environmental sustainability continues!

MCC encourages its supporters to support the Open for Justice campaign as a way of building the momentum for mining justice and fairness.     

New resources:
A campaign to ban robots that kill    

Robots that kill have long been regular fare in the movies. However, rapid advances in technology suggest that it will not be long before "fully autonomous weapons" -- which can fire on targets of their own choosing -- are in actual use.

Longtime MCC partner, Mines Action Canada, has joined with others to support the international Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.  The campaign calls for a pre-emptive and comprehensive ban on the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons
Ottawa Office Newsletter archives
Read previous editions of our newsletter here
In This Issue
Feature Article
Parliamentary Business
New Resources
Opportunities
Staff Update
 
Quotation 
of the month

"I want the next generation to live in a better place which respects individual choice and beliefs. I believe this is part of the Kingdom of God."

-- Sang-Min Lee, South Korean Mennonite conscientious objector, sentenced to 18 months in prison on April 30.
 

 

May 15 is International Conscientious Objectors' Day.  

Opportunities:
Internship 

 

The Ottawa Office is once again recruiting an advocacy research intern for the fall months. A special project for the intern will be to assist in the production of an advocacy toolkit. Click here for more information.
***** 
Canadian School of Peacebuilding

CSOP still has openings for some of its great peacebuilding classes this June.  MCC is a partner of CSOP which takes place at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. 
Staff update:

Jenn Wiebe

Senior Policy Analyst  

    

   

As this newsletter goes out, Jenn is travelling in Nigeria and Kosovo with an MCC delegation from Canada and the US. The purpose of this trip is to visit peacebuilding projects supported by MCC. Stay tuned for a future blog from Jenn!    
 
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