A Daunting Nuclear Agenda for 2010

A year ago, President Obama took office with the stated goal of making the elimination of all nuclear weapons a central element of its nuclear policy. In a landmark speech delivered in Prague on April 5, 2009, he further detailed his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and he outlined an ambitious arms control agenda for the next decade. The task of translating this vision into action is now upon him. In this op-ed, David Santoro looks at 2010, and the challenging task of driving that vision to completion. Read more

Her name is Beatrice, my name is Lara

"Her Name is Beatrice, My Name is Lara: experiences in witnessing, internal displacement and conflict in Northern Uganda after 23 years of war" is a documentary project examining a documentary’s potentials and pitfalls in critical 'witnessing,' while exploring how voices from those living in the centre of conflict can challenge dominant media and humanitarian narratives. A photo- and video-based exhibition will be featured in the Liu Institute's lobby starting 14 January 2010. Read more

Global Climate Change: Reaching Agreement in Copenhagen

Leading up to the Copenhagen talks this month, the Liu Institute and its faculty members have been involved in a series of events aiming to inform, highlight, debate, and discuss the challenges and opportunities that world leaders face in the task of agreeing on an ambitious, global agreement that meets the challenge set by science. Read more

What should Canada be doing in Afghanistan post-2011?

To discuss this issue, the Liu Institute hosted a workshop on "Peacebuilding - Afghanistan after 2011", chaired by Taylor Owen and Emily Paddon, with support from Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and the Trudeau Foundation. Video: Lauren Oates, professional human rights advocate, speaks at the Peacebuilding workshop at the Liu Institute, October 2009 Read More

From obscurity to action: Why Canada must tackle the security dimensions of climate change

On October 29th, 2009, Margaret Purdy spoke to the Canadian Association for Security and Intelligence Studies (CASIS) International Conference, about the security implications of climate change for Canada. Margaret outlined why the climate change-security nexus is so critical for Canada and offered five recommendations for action. Read more

Rape in the DR Congo: Canada, where are you?

On September 14, 2009, the Africa Canada Accountability Coalition, a student led initiative at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, spoke before the Canada Senate Committee for Human Rights about why and how Canada should address mass rape in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo; regions where mineral exploitation fuels a conflict that preys upon women and girls, and where Canada is the largest non-African investor in the mining industry. Read more

Hybrid vehicles produce scant environmental benefits, high cost

Despite major costs to taxpayers in the U.S. and Canada, government programs that offer rebates to hybrid vehicle buyers are failing to produce environmental benefits, a new UBC study says. The study finds that hybrid sales have come largely at the expense of small, relatively fuel-efficient, conventional cars, rather than large SUVs, trucks and vans, which produce substantially greater carbon emissions. Read more

Ending the Vacation of Canada’s Travelling Sex Offenders

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) finds that Canada has fallen behind Australia and the United States in cracking down on its travelling child sex offenders, and calls on the RCMP to pro-actively enforce Canada’s so-called “child sex tourism” laws. The study is particularly timely with the recent extradition of an alleged Canadian child sex offender on child sex tourism charges in the U.S. Read more