Canadian Global Affairs Institute

Canadian Global Affairs Institute

Abbreviation	Global Affairs
Formation	2001
Founded at	Calgary, Alberta
Type	Research Institute, Think Tank
Purpose	To be a catalyst for innovative Canadian global engagement
Headquarters	Calgary, Alberta and Ottawa, Ontario
Affiliations	The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary
Website	www.cgai.ca
Formerly called	Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute

The Canadian Global Affairs Institute (Global Affairs) is an independent, non-partisan research institute based in Calgary with offices in Ottawa. Incorporated as a charitable organization in 2001, the institute pursues new ideas to focus the national debate and understanding of Canada’s international policies with the ultimate aim of ensuring a more globally engaged Canada. Global Affairs believes that doing so enhances Canadian security and prosperity. Global Affairs is dedicated to educating Canadians, and particularly those who have leadership roles in shaping Canadian foreign policy, about the importance of Canada being proactive in world affairs with tangible diplomatic, military and aid assets.

Activities

The Dispatch

The Canadian Global Affairs Institute produces a quarterly newsletter called The Dispatch. The Dispatch invites Global Affairs fellows to provide insight on international issues of relevance to Canada.

Strategic Studies Working Group

The Strategic Studies Working Group (SSWG) is a partnership between the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and the Canadian International Council (CIC), which incorporates the former Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies. The SSWG is administered by Global Affairs which also conducts research and produces publications on security and defence issues on behalf of the partnership. All projects undertaken by the SSWG are first approved by CIC and are co-published or co e-published according to CIC standards.

The SSWG has begun to host E-Conferences on issues related to defence and security. The e-conferences are structured to take place over a number of weeks, with each week having a specific topic. The e-conferences include regular commentaries by academics and practitioners, Twitter Q&A's, live chats and major articles placed in national media.

The Future of Fighting conference focused on the what the Canadian Forces might look like in the coming decade to reflect the changing funding and combat environment.
The Drone Week conference was focused on understanding some of the practical, legal and moral questions surrounding the current use of drones and what future lies ahead for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The SSWG produces Research Papers which keep in line with the partnership's purpose of focusing on defence and security topics. The Strategic Profile Canada is a project which provides a comprehensive overview of Canada's demographic, economic and military information.^[1]

3Ds Blog

The 3Ds Blog is a site managed by Global Affairs and provides defence and security news from Canada and around the world. Blog updates are made by Global Affairs fellows, the majority coming from Mark Collins.

Speakers Series

The Canadian Global Affairs Institute organizes a speakers series which is annually themed on a specific topic of importance to Canadian defence, security, and foreign affairs issues. The speaking events are held quarterly in Calgary and brings together business people, academics, and praticioners to listen to some of Canada's mosat important and influential thinkers. Former speakers include Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence; Michael Bell, former diplomat; and Yuen Pau Woo, president and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada among others.^[2]

Ross Munro Award

The Ross Munro Media Award was initiated, in 2002, by the Conference of Defence Associations, in concert with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Its purpose is to recognize, annually, one Canadian journalist who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the understanding, by the general public, of Canada’s defence and security issues.

Military Journalism Course

The Military Journalism Course was started in 2002 as a nine-day course which introduces university students to military journalism and the Canadian Armed Forces. The course is run in partnership with the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies at the University of Calgary and includes a combination of media-military theory in a classroom setting, coupled with field visits to Armed Forces regular and reserve units. The stated goal of the program is to enhance the military education of future Canadian journalists who will report on Canadian military activities domestically and abroad. In 2007, the program introduced its first Francophone Military Journalism course held at the Université de Montréal and Canadian Forces Base Valcartier, near Québec City.^[3]

Advisory Council

Fifteen advisors provide feedback on current and future programs.

Perrin Beatty, PC - Member of Parliament from 1972-1993. Held potfolios including Minister of National Revenue, Solicitor General of Canada, Minister of National Defence, Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of Communications. President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Chancellor of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology.
Ian Brodie - Former Chief of Staff for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006-2008. Worked as Strategic Advisor at the Inter-American Development Bank in international and multi-lateral finance. He was the IDB's 'Sherpa' for the 2012 Summit of the Americas in Cartagena and has represented the IDB at G-20 meetings.
Jocelyn Coulon - Director of the Peace Operations Research Network, at the Centre d'études et de recherches internationales de l'Université de Montréal.
Robert Fowler - Former Deputy Minister of National Defence, Ambassador to the United Nations, Italy and UN Special Envoy to Niger.
Jack Granatstein, OC, FRSC - Historian specializing in military history. Former director and CEO of the Canadian War Museum.
Peter Harder - Senior Policy advisor at Fraser Milner Casgrain. President of the Canada China Business Council. Former Deputy Minister of Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
Dan Hays, PC - Senator from 1984-2007 and former Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Senior partner with Norton Rose Canada.
Raymond Henault, CMM, MSC, CD - Chief of Defence Staff from 2001-2004 and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee from 2005-2008.
Don Macnamara, CD - First Chair of the Canadian International Council's Strategic Studies Working Group and is the current Chair of the Board of Governors of the Royal Military College of Canada.
John Manley, PC, OC - President and Chief Executive of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. Former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance.
Anne McGrath - Current National Director of the New Democratic Party of Canada and has served as chief of staff to Official Opposition leaders Jack Layton, Nycole Turmel, and Thomas Mulcair.
David Pratt, PC - Member of Parliament from 1997-2003 and former Minister of National Defence from 2003-2004.
Elinor Sloan - Professor of International Relations in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University.
Christopher Waddell - Associate professor and director of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication in Ottawa. He was the CBC News Parliamentary Bureau Chief from 1993 to 2001. Prior, he was at the Globe and Mail between 1984-91 as economics reporter, Ottawa Bureau Chief, associate editor and then national editor of the paper. Recipient of two National Newspaper Awards and programs he supervised at CBC Television won six Gemini awards for television excellence.
Robert G. Wright - Canadian Ambassador to Japan from 2001-2005 and to China from 2005-2009.

Fellowship Program

Fellows

Notable Alumni

Recognition

Global Affairs Fellows regularly provide commentary and analysis of ongoing international events in TV and print new media.^[4] Its Vice-President Colin Robertson was named in Embassy Magazine 2012 edition of the “Top 80 Influencing Canada Foreign Policy”.^[5] The University of Pennsylvania has consistently ranked the Canadian Global Affairs Institute 4th or 5th its list of Top Think Tanks in Canada.^[6]^[7]^[8]

References

External links

Official Global Affairs website

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