Past Events

Conference: The Changing Face of Global Development Finance

The Changing Face of Global Development Finance – Impacts and implications for aid, development, the South and the Bretton Woods Institutions, February 1-2, 2008, Sheraton Hotel, Ottawa, ON, Canada.

This conference is organized by the Halifax Initiative Coalition and co-hosted by the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, The North-South Institute and the Reality of Aid Network.

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Public Event: - Wednesday, May 30, 2007 from 7:00 - 9:00

"Dirty Waters: Regulating Canadian Companies Overseas"

What should our government do to prevent Canadian companies from committing environmental and human rights abuses overseas?

Speakers: Maria Alvarado of Cerro de San Pedro, Mexico, Joan Carling of the Phillipines and Thabo Madihlabai of South Africa Organized by the Canadian Network for Corporate Accountability & KAIROS

An overview of how ECAs take account of Human Rights

This presentation was made as part of a workshop on Export Credit Agencies at a two day discussion on "Export Credit Agencies and Human Rights Accountability" held in Belgium, Brussels in September 2005.

Conference on Risk, Responsibility and Human Rights

Risk, Responsibility and Human Rights: Assessing the Human Rights Impacts of Trade and Project Finance (Panel discussion and expert meeting), Ottawa, Ontario - May 3rd and 4th, 2004

Cross-Canada talks on forced disappearances

Meet indigenous human rights activist, Angélica Mendoza de Ascarza and, Marta Cecilia Domicó, daughter of disappeared indigenous leader, Kimy Pernía Domicó, during their Canadian tour of the 2003 John Humphrey Freedom Award

Cross Canada tour on privatization, October 2003

The “Private Interests vs. Public Goods” tour brought Southern activists working on privatization issues at the local or national level to share their stories and strategies with Canadians facing the privatization of health care, education, energy, water and other public services. Read the final tour report, a summary of evaluations and see a summary of all the events.

The Urrà dam – Canada’s complicity in a horror story

This two page brief outlines the story of the Urrà dam in Colombia and the struggle of the Embera Katio people, and their leader Kimy Pernia Domico. The brief was written specifically for the 2003 John Humphrey Freedom Award Tour, granted posthumously to Kimy.

Conference summary and background information

The citizens-led anti-globalization movement is in its ascendancy, yet risks its credibility if it is unable to articulate an agenda of alternatives to the current economic paradigm. At NGO conferences around the world over the last two years, debate has expanded beyond a critique of the existing economic paradigm and systems to the articulation of the "world we want".

Addressing Unsustainable and Illegitimate Debt

In Toronto, in February 2003, the Halifax Initiative hosted a discussion for Canadian NGOs, together with a representative from AFRODAD (African Debt and Development Network) and 50 Years is Enough, on illegitimate debt.

Linking Investment and Human Rights (December 2002)

Linking Investment and Human Rights: the case of export credit agencies
This seminar held in London, England, in December 2002, looked at various methodologies for taking human rights into account in investment projects, and determining ways that these can be applied to export credit agencies.

G8 Counter Conference, the G6B People's Summit (July 2002)

Final Report on the G6B People's Summit [PDF format ]

Talking G8: The Travelling Road Show

At the invitation of the Parkland Institute and the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation, the Halifax Initiative participated in education events in 10 cities in Alberta to discuss the upcoming G8 meeting in Kananaskis, in June 2002.

G20, World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings, November 17, 2001

Ottawa Premiere of the award-winning documentary "Life and Debt" A scathing indictment of economic globalization.

G20, World Bank/ IMF Annual Meetings, November 16, 2001

Teach-in: Global Justice, Global Peace A free public forum, Friday, November 16, 2001. St Matthew's Anglican Church, 130 Glebe Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario.

G20, World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings, November 15, 2001

Human rights abuse, debt and mega-projects - The impact of corporate globalization and the World Bank

Taxing Currency Transactions - From Feasibility to Implementation (October 2001)

Between Oct 4 - 6, 2001, Halifax Initiative hosted a conference "Taxing Currency Transactions - From Feasibility to Implementation" which attracted sixty participants from eighteen countries including: Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. The progamme included an evening public forum on Oct 4th attended by over 110 people and the two-day conference. Conference Papers - Vancouver, October 4-6, 2001

Tobin Tax Conference, October 2001

The conference, "Currency Transactions Taxes: From Feasibility to Implementation(October 4-6, 2001) Vancouver, brought together experts from around the world.

World Social Forum - 2001

Robin Round, Policy Analyst, Halifax Initiative was invited as a keynote speaker at the first World Social Forum, in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The World Social Forum is an international framework for all those opposed to globalization and building alternatives to think and organize together in favour of human development and surmounting market domination of countries and international relations.

Speech – Controlling the Casino Capital

Creating ‘Common Wealth’ - Conference (September 1998)

Public Event, Round Table on the eve of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers meeting in Ottawa.

Calling the IFIs to Account (October 1997)

In October 1997, the Halifax Initiative joined with organizations in Vancouver and Edmonton to host two public roundtables to discuss how the IFIs had responded to the calls for renewal. Over two hundred individuals participated in the discussions. Final Report