The Open Canada Podcast: Recent Episodes
Open Canada
Open Canada, published by the Canadian International Council, aims to put citizens at the heart of global affairs.
We explore how international affairs affect us here, and how a democracy like ours should engage in today’s world. The Open Canada Podcast is hosted by veteran diplomats Ben Rowswell and Jeremy Kinsman, respectively President and Distinguished Fellow at the Canadian International Council.
In this episode of Open Canada, host Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with Ambassador Emmanuel Kamarianakis, Canada's Ambassador to Brazil, about Canada's role in advancing climate diplomacy ahead of COP30 in Brazil. They explore how Canada and Brazil are collaborating on sustainable growth, innovation, and cultural exchange, and why public diplomacy and people-to-people ties matter more than ever in shaping Canada's global engagement.
Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with Kerry Buck, former Canadian Ambassador to NATO and seasoned diplomat, about Canada’s place in an increasingly complex and contested global landscape. They discuss NATO’s evolving role beyond Europe, Canada’s lagging investment in multilateral institutions, and why regional crises like the conflict in the Global South demand greater Canadian engagement. As shifting alliances redefine global diplomacy, this conversation explores where Canada stands and what it must do to stay relevant.
In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez sits down with Alireza Yazdi, director on the board of the Canadian International Council, a Canadian with both Persian and Jewish roots, to explore the deeply personal and political complexities of the Israel-Iran relationship. Against the backdrop of escalating conflict and shifting power dynamics in the Middle East, they discuss identity, belonging, and what it means to witness two ancestral homelands in tension. Is there space for dialogue and diplomacy, or are we entering a new era of entrenched division?
In this episode, Ruth welcomes Patricia Fortier who is a retired Canadian diplomat whose career spanned over three decades, marked by significant contributions to international relations, crisis management, and governance.
In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez dives into Canadian foreign policy and Indigenous governance with Leah Sarson whose recent work explores the evolving roles of leadership, law, and resource management.
In this episode, Chris Kilford shares insights on Canada's involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war, drawing from his extensive experience in defense and foreign policy. He discusses the evolving nature of the conflict, NATO’s expanded role, and the broader geopolitical shifts impacting Canada.
In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez has an insightful conversation with Paul Meyer on Canada's position as a middle power and the need for transformation in Canada's foreign policy to address current global challenges.
In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez and Dr. Bessma Momani talk about Canada's geopolitical stance on global issues and how it will be impacted by the upcoming elections.
In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses the growing tensions between East-West relations in clean-tech manufacturing and supply with Steven Knell.
On this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on how we do work, and the structural inequalities faced by migrant workers in Canada.
On this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses with Armin Safavi, member of the Canadian International Council's Young Professionals Network. They discuss Middle East politics and Iran's growing visibility and prowess as a nuclear power, as well as the impact of sanctions and nuclear diplomacy.
In this packed episode, Ruth discusses the war in Gaza and the possibility of a two-state solution with Jon Allen.
Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with Shawky Fahel, founder of the Canadian International Development Organization, about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the urgent need for Canada's leadership in responding to the plight of Palestinians.
On this special episode, Ruth discusses with Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill about Canada's efforts on "Women, Peace and Security", and the pivotal role of women in global peacekeeping and securitization.
Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses with Kerry Buck, former Permanent Representative and Ambassador to NATO. They discuss how Canada can reinforce it's impact on global affairs, and how emerging issues in different parts of the world affect us in Canada.
Ruth discusses with Nadir Patel, the former High Commissioner of Canada to India, the need for public and private sector collaboration for economic development.
Ruth catches up with Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada, to discuss what the data can tell us about trends in migration and how immigration impacts the Canadian labour market.
The second part of this two-part episodes focuses on Canada’s efforts supporting organizations like the World Trade Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development and other multilateral institutions in collecting data, implementing data prompts and working with diverse groups, including women entrepreneurs, to strengthen global efforts on gender equity and human rights.
This episode focuses on the imperative for inclusive policymaking and establishing democracy as an evolving process requiring collaboration and concerted efforts in assessing the functionality and viability of our democratic institutions, and how trade can be an effective tool for advancing diplomacy.
In this episode Ruth connects with Senator Peter Boehm, Senate of Canada & Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. They discuss Canada's role in global trade negotiations, our relations with The U.S. and NATO, and how Canada can further engage talent from around the world.
Ruth speaks with The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, about Her Honour's distinguished history of bringing Ontario to the world, the climate crisis, elmployment equity, and her aspirations of engaging Canadians in an ever changing society.
On this episode, Ruth discusses with Sunil Johal, Professor of Public Policy and Society at the the University of Toronto & Vice-President Public Policy at the CSA Group, public policy implications of remote work and how we as a society can rebuild in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On this episode, Ruth discusses with Ambassador Catherine Stewart, Canada's Ambassador for Climate Change, on Canada's action plan for combatting the climate crisis. The Ambassador shares insights on the government's National Adaptation Strategy and the plan for engaging multi-level collaborators and actors on shared priorities for improving the wellbeing of Canadians, and those most impacted by climate change.
Ruth speaks with Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, on Canada’s immigration statistics, focusing on a recent report by Statistics Canada on the dwindling uptake in citizenship by recent immigrants and newcomers to Canada. Daniel discusses how Canada can learn from its past successes on immigration to attract and retain newcomers to the country.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
Ruth speaks with a researcher who studies the way global crises intersect.
Professor Thomas Homer-Dixon is the executive director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University. His studies look at the “polycrisis,” looking to find what common threads can be found across multiple serious global problems. Climate change, the war in Ukraine, and the European energy crisis all intersect in ways that fuel the food crisis on the African continent. Homer-Dixon’s research seeks to unearth the mechanisms that underlie some of the biggest issues facing humanity, in the hope of finding global solutions.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
In this episode, Ruth speaks with a leader looking to make the world embrace diversity. Meredith Preston McGhie is the secretary general for the Global Centre for Pluralism, and has worked for decades in Africa and Asia on the frontlines of diplomacy in some of the world's most troubled regions. She’s looking to spread the principles of pluralism across the globe. Pluralism is, at its core, a respect for diversity within a society, though it can look different from place to place. Preston McGhie’s work focuses on engaging with local communities to first find what pluralism means to people on the ground and then help that spirit blossom. The Centre is developing a Global Pluralism Monitor as a way to measure and thereby grow this important ethic around the world.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
Ruth speaks with a Canadian Senator looking closely at issues of ethics and accountability. Senator Ratna Omidvar recently sponsored Bill S-222, the Effective and Accountable Charities Act, which aims to improve the nonprofit sector's “resource accountability", as well as the Frozen Assets Repurposing Act which proposes to stem the tide of corruption by ensuring Canada can repurpose stolen or otherwise misappropriated funds. Sen. Omidvar hopes these new resources could, to touch upon another personal interest, support the integration and settlement of displaced peoples. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
When he ran for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, Michael Ignatieff laid out a bold plan to place the promotion of democracy at the heart of Canadian foreign policy.
17 years later, Ignatieff outlines how his time in politics and his wariness of the many failed attempts at democratization that ended in flames. He now proposes instead that Canada “tend its own garden.” What changed?
In today's Open Canada podcast episode, hear his recent address to the Canadian International Council from a fall lecture at McGill University, How Can We Reverse Democratic Backsliding? It is a prelude to the upcoming miniseries Ashes of Democracy, to be released in the coming days on the Open Canada podcast channel.
En route vers 2023, un premier épisode en français pour réfléchir sur un problème persistant : un déséquilibre commercial dramatique existe toujours entre l'Afrique et les pays occidentaux comme le Canada. C'est une manifestation d'une structure de l'économie mondiale qui maintient une inégalité permanente entre le nord mondial et le sud, selon Maïka Sondarjee, professeure en développement international à l'Université d'Ottawa, qui propose un internationalisme radical. Elle est l'autrice de Perspectives féministes en relations internationales : Penser le monde autrement, et de Perdre le Sud : Décoloniser la solidarité internationale.
There is no single issue that undermines the credibility of democracies worldwide more than perceptions that those in power are misusing public funds. Corruption is a transnational problem but in order to properly address it, Open Canada's invited experts argue, we must confront our own lax track record at home. Ben is joined by Susan Côté-Freeman, President of Transparency International - Canada, and Jon Allen, Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto and Canada's former ambassador to Spain.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
A global democracy standard is needed to bring more countries to the table, especially those in the global South, so that conversations about human rights can take place in a more inclusive context.
Ruth welcomes a guest who has extensive experience working on democracy promotion in the Caribbean and Africa; Dr. W. Andy Knight, Professor of International Relations in the Political Science Department, University of Alberta, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
The world's supply of refugees is greater than it has been in recent history, yet the Global North's collective willingness to resettle them is at an historic low.
New Open Canada Podcast co-host Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with Craig Damian Smith, a researcher studying migration and politics, and the founder of Pairity, a data-driven platform to facilitate community-based refugee integration.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
As we approach the third anniversary of the global pandemic, Ben examines the cost of vaccine inequity. The hardest hit societies remain in the global south and are not receiving the vaccine doses needed to get the virus under control. Jean-François Tardif is a development economist and founder of Results Canada. Along with Robert Greenhill of the Global Canada Initiative, Mr. Tardif conducted groundbreaking research on the scarring left on the peoples, economies and societies of low income countries. Ben also introduces his new co-host Ruth Mojeed Ramirez, Chief Equity Officer of The Inclusion Project, whose first interview is coming up on the next episode of the Open Canada Podcast. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
Do Latin America's autocracies deserve a seat at the Summit of the Americas' table? Some democratically-elected governments say they do. Host Ben Rowswell, Canada's former ambassador to Venezuela, discusses dilemmas of diplomacy in the Americas with Maxwell A. Cameron, professor at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at University of British Columbia, and author of the forthcoming book "Challenges to Democracy in the Andes: Strongmen, Broken Constitutions, and Regimes in Crisis". The second season of the Open Canada Podcast is coming this fall with conversations from Venezuela, Afghanistan, Iraq and other locations worldwide. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
Canada has only produced one document outlining a comprehensive national security strategy, in 2004.
Open Canada host and CIC president Ben Rowswell was on the team of experts that designed it. His guest Wesley Wark, a national security expert and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance (CIGI), recently completed a year-long proposal on how to revise the strategy – and to outline the important role citizens have to play.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world.
Open Canada co-host and Canadian International Council Distinguished Fellow Jeremy Kinsman was Canada's Ambassador to Russia from 1992 to 1996. In this special episode, new co-host and Open Canada Editor-in-Chief Kareem Shaheen speaks with Kinsman about the Russian president's invasion of Ukraine, his antagonism toward Europe and why he refuses to let go of the past. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
Are Climate Change Conferences of the Parties (COPs) resulting in policy wins for the planet or only "blah, blah, blah"? Joining former Ambassador Jeremy Kinsman is Jen Allan, a Canadian climate policy specialist who lectures at Cardiff University and the author of The New Climate Activism: NGO Authority and Participation in Climate Change Governance.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
Social networks have become agencies of disinformation, warns co-host Jeremy Kinsman, asking how citizens can manage their democracy when they are being exposed to such different versions of reality. The former ambassador is joined by Ulrike Klinger, professor of digital democracy at European New School of Digital Studies and associate researcher at Berlin's Weizenbaum Institute. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
The notion that democracy is a form of government native to a certain part of the world, whether it be Europe or North America, that it's somehow endemic or culturally-aligned with certain societies, seems to fly in the face of the evidence. Some Western countries are moving away from democracy, while many Asian, African and Latin American countries have proud, resilient democracies.
Ben speaks with Sanjay Ruparelia, who holds the Jarislowsky Democracy Chair at Ryerson University on the universality of democracy, and how it might be time for the West to learn from the Rest for a change.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
The challenge of rebuilding a global democratic alliance to manage complex new transnational problems must be addressed outside of traditional circles and by an increasingly diverse array of actors, argues Thorsten Benner, co-founder and director of Germany's Global Public Policy Institute, who joins Ben from Berlin.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
As neighbouring countries exhibit growing populist and nationalist tendencies, Germany and Canada find themselves more likeminded than ever, on foreign policy as well as in domestic affairs.
German Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser and co-host Jeremy Kinsman, Canada's former ambassador to the EU, Italy and Russia, explore what the two countries could accomplish together.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
Welcome to The Open Canada Podcast, a program that puts citizens at the heart of global affairs with exclusive access to international policymakers, hosted by veteran diplomats Ben Rowswell and Jeremy Kinsman, respectively President and Distinguished Fellow at the Canadian International Council.
Climate change policy must be considered in tandem with issues of equality and social cohesion because "we are saving our planet and our democracies, together," argues Dr. Sabrina Schulz, Executive Director of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, in conversation with Jeremy Kinsman. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
Welcome to The Open Canada Podcast, a program that puts citizens at the heart of global affairs with exclusive access to international policymakers, hosted by veteran diplomats Ben Rowswell and Jeremy Kinsman, respectively President and Distinguished Fellow at the Canadian International Council. Beyond our borders, the pandemic rages on. Among low-income countries, less than 10 percent of the population has been vaccinated. Ben discusses the risk of a "catastrophic moral failure", according to the World Health Organization, if efforts are not made to make vaccine distribution equitable for all. He is joined by Dr. Alan Bernstein, President of the Canadian Institute For Advanced Research (CIFAR) and member of Canada’s pandemic vaccine task force, and Dr. Peter Singer, Special Advisor to the Director General of the WHO.
Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.
Welcome to The Open Canada Podcast, a program that puts citizens at the heart of global affairs with exclusive access to international policymakers, hosted by veteran diplomats Ben Rowswell and Jeremy Kinsman, respectively President and Distinguished Fellow at the Canadian International Council. In the inaugural episode, Ben speaks with Dr. Ayelet Shachar, Professor of Law, Political Science and Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, and author of The Shifting Border: Legal Cartographies of Migration and Mobility, on what borders mean in the 21st century for sovereignty and human rights. Visit OpenCanada.org for reflections on Canada’s place in the world. Special thanks to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for supporting The Open Canada Podcast.