Beyond the Headlines

Leveraging Data for Gender Equality

Achieving gender equality requires the intentional mobilization of resources worldwide to design and implement policies that protect and empower women. However, policies and development programs often rely on biased data collected in majority from men, making the needs and experiences of women and gender-diverse people essentially invisible. Today, we are joined by incredibly knowledgeable experts to discuss how big data can be leveraged to achieve gender equality. 
Guests:
Ali Dunn - Founder and Executive Director, Data Feminism Network
Claudia Lopes - Research Lead for Capacity Development, United Nations University Institute for Global Health
Joanne Crawford - Special Advisor, Equality Insights at International Women's Development Agency
Produced by:
Mycala Gill - Executive Producer, Beyond the Headlines

Young Diplomats of Canada: World Bank/IMF 2019

The Young Diplomats of Canada (YDC) provided five Canadian youth from across the country with the opportunity to attend the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/IMF) Annual Meetings in Washington DC. This podcast provides a behind the scenes look into the exciting meetings they held with stakeholders, the eye opening sessions they attended around key topics in development and the personal and professional growth they experienced. Three key themes were developed by the delegation to guide discussions and advocacy activities at the meetings: inclusive economic growth; FinTech and innovative technologies; and open governance.
The delegation had the opportunity to participate in a panel in collaboration with Global Voices, an Australian organization with a very similar mandate to YDC, to talk about the future of work. They also met with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to discuss their current efforts to bypass barriers to development such as lack of infrastructure to provide marginalized and isolated populations with access to their basic needs. The delegation also had the opportunity to meet with the Canadian ambassadors to the IMF, World Bank and the Organization of American States to gain insights into their experiences and thoughts on how Canada leverages multilateral partnerships to promote peace, exchange of knowledge and sustainability. It was an exciting week filled with great discussions, sightseeing and food!

Thriving Beyond GDP: Transitioning and Innovating to Well-Being Generating Economies

This is a special collaborative episode and partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation. Two of the David Suzuki Foundation’s ecological economists, Yannick Beaudoin and Michelle Molnar, join us in studio. Our conversation steps outside the realm of traditional economic thinking and challenges conventional indicators of economic prosperity. Yannick and Michelle share powerful stories and insights about the current national agenda which is fixated on converting nature into monetary value, and the transition beyond GDP to a well-being-focused national purpose. They emphasize that economic decision making is negotiable, but planetary limits are not. We also talk about creating spaces for conversations about well-being, cross-cultural truths of living a meaningful life, and potent youth and global indigenous leadership in the climate conversation.
Special thanks to Junior Producer Erin Christensen and Executive Director Vienna Vendittelli for producing this episode.

The Future of Ontario’s Energy Policy

On this week's episode of Beyond the Headlines, we explore the implications of the repeal of the Green Energy Act and the future of energy policy in Ontario. Was the Green Energy Act forging a new future for Ontario's Energy sector? Or, will the decision to repeal the act be the saving grace for Ontario's ratepayers? Featured guests include Bruce Pardy, Law Professor at Queen's University, and Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario.
Produced by Aryeh Ansel (Senior Producer), Brody Longmuir (Junior Producer), Haobo Chen (Junior Producer), Robert Giannetta (Social Media Director), and Alex Gold-Apel (Executive Director).

The Intersection of Health and Conflict: Syria and Iraq

Around the world, armed war, conflict and violence have had a significant impact on the way healthcare is delivered. This can be seen in the Syrian Civil War, the Iraq War, and in humanitarian crises such as the Rohingya Refugee Crisis. On this week’s episode of Beyond the Headlines, we discuss the intersection of health and conflict. We investigate the impact of conflict in terms of policy-making and its implementation, the strain and toll that is taken on the State, decision-making, the role of private and on-the ground non-profit actors, and the responsibility of large multinational organizations such as the World Health Organization. We dive into these issues through the unique perspectives of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Ahmad Firas Khalid, and Ruby Gill.
This episode was produced by Senior Producer Erin Anderson-Birmingham, Junior Producer Geneviève Tallemeister, and Junior Producer Wahaj Alam, with support from Executive Director Alex Gold-Apel. 

Rethinking Development Policies at Home and Abroad

Over the past 20 years, 1.2 billion people worldwide have left extreme poverty. While we celebrate this achievement, it is expected that over 500 million people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2030, with wealth inequality remaining a significant factor in this issue across the globe. Our guests today will be speaking with us on policy gaps in the anti-poverty sector both in Canada and abroad calling for more evidence-based policy development. We are joined by Amy Dodd, Arjan de Haan, Amanda Glassman, Lorenzo Gonzales and Weseem Ahmed. 
Amy Dodd - Head of Engagement at Development Initiatives
Arjan de Haan - Director of IDRC’s Inclusive Economies
Amanda Glassman - Executive Vice President & Senior Fellow at Center for Global Development
Lorenzo Gonzales & Weseem Ahmed - independent researchers at Ontario 360
Special thanks to Senior Producer Nimmi Augustine, Junior Producer Hongyu Xiao, and Executive Director Vienna Vendittelli for producing this episode.

Threats to Digital Democracy: New Findings for Canadian Governance

In recent years, social media has provided a platform to share and discuss things big and small, and has given a voice to the unheard that was unimaginable mere decades ago. It’s given rise to movements such as #metoo, the Hong Kong protests, and Bell’s Let’s Talk campaign. However - this democratic expansion has not been without growing pains - as it’s also facilitated the growth of extremist actors, populist political campaigns, and disinformation. Canada is not insulated from the risks arising from social media and the digital era. Today we will discuss the threats posed to democracy and the potential policy responses with thought leaders Keiller Zed and Stephanie MacLennan.

Canadian Climate Policy: How Climate Change is Reenergizing Provincial Fault-Lines

In this episode, we will focus on how the regional differences and increasing polarization in Canada may complicate the implementation of strong climate action at the Federal level. We discuss the future of climate policy given the new Liberal minority government and potential innovative environmental policy pathways relevant to the Canadian context. We are joined by Dr. Douglas Macdonald, Dr. Kathryn Harrison, and Dr. Andrew Leach. 
Special thanks to Junior Producers Erin Christensen and Thea Koper and Executive Director Vienna Vendittelli for producing this episode. 

Climate Refugees and Canada‘s Role as a Middle Power

Climate change is affecting more and more regions across the globe, threatening to create as many as 200 million environmental migrants by 2050. While Canada is seen as a top destination for refugee resettlement and is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, the international agreement doesn’t recognize climate threats as a reason for fleeing. As such, what should Canada’s policy response be toaddress the issue of climate refugees? To discuss this question, we were joined by two special guests: Allan Rock and Bob Rae. 
Special thanks to junior producers Fatemah Ebrahim and Brody Longmuir, senior producer Robert Giannetta, and executive producer Vienna Vendittelli for their work with this episode.

The 2019 Election Special

Today is election day. As Canadians head to the polls, we take a look at issues that don’t usually garner a lot of attention during the campaign. The first interview is with Yves Giroux, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, to discuss the work his office is doing costing the party’s platforms during the campaign. Then Mel Cappe, the former Clerk of the Privy Council in Canada, discusses how the bureaucracy plans for a transition in government. Finally, Adam Laughton, a Munk school student and NDP candidate for Mississauga Lakeshore, is interviewed about youth involvement in politics. 
Special thanks to executive producer Alex Gold-Apel and senior producer Aryeh Ansel for their efforts on this episode.