CanWaCH

Afghanistan Today: The State of Press Freedom and Civil Society Inside the Country
2025-06-25 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto) | Rogers Communications Centre, 80 Gould St, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2M7, Canada
​The event will bring together Afghan diaspora voices, journalists, civil society leaders, students, and policymakers to discuss the ongoing challenges facing Afghanistan’s press freedom and civic space. We will also share findings from my new report, “Isolated and Denied,” which documents the collapse of civic space and access to information under Taliban rule.
Attend here!

Global Citizenship Youth Conference 2025
2025-07-03 - 2025-07-06 | Tatamagouche Centre, Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, Canada
The conference is an opportunity for youth to get informed, get inspired, and take action on local and global issues in a safe and welcoming space. Participants will meet and engage with a diverse group of youth from different communities and cultures across the four Atlantic provinces. Participants will:

Connect with others who are committed to social justice and effective global citizenship

Challenge systems and barriers that block change

Create skills that foster personal and professional social change

Identify actionable Change within their communities and circles

The conference is free of charge, and food and accommodation are provided. ACIC will arrange and cover the expense of all travel for youth participants.

The Global Citizenship Youth Conference invites youth (ages 15-17) to learn about, and take action on, global issues. Hosted by the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation, participants will spend three days (July 3-6, 2025) at the Tatamagouche Centre in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia.
Through interactive activities, discussion, games, reflection, and more, the conference will explore topics such as peace and conflict, human rights, Indigenous realities, the Sustainable Development Goals, refugee experiences, poverty and food sovereignty, gender equity, environment, anti-racism, 2SLGBTQSIA+ realities, and more.
Learn more here!

World Sexual Health Day 2025
2025-09-04 15:00 - 17:00 | Virtual, Canada
We invite you to celebrate World Sexual Health Day, with the Women’s Health Research Institute. World Sexual Health Day (WSHD) is recognized each year on September 4 and is managed by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), a global organization dedicated to promoting a world where everyone has access to sexual health, justice, rights and pleasure.
Through our WSHD event, we aim to uphold WAS’s mission by raising awareness and fostering dialogue around this year’s theme: Sexual Justice: What Can We Do? —highlighting the importance of equity and autonomy in all aspects of sexual well-being.
This free hybrid event will feature special guests from Options for Sexual Health and the Sexual Health And Genito-Pelvic pain Knowledge Empowerment (SHAPE) Hub. We’ll be showcasing rapid-fire presentations on sexual and reproductive health research led by trainees.
Event details for #WorldSexualHealthDay2025:
Time: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm PST
Date: Thursday, September 4th, 2025
Where: The event will be held both virtually via Zoom and in person at SHY D308 on the Oak Street Campus (4500 Oak Street).

We look forward to celebrating World Sexual Health Day 2025 with you!

Attend here!

An Afternoon with Stephen Rulisa: Reading from The Path Less Travelled
2025-09-09 13:30 - 14:30 | BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, room 2108, 938 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
Join us on Tuesday, September 9th, 2025 at 1:30 PM for a special reading with Dr. Stephen Rulisa, visiting professor and clinician from Rwanda, as he shares passages from his new memoir, The Path Less Travelled.
Dr. Rulisa’s story traces an extraordinary journey—from a nomadic childhood and the hardships of refugee life to becoming a leading voice in medical academia. Orphaned at a young age, he assumed the role of head of his household, pursued education against all odds, and played an active role in Rwanda’s liberation through the Rwandan Patriotic Front movement. His path led him to medical school, and ultimately, to shaping the future of medical education in Rwanda.
Part biography, part philosophy, and part call to action, The Path Less Travelled reflects on resilience, discipline, and personal responsibility as the true drivers of success. Rulisa’s reflections speak to young people starting their journey, those seeking to change course, and anyone striving to build a purposeful life—one decision at a time.

At this event, Dr. Rulisa will share selected passages from his book, followed by an audience Q&A.
Copies of The Path Less Travelled will be available for purchase at the event (limited supply), and we’ll be raffling off one copy to a lucky attendee. You can also purchase the book online here.
This is a free event but please register for your spot , as space is limited. Food and drinks will be provided for registered guests.
About the author:
Dr. Stephen Rulisais a medical doctor specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, with a PhD in public health focused on malaria. He is a seasoned clinical researcher with over 18 years of experience in epidemiology and public health, particularly in reproductive health, and has a strong interest in health systems strengthening.
He has led and collaborated on numerous research projects, both within Rwanda and in international, multicenter studies. Currently, he serves as a clinician and Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rwanda and holds adjunct appointments at several international universities.
Attend here!

Global Reads - AKFC's Book Club (September Edition)
2025-09-11 17:30 - 19:30 | Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat, 199 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 1K6, Canada
We live in a time of complex, interconnected challenges — where traditional solutions often fall short and real change demands new ways of thinking and acting. Join AKFC for an evening of thought-provoking discussions about Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems: The Catalytic Power of Radical Engagement. This book is a powerful exploration of how everyday habits can spark transformation in the systems that shape our lives.
In this session, celebrated author and systems change expert, Adam Kahane will be joined by The Honourable Farah Mohamed, to discuss how everyday practices of radical engagement can help us tackle today’s most urgent challenges. Together, they will lead attendees in a dialogue on what it takes to shift entrenched systems by leaning into collaboration, curiosity, and resilience.
If you’re passionate about creating positive change, working across differences, and finding practical ways to transform complex challenges, this event is for you.
Additional information for attendees:

When you register, please indicate your interest in attending in-person at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat or attending online (Zoom) by selecting the relevant ticket option.
Networking/Refreshments: In-person attendees are encouraged to participate in an informal networking session and enjoy refreshments after the event.
Please note that this event will be offered in English only.

Attend here!

New Innovations to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality: Tools to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
2025-09-12 15:00 - 16:00 | The Chan Centre for Family Health Centre Education, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Please join the UBC Department of Pediatrics and Institute for Global Health for a Pediatric Grand
Rounds by Dr. Stephen Rulisa, visiting professor and clinician from Rwanda, on “New Innovations to Reduce Maternal and Child Mortality: Tools to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
Learning objectives:

Highlight global trends in maternal and child mortality in relation to SDG targets.
Discuss innovative technologies, interventions, and strategies to reduce maternal and child mortality.

Everyone is welcome! We would love to see you in-person at the Chan Centre at BCCHR, but if you are unable to attend, the Zoom details are provided here.

Join us for the #LeadOnTB advocacy day on Parliament Hill!
2025-09-25 | Parliament Hill, (West Block lawn), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
While Canada has been a champion for tuberculosis (TB) elimination efforts through sustained investments in The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the Stop TB Partnership’s TB REACH initiative, we are falling short on both global and national commitments.
Canada has failed to meet its fair share contribution to research and development for TB every year since the UN targets were set in 2018, and domestic investments are insufficient to end TB within our borders, which disproportionately affects Indigenous and newcomer populations. However, there are many opportunities this year for Canada to be a leader in the quest to eliminate TB – the world’s deadliest infectious disease – at home and abroad! We just need the political will to make it happen. And we need YOU!
TB advocacy day
Partners In Health, Results Canada, Stop TB Canada, Médecins Sans Frontières, TBPeople Canada, and TBFighters are organizing a TB advocacy day on Parliament Hill on September 25 to call on Canada to #LeadOnTB! Essentially it’s a day where passionate advocates descend on Ottawa to raise awareness of TB among our decision-makers and call on them to take action to help end this treatable and preventable disease. To get a sense of the experience, watch TBFighters’ video on the TB Hill Day that happened this April in Washington, DC.
There’s no prior experience required to participate – we will provide all the training! Please note that we will try to match you with your own Member of Parliament (MP) where possible, but cannot guarantee that you will meet with any particular parliamentarian.
Attend here!

Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy After Eight Years: What Have We Learned So Far?
2025-09-29 15:30 - 17:00 | University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Presented by CIPS, the Gender, Peace, and Development Research Network (GPD-RN), the Research Network on Women, Peace and Security and the Group of 78
Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) was announced in 2017, followed by several other commitments in support of Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy. For example, “the women, peace and security agenda is at the heart of Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy, which includes the Feminist International Assistance Policy and Defence Policy” (Government of Canada, 2024). After eight years of programming, debates, and multisectoral discussions, it is an important moment for reflection on what we have learned so far from Canada’s FIAP.
This event adds to a rich and detailed analysis of policy rhetoric by focussing on some of the practical experiences of organizations tasked with implementation of programming under the FIAP, as well as critical and analytical insights from scholars and practitioners.
The panel builds on earlier events organized by the Gender, Peace and Development Research Network and the Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS) including the April 30, 2025 event by emerging scholars titled “What Can We Learn From How Canada’s FIAP is Landing in Latin America and the Caribbean?”. One of the major themes that emerged from this previous event was the importance of a feminist approach to development as described by the partner organizations in Haiti, Jamaica/CARICOM and Colombia, particularly when combined with a commitment to connecting to local feminist priorities from partner countries. See, also, the June 6, 2025 blog by these presenters.
Other important insights on feminist foreign policy enrich our discussion on Canada’s FIAP including the September 11, 2025 event on Strengthening the Representation of Women in Diplomacy: Challenges and Policy Solutions; the August, 2025 Policy Brief by Lilly Nicholls titled How FIAP Broke Glass Ceilings in Canadian Diplomacy – And Should Go Further; and Beth Woroniuk’s August 21, 2025 analysis: Canada, Financing for Development and Gender Equality: Looking for Leadership.
The Gender, Peace and Development Research Network (as part of the Centre for Policy Studies at the University of Ottawa) and the Group of 78 invite you to join us for this important new conversation where we will reflect on some of the successes of programs funded under FIAP, lessons learned, and priorities for future initiatives.
Attend here!

19th World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH)
2025-10-02 07:00 - 2025-10-06 17:00 | Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion (IEMHP) at The Hospital for Sick Children is thrilled to welcome you to the vibrant and diverse city of Toronto for the 19th WAIMH World Congress in 2026. The event’s theme, “Harmony in Diversity: Nurturing the Youngest Minds Around the World,” invites infant and early mental health professionals from across the globe to come together and exchange lived experiences, cutting-edge research, clinical and practice insights, and cultural perspectives, fostering collaboration and advancing the field on an international stage.

Join Us at the 19th Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH)
October 2–6, 2026 | Toronto, Canada
Theme: Harmony in Diversity: Nurturing the Youngest Minds Around the World

We are thrilled to invite you to join us at the 19th biennial WAIMH Congress in Toronto, hosted by Infant and Early Mental Health Promotion (IEMHP) at The Hospital for Sick Children. This prestigious global gathering brings together nearly 2,000 delegates — researchers, policymakers, clinicians, and practitioners — committed to the mental health and well-being of infants and their families.
The world’s youngest citizens are growing up amid global adversity — social unrest, natural disasters, persistent inequality, and fractured systems of care. Yet, our work in infant mental health is guided by the belief that connection and diversity are sources of strength. This Congress will serve as a platform to celebrate and explore this belief through rich cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural dialogue.
Toronto, Canada, provides an inspiring setting for this gathering — a place where global and local perspectives meet. From showcasing pioneering approaches and Indigenous leadership to sharing Canada’s experiences in advancing equity in early life, the Congress will offer insights that resonate far beyond national borders — enriching our shared global movement for infant and family well-being.
Attend here!

Empowering Women and Girls to Build Stronger Communities Through Food Security
2025-10-02 15:00 - 17:00 | 101 Lyon St. N, Ottawa Ontario, Canada
According to the Global Report on Food Crisis, more than 295 million people faced acute hunger in 2024, which is the sixth consecutive annual increase. In food-insecure regions like Thailand, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Haiti, women are often the last to eat and the first to sacrifice their own nutrition for their families especially during crises.
Complex and interlinked set of drivers including conflict, extreme climate conditions, and economic shocks are mutually aggravated, which disproportionately exacerbates population-specific vulnerabilities such as unequal access to livelihood resources needed to improve quality of life and standards of living.
Consequently, contextually relevant solutions for resilience building and recovery are critical pillars needed to support food security, income, and overall community well-being. Compassion Canada, World Renew and Thrive for Good will be discussing our programming to combat this issue globally.
This event will:

Highlight the intersection of food security and gender equality as a critical dimension of Canada’s triple nexus global strategy.
Present evidence-based approaches of Canadian NGOs that empower women and girls through agriculture, climate adaptation, and community development.
Engage policymakers and practitioners in dialogue on strengthening collaboration between NGOs and government actors in implementing the Feminist International Assistance Policy.

RSVP through: Sacha Bunting, sbunting@compassion.ca or Andrew Defor, adefor@beaconnorthstrategies.com

Leadership Forum 2025
2025-10-17 09:30 - 18:00 | Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 2G8, Canada
On October 17th, 2025, young change-makers, sectoral leaders, and passionate mentors will come together in Toronto for our biggest event of the year.
The Leadership Forum is one of Fora: Network for Change’s signature events — and one of the most impactful and empowering events of the year for feminist leaders looking to expand their reach for change. Hosted in Toronto in October 2025, the Leadership Forum brings together an intergenerational community of sectoral leaders to drive intersectional change across nonprofits, corporate spaces, and their communities.
This one-day experience features conversation-driven panels, interactive workshops, and intentional networking designed to spark momentum that lasts well beyond the day’s events.
Participants will leave with tools to navigate their careers with clarity, challenge outdated systems, and approach leadership in a way that’s collaborative, equity-driven, and future-focused. Whether you’re building your board presence, finding your next career pathway, or interested in connecting with the next generation of feminist leaders, our Leadership Forum is the launchpad to building a feminist future.

Toronto Reference Library | 789 Yonge St, Toronto ON
Attend here!

Canada FASD Conference 2025 Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network (CanFASD)
2025-10-21 - 2025-10-23 | Hilton Downtown Toronto, 145 Richmond St W, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2L2, Canada
The Canada FASD Conference is coming to Toronto, Ontario October 21-23, 2025. This national conference on FASD brings together a different people from across the country and internationally who hold valuable perspectives on FASD and prevention of FASD. With over 500 attendees expected, this three-day event brings together healthcare professionals, social workers, justice and legal professionals, educators, counsellors, researchers, policy makers, and those with direct or indirect lived or living experience to connect and collaborate. This conference provides a secure and open environment to share diverse perspectives, valuable experiences, new research, and best and promising practices. We encourage you to be part of it!
Conference Theme
The theme for Canada FASD Conference 2025 conference is Shaping the Future of FASD: From Evidence to Action
Attend here!

2025 Canadian Conference on Global Health
2025-10-24 - 2025-10-28 | Halifax Convention Centre
This year’s theme is titled “Navigating the Path Forward: Advancing Global Health in a Changing World”. As the world faces urgent, unprecedented challenges, global health is at a crossroads. Geopolitical changes and instability, climate change, funding inequities, and the persistent effects of health disparities in Canada and internationally, demand bold and innovative action.
The conference program will be built on the following sub-themes:

Navigating Global Health Governance, Financing, Collaboration and Trust.
Youth, Gender, and Inclusive Leadership in Global Health.
Global Health Security: Threats, Climate, Outbreaks and Preparedness.
Harnessing Innovation, Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Global Health.

Learn more here!

The Women-Centred HIV Care Update
2025-10-24 12:30 - 20:00 | Simon Fraser University Harbour Center – Segal Room, 500 Granville St, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 1W6, Canada
The UBC Faculty of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases is pleased to invite you to the Women-Centred HIV Care Update on Friday October 24, 2025. This program was co-developed between UBC Faculty of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Ribbon Community, Women-Centred HIV Care Hub and was planned to achieve scientific integrity, objectivity and balance.

To learn more about our sponsors, please visit this link.

This in-person symposium aims to build clinician skills to better support the unique health needs of women living with HIV in BC and western Canada. The event will introduce the women-centred HIV care model and cover priority topics across the lifespan identified by women living with HIV in BC, as well as the clinicians and social service providers that support them. ​
Friday, October 24, 2025┃12:30 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Simon Fraser University Harbour Center – Segal Room
Vancouver, British Columbia
Attend here!

HRN Sphere Training: Montreal
2025-10-27 - 2025-10-28 | La grande bibliothèque de BAnQ, 475 Boul. de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, Québec, H2L 5C4, Canada
Sphere Training 2025
For HRN and Non-HRN Members | October 27th – 28th (Montreal, in French)
(In-person trainings – attend one location only)
Join us for a two-day, in-person training, tailored for HRN members, designed to strengthen understanding of the Sphere Standards​ and the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)​. This session will be facilitated by qualified trainers who previously completed the Sphere Training of Trainers program organized by HRN.
Topics covered include:

Overview of Sphere Standards and their practical application
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) principles and integration
Conducting a Sphere training needs assessment for HRN members
Guidance on facilitating future Sphere and CHS sessions

Date: October 27th – 28th (In-person, Montreal)
Time: 9am – 5pm each day
Location:

Montreal: Grande Bibliothèque de BAnQ, 475 Boul. de Maisonneuve E, Montréal, QC H2L 4E3

Audience: HRN members (staff in Canada and overseas), Canadian NGO staff, and students in humanitarian/development fields
This training is ideal for those new to the Sphere standards or looking to refresh and deepen their understanding. Participants will leave equipped to apply these essential frameworks in their work—and may also be prepared to support future training efforts.
Fee:

$200 CAD for HRN members
$400 CAD for non-members
(Includes training materials and the Sphere Handbook.)

Important:

Registrants will access pre-course online modules, to be identified by facilitators, and must attend all sessions.
If fewer than 10 people are signed up for either training by October 5th, that training will be postponed. We’ll notify all registrants directly with updates.
Some travel grants are available – please email us at hrncoordinator@humanitarianresponse.ca for more details.

Registration required – open to HRN members, Canadian NGOs, and humanitarian students.

Practicing Knowledge Translation in-person workshop
2025-10-27 - 2025-10-30 | Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1X3, Canada
The Practicing Knowledge Translation (PKT) course is a professional development course that will show you how to apply KT science to real-world implementation projects in order to enhance and sustain project outcomes. The course focuses on empowering individuals and organizations in the health system with the knowledge, skills and support to do KT effectively.
At the course’s conclusion, participants will have a ready-to-use Implementation Action Plan, tailored to their project. This in-person course will also provide valuable networking opportunities.
Find more details here: https://bit.ly/PKTcourse

Practicing Knowledge Translation course – 2 spots left!
2025-10-27 - 2025-10-30 | Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, 209 Victoria St, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1X3, Canada
Join us for this in-person workshop from October 27-30, 2025 at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute in Toronto, Ontario.
The Practicing Knowledge Translation (PKT) course is a professional development course that will show you how to apply KT science to real-world implementation projects in order to enhance and sustain project outcomes. The course focuses on empowering individuals and organizations in the health system with the knowledge, skills and support to do KT effectively.
At the course’s conclusion, participants will have a ready-to-use Implementation Action Plan, tailored to their project. This in-person course will also provide valuable networking opportunities.
Interested in joining? Email Meghan.Storey@UnityHealth.to or apply now!
Find more details here: https://bit.ly/PKTcourse

HRN Sphere Training: Ottawa
2025-11-03 - 2025-11-04 | Cooperation Canada offices, 123 Slater Street, Suite 800, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4, Canada
Sphere Training 2025
For HRN and Non-HRN Members | November 3rd – 4th (Ottawa, in English)
(In-person trainings – attend one location only)
Join us for a two-day, in-person training, tailored for HRN members, designed to strengthen understanding of the Sphere Standards​ and the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)​. This session will be facilitated by qualified trainers who previously completed the Sphere Training of Trainers program organized by HRN.
Topics covered include:

Overview of Sphere Standards and their practical application
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) principles and integration
Conducting a Sphere training needs assessment for HRN members
Guidance on facilitating future Sphere and CHS sessions

Date: November 3rd – 4th (In-person, Ottawa)
Time: 9am – 5pm each day
Location:

Ottawa: Cooperation Canada offices, 123 Slater Street, Suite 800, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4

Audience: HRN members (staff in Canada and overseas), Canadian NGO staff, and students in humanitarian/development fields
This training is ideal for those new to the Sphere standards or looking to refresh and deepen their understanding. Participants will leave equipped to apply these essential frameworks in their work—and may also be prepared to support future training efforts.
Fee:

$200 CAD for HRN members
$400 CAD for non-members
(Includes training materials and the Sphere Handbook.)

Important:

Registrants will access pre-course online modules, to be identified by facilitators, and must attend all sessions.
If fewer than 10 people are signed up for either training by October 5th, that training will be postponed. We’ll notify all registrants directly with updates.
Some travel grants are available – please email us at hrncoordinator@humanitarianresponse.ca for more details.

Registration required – open to HRN members, Canadian NGOs, and humanitarian students.

The Global Health Activism We Need
2025-11-05 17:00 - 19:30 | Auberge Le Saint-Gabriel, Room: La Truteau, 426 Rue Saint Gabriel, Montreal, Quebec, H2Y 2Z9, Canada
What to Expect: Montreal
An evening of conversation, advocacy, and community
Join us in Montreal and Toronto for an inspiring evening with South African activist Zackie Achmat, recipient of McGill University’s inaugural Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, Dr. Wesler Lambert, Executive Director of Partners In Health / Zanmi Lasante in Haiti and, in Toronto only, Dr. Adrienne Chan.
The program begins with a Q&A on his decades of activism and today’s urgent challenges in HIV care and global health. A casual catered reception follows, offering the chance to connect with PIH leaders, advocates, and the health equity community.
Attend here!

Night for Rights Gala
2025-11-05 17:00 - 21:00 | Arcadian Court, 401 Bay Street, Simpson Tower 8th Floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2Y4, Canada
An Inspiring Evening in Celebration of Human Rights Journalism

Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Arcadian Court, Toronto

5pm Cocktail Reception | 6pm Gala Dinner | 8pm After-party
More details to come.
Learn more here!

McGill Global Health Night
2025-11-06 16:30 - 19:30 | SSMU University Centre, Canada
Join us for the 17th annual Global Health Night, one of McGill’s flagship events in global health. This year, we are honoured to welcome South Africa’s Zackie Achmat as our keynote speaker. As the first recipient of the Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, Mr. Achmat will deliver the inaugural Paul Farmer Lecture for Global Health Equity.
Whether you attend in person or online, don’t miss this inspiring evening filled with global health insights, innovation, and community. Open to the public, the program includes a student poster fair, showcasing projects, clinical rotations, and research from across McGill’s diverse student body, Mr. Achmat’s lecture and more. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!
Zackie Achmat is a lifelong socialist and activist who began his political journey during the 1976 student uprisings against apartheid. Detained and tortured as a teenager, he was later recruited into the banned ANC while imprisoned and joined its Marxist Workers’ Tendency in 1985. Diagnosed with HIV in 1990, Zackie became a pioneering advocate for health and human rights. He co-founded the National Coalition for Gay and Lesbian Equality in 1994 and the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in 1998, playing a key role in securing access to HIV treatment. He has worked with global organisations like Médecins Sans Frontières and the WHO, and helped found movements such as Equal Education, the Social Justice Coalition, Ndifuna Ukwazi, and #UniteBehind. These initiatives fight for justice, political accountability, and social equality. Most recently, he co-founded the Global Coalition for HIV Treatment to resist devastating PEPFAR cuts. His activism is rooted in justice, dignity, and freedom.
Attend here!

The Global Health Activism We Need: Toronto
2025-11-07 17:00 - 19:30 | Alliance Française, Spadina Campus, 24 Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 2S7, Canada
What to Expect
An evening of conversation, advocacy, and community
Join us in Montreal and Toronto for an inspiring evening with South African activist Zackie Achmat, recipient of McGill University’s inaugural Paul Farmer Award for Global Health Equity, Dr. Wesler Lambert, Executive Director of Partners In Health / Zanmi Lasante in Haiti and, in Toronto only, Dr. Adrienne Chan.
The program begins with a Q&A on his decades of activism and today’s urgent challenges in HIV care and global health. A casual catered reception follows, offering the chance to connect with PIH leaders, advocates, and the health equity community.
Attend here!

Hopper Lecture 2025 - Fostering Societal Growth
2025-11-11 16:00 - 18:00 | Hybrid, Canada
In 2025, Barbados enacted the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which came just three months after the government introduced a seven-year policy aimed at addressing the needs of persons with disabilities. As contemporary development faces social, economic, political, and environmental challenges, it is essential for any society striving to achieve its goals to vigorously promote the inclusion of all its members.
Guest speaker:
Ms. Kerryann Ifill is a well-known Barbadian activist who has ceaselessly promoted the rights of people with disabilities. Since losing her vision at the age of four, the 50-year-old has gone on to become the youngest person and first woman to be appointed President of the Barbados Senate. This was after becoming the first person with vision loss to complete a University of the West Indies degree (with Honours) at UWI’s Cave Hill campus, before completing a Master of Business Administration and postgraduate diploma in Special Education.
Ms. Ifill has been one of the premier advocates for the adoption of assistive technology for children with special needs, from primary through tertiary levels. She has been instrumental in preparing Barbados’ educational institutions to receive visually impaired students, one of whom went on to become Barbados’s first blind attorney-at-law. She has also served the wider disabled community of the Caribbean by advancing a more inclusive agenda regionally. She has served as President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled, President of the Barbados National United Society of the Blind, President of the Caribbean Council for the Blind, and Vice-Chair of the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum. Her colleagues and admirers say that her advocacy has been so powerful it has created a ripple effect, encouraging others to work towards a more equitable and compassionate world.
Attend here!

Master of Development Practice and Global Justice (MDPGJ) program
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid, Canada
The MDPGJ is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to prepare future leaders to address the world’s most complex development and justice challenges. Through an integrated approach that connects theory, practice, and policy, students gain the skills and experience needed to make a meaningful impact locally and globally.
Join us to learn more about the program’s structure, areas of study, and opportunities for applied learning. The session will also provide an opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from faculty members involved in the program.
Information Session Details:
Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST
Format: Hybrid (attend in person- MCKN 019 or online via Microsoft Teams)
Attend here!

Grad School Info Session: Master of Development Practice and Global Justice
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00 | Hybrid, Canada
The Guelph Institute of Development Studies is pleased to launch a new course-based, 8-month graduate program, the Master of Development Practice and Global Justice.
Join us for an info session where we’ll introduce the new program, break down the application process, and share tips on strengthening your application to grad school.
Attend here!

Global Reads - AKFC's Book Club x GCP (November Edition)
2025-11-13 16:00 - 17:30 | The Global Centre for Pluralism, 330 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 0C7, Canada
Join Global Reads for books, discussions, and meaningful connections! This event will take place at the Global Centre for Pluralism.
Join Aga Khan Foundation Canada and the Global Centre for Pluralism in-person for a special edition of Global Reads featuring acclaimed journalist and author Lyse Doucet, in conversation about her new book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul.
Drawing on four decades as one of the BBC’s most trusted voices from conflict zones, Lyse Doucet offers a deeply human portrait of Afghanistan’s complex history, told through the lens of a once-grand hotel and the people whose lives intersect within it.
In this session, Lyse will be joined by Meredith Preston McGhie, Secretary General of the Global Centre for Pluralism, for a conversation on the power of literature to build understanding and empathy across divides. Together, they will reflect on storytelling as a means of connecting across cultures, histories, and identities — and what it reveals about our shared humanity.
If you are passionate about global affairs, storytelling, and the role of empathy in a divided world, this event is for you.
Copies of The Finest Hotel in Kabul will be available for purchase.
This event is in-person only, and will take place at the Global Centre for Pluralism.
Please note that this event will be offered in English.
Attend here!

Pathways to Gender Equality: Real Stories, Shared Futures
2025-11-15 09:30 - 16:30 | Centre for Social Innovation – Spadina, 192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 3A4, Canada
Join us for this year’s Volunteer Conference will shine a light on Equity in International Volunteerism. Together, we will explore how volunteer stories, lived experiences, and partnerships are creating pathways to gender equality and building more inclusive futures.
Through powerful keynote speeches, interactive panels, and hands-on workshops, attendees will hear directly from volunteers and local partner organizations about concrete actions that have advanced gender equality and supported our Volunteer Cooperation Program (VCP) goals.
This is also an opportunity to recognize exceptional alumni through our Volunteer Awards Ceremony.
*This event will take place primarily in English, with bilingual interpretation available.
Lunch is provided, as well as some giveaways and contests!
Attend here!

A Hunger for Change: A Canadian Call to End Malnutrition
2025-11-15 14:30 - 17:00 | Holiday Inn and Suites Surrey East, 17530 64 Avenue, British Columbia, Canada
Where you live should not determine whether you live. Join Results Canada for an engaging event on the role of Canada—and people like you—in ending the malnutrition crisis currently threatening the lives of millions of children around the world. Learn, connect, and take action to help ensure every child has the nutrition they need to survive and thrive, no matter where they were born.

Canada’s leadership in global nutrition has never been more critical. Malnutrition stunts growth, limits learning, weakens immune systems, and can lead to death, especially in children under 5. Nutrition is one of the most cost-effective solutions to reducing child mortality and the foundation of global health, stability, and economic resilience—which benefits us all.
We’re bringing together experts, volunteers, and the public to explore what’s urgently needed to end malnutrition. Do not miss this opportunity to connect with others fighting for a better world, learn from a unique panel session with local and national specialists in the field, and take concrete action to urge Canada to continue to step up for global nutrition.
The panel will include:

Jet Takaoka from the Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Anne Gardner from the Grandmothers’ Advocacy Network
Gabriel Cassie from Results Canada

Spots are limited: register now and take a step closer to a better world.
Results Canada is a non-partisan advocacy organization that mobilizes everyday Canadians to generate the political will to end extreme poverty.
For more information, contact us at action@resultscanada.ca.
Attend here!

Global Health Spotlight Series - In Conversation
2025-11-18 15:00 - 16:00 | BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, room 2108, 938 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, V5Z 4H4, Canada
Welcome to the Global Health Spotlight Series – In Conversation!
Hosted by the Institute for Global Health at BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital + Health Centre.
Join us as we explore Matthew’s journey to becoming a global health leader—highlighting his defining moments, lessons learned, and current projects.
Learning Objectives:

Explore how researchers’ unique journeys have shaped their current projects and the strategies they use to create equitable partnerships
Understand the “what” but also the “why” behind their chosen methods and models, including key decision-points, challenges and adjustments made along the way
Learn about opportunities to leverage resources and foster new collaborations and partnerships

When: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 3:00 – 4:00 pm EST
Where: In-Person at Room 2108 BCCHR (across from the Chan Centre for Family Health Education auditorium), BC Children’s Hospital
Ticket Cost: Free
Lunch will be provided for registered participants.
Our fourth speaker in this series is Dr. Matthew Wiens, an Assistant Professor at the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Director of Pediatric Research at Walimu, a Ugandan health research institute, and lead of the Healthy Starts Global Health and Innovation Group at BCCHR. He is an epidemiologist and public health researcher with a strong focus on pediatric sepsis, digital health, and health systems strengthening. For the past 14 years, he has led a series of studies aimed at developing, implementing, and evaluating a risk-stratified care approach, called Smart Discharges, to improve discharge and post-discharge care among children, newborns and mothers in East Africa. His collaborative research program engages researchers, healthcare professionals, technology developers. and policy-makers globally, including collaborations with the Uganda Ministry of Health, Pediatric Sepsis Definition Taskforce, and WHO Risk-Stratified Care Working Group.
Dr. Gina Ogilvie, is the Co-Executive Medical Director of the Institute for Global Health BCCWH. She is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Control of HPV related diseases and prevention, and Professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Population and Public Health. She is also Senior Public Health Scientist at BC Centre for Disease Control and Senior Research Advisor at the BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre.
Reserve your spot now!

Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Justice: Finding our Feet; Standing our Ground
2025-11-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Hybrid, Canada
2025 John R. Evans Lectureship in Global Health

Keynote Speaker: Alicia Ely Yamin
Date & Time: Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 4 – 6 PM ET (followed by a reception in person)
Location: Hybrid

There may be no area in which applying human rights to health has been more successful than sexual and reproductive rights. Not only have we changed norms over the last thirty plus years, but we have also transformed institutional practices and affected embodied human beings’ lives and well-being. However, we now face a sweeping anti-gender politics across the world. Anti-‘Gender Ideology’ has become a key rhetorical tool in the construction of a new conception of ‘common sense’ about what is normal and legitimate, and it is linked rhetorically to a backlash against neoliberal globalization. Because of the US role in global health financing and governance, and its influence on the world order more broadly, the Trump administration’s anti-gender actions have had far reaching and devastating consequences. But the Trump administration is not unique. Further, even before Trump was inaugurated for a second time, the evolving political economy of global health had limited the effective enjoyment of sexual and reproductive rights in practice for swathes of people across the globe. Drawing on specific examples from work done in countries around the world, this talk will discuss what we have achieved in applying human rights to sexual and reproductive health, where human rights approaches have fallen short, and where we might go now.

Attend here!
