Beyond the Headlines

Taiwan is known globally for their unique fusion of cultures, extensive period of colonization, and ongoing territorial dispute. Over the past decade, Taiwan has grown to become one of the largest economies in Asia and most advanced producers of technology globally. In today’s episode, we meet with two experts to discuss the history, culture, and security of Taiwan. 

Guests:

Dr. Shelley Rigger - Davidson University

Professor Gordon Houlden - Director of China Institute at the University of Alberta

Produced by:

Mycala Gill - Executive Producer

Elliott Simpson - Senior Producer

Thomas Chan - Junior Producer

Annabelle MacRae - Junior Producer

Historically, Indigenous peoples have never felt a sense of belonging or inclusion, especially on the international stage, with Indigenous youth in particular having experienced marginalization and exclusion from participation. However, bringing the world’s attention to Indigenous rights and Indigenous issues is an important step towards substantive social change. 

Tune in to this special collaborative episode, produced in partnership with the Young Diplomats of Canada, where delegates got to attend the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Delegates reflect on their experiences and the issues brought up at the delegation.

Twitter Handles for Guests/Delegates:

Nipâwi Kakinoosit: @nipawi

Paloma Griffin: @palomagriffin

Sarah Hanson: @saroonie

Max Seunik: @maxseunik

Loic Veza: @lOicveza

Link to Delegation’s Report

Produced By:

Nipâwi Kakinoosit - UNPFII

Paloma Griffin - UNPFII

Sarah Hanson - UNPFII

Max Seunik - Young Diplomats of Canada

Loic Veza - Young Diplomats of Canada

Faria Amin - Executive Producer, Beyond the Headlines

Mycala Gill - Executive Producer, Beyond the Headlines

It's no secret that Toronto has become an expensive place to live. In this episode, we look at housing affordability through the eyes of those on the ground. First, we connect with Dr. Stephen Hwang to discuss links between homelessness and lack of affordable housing. Next, we reach out to representatives of ACORN - the “Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now” - and gather their thoughts regarding inaction by Toronto City Council. In particular, our guests touch upon Toronto’s inclusionary zoning policy. 

Guests:

Dr. Stephen Hwang - Research Scientist on Homelessness and Health

Alejandra Ruiz Vargas - Toronto ACORN and NDP Candidate for Beaches East-York

Marcia Stone - Co-Chair of ACORN's Canada Weston Chapter

Producers:

Connor Fraser - Senior Producer

Abdullah Naqvi - Junior Producer

Sky Shi - Junior Producer

Tory Dockree - Junior Producer

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

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!

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.

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).

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. 

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.

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.