Canadian Aid
In 2010, Canada succeeded in doubling its foreign aid (since 2001) to meet international commitments, and then announced a freeze of its international assistance budget at $5 billion annually for the coming years. Now, the government is considering cuts across agencies in Canada, including international assistance, to save money and reduce the deficit.
Canadian aid is only around 2% of the overall budget, but it is achieving real results in the lives of the world’s poor. Last year Canadian aid provided food assistance to millions of people, it provided vaccines and treatment for deadly diseases to save lives of women and children, and it invested in agriculture and farming to help lift people out of poverty through sustainable livelihoods.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won’t balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada’s development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments. We must ensure that the government protects the critical international assistance budget.
Briefing Centre
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Canadian Aid: Budgeting for Results
As a leading international donor, Canada provides over CAD$5 billion per year in official development assistance (ODA) to reduce hunger and poverty and improve quality of life for the world’s poorest. Between 2001 and 2010 Canada doubled its spending on foreign aid. From 2004 to 2010, Canada doubled assistance to sub-Saharan Africa (albeit against an adjusted target) by CAD$802 million, to deliver a total of CAD$1.94 billion. More
News & Analysis from the ONE BLOG
ONE Canada – Meet up in Ottawa
When Ben Leo, Director of Global Policy and Sara Messer, Policy Manager from ONE in Washington DC recently traveled to Ottawa, it seemed like a great chance to have a meet up with some of our ONE members in the Ottawa area. The event drew about 25 local members, many ... More
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Over 20,000 voices for Canadian aid
A great guest post from ONE member Sarah Stone in Waterloo, Ontario:I recently had the privilege to travel to Ottawa with ONE and represent the thousands of Canadians who lent their voice to the petition calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour his commitments to the world's ... More
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Next stop, Ottawa
I joined ONE because I believe that my most important asset – my voice – can help to bring about change in the lives of the world’s most poor and vulnerable. An accident of geography should not determine whether a person lives or dies, and yet for many people in the ... More
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ONE member meets a Canadian MP with a heart for Africa
As we continue our campaign to protect critical Canadian international development funding, ONE member Sarah Stone, from Waterloo, Ontario, reports back from meeting her local Member of Parliament.As a constituent and on behalf of ONE I had the opportunity recently to meet with Peter Braid, Conservative Member of Parliament ... More
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Now is not the time to balance our budget on the backs of the world’s poorest
Guest post by James Haga, Director of Advocacy at Engineers without Borders Canada.Extreme poverty, the kind that deprives hard working people of their full potential, is an immediate reality for many. It is a real thing, gripping the lives of billions of people. The number is so massive that ... More
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Save Canadian Aid
At around just 2% of the annual federal budget, Canadian foreign aid is achieving real results in the lives of the world's poor. From providing life-saving vaccines and treatment for deadly diseases, providing food aid to reduce starvation, to investing in agriculture and farming to fight poverty and hunger ... More
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