by Donna Kennedy-Glans Canada’s foreign policy is all about how we deal with “The Other.” How do Canadians choose to relate to “Other Nations,” “Other Worldviews,” “Other Faiths?” There are, essentially, three ways to deal with “The Other,” suggests well-known journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski in his book by the same title: We can attempt to assimilate [...]
In Yemen, the disaffected need alternatives
Monday, April 27th, 2009by Donna Kennedy-Glans Globe and Mail President Hamid Karzai’s recent backsliding on women’s rights in Afghanistan caught Canadians off guard. Emotions remain frayed, and the situation has prompted reflection about Canada’s role – indeed, the role of any middle power – in containing extremism beyond its own borders. Of course, the Canadian military is committed [...]
Lifting the secular veil
Tuesday, January 1st, 2008by Donna Kennedy-Glans “How do you conduct business in the Muslim world after Sept. 11?” I am encouraged by this question posed to me recently by an intrepid class of university commerce students. They didn’t ask “if” you could do business in the Muslim world-they had not, like some, fallen headlong into the wide chasm [...]
Beyond Polarity
Monday, October 1st, 2007by Donna Kennedy-Glans I worked for decades as a lawyer and then corporate executive in the international extractive sector. In this role, integrity dilemmas were plentiful. When a North American company invests in an oil, gas, gold or diamond project in Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East or frontiers in the west, the “right” [...]
VIP FORUM: Tools for making your corporate contribution count
Thursday, February 1st, 2007by Donna Kennedy-Glans As a management sherpa, and more recently as executive director of a humanitarian organization, I’ve been invited to hundreds of community investment and philanthropic initiatives championed by Canadian oil and gas companies. Whatever the location of the community investment project—Canada, the United States, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America—every responsible corporate manager [...]
Gender jihad: Enhancing female access in politics
Tuesday, October 31st, 2006by Donna Kennedy-Glans Yemen’s 2006 election was not only a barometer of pluralism in the Arab world, but also, a barometer of hope within Yemen. The September 2006 election results in Yemen mark the first time in modern Arab history that a president was seriously contested by an opponent with substantial popular support. The election [...]
Muslim Cartoons: A right, or assault on dignity? Provocation is no way to defend democracy
Sunday, February 12th, 2006by Donna Kennedy-Glans Integrity dilemmas are inevitable, particularly in a globalizing world. There are always times when two or more values conflict. The publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in Danish newspapers, and subsequently in other media, is justified by some as an exercise of the right of free speech. The value being protected is [...]
Walking the talk vital for credible resolutions
Wednesday, January 4th, 2006by Donna Kennedy-Glans This past year has been blemished with skepticism about political and corporate leaders’ resolve to act with integrity. At the mid-point in our federal election campaign, there is a hovering pessimism that threatens to discredit all those involved in the political process. Canadians acknowledge the positive contribution by the private sector in [...]
Canadians are still learning to play fair abroad
Sunday, November 6th, 2005by Donna Kennedy-Glans Managing energy and mining projects in the developing world has never been for the faint of heart. While the majority of investment practices by Canadian companies are responsible — both ethically and legally — the foibles of cavalier extractive companies operating outside Canada provide more than ample fodder for name-and-shame campaigners, as [...]
BUSINESS ETHICS: Partnering with the Chinese opens door to better behavior
Sunday, October 2nd, 2005by Donna Kennedy-Glans Chinese leadership has not concealed the fact a sustainable economy for the country is dependent on raw materials. The mines and oil fields that Beijing needs to fuel its voracious economic appetite are not located in China, and as a consequence it must invest beyond its own borders. Recent Chinese acquisitions of [...]