Tableside: Children Believe's Voice in Canada's Global Future

This week, as Canada observes International Development Week (IDW), I find myself in Ottawa engaging in a series of conversations that matter deeply—not just for Children Believe, but for the future of Canada's role in the world.

This week, I’ve joined Members of Parliament, senior officials at Global Affairs Canada, and colleagues from across the development sector. These meetings are critically important because this is where evidence meets policy, where decades of field experience can inform Canada’s priorities, and where organizations like Children Believe help shape the role Canada takes to effectively contribute to global stability and prosperity.

Why This Week Matters

Doing our part to promote global stability benefits everyone. In today's fractured world, international development isn't charity—it's strategic investment. Research confirms that for every dollar Canada commits to official development assistance, approximately $1.19 is generated in Canadian exports. More critically, every dollar invested in conflict prevention can save up to $60 in future military intervention costs. When we address instability at its roots, we're not just helping distant communities; we're protecting Canadians and securing our economic interests.

Sub-Saharan Africa alone will be home to one-quarter of the world's population by 2050 and represents one of the fastest-growing regions globally. These aren't just statistics—they represent future markets, future partners, and future sources of stability or instability depending on how we engage today. Children Believe knows this all well through our growing work in the Sahel region and I’ve seen it with my own eyes in Burkina Faso.

Bringing Experience to the Conversation

My discussions this week center on what's working, what's at risk, and what needs to change in Canada's international assistance approach. I'm drawing on Children Believe's deep experience across multiple continents, sharing concrete examples from our programs that demonstrate how aid and trade can work together, how private sector partnerships can scale impact, and how locally-led development delivers sustainable results.

IDW is a time to celebrate the impact of Canada’s international assistance, and we’ve been proud to partner with Global Affairs to achieve these results. Through initiatives like our flagship CHANGE project, we help grow employment and systems transformation, we've implemented approaches that align with Canadian priorities: inclusive economic growth, gender equity, innovation, and localization. These aren't theoretical concepts—they're proven methodologies that connect development outcomes with Canada's economic and security interests.

The Conversations We're Having

During the “Day on the Hill” this week, I met with parliamentarians and their staff to ensure Children Believe's evidence and experience inform decisions on budgets and international assistance priorities. These conversations matter because they shape the resources and frameworks that determine whether development programs can achieve meaningful, lasting impact.

My meetings with senior leadership at Global Affairs Canada's Food Systems and Nutrition Division reinforce Children Believe's position as a trusted partner contributing expertise on youth, nutrition, skills development, and systems change. We're discussing not just what works, but how to institutionalize those lessons across Canada's international assistance architecture.

At our CHANGE presentation with GAC officials and partners, we showcased scalable approaches that demonstrate how development investments can drive inclusive growth while supporting Canada's broader foreign policy objectives. And at International Development Week receptions, we're building the relationships and collaborative networks that strengthen the entire sector's effectiveness.

What We're Advocating For

Through our work with Cooperation Canada, we are advancing evidence-based recommendations to strengthen effectiveness of Canada’s international assistance – from more predictable, transparent funding to approaches that reduce administrative burden, centre local leadership and gender equality principles, and focus accountability on results and learning.

These recommendations are not aspirational. They’re grounded in evidence from organizations such as Children Believe that work in low-income and fragile contexts, where international assistance remains indispensable, particularly in settings where private finance does not flow at scale or deliver inclusive impact. Getting this right matters, for communities on the front lines and for Canada’s role as a credible global partner.

The Path Forward

Being at these tables matters. When organizations with deep field experience and proven track records participate in these discussions, policy becomes more grounded, programs become more effective, and Canada's influence grows more strategically focused.

International Development Week reminds us that development cooperation isn't separate from Canada's interests—it's central to them. As we invest in stability, education, economic opportunity, and governance in the world's most vulnerable regions, we're building a safer, more prosperous world for everyone, including Canadians.

That's why Children Believe continues to bring our voice, our evidence, and our experience to these critical conversations. Because when it comes to Canada's role in the world, we all have a stake in getting it right.