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A friendly letter to Global Affairs after the budget cuts

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As Global Affairs ponders the future of international assistance during a time of shrinking budgets, Nicolas Moyer, CEO of Cuso International, and a self-described “old friend,” has some thoughts about how it can do better.   This includes being quicker to make decisions, streamlining administrative processes, finding a clear sense of direction and showing Canadians what their tax dollars are doing (sharing stories of success).   “I must also be candid,” he said. “Too often, the extraordinary work you do is held back by slow decision-making, costly administrative processes and a lack of clear direction. “When approvals drag on for months, when programs are spread too thinly across the globe, or when projects end before results can take root, Canada’s impact is less than it should be. “And when you don’t show Canadians clearly what their tax dollars are achieving, public confidence falters.” Read his letter in Canadian Affairs.
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Canadian relief and development organizations express concern about aid cuts, see opportunity in government's trade agenda

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Canadian relief and development organizations are expressing concern and disappointment with the federal government’s decision to cut the country’s foreign aid budget, saying the cuts couldn’t have come at a worse time when global instability is increasing, human rights are increasingly under threat and humanitarian needs are at an all-time high.   They note the cuts to “soft power”—aid—are coming at a time when Canada is pouring more money into defence—“hard power.” This despite evidence that it costs less to prevent conflict than to respond to needs caused by it after it happens.   They also note that aid and development should not be seen as charity, but as something that can support Canada’s overall trade and investment strategy. Read more about this in Canadian Affairs. Photo above:  Secretary of State Radeep Sarai (centre) walks with recipients of Canadian foreign aid in Ghana.
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U.S. funding freeze of USAID puts tied aid in the spotlight

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  Millions of people around the world have been negatively affected by the U.S. government’s decision to freeze foreign aid through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  While most of those affected live in the developing world, it is also hurting another group: American farmers.  The agency, which has an annual budget of about $40 billion USD, typically spends about $2 billion of that total buying crops from U.S. farmers for aid through its Food for Peace program—what’s called “tied aid.”  Republican officials in states such as Kansas, North Dakota and Arkansas are asking President Donald Trump for an exemption to the cuts, saying they will affect farmers in their states — many of which voted for Trump in the election.  In Canada, farmers do not face a similar worry, even if a future federal government were to cut foreign aid spending, as Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to do. That’s because the Canadian...
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Introducing the relief & development beat at Canadian Affairs

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  In February 2025,   Canadian Affairs   launched an international relief and development beat.  The goal of the beat is to provide coverage to this topic, which is mostly ignored by the mainstream media unless there is a significant disaster in the developing world that affects millions of people.  This fits with the overall goal of  Canadian Affairs,  which was founded in 2023 to provide quality journalism on under-covered topics that matter to Canadians.  This blog was created to help share that coverage with Canadians via F***b**k, which otherwise prevents users from linking to stories in Canadian media outlets. (But doesn’t prevent people from linking to blogs like this—so far, at least.) Direct links will be provided to stories on the  Canadian Affairs  website via other platforms such as BlueSky and X.     Three stories have already been published (and are free to read):  Aid groups respond to Poilievre’s ...
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