The Open Canada Podcast

In this episode of Open Canada, host Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with Ambassador Emmanuel Kamarianakis, Canada's Ambassador to Brazil, about Canada's role in advancing climate diplomacy ahead of COP30 in Brazil. They explore how Canada and Brazil are collaborating on sustainable growth, innovation, and cultural exchange, and why public diplomacy and people-to-people ties matter more than ever in sh...

Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with  Kerry   Buck , former Canadian Ambassador to NATO and seasoned diplomat, about Canada's place in an increasingly complex and contested global landscape. They discuss NATO's evolving role beyond Europe, Canada's lagging investment in multilateral institutions, and why regional crises like the conflict in the Global South demand greater Canadian engagement. As shifti...

In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez sits down with Alireza Yazdi, director on the board of the Canadian International Council, a Canadian with both Persian and Jewish roots, to explore the deeply personal and political complexities of the Israel-Iran relationship. Against the backdrop of escalating conflict and shifting power dynamics in the Middle East, they discuss identity, belonging, and what...

In this episode, Ruth welcomes Patricia Fortier who is a retired Canadian diplomat whose career spanned over three decades, marked by significant contributions to international relations, crisis management, and governance.  

In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez dives into Canadian foreign policy and Indigenous governance with Leah Sarson whose recent work explores the evolving roles of leadership, law, and resource management.  

In this episode, Chris Kilford shares insights on Canada's involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian war, drawing from his extensive experience in defense and foreign policy. He discusses the evolving nature of the conflict, NATO's expanded role, and the broader geopolitical shifts impacting Canada.   

In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez has an insightful conversation with Paul Meyer on Canada's position as a middle power and the need for transformation in Canada's foreign policy to address current global challenges.  

In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez and Dr. Bessma Momani talk about Canada's geopolitical stance on global issues and how it will be impacted by the upcoming elections.

In this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses the growing tensions between East-West relations in clean-tech manufacturing and supply with Steven Knell.

On this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on how we do work, and the structural inequalities faced by migrant workers in Canada. 

On this episode, Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses with Armin Safavi, member of the Canadian International Council's Young Professionals Network. They discuss Middle East politics and Iran's growing visibility and prowess as a nuclear power, as well as the impact of sanctions and nuclear diplomacy.

In this packed episode, Ruth discusses the war in Gaza and the possibility of a two-state solution with Jon Allen. 

Ruth Mojeed Ramirez speaks with Shawky Fahel, founder of the Canadian International Development Organization, about the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the urgent need for Canada's leadership in responding to the plight of Palestinians.

On this special episode, Ruth discusses with Ambassador Jacqueline O'Neill about Canada's efforts on "Women, Peace and Security", and the pivotal role of women in global peacekeeping and securitization.

Ruth Mojeed Ramirez discusses with Kerry Buck, former Permanent Representative and Ambassador to NATO. They discuss how Canada can reinforce it's impact on global affairs, and how emerging issues in different parts of the world affect us in Canada.

Ruth discusses with Nadir Patel, the former High Commissioner of Canada to India, the need for public and private sector collaboration for economic development.

Ruth catches up with Anil Arora, Chief Statistician of Canada, to discuss what the data can tell us about trends in migration and how immigration impacts the Canadian labour market.

The second part of this two-part episodes focuses on Canada's efforts supporting organizations like the World Trade Organization, the Organization for Economic Co-operation & Development and other multilateral institutions in collecting data, implementing data prompts and working with diverse groups, including women entrepreneurs, to strengthen global efforts on gender equity and human rights. 

This episode focuses on the imperative for inclusive policymaking and establishing democracy as an evolving process requiring collaboration and concerted efforts in assessing the functionality and viability of our democratic institutions, and how trade can be an effective tool for advancing diplomacy. 

In this episode Ruth connects with Senator Peter Boehm, Senate of Canada & Chair of the Standing Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade. They discuss Canada's role in global trade negotiations, our relations with The U.S. and NATO, and how Canada can further engage talent from around the world.

Ruth speaks with The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, about Her Honour's distinguished history of bringing Ontario to the world, the climate crisis, elmployment equity, and her aspirations of engaging Canadians in an ever changing society.  

On this episode, Ruth discusses with Sunil Johal, Professor of Public Policy and Society at the the University of Toronto & Vice-President Public Policy at the CSA Group, public policy implications of remote work and how we as a society can rebuild in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

On this episode, Ruth discusses with Ambassador Catherine Stewart, Canada's Ambassador for Climate Change, on Canada's action plan for combatting the climate crisis. The Ambassador shares insights on the government's National Adaptation Strategy and the plan for engaging multi-level collaborators and actors on shared priorities for improving the wellbeing of Canadians, and those most impacted by c...

Ruth speaks with Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship, on Canada's immigration statistics, focusing on a recent report by Statistics Canada on the dwindling uptake in citizenship by recent immigrants and newcomers to Canada. Daniel discusses how Canada can learn from its past successes on immigration to attract and retain newcomers to the country.  Visit OpenCanada.org fo...

Ruth speaks with a researcher who studies the way global crises intersect. Professor Thomas Homer-Dixon is the executive director of the Cascade Institute at Royal Roads University. His studies look at the "polycrisis," looking to find what common threads can be found across multiple serious global problems. Climate change, the war in Ukraine, and the European energy crisis all intersect in ways t...