Canadian international development organizations say they are prepared to do more to help tell the story of Canada’s role in foreign aid — and they would welcome more resources to do it.
The organizations are part of the Inter-Council Network, a coalition of the eight provincial and regional councils that represent more than 350 civil society groups across Canada.
Their current agreement with Global Affairs Canada is for $35.5 million over seven years to engage the public about foreign aid. Since 2020, they have used that funding to directly reach 5.1 million Canadians, and another 12.2 million indirectly.
The councils were responding to comments made by Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, in an interview with Canadian Affairs.
In the interview, Sarai said he wants to increase the visibility of foreign aid in Canada by telling more stories of its impact on people in the Global South.
Sarai’s comments were amplified by Shanti Cosentino, his director of communications.
“As taxpayers, it is important for Canadians to see how their support makes a real difference around the world,” she said, adding “these are things Canadians can be proud to support.”
Malcolm Toland, executive director of the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation, recently returned to Canada after living in Africa and the Middle East for decades. He says Canada is a very different place today than it was when he went overseas in the 1990s.
“There is much more interest in global issues now than when I left,” he said. “There is a greater desire to discuss these things. I hope it continues.”
Still, foreign aid is not top of mind for many Canadians today, acknowledges Janice Hamilton, executive director of the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation.
“But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it,” she added.
“Issues in the Global South can affect people in Canada, things like global instability and refugee flight … we need to see the world as one place, and we are all in it together,” she said.
Plus, Hamilton says, there is a moral imperative to giving aid — for the wealthy to share and to help people stay alive.
For Kimberly Gibbons, head of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation, telling the foreign aid story is important. But it matters how the conversation is framed.
“It’s about global citizenship, not just about people over there in other countries,” she said.
“We need to shift the mindset as we create spaces for people to talk and share their experiences and learn together … telling the story isn’t just about the amount of money being spent and where it is spent.”
Jennifer Sloot, executive director of the Atlantic Canada Council for International Cooperation, believes Canadians “should know the incredible amount of work being done.”
But, she said, “it is a challenge to get those stories out.”
For her, the best way to tell the foreign aid story is by linking it to “issues Canadians care about, making a connection between issues here and other countries.”
One thing foreign aid leaders all agreed on is that Global Affairs should invest more in public engagement if the secretary of state’s goal of telling the foreign aid story to more Canadians is to be realized.
“The government should invest more in organizations with good stories to tell,” said Gibbons, who noted funds should be for the whole sector, not just the Council network.
“Public engagement should be seen as an integral part of foreign aid,” said Sloot.
In a response, Global Affairs Canada spokesperson Thida Ith said the agency remains committed to engaging Canadians on the importance of international assistance.
However, the department is unable to say how much will be provided for future public engagement activities until the 2025–26 budget is finalized.
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