Former Programs
International Women's Rights Project
The International Women's Rights Project (IWRP) was founded in 1998 to strengthen the capacity of women's NGOs and to influence the implementation of international human rights standards, for the benefit of women, through research and evidence-based advocacy. The IWRP is currently affiliated with the Centre for Global Studies at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. IWRP operates on a project-by-project basis, with funding from private and governmental sources.
Read more about International Women's Rights Project
Globalization and Governance
The Globalization and Governance Program was established in 2000 to conduct critical examination of the role of international institutions in the globalization process. In the present environment of accelerating interdependence, policy-makers face a hard dilemma: on the one hand is the widely recognized need for improved international mechanisms to guide the globalized system toward more equitable and sustainable ends; on the other, are the practical problems associated with achieving the inclusiveness and accountability necessary for ensuring legitimate and effective global institutions. Few would dispute the shortcomings of the current status quo, in which the World Bank and International Monetary Fund - whose voting models and constitutive arrangements are among the least democratic of the international institutions - maintain a dominant and ever expanding sphere of influence over the global economic system. At the same time, a review of governance models across the broader spectrum of international organizations reveals widely divergent practices and approaches to the question of what constitutes good governance at the global level.
Technology and International Development
The mission of the Technology and International Development Program is to encourage the participation of University of Victoria faculty in international development projects dealing with global issues of governance, security and sustainability, and to provide technical services and assistance to members of the University community engaged in the implementation of international development projects.
Read about the Southern Oceans Education and Development Project
International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD)
IICRD is a Canadian leader in community-based, national, regional and international applications of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). These applications are unique in that they provide a "culturally grounded" approach to children's rights that build on children's natural resiliency (strengths) as well as the strengths of families, communities and culture.
BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner (BCOHRC)
The Human Rights Tribunal hears cases related to alleged violations of BC’s Human Rights Code. The Human Rights Clinic provides legal support for people pursuing cases at the Tribunal. The Human Rights Commissioner plays a broader role, addressing systemic human rights issues by promoting a culture of human rights through education, research, interventions and investigatory activities. CFGS, CTI and IICRD worked together in developing a pilot framework for a baseline study on the state of human rights in B.C. and to support the development of the Office’s Theory of Change and organizational monitoring and evaluation framework.
Climate Change Displacement: Mapping the Issue in BC
Addressing the issue of displacement due to climate emergencies and disasters, this report developed by Nicole Bates-Eamer, Oliver Schmidtke and George Benson in November 2021, with CFGS and the Climate Displacement Planning Initiative (CDPI). The report identifies relevant organizations, frameworks, policies and programs that can lay the groundwork in building multi-level government, business and civil society networks and capacity for addressing climate change displacement in BC. It also highlights the two main knowledge gaps: the need for data on past and existing displacements and mobilities to and within the province, and the need for awareness of risks and hazards at the community level.
The report is available online here.
Digital Fishers
The Neptune Canada project at the University of Victoria received a $1M funding award from CANARIE Inc., Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network, in response to its “Data from the Deep, Judgment from the Crowd” proposal. eBriefings.ca is a partner in this project, leading the “Digital Fishers” crowdsourcing component under the direction of UVic’s Centre for Global Studies Senior Associate Dr. Rod Dobell. eBriefings.ca (a division of Whitehall Policy Inc.) brings leading-edge depth of experience in deploying Web2.0 principles and technologies in corporate, academic, civil society and civic society environments to facilitate social networking, data capture and collaborative knowledge creation.