2025: The Year Foreign Aid Fell Off a Cliff - The McLeod Group McLeod Group blog by Stephen Brown, April 20, 2026 The latest numbers on foreign aid are out, and 2025 proved to be a record-breaking year – but not for the right reasons. It was a historic retreat, w...

Dire insights on the precipitous drop in global foreign aid (ODA) in 2025 by @stephenbrown.bsky.social for the McLeod Group: www.mcleodgroup.ca/2026/04/2025...

*Navigating Ambiguity: Reproductive Justice and the Restriction of Abortion Rights, LGBTI+ Rights, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Zambia* Abstract In Zambia, religious nationalists exploit legal and policy ambiguities to construct abortion and LGBTI+ rights as un-Zambian and un-Christian. This delegitimization narrows the scope of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to family planning. Drawing on forty-five in-depth interviews with Zambian stakeholders and international aid officials, we argue that while these ambiguities constrain reproductive justice, they also allow activists to advance SRHR by building coalitions that connect advocacy for abortion rights, LGBTI+ rights, and reproductive justice to promote health service access and bodily autonomy for all. In Zambia and elsewhere, such activism and coalition building merit greater attention and support.

Very pleased to have worked on this article, "Navigating Ambiguity: Reproductive Justice and the Restriction of Abortion Rights, LGBTI+ Rights, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Zambia", with Thando Malambo, now available in the African Studies Review www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Submit your abstract for “Securing Peace and Justice for Queer Lives in Conflict" conference You are invited to submit an abstract to participate in a two-day conference on the theme “Securing Peace and Justice for Queer Lives in Conflict" in Manchester, UK. The conference is arranged by Jam...

Do you research or work in civil society on issues related to queer justice, peace or security?

Join me and @sritholtz.bsky.social at @manchester.ac.uk, 12th and 13th October, 2026 for the Security Peace and Justice for Queer Lives in Conflict conference.

Submit your abstract here: bit.ly/3NG09dR

symbolic graphic; on the right is a photo of four Senior Fellows sitting at a table and discussing

#CfA: The College #UARuhr invites advanced international researchers in the #SocialSciences & #humanities to apply for a Senior #Fellowship by 15 May 2026.
Join us for an inspiring 6-month #research stay starting 2027: www.college-uaruhr.de/cfa-fellowships-2027-28

Canada cuts AIDS funding while keeping support for cinnamon supply - CCPA Canada’s new approach to international development has a bizarre set of priorities

www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc... 'Observers are awaiting further details of Canada’s cuts to global health...but the government remains tight-lipped even on assuaging fears about helping people caught in the most vulnerable of circumstances' @policyalternatives.ca

Have (scholarly) thoughts about the US? Selwyn College is hiring a 3-year postdoc in American Studies: join me at a friendly college close to town but far from tourists, live in for next to nothing, research anything related to US society, politics or history. www.sel.cam.ac.uk/jobs/Keasbey...

Ad with the text "Scott didn't receive an organ transplant, but an organ transplant saved his life -- because thanks to an organ donor, his wife Katie received a lifesaving transplant"

Odd messaging from the government of Ontario. It apprently wants us to be organ donors, not to help women who need a transplant per se, but because their husbands can't survive without a wife to take care of them. Ad in today's @hilltimes.com, page 3.

Human rights in question over Carney’s foreign policy shift to trade, security As Prime Minister Mark Carney puts trade and security at the centre of Canada’s foreign policy, observers say Ottawa is also shifting how it asserts its values on the world stage.

Human rights and Canadian foreign policy under Mark Carney: “They won’t say out loud (that) we’re going to be less interested in values, but clearly that seems to be the case” www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art... @withfilesfrom.bsky.social

Commerce et sécurité | La politique étrangère de Carney critiquée sur ses valeurs Alors que le premier ministre Mark Carney place le commerce et la sécurité au cœur de la politique étrangère canadienne, les observateurs constatent qu’Ottawa modifie également sa façon d’affirmer ses...

Les droits humains et la politique étrangère canadienne sous Mark Carney : « Ils ne diront pas ouvertement que nous allons nous soucier moins des valeurs, mais c’est clairement ce qui semble se produire » www.lapresse.ca/actualites/p... @withfilesfrom.bsky.social

"It's a crisis like we've never seen before."

I wrote about this year's global LGBTQ+ rights funding crisis, how it has impacted queer individuals and communities on the ground, and who's doing something about it:

Journal article title and abstract: "The decriminalization of same-sex relations in Botswana: National, regional and international dimensions of LGBTQI+ activism". by Stephen Brown, University of Ottawa, Canada This article examines the first instance in the past 25 years of the decriminalization of same-sex relations in Africa via strategic litigation. It asks: What are the main factors that contributed to decriminalization in Botswana in 2019? What relative role did national, regional and international actors play? Drawing in part on interviews with key actors and observers in Southern Africa, it argues that Botswanan LGBTQI+ activists’ efforts outside the courtroom played a key role. They mobilized crucial support, expertise and financial resources of allies at home and elsewhere in Southern Africa, with some financial assistance from the Southern African affiliate of an international philanthropic network. Nonetheless, national activists maintained ownership of the process. The case thus contradicts assumptions in the literature that when human rights activists obtain assistance from transnational activist networks, the aid comes from the Global North and the international actors dominate the process.

📣 New publication on LGBTQI+ activism in Botswana and how they succeded in overturning the colonial-era law banning same-sex sexual relations: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.... #OpenAccess 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ 🌍

Two PhD student funded opportunities on international LGBTIQ+ issues in relation to humanitarian actions, at Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) in Germany. Share! www.ifhv.de

Norway Strengthens International Efforts to Promote LGBTQ+ Rights | Norad.no Norway is increasing its support to organisations working to advance LGBTQ+ rights, including efforts to combat violence and discrimination. Norad is entering new agreements with the Norwegian organis...

In response to the growing backlash against international LGBTQI+ rights and other aid donors' waning support, Norway is increasing its funding in this area. A good example for other countries, such as Canada, to follow. www.norad.no/en/news/news...

Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Environment and Security Posting Reason: New Position Job Family: Academic Leadership and Faculty Union affiliation: APUO Faculty/Department: School of Political Studies_FT Campus: Social Sciences Building Date Posted (YYYY/M...

Job ad for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Environment and Security at the School of Political Studies, uOttawa / Annonce pour une Chaire de recherche du Canada de niveau 2 en Environnement et sécurité à l'École d'études politiques, uOttawa

uottawa.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/uOttaw...

LGBTQI+ People and the ‘Triple Nexus’ of Development Cooperation, Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding - Morgane Rosier, Stephen Brown, Dennis Dijkzeul, 2025 Since the mid-2010s, scholars and practitioners have been increasingly interested in the integration of development cooperation, humanitarian action and peacebu...

🚨 New article: "LGBTQI+ People and the ‘Triple Nexus’ of Development Cooperation, Humanitarian Action and Peacebuilding", co-authored with Morgane Rosier and Dennis Dijkzeul, available via open access at journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... 🌍 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ #LGBTQResearch

📢New blog by Stephen Brown - The Demise of Canada’s Feminist Foreign Policy

Prime Minister Mark Carney delivered the death blow to Canada’s feminist foreign policy while attending the G20 summit in South Africa last weekend... 🔗 www.cips-cepi.ca/2025/11/28/t...

Excellent analysis here from @stephenbrown.bsky.social for The McLeod Group.

Canada's feminist foreign policy was always more of a slogan than an actual policy. But it is still a bad sign that it was just officially jettisoned. Read my analysis here: www.mcleodgroup.ca/2025/11/the-...

Other than the Feminist International Assistance Policy, there wasn't much of a FFP in more than name

No more feminist foreign policy, Carney says Prime Minister, who made the comments at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, has placed less emphasis on feminist policies than the Trudeau government

It's official, folks. Canada has abanadoned its feminist foreign policy www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

When Building Canada Strong, Don’t Forget About Soft Power - Open Canada In an increasingly complex world, Canada’s aid program is not a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a ‘need to have.’

Excellent commentary by Val Percival on the reasons the importance of foreign aid for Canada opencanada.org/when-buildin... @npsia.bsky.social

The world needs less Canada? - The McLeod Group McLeod Group blog by Stephen Brown, November 10, 2025 Does the world need less Canada? One might think so, reading last week’s federal budget. The cuts to foreign aid and how they are justified sugges...

Excellent commentary from @stephenbrown.bsky.social on the McLeod Group Blog about Canada's ill-timed cuts to its global aid responsibilities:

"The World Needs Less Canada?"

www.mcleodgroup.ca/2025/11/the-...

📢New blog by @stephenbrown.bsky.social - The World Needs Less Canada?

Does the world need less Canada? One might think so, reading last week’s federal budget... 🔗 www.cips-cepi.ca/2025/11/10/t...

Ottawa cutting foreign aid and research spending back to pre-pandemic level The Carney government says it is cutting foreign aid spending to a level in line with Canada’s pre-pandemic aid allocations — without specifying the size of this year’s aid budget.

More on Canada cutting its aid budget www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...

Canadian aid cuts will bite deeply in global crisis zones, relief agencies say Ottawa will impose the $2.7-billion foreign aid cut over the next four years

Canada is cutting its aid budget www.theglobeandmail.com/world/articl...

Canadians want our companies to conduct their business abroad responsibly. WHY is the position of Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise still VACANT?

Canadians call for a strong and independent CORE to investigate Canadian corporate abuse abroad.

Instead, the government has left the position vacant. Signals suggest that the government may be planning to quietly close down the office.

👉 cnca-rcrce.ca/why-is-core-...

Advocates call on Carney to keep his promise to not cut foreign aid in budget With Mark Carney’s first ever federal budget just over a week away, international development advocates are calling on the prime minister to keep his pre-election pledge to uphold foreign aid funding.

Advocates call on Carney to keep his promise to not cut foreign aid in budget 🌍 www.ctvnews.ca/politics/art...

Sign the new House of Commons e-petition calling on the Government of Canada to strengthen protections for LGBTQ+ people worldwide and reaffirm Canada’s role as a safe haven.

Thank you to MP Rob Oliphant for sponsoring this important petition.

www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en...

Escaping the multicultural trap: strategic litigation and the decriminalization of same-sex relations in Mauritius Mauritius is widely praised for policies that have minimized tensions between ethno-religious groups. Other types of groups, however, are excluded from that sociopolitical ordering of society. In p...

📢 Brown examines how LGBTQI+ activists in Mauritius challenged colonial-era sodomy laws through strategic litigation, pushing for rights in a system that celebrates multiculturalism but marginalizes queerness.

🔗 Read more: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Global Politics and Development Articles Our aim is to assemble a community of scholars who research and/or teach on issues of politics and ‘development’. The group seeks to foster critical reflection on the concept of 'development', with…

Wanting something new to listen to? 🎉
Our Global Politics and Development WG convenors Melita Lazell and Ivica Pertrikova have a podcast series - Global Aid Rethink! 🌎

Ft: @tamsinbradley.bsky.social @jacktaggart.bsky.social @stephenbrown.bsky.social & more 🌟

Find all eps here 👉