Canadian International Council - Toronto Branch

02/27/2026

CIC Toronto Branch's Kayona Karunakumar moderated an insightful panel yesterday evening with Ben Rowswell, Vice President, CIC Toronto Branch; Tina Sweeney, Manager, Public Engagement and Alumni, Cuso International; and Paolo Granata, Associate Professor, Book & Media Studies, University of Toronto

02/18/2026

"Beijing’s growing military pressure, economic coercion, and alignment with Russia threaten global supply chains and stability, making a balance between engagement and deterrence essential for Canada’s interests."

As Canada strengthens trade ties with China, it must also maintain firm guardrails to defend Indo-Pacific security and peace in the Taiwan Strait. Beijing’s growing military pressure, economic coercion, and alignment with Russia threaten global supply chains and stability, making a balance between...

02/13/2026

Half a century after Canada’s “Third Option” sought - unsuccessfully - to reduce economic dependence on the United States, Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling on middle powers to chart a new “third path” in a fractured global order. Revisiting the lessons of the 1970s, Paul Meyer asks wh...

02/13/2026

On February 11, CIC Toronto Branch hosted Canada’s Strategic Diversification: Getting from Europe to Eurasia and the Gulf States—The UAE, Trade, AI, and Pragmatic Diplomacy with Arif Lalani, former Canadian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

Melanie Walker, Executive Director of CIC, delivered opening remarks, and the discussion was moderated by Mustafa A***n, President of the CIC Toronto Branch.

The conversation underscored how Canada’s strategic diversification beyond Europe—toward Eurasia and the Gulf states—is both a practical necessity and a strategic opportunity. The discussion explored the UAE’s role as a global connector, the expanding potential for trade, investment, and AI collaboration, and the challenge of balancing pragmatic diplomacy with Canada’s values.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of sustained engagement and relationship-building, while underscoring the opportunities and strategic choices Canada faces in navigating today’s uncertain and evolving geopolitical environment.

02/09/2026

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScoJE9rJu036FEPg6G3paPy8aezQyz0SIbyxXzUGdK5kUHdZw/viewform

01/22/2026

Have your say! CIC’s 2026 foreign policy priorities survey. Your input helps shape public debate and policy discussions:

01/15/2026

Jack Cunningham argues it's time for NATO members to take more concrete actions against Trump’s threats.

It’s time for NATO members to take more concrete actions against Trump’s threats, which if continued will inevitably lead to the invocation of NATO’s Article Four.

01/23/2025

CIC Toronto Branch looks forward to supporting this event.

A Conversation with Vice- Admiral Angus Topshee, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy

01/23/2025

It was a pleasure to co-host with the Circle for Democratic Solidarity Foreign Affairs Critic Heather McPherson last night to discuss Canada-U.S. relations. Special thanks to Sara Wolfe of Brunswick House First Nation for her opening remarks.

06/03/2024

What next in the munitions contest over Ukraine?

The Canadian International Council's Toronto Branch is delighted to invite you to a virtual webinar discussion on security policy in Ukraine with Colby Badhwar, Security Columnist at The Insider. Now in the third year of frontline warfare in Ukraine, military aid has become both critically necessary...

05/21/2024

TOMORROW:

Join us in welcoming Professor Lucan Way for a discussion on how dictators navigate challenges to power. Don't miss out on this insightful talk!

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cics-politics-in-the-pub-how-dictators-survive-tickets-899298896207?aff=erelexpmlt&utm_source=Toronto%20Branch%20Contacts%20List&utm_campaign=e5c486d2d5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_10_17_12_49_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d5ef2760d4-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR04GLHruA64qqrbw6CHGL4iQlC-QcTmOgrESRjneOnSv33701bnshEdfX8_aem_AXTQuOfcEBcumLvgOHj5V9te7F5qTfdSeIzye7IAJ6aUDyOffd_sPmM0lY8jfmTVY9yEyooYVCYXDW9FnftFFOlu

05/20/2024

2 DAYS until we welcome Professor Lucan Way for a discussion on how dictators navigate challenges to power. Tickets are still available!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cics-politics-in-the-pub-how-dictators-survive-tickets-899298896207?aff=erelexpmlt&utm_source=Toronto%20Branch%20Contacts%20List&utm_campaign=e5c486d2d5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_10_17_12_49_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d5ef2760d4-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR20jcVs5ZPb8oLpQg7vPJGDquBKKyNTPL3yVYFx4UPzdBl9YPOghiCW8ro_aem_AWzsPgChb6NW5z7CObhEpoJhu8Ma082yMXhB6sc6aSFJ-k7uJahesVkNu2sB3gA1tjrRmNFjmUUwI9VMNLTXK3WU