Minister of State for Democratic Reform Announces Advisory Panel on the Creation of a Democracy Promotion Agency

June 15, 2009
Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa - Today, the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State for Democratic Reform announced the establishment of an independent advisory panel to provide advice on the Government’s commitment in the November 2008 Speech from the Throne to create a new, non-partisan democracy promotion agency.

“Canadians are already doing excellent work on behalf of foreign agencies in the field of democracy promotion,” stated Minister of State Fletcher.  “This Canadian agency will build on this experience as Canada takes on a more active role in supporting the development of democratic ideals around the world.”

The volunteer advisory panel includes four Canadians who will provide advice to the Minister of State for Democratic Reform on the mandate, structure and mechanisms of the new agency by the end of summer 2009.  The four panel members are:

• Dr. Thomas Axworthy (chair)
• Leslie Campbell
• Éric Duhaime
• Senator Pamela Wallin

“I look forward to working with and learning from the expertise of these prominent Canadians,” said Minister of State Fletcher.

Biographical notes of the panel members are attached.

For information, contact:
Cherie Godin
Office of the Minister of State (Democratic Reform)
(613) 943-6975

Biographical Notes

Dr. Thomas S. Axworthy

Chair
Centre for the Study of Democracy
Queen's University School of Policy Studies

Professor Thomas Axworthy has served as Senior Policy Advisor and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In 1984, Dr. Axworthy went to Harvard University as a Fellow of the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government. He was subsequently appointed visiting Mackenzie King Chair of Canadian Studies. In 1999, Dr. Axworthy helped to create the Historica Foundation to improve teaching and learning of Canadian history, becoming its Executive Director until 2005. To recognize his achievements in heritage education (he initiated the Heritage Minutes), civics, and citizenship, Dr. Axworthy was invested as an Officer of the Order of Canada (2002). In 2003, he became Chair of the Centre for the Study of Democracy, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University, pursuing the themes of expanded human rights and responsibilities, democratic reform, Canadian-American relations, and modern liberalism that characterized his research, teaching and advocacy career. He has edited several publications with the most recent being “Bridging the Divide – papers for the Interaction Council,” (June 2008). He was awarded the Public Affairs Association Award of Distinction on November 26th, 2008 by the Public Affairs Association of Canada.

Honourable Pamela Wallin

Senate of Canada

The Honourable Pamela Wallin, O.C., S.O.M., was appointed to the Senate of Canada on December 22, 2008. She serves on the Senate's prestigious Foreign Affairs & International Trade Committee and is Deputy Chair of the Defence & National Security Committee. Senator Wallin is also the Chancellor of the University of Guelph. She serves on several corporate boards, including CTVglobemedia; Gluskin Sheff & Associates; Oilsands Quest; and Porter Airlines. Senator Wallin is also a member of a special Advisory Board for BMO Harris Bank.

Senator Wallin is an Officer of the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honour. She also served, at the request of Prime Minister Harper, on the special Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan.

Senator Wallin was Consul General of Canada in New York from 2002-2006. She continues her work as the Senior Advisor on Canada-US relations at the Americas Society and the Council of the Americas in New York.

Leslie Campbell

Senior Associate and Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
National Democratic Institute

Leslie Campbell is National Democratic Institute's senior associate and regional director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). He joined NDI in 1994 and has directed Institute's programs in the MENA region since 1996.

Mr. Campbell has overseen a vast expansion of NDI's programs in the Middle East with the establishment of nine permanent offices and dozens of programs that furnish assistance with political, civic and governance reform, and development throughout the Arab world.

A frequent guest and commentator on Middle East issues for major news outlets, he has also written a number of articles and papers on the subject of democracy in the Middle East. Mr. Campbell comments and writes frequently on the topic of Canadian political party reform and co-authored, with Thomas Axworthy, The Democracy Canada Institute, A Blueprint (Centre for the Study of Democracy, Queen's University, 2005).

Mr. Campbell has been a guest speaker and/or lecturer at American University, Georgetown University, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the University of Toronto and several chapters of the World Affairs Council; and has been a speaker/presenter and panelist at numerous conferences and events. He has served as a member of task forces and study groups on Middle East democracy at the Brookings Institution, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and the United States Institute of Peace.

Éric Duhaime

Resident Director of the Political Parties Program and Deputy Director in Iraq
National Democratic Institute

Éric Duhaime is currently the National Democratic Institute’s Resident Director of the Political Parties Program and Deputy Country Director in Iraq. He served previously as Resident Director of the Political Parties Program for two years in Morocco and provided technical assistance to Parliamentarians and Political Parties in Haiti, Jordan, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

Mr. Duhaime has worked in Canadian and Quebec politics for fifteen years as political advisor to Mario Dumont, Stockwell Day and Gilles Duceppe.

He has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Montreal and a master’s degree in Program Evaluation from the National School of Public Administration in Quebec City.