about

The Rideau Institute on International Affairs is an independent research, advocacy, and consulting group based in Ottawa.

It provides research, analysis and commentary on public policy issues to decision makers, opinion leaders and the public.

It is a federally registered non-profit organization, established in January 2007.

RIDEAU Institute
The Hope Building
63 Sparks St., Suite 608
Ottawa, ON K1P 5A6
tel.: 613-565-9449
fax: 613-249-7091
e. operations@rideauinstitute.ca

Steven Staples is the president of the Rideau Institute. In the past 15 years, Steven Staples has acted as the Director of Security Programs for the Polaris Institute, the Issue Campaigns Coordinator for the Council of Canadians and the Coordinator for End the Arms Race. He is well known for his work on international defence, disarmament and trade issues. In 2006 he published his first book, Missile Defence: Round One (Lorimer), which chronicled the citizen-based campaign that succeeded in persuading the Paul Martin government to announce that it would not join the U.S. ballistic missile defence program in February 2005. Steven Staples is a member of the Canadian Pugwash Group and the Group of 78, and also acts as the General Secretary of the international network of anti-nuclear groups, Abolition 2000.

Lauren Hunter is the operations coordinator of the Rideau Institute. A student of Carleton University’s Arthur Kroeger College of Public Affairs and Policy Management, she has significant research experience in the fields of international law, peace operations and conflict studies. Over the course of the past few years, she has become involved in the political scene in Ottawa, contributing to the operations of the office of a Member of Parliament and participating in several federal election campaigns.

The Rideau Institute is an independent research, advocacy and consulting group based in Ottawa. It helps non-profit organizations to meet their policy goals, and it provides research, analysis and commentary on public policy issues to decision makers, opinion leaders and the public.

Steven Staples, President and founder of the Rideau Institute, well-known commentator, and author of Missile Defence: Round One

Michael Byers, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Global Politics and International Law at the University of British Columbia and author of Intent for a Nation, What is Canada For?

Bruce Campbell, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of numerous books and studies on Canadian public policy

Kathleen Ruff, former Director of the British Columbia Human Rights Commission and former director of the Court Challenges Program

Mel Watkins, professor emeritus of economics and political science, University College, University of Toronto; author; and well-known Canadian political figure

Peggy Mason, former UN Ambassador for Disarmament and Senior Fellow at The Norman Paterson School of International Relations at Carleton University

Maude Barlow, author and Chairperson of The Council of Canadians

Peter Coombes, Direct Marketing Coordinator of the United Way of the Lower Mainland

Murray Dobbin, political commentator and author

Walter Dorn, Associate Professor of Defence Studies, Royal Military College of Canada

Mel Hurtig, author, former publisher, and founder of The Council of Canadians

Wade Huntley, Director of the Simons Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Research, Liu Institute, University of British Columbia

Anil Naidoo, International water policy analyst and Project Organizer of the Blue Planet Project

Douglas Roche, author, former parliamentarian and senator (retired)

Bill Robinson, former Program Associate, Project Ploughshares

Erika Simpson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Western Ontario

Scott Sinclair, director of Trade and Investment Research Project, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Alice Slater, Director, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, NY

Mike Wallace, Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia

Christopher Holcroft is a consultant and Toronto associate for the Rideau Institute. He advises clients on all facets of their communications and advocacy plans. Christopher has more than a decade of strategic communications, media relations and political campaign management experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. He is a prominent advocate, community board member and volunteer involved with a number of public policy issues including the environment, health care, homelessness, youth and civic engagement. Christopher is also a frequent media commentator on political issues and has written several op-ed articles for major Canadian newspapers.