A professional soccer player from Saskatoon, Sask. is helping kids in Ghana learn the importance of playing around. [...] The organization's play-based programs teach children life skills through sports and playful learning activities. Local teachers are trained on how to integrate these aspects into their curriculum, which has improved participation and interaction of all students, including girls.

Canada is combating terrorism by improving “social cohesion” in Lebanon, which is inundated with Syrian refugees. Can it possibly work? [...] It is a subtle weapon; social cohesion improvements lack the immediate impact of a bomb. But can good intentions, friendly smiles and linking words be an effective response to terrorism?

The first time could have been chalked up to charming idiosyncrasy. [...] But the third and fourth times that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada wore themed socks on a public occasion, it seemed clear that something more calculated was going on. You’ve heard of fashion diplomacy, or frock diplomacy? The practice whereby a female politician, or the wife of a world leader, uses clothing to convey unspoken messages about a platform or position, or as a form of outreach? Well, this is clearly sock diplomacy.

As right-wing populism has roiled elections and upended politics across the West, there is one country where populists have largely failed to break through: Canada. [...] Identity works differently in Canada. Both whites and nonwhites see Canadian identity as something that not only can accommodate outsiders, but is enhanced by the inclusion of many different kinds of people.

Two self-described Canadian feminist advocacy organizations say the government needs to make major changes to how it hands out foreign aid, so that it reaches small, grassroots women's development organizations. The government says it wants to find new ways to deliver aid so that it reaches smaller groups, while ensuring accountability for taxpayers' dollars.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, there’s a good bet that three days of colourful cultural overload may have gone a long way to initiating dialogue and building bridges between B.C.’s First Nation communities and the rest of the province.