OTTAWA, Canada, April 7, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cuso International, one of North America’s foremost international volunteer organizations, is pleased to announce the appointment of prominent Canadian statesman Lloyd Axworthy, PC, OC, OM to its international Board of Directors. Dr. Axworthy currently serves as the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Winnipeg and has a distinguished record of public service and leadership both in Canada and internationally. Princeton University awarded him the Madison Medal for his record of outstanding public service. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Dr. Axworthy served as Director and CEO of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia from 2000 to 2004. He is the author of Navigating a New World (2003). Prior to his academic career, Dr. Axworthy served in the Manitoba legislature for six years and as a Member of Parliament for 21 years, during which he held numerous senior cabinet posts including as Canada’s foreign minister (1996 – 2000).
Internationally, Dr. Axworthy was a member of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor and of the Commission on Food Security. His leadership in the creation and signing of the international treaty to ban landmines resulted in being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998. In 2001 he established the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) which developed the UN’s Responsibility to Protect doctrine (2001). Dr. Axworthy is currently in Ukraine, as a member of an international mission of the Washington-based National Democratic Institute, assessing preparations for the presidential election planned for May in that country.
Dr. Axworthy’s appointment to Cuso International’s volunteer Board is a result of an independent search process. “Lloyd Axworthy has long been a champion of active and effective global citizenship. We are keen to work side-by-side with Dr. Axworthy and build upon his depth of knowledge,” says Cameron Charlebois, Chair of the Board of Directors, Cuso International.
For more than 53 years, Cuso International has worked to reduce poverty and inequality in developing countries around the globe. “Dr. Axworthy’s deep experience and his clear commitment to international development and human rights is a great asset to our team,” says Derek Evans, Cuso International’s Chief Executive. “His understanding of the challenges and opportunities, and his track record of effective innovation, will strengthen the impact of our work.”
As a leading international development organization, Cuso International works to reduce poverty and inequality in 15 countries around the globe. Cuso International mobilizes skilled professionals to volunteer with local partners and communities to improve education, health, economic development, governance and environmental sustainability.
Currently, Cuso International is participating in the 2-year pilot Diaspora for Development (DfD) Program, a public-private alliance with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Accenture. DfD, being piloted in Ethiopia, Kenya, Peru, Jamaica and the Philippines, is designed to support and promote the mobilization of diaspora communities/volunteers to address human resource gaps in developing countries. April 6-12 is National Volunteer Week in Canada and the United States. Twitter – #NVW14
Jennifer Lavoie
Communications Manager
1-613-829-7445 x252
