The latest edition of the Public Policy and Governance Review is now out and available online for your reading pleasure.

The defining image of 2015 was that of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy, who, in his best attempts to flee violence in his home country, ended up lifeless on a beach in Turkey. The photo reflected a family’s heartbreaking tragedy, although it soon came to represent the larger consequences of the refugee crisis. The international community’s collective failure to extend humanity to this family represents an unequivocal policy failure. But it always reminds us that one family’s experience can shape an international narrative. We must move beyond our limited worldviews to take a wide outlook on policy issues across Canada and the world.

To that end, we have organized this year’s Fall Edition of the PPGR to reflect the rippling repercussions of local issues. We begin on a provincial level, with an options note describing how Ontario can improve French language proficiency within the province. We then move to the national stage, with essays on federalism, mental health and homelessness, and First Nations post-secondary education. Our final section includes two pieces dealing with global conflicts, proffering options for NATO in Ukraine and transitional justice narratives in post-conflict Colombia.

As we enter our seventh year, we would like to thank those who support our publication. This issue would not have been possible without the generous support of the School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Toronto. We would also like to thank our esteemed Faculty Advisors, Janet Mason and Ian Clark. To our Advisory Board, our editorial forbearers, our Associate Editors and Editorial Assistants, our International Editor, and to the broader SPPG community, we also offer thanks. The success of the publication would not be possible without these individuals’ intelligence, dedication, and creativity.

To read Volume 7, Issue 1, please click here.