Through public events sponsored by the Jeanne Sauvé Forum, the Foundation engages the broader public on globally significant challenges and showcases the innovations, achievements and impact of emerging leaders in Canada and around the world.

The Forum’s public engagement and education activities enrich public debate and raise awareness of complex global challenges, while promoting the skills, values and public leadership needed to address them. Accounts of these events and activities are highlighted in News & Events.

Learning from Leaders

The Foundation’s public Forum events give Fellows a unique opportunity to learn from public leaders, while offering opportunities to test their own innovative ideas on how we might collectively build a better world.

We introduce our Fellows to an array of individuals exemplifying the finest qualities of leadership in their respective fields. Outstanding among these opportunities have been the occasions when the Fellows have met with former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Forum events brings notable individuals to Jeanne Sauvé House for more intimate talks. Guests have included: former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; the leader of Canada’s Green Party, Ms. Elizabeth May; Senator Roméo Dallaire; and Gérald Sapey, International President, Reporters Without Borders.

Special events, often organized in conjunction with like-minded organizations, further enrich the public discussion fostered by the Jeanne Sauvé Forum. One event that will be long remembered was the evening organized by The Climate Reality Project Canada with the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, and renowned Canadian geneticist and environmental activist Dr. David Suzuki.

The Foundation also regularly hosts private gatherings at Maison Jeanne Sauvé with Special Guests such as former Prime Minister Paul Martin, economist Jeffrey Sachs, International Olympic Committee member Richard Pound, and renowned academic and author on business and management, Henry Mintzberg.

Amplifying the Voice of the Next Generation of Public Leaders

The exceptional young people who participate in our programs have a great deal to say about the challenges that we face as a global community. And they have plenty of bold, innovative ideas on how we might collectively build a better world. The Jeanne Sauvé Forum aims to amplify their voice.

During the program year, Fellows participate in important conferences and meetings as speakers, organizers, panelists, facilitators, and delegates. Events include the Governor General’s Women’s Conference, the Civicus World Assembly, the Clinton Global Initiative University, and the Global Environmental Governance Forum.  The Jeanne Sauvé Forum prepares its Fellows to engage and educate diverse audiences as a core component of effective public leadership.

Thanks to the professional media training that is part of the professional development programming, many Fellows have become skilled speakers, panelists and/or commentators. A number have written and published articles and books. As Canadian and international media become aware of the depth of expertise and fresh perspectives to be found through the Sauvé Fellowship, Fellows are increasingly solicited to serve as media analysts regarding their areas of expertise.

At year-end presentations, Fellows each share the results of their Sauvé experience with the extended community. They design and host events, workshops, debates, panel discussions, and even conferences to showcase their work and to share what they have learned. One of the most audacious initiatives was the weekend-long session of Hacking Health, which in less than two years would evolve into a full-blown start-up with international affiliations.

Raising Awareness about Key Global Challenges

Sponsored by the Foundation, the Annual Jeanne Sauvé Address is the premier public event designed to raise awareness about key global issues.

The Inaugural Address was delivered in 2010 by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, at McGill University. Her talk, Youth Engagement in the 21st Century:  Inspiring Change in an Era of Globalization, was followed by a lively discussion by a panel that included four Sauvé Fellows and Ilona Doherty, the Executive Director of Apathy Is Boring (co-founded by Sauvé Fellow Paul Shore). Outstanding Canadian journalist and humanitarian Sally Armstrong delivered the 2011 Jeanne Sauvé Address, The New Revolutionaries: Achieving ‘the Equality Effect’ for Women and Girls Around the World. In 2012, Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Marie Wilson addressed the devastating legacy of Canada’s residential school system. Her talk was followed by a panel discussion among four Jeanne Sauvé Fellows with backgrounds and experiences as advocates of social justice in their respective communities. In 2013, Dr. Sheema Khan’s Address, Faith and Freedom: Promoting Religious Diversity and Gender Equality in Canada, was enlivened by a panel that included three Jeanne Sauvé Fellows. Céline Galipeau, the first woman to anchor Radio Canada’s flagship news program Téléjournal delivered an eloquent talk entitled Democracy in the Balance: Journalism in Canada and around the World for the 5th Annual Jeanne Sauvé Address in November 2014.