Conversations That Matter

Searching for Innovative Addiction Treatment

Ep 419 - Searching for Innovative Addiction Treatment

Guest: Hirpal Hundial

By Stuart McNish

 

The numbers are staggering – almost five people a day in BC are dying from what the Coroners Service calls “illicit drug toxicity,” also known as opioid deaths. That adds up to 1,095 people from January 1, 2022 to the end of June. 

 

Hirpal Hundial says, “There has been nothing transformative or innovative in the field of addiction medicine to assist people going through detoxification for the last 25 years.” The current solution is to switch users from their opioid of choice to an opioid agonist therapy like suboxone or methadone, both of which research demonstrates produce marginal benefits. Hundial says, “Time is up – we need access to innovative and transformative solutions, otherwise there will continue to be escalating numbers of deaths.”

 

One such alternative is ibogaine, a psychoactive substance that shows promise in the treatment of opioid users. In New Zealand where the use of ibogaine is legal, a study available online at the National Library of Medicine reported that “a single ibogaine treatment reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms and achieved opioid cessation or sustained reduced use in dependent individuals as measured over 12 months.”

 

The report went on to say, “Ibogaine's legal availability in New Zealand may offer improved outcomes where legislation supports treatment providers to work closely with other health professionals.” The same is not true in Canada.

 

We invited Hirpal Hundial, the Director of Clinical Services at Universal Ibogaine, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the risks and the benefits of ibogaine in addressing one of our biggest health challenges.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Is Ukraine vs. Russia a Proxy World War?

Ep 418 - Is Ukraine vs. Russia a Proxy World War?

Guest: Jeffrey Simpson

By Stuart McNish

 

Is the Ukraine-Russia war a proxy World War? Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says, “It is!” He contends NATO is “using Ukraine as a battering ram against the Russian state.” He says, “Russia is the target of one of the most ruthless proxy wars in modern history.”

 

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a Washington Post article, confirmed that America’s goal is to “‘weaken’ Russia,” saying that “the only way to deal with a rogue regime is to reduce its capacity for harm.”

 

1. Anthony Pfaff, a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council, wrote, “With Russia already believing the war is effectively a battle against the West and NATO, there is the possibility that a potential Russian defeat could motivate Putin to expand the conflict by attacking NATO countries.”

 

More than six months into the conflict, Russian casualties continue to mount and the impact of the war is being felt in countries around the world. Cut off from normal trade, Russia has turned to another pariah state – North Korea – for weapons. This, in addition to Iranian drone purchases, shows sanctions are hurting Moscow. As a member of the Security Council at the UN, will the purchase of weapons from North Korea jeopardize Russia’s status? Will the Russian invasion of Ukraine escalate from a proxy war to a world war, or is it a global conflict already?

 

We invited Jeffrey Simpson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the expanding risks associated with Putin’s determination to reclaim the Soviet Empire.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

A New Spirit of Capitalism

Ep 417 - A New Spirit of Capitalism

Guest: Drew Erdmann

By Stuart McNish

 

“Even before the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09, the excesses of unchecked capitalism were manifest – what once seemed like a virtuous drive to maximise returns on investment for everyone came to seem like a race to the bottom. The wealthy got increasingly wealthy, workers’ wages stagnated, the environment suffered, and parts of many countries were left behind,” states a new book published by the Trilateral Commission, “A New Spirit of Capitalism.”

 

It is clearly time for a reset. The book’s authors go on to say, “The problems got harder to ignore once the first bubble popped.” And then came COVID-19 – a pandemic “which exposed weaknesses in globalisation’s relentless pursuit of low cost production; the crisis highlighted instead the value of supply chain security and resilience, and a collaboration between state and business,” emphasises co-author Drew Erdmann.

 

Erdmann goes on to point out, “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrates state and business can and do work together to mobilise assets and economies to serve strategic objectives.”

 

We invited Drew Erdmann to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the role and manner in which a “New Spirit of Capitalism” can address the issues of our times.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

BC Legends

Ep 416 - BC Legends

Guest: Carole Taylor

By Stuart McNish

 

“British Columbia is rich with people of legendary status – people who looked the hardships of life in the eye and stared them down,” says Carole Taylor.  “Along the way, the tales of their seemingly impossible feats became folklore. In other words, they are larger than life.”

 

Carole Taylor, a legend in her own right, set out to document BC’s living legends. She says, “I wanted to ensure we recognized and preserved the stories of these extraordinary women and men from them. I wanted to capture their personalities, their drive, their enthusiasm and great devotions.”

 

Taylor interviews artists, businesspeople, social advocates, environmentalists – along with others like Doug and Diane Clement, who convinced us to get off the couch and move; Ratana and Aaron Stephens, who guided us to consume organic food; Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, who showed us the path to reconciliation; and Jody Wilson-Raybould, who showed us what courage looks like when standing up to a Prime Minister.

 

Taylor says, “I focused on 26 extraordinary people who have contributed to our province and their reach has been global. These are the people Teddy Roosevelt was talking about, whose ‘faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood. People who err, who come up short time and again.’ Jimmy Pattison, Brandt Louie, Dempsey Bob and Joe Segal are just a few of the BC Legends I sit down with this fall.”

 

We invited the host of “BC Legends with Carole Taylor” to join us for a Conversation That Matters about why preserving the stories of our legends is a gift to future generations – and future legends.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Is paper the right environmental choice?

Ep 415 - Is paper the right environmental choice?

Guest:Dr. Chris DeArmitt

By Stuart McNish

 

On June 22nd of 2022, the Government of Canada introduced its “Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations,” legislation that states that plastic checkout grocery bags are considered single-use if the bag breaks or tears if “used to carry 10 kilograms over a distance of 53 metres 100 times.”  A plastic straw is considered single-use if after washing it 100 times in a dishwasher, it changes shape. Does that make the straw or the bag a bad environmental choice? A paper straw that may survive a single use is not considered a bad environmental choice.

 

Plastic knives and forks are treated the same way if, after 100 washes, they change shape – then they are considered single-use and a bad choice. The day before recording this conversation, two paper catalogues arrived in the mail: unsolicited and unneeded. They won’t be used – is that a bad environmental choice? 

 

“When it comes to banning single-use, we might be better off focusing on paper rather than plastic,” says leading plastics scientist Dr. Chris DeArmitt. He is the author of “Phantom Plastics,” a book that examines the prevailing thoughts about plastics. He points to the Bank of Canada, which studied plastic versus paper for the country's money and the decision was to print plastic money rather than paper because it was the better environmental choice.

 

Heresy, you say! How can that be? DeArmitt claims, “Life cycle analysis is the answer. Plastic money has seven times the lifespan of paper money.” When looking at the total impact of paper money, the carbon footprint and environmental costs far exceed that of plastic. DeArmitt starts by pointing to the weight of paper, saying, “The extra fuel required to transport paper over plastic is just one element in the life cycle analysis of money. And then add in the impact of harvesting trees, mashing them into pulp and paper and the limited lifespan.” And he says, “It all adds up to plastic being the best choice.”

 

DeArmitt continues, “Litter is created by people who can stop doing that by making better choices… When you attach value to plastic, it does not clog drains or end up in the sewer. The proof of that is in money. There are more than eight billion plastic bank notes printed each year and they do not get discarded.”

 

We invited Dr Chris DeArmitt to join us for a Conversation That Matters about plastics, their myths and their misconceptions.

 

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Fighting for Truth and Justice

Ep 414  - Fighting for Truth and Justice

Guest: Matthew Caruana Galizia

By Stuart McNish

 

 

In the afternoon hours of October 16th 2017 in Bidnija, Malta, the car of investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia was ripped apart by a powerful bomb. “My mother had to go to the bank, she left the house and then I heard the explosion,” said Matthew Caruana Galizia in an interview for the Allard Prize for International Integrity. His mother was a fearless Maltese journalist who was assassinated for ceaselessly uncovering corruption in her country. Her car was found more than a city block from the ignition point of the blast. It was a powerful message to anyone who dared to expose corruption at the highest level in Malta.

 

In recent news, one of the men accused on the bombing has confessed saying, had he known who she was he would have asked for money to kill her. According to “The Guardian”, George Degiorgio said, “if I knew, I would have gone for 10 million, not 150,000” Euros. He went on to say, “for me it was just business. Of course I feel sorry.”

 

When the Panama Papers were released, Caruana Galizia traced millions of dollars back to the power elite in Malta. Despite increasing intimidation and threats she dug into the details of the money and those behind it. Her blog was extremely popular and had subscription rates that eclipsed the major media outlets in the country.

 

Matthew says, “Journalists in Malta were expected to cover up for powerful people, to partake in the culture of silence, and my mother refused to do that.  This put her in an ultra minority.” Fellow Maltese blogger Manuel Delia says, “When political parties are threatened by a journalist, they will isolate them, dehumanize them. In the case of Daphne, they will demonise her.” In an interview before her death Daphne said, “They have made me into what is in effect a national scapegoat.” 

 

Daphne Caruana Galizia is the posthumous co-winner of the Peter A. Allard Prize For International Integrity, which was awarded in Vancouver on October 21, 2020. We invited her son Matthew to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the unveiling of corruption and the high price Daphne paid for her brave pursuit of the truth.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Do Universities Matter?

Ep 413 - Do Universities Matter?

Guest: Joy Johnson

By Stuart McNish

If knowledge is empowerment, does the place where you garner that knowledge matter? “The answer is yes, it does matter,” says Joy Johnson, the President of Simon Fraser University. Johnson continues by noting, “a university degree carries with it exceptional career prospects, higher pay and it opens a person’s mind to the realm of the possible and pushes the boundaries of the seemingly impossible.”

 

There are many careers that are simply unattainable without a university degree such as in health, the sciences, technology, business, law and education. There is also a perception that universities are a place where you can explore ideas from a variety of perspectives and that you are free to do so. 

 

Stuart McNish invited Joy Johnson, the President of Simon Fraser University, to join him for a Conversation That Matters about the complex, diverse, and critical role of universities in our economy and society.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Blowing the Whistle on Danske Bank

Ep 412 - Blowing the Whistle on Danske Bank

Guest: Howard Wilkinson

 

As Russia continues to disrupt the world, we revisit a previous Conversation with Allard Prize for International Integrity co-winner Howard Wilkinson, the man who blew the whistle on the largest money laundering case in history. Wilkinson uncovered and exposed an international money laundering scheme that reached all the way to the Russian secret police, which included relatives of President Vladimir Putin. So corrupt is the regime that more than 230 billion euros passed through bank accounts at the Danske Bank in Estonia.

 

Wilkinson reported his suspicions to senior officials at Danske Bank – to which the bank responded by letting him  go, muzzling, and paying him off. His report, while not acted upon at the time, eventually came to light and he says, “Charges have been laid against 12 former bankers in Estonia and another 10 Danish bankers have been served with preliminary charges.” The scandal rocked the financial world in Europe and the US, where the Securities Commission and the Department of Justice are carrying out investigations.

 

We invited Howard Wilkinson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the unveiling of the largest money laundering scheme in the world.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Smart Mission: How NASA solves problems

Ep 411 - Smart Mission: How NASA solves problems

Guest: Ed Hoffman

 

“The COVID-19 global pandemic demonstrates the need for international collaboration to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges,” states a new book on project and program management called “The Smart Mission, NASA’s Lessons for Managing Knowledge, People and Projects.” Over 37 days, a NASA team of aerospace engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory with no knowledge of medical devices built a working ventilator from off-the-shelf parts. This illustrates how effectively teams learn and share knowledge in real-time contexts.

 

One of the book’s authors is Ed Hoffman, who was the Chief Knowledge Officer at NASA, who says,  “Never has there been more urgency. The social dimension of knowledge and the need for people to collaborate remains constant as projects become increasingly complex and pose technical challenges that we cannot anticipate.”

 

Hoffman continues saying, “Complex challenges require complex teams in multiple disciplines over multiple jurisdictions and cultures coming together to find solutions – solutions that are possible to achieve if and when knowledge over information is at the core of the team’s approach.”

 

We  invited Ed Hoffman to join us for a Conversation That Matters on how and why NASA is able to accomplish the impossible and how that insight can help you and your team conquer the seemingly impossible.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca

Is Russia Collapsing?

Ep 410 - Is Russia Collapsing?

Guest: Diane Francis

 

The EU just announced its seventh sanctions package, which is set to put an embargo on Russian gold. Gold is Russia’s largest non-energy export. The Russian government’s response was to shrug it off and downplay the impact of sanctions – a position the Union of Gold Producers in Russia disagrees with, noting that “the country’s gold industry may suffer irreparable damage.”

 

Author, National Post Editor-at-Large, and Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council Diane Francis says, “Russia is in trouble economically, demographically, financially and militarily.” Francis goes on to say, “Punitive Western sanctions, as well as brain and capital drains, are shredding the country’s future.”

 

In an article titled “To Russia With Malice,” Francis states, “Sanctions against the import of technology such as microchips have caused factories to stop making many consumer products, as well as weapons of war. Automobile production is down by 96.7 percent [and] Aeroflot is using spare parts from outdated aircraft to keep its fleet operating.” Francis warns, “Don’t ever fly Aeroflot and, worst of all, hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of energy, nuclear, and infrastructure projects have been cancelled.”

 

We invited Diane Francis to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the devastating consequences of Russia’s irredentism toward Ukraine and throughout the remainder of the former Soviet Union.

Join us at a Conversations Live event, sign up for advance notice about upcoming events at conversationslive.ca