Foreign Affairs committee  I may be, but I'm sorry, I need to answer your question.

Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, indeed, he talks about that. If you read his books, you'll understand the techniques I want to apply.

Foreign Affairs committee  No, that shouldn't trouble you because these techniques have been applied in the programs we have in Afghanistan and Haiti: CIDA applies them. And we've had positive evaluations of the work that Rights and Democracy has done in Afghanistan and Haiti. CIDA says it's very positive.

Foreign Affairs committee  I can assure you of the contrary, madame. Moreover, I would refer you to a number of books by Tom Carruthers, who is the world expert in this matter.

Foreign Affairs committee  He is the world expert in this area, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Foreign Affairs committee  I can tell you something: I'm not here to interpret or to discuss Canadian foreign policy; I'm here in fact to develop support for human rights and democracy. I am not here to change an organization in an ideological way. Nobody from the government, nobody from the board, has even asked me anything in terms of changing this organization ideologically.

Foreign Affairs committee  I am not familiar with the situation of that new centre. I don't even know whether it will exist. I don't know whether there will be a bill. It's not up to me to comment on that centre.

Foreign Affairs committee  I know that you have all—

Foreign Affairs committee  No, not at all.

Foreign Affairs committee  I was given a mandate. I was told that taxpayers' money would have to be used to ensure that Rights and Democracy's missions in the field have the greatest impact. I will repeat: they gave me the mandate so that taxpayers' money would be used within the mission of Rights and Democracy so that it has more impact on the ground to help human rights development and democratic development.

Foreign Affairs committee  Indeed, I would have to provide technical details, which I could share with you in another context or place. However, there are project evaluation techniques. Those techniques—I'm obliged to use technical terms—are quantitative and qualitative in nature. I have used both those techniques and that will require staff training.

Foreign Affairs committee  The strategic plan that was approved for the next five years provides that we will consider new countries. Personally, I have an interest in the Americas, and I believe we must do more work there. The allegations we heard about what's going on, whether it be in Venezuela, Iran or Cuba...

Foreign Affairs committee  I'll give you two examples. We have two projects that are extremely promising. In Afghanistan, we are assisting in the implementation of a new family code. I have always made the rights of women one of my priorities over all those years. This work in Afghanistan is very innovative because it concerns a progressive code that must be pursued.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. You know, I was given the mandate to lead the first mission from an organization in Libya. I was in Libya in order to assess the political situation and where we could work in order to improve human rights in Libya. I led this mission for NDI. I organized the first international observation mission ever in Morocco for the 2007 election.

Foreign Affairs committee  Rights and Democracy is independent with regard to all the programming it must carry out. It is not required to work in countries where the government has priority interests. It works where there are human rights violations, where emerging democracies can be established. It is independent in those respects.