THE POSSIBILITY
Recognize Canada’s 2010 G8 Presidency as an opportunity to focus global attention and investment on ending preventable deaths among mothers, newborns and children in developing countries.
THE APPROACH
The strategy brought child rights and international development organizations together around a clear policy ask. When significant disagreement and resistance emerged, members of the coalition had to successfully navigate disagreement and resistance to move forward with a shared idea of impact, while continuing to build support with political decision-makers.
THE IMPACT
Under Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Muskoka Initiative mobilized US$7.3 billion in global commitments for maternal, newborn and child health. Together with the broader global effort it helped catalyze, maternal and child mortality declined: by 2012, 400,000 fewer children were dying each year than in 2010.¹
For our client, Plan Canada, the initiative also resulted in $45 million in Canadian government funding, matched by another $10 million from Canadian donors, for projects across seven countries.
