Future Planning Initiative
Report on the Strategic Convening
October 2nd and 3rd, 2024
BACKGROUND
The Future Planning Initiative (FPI) is a coalition of six Canadian civil society organizations (CSOs) committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally and domestically. Member organizations include Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH), Cooperation Canada, Inter Pares, Global Canada, and Oxfam Canada.
The 7th FPI retreat convened key stakeholders from government, global health, human rights, feminist, and international development sectors to address pressing global challenges to SRHR and strategize for the future sustainability of our movements. This retreat aimed to achieve the following:
- Take stock of the current status of Canada’s SRHR commitments to uncover key challenges and opportunities for advancing SRHR both domestically and globally.
- Develop actionable strategies and best practices to safeguard existing commitments, counter the influence of anti-rights movements, and champion a human rights-based approach to SRHR that reflects and incorporates diverse perspectives.
Spanning two days, the retreat offered a vital platform for collaboration, bringing together diverse stakeholders to find shared values and locate common goals to advance SRHR for all. Through workshops, interactive discussions, and knowledge-sharing, participants explored opportunities to strengthen accountability, address barriers to progress, and develop cohesive strategic interventions. This convening strengthened connections and promoted unity between stakeholders amidst growing polarization and global challenges. It reinforced collective efforts to solidify Canada’s position as a global leader in SRHR and gender equality.
Against the backdrop of intensifying global challenges, participants embraced the retreat as an opportunity to anchor the discussion in a dual ethos of hope and defiance. Hope was positioned as the active, radical practice of reimagining the future, challenging existing limitations, and investing in transformative change. Defiance was expressed not as mere resistance, but as an enduring commitment to justice, solidarity, and protecting hard-won gains.