Research Interests

To Top

Environmental Change and Security:

• Appropriate Foreign and Security Policies;
• Humanitarian Action;
• Social Justice – Global Inequality;
• Democratic Governance and Multilateral Peacebuilding; and
• Terrorism and Political Violence.

Christopher is interested in issues dealing with the emerging threats, appropriate responses and future trends associated with 'environmental change and security' around the themes of: (1) 'Global Governance' including: appropriate foreign and security policies; participatory and democratic decision–making / accountability; and leadership, crisis management and adaptive learning (e.g., UN Reform, etc); (2) 'Globalisation and Inequality' including wealth–poverty gap; population distribution / migration; social justice issues; 'sustainable' development; and humanitarian action; and (3) 'Human Security' including: climate security, risk management and response, (e.g., energy–resource security); terrorism, insurgency and political violence; militarisation–securitisation and privatisation of social issues and societies.

He also provides management oversight and expert knowledge for the applied research, project–programme elements, public events, workshops, seminars and graduate and other external teaching conducted by CICS. For example, he is the Course Director of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Chevening Fellowship Programme on "Security Sector Reform in Countries Emerging from Conflict" and the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) Training Courses: (a) "African Security and Peacekeeping in Complex Political Emergencies"; (b) "Terrorism: Causes, Trends and Responses I"; (c) "Terrorism: Causes, Trends and Responses II"; and (d) "European Security". He was the focal point for the Sida Framework Agreement on 'Peace and Security in Development Cooperation' and contributes towards various applied research programmes with governments and regional organisations including the EU Neighbourhood Agreements and EU Lots 2, 3, 4, 7 and 13 Research Frameworks. Other examples of his work include:

• He Chaired the Keynote Speaker: John Ashton, UK Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Climate Change at the 'Climate Change: Preparing for the New Security Environment' Conference, RUSI, London, 3 September, 2008.
• He was the Keynote Speaker on "Achieving Sustainable Security" for the 'Searching for a New Approach to Peace and Conflict Studies' Conference of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) in Tokyo, Japan from 22 – 27 January, 2008.
• He also lectured on 'Humanitarian Action' for the 'Cooperation in Multifunctional Peace Operations' Course of the Folke Bernadotte Academy, 20 May–1 June, 2007 in Sandö, Sweden.
• He acted as an International Election Observer for the National Electoral Commission for the Presidential Elections of the Government of Venezuela from 29 November – 7 December, 2006.
• He has lectured on the M.A. programmes in "African Peace and Conflict Studies" and "Peacebuilding and Post–conflict Reconstruction".
• He has also provided pre–deployment lectures/consulting to British military and intelligence units on "Al Qaeda and the New Terrorism: Overseas Operations"; and "Civil–Military Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan".

His previous professional experience is in directing human security, social justice and global governance policies and programmes for NGO's, the Red Cross, the United Nations, the private sector and government. Christopher has directed emergency humanitarian assistance field operations, post–conflict transitional strategies and peacebuilding programmes as a Programme Manager, Country Director, Regional Coordinator and Executive Director with NGO's (i.e., MSF, CARE, etc.) and the Red Cross. He has worked in 13 wars and one natural disaster in +24 countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. From 1997–98, he was the Programme Manager of the 'International Peace and Security Cluster' at the UN Staff College (Italy) working on UN reform. From 1998–2001, he was the Senior Policy Advisor for "Multilateral Peacebuilding and Good Governance" to the Canadian Foreign Minister and Department of Foreign Affairs during Canada's elected term on the UN Security Council and for diplomatic initiatives with the UNGA; G7–G8; OECD–DAC; EU; OAS; ASEAN; NGO's; civil society; and the private sector managing human security frameworks, post–war recovery strategies, political interventions and donor coordination issues in +14 conflict–affected states and fragile regions. In 2000, among other awards, he was presented with the 'Foreign Minister's Award for Foreign Policy Excellence' for his work on the UN Security Council.

He has completed over 500 press interviews on human security issues for radio, television and print media in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. These have included: Canada A.M.; W 5; CBC Newsworld; CBC Midday; The Journal; The National, Global TV Evening News, First National and The News at Noon, the CTV National News, Britain's Channel Four and BBC, the Dutch National News RTL, the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Evening News and Japanese national news services. Radio interviews have included CBC Peter Gzowski's Morningside, CBC Radio Noon in Montreal and Toronto, CBC As It Happens, CBC Infotape, CBC Sunday Morning, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the BBC World Service and BBC News, National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA and others. Interviews for international news magazines and newspapers include: The Globe & Mail; The Financial Post; The Toronto Star; The Ottawa Citizen; The Montreal Gazette; The Winnipeg Free Press; The Halifax Chronicle–Herald; The Vancouver Sun; Saturday Night Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, West Yorkshire Post, U.K.; Sydney Advisor, Australia; The Hong Kong Standard; South China Morning Post,; Maclean's Magazine; Chinese World Journal, Taiwan; several Dutch, Norwegian and other European Newspapers (La Stampa, Dziennik Polski etc.) and The New York Times. Interviews for news agencies include Canadian Press (CP); United Press International (UPI); Cable Network News (CNN), Associated Press (AP); Reuters; Tass, Moscow; and Helsingin Sanomat, Finland.

He has also provided expert commentary for Government Information Services: +Five e–Interviews: "Expert Resources on Security," Policy Discussions, e–Discussion Overview, Canadian International Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Government of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. http://www.dfait–maeci.gc.ca/cip–pic/current_discussions/cushing–en.asp Christopher is a former military officer with the Canadian Armed Forces and has experience with foreign Intelligence Services in counter–terrorism and counter–intelligence. Finally, he has worked for the private sector and the UN as a 'peace–conflict management' consultant in the Philippines, Sri Lanka, London and New York.

Selected Publications

To Top

• “OECD-DAC Handbook on Security System Reform: Supporting Security and Justice,” Co-author and Project Manager First Phase, OECD-DAC, Paris, 2007.
• Co-author, “Responsibility to Protect: An Analysis of Perpetrators of Crimes Against Humanity or Genocide,” Department of Foreign Affairs, Government of Canada, Ottawa, 2007.
• “Peace and Conflict Impact Scan of the Government of Sri Lanka-UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation,” with Kenneth Bush, UNICEF, 2004.
• “Pathways of Peace,” Local Governance Support Programme in ARMM (LGSPA), CIDA and federation of Canadian Municipalities, 2004.
• "Land Mines: The Deadly Remains of War!" CARE Canada Newsletter, Ottawa, June, 1996.
• "Humanitarian Ethics and Great Power Interventions", Surgite, Brock University, Canada, 5, 1996.
• "Humanitarian Concerns for Post-Conflict Peace-Building in Failed States," Institutional Development Journal, 1:1, The Society for Participatory Research in Asia, New Delhi, India, November, 1995.
• "Gorazde Days", MSF Holland: 10th Anniversary Book, Amsterdam, 1995.
• "The Humanitarian Agencies in Complex Emergencies" Module, Interdisciplinary Cooperation Course, The Lester B. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, 1995.
• "Humanitarian NGO's as Agents of Post-Conflict Peace-Building", Post-Conflict Peace-Building Conference, Centre for Foreign Policy Studies, Dalhousie University and The Lester B. Pearson Canadian International Peacekeeping Training Centre, 1995.
• "Sarajevo: Life, Death and Aid", Peacekeeping And International Relations Magazine, Baxter, 2:1994.
• "Letters From Sarajevo", Outskirts, 2:2, Fall 1993, MSF Canada, Toronto.
• "Humanitarian Relief Education", Outskirts, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Canada, February, 1993.
• "The Tragedy of Somalia: Compassion Is Not Enough!", Outskirts, MSF Canada, February, 1993.
• Humanitarian Relief Education (3 volumes), Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Canada, 1993.
• MSF, Is It For Me?, Cushing, Orbinski, et al (eds.), 2nd. Edition, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Canada, 1992.
• "Military Humanitarian Assistance: Samaritan Soldiers - New Thinking About An Old Problem", MACNAUGHTON Papers, CISS, 1992.
• "Peacekeeping, Peacemaking or War: International Security Enforcement Report", Canadian Defence Quarterly, V.21, N.2, October 1991.
• "Expanding Commitments/Shrinking Resources: Canadian Air Force CF-18 Review", Datalink #23, CISS, 1991.
• "Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty: From Blocs to Building Blocks: Political Reassurance and Structural Security in the New Europe", MACNAUGHTON Papers, CISS, 1991.
• "International Security In A Changing Global Order", Canadian Defence Quarterly, 19.6, 1990.
• "Vancouver to Vladivostock: A New Security Framework For North America & Europe", Bulletin, CISS, 1990.
• "Open Seas?", The Toronto Star, January, 1990.
• "Canada Takes The Lead On Open Skies", The Winnipeg Free Press, 11 February, 1990.
• "Change, Challenge & Commitment: Strategic Review 1989", Datalink #18, CISS, 1990.
• "North Pacific-East Asia Security Issues", Datalink #16, Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, 1989.

Other Professional Activities

To Top

Christopher has served on the Boards of seven organisations in Canada and the U.K.