Member of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2003-10-30
Invested on: 2004-12-10
Ian Smillie is a strong and effective proponent of Third World development and social justice. Former executive director of Canadian University Service Overseas (CUSO), he co-founded and directed Inter Pares, a Canadian NGO devoted to the principle of partnership in development. Now a writer and consultant, he has played an integral role in bringing the world's attention to the link between the illicit diamond trade and violent conflicts in Africa. He worked on a UN expert panel on Sierra Leone and continues to be part of an international effort to stop the cycle of violence associated with "conflict diamonds."