Association of Canadians in Europe : The Association of Canadians Abroad, a not-for-profit organization, was established in 1999 by the Canadian Unity Council. The name was changed to the Association of Canadians in Europe in November, 1999. The program, launched at the request of the Government of Canada, had developed out of a proposal to create national chapters of Friends of Canada in foreign countries, beginning with Europe, in an effort to promote Canadian unity among Canadians living abroad. Applying the Council's guiding principles of developing a better understanding of Canadian institutions and increasing citizen engagement in public debate to the international scene, Canadians in Europe was created to foster understanding and awareness of respective economic, political, social and cultural values between Canadians and Europeans. The initial key objectives of the program included creating a more united, expatriated Canadian community and, in particular, developing an awareness of Canada in France beyond the aspects of Quebec culture and Canadian tourism. The program gave the increasing number of Canadians living and working abroad the opportunity to keep informed of current events in Canada and to discuss Canadian affairs in a professional context. By 2000 Canadians in Europe had become a cross-disciplinary forum for Canadians and Europeans from the public and private sectors to discuss and exchange ideas in fields such as international affairs, strategic planning, economics, science, culture and social science. Canadians in Europe promoted Canada and worked to build a solid reputation among think tanks, institutions, businesses and the media.
The Canadian Unity Council elected the program's officers during the Annual General Meeting in November 1999 and it was operating autonomously by the end of 1999. It was governed by a Board of Directors and its staff included a Director General responsible for developing membership by building on contacts in business, political and academic communities, and a Coordinator responsible for obtaining corporate subscriptions. The Director General reported to the Board of Directors, which was composed primarily of members of the Council's Executive Committee. In 2003 a management committee and a strategic committee were put in place. Canadians in Europe was organized into national chapters that were intended to support a network of Canadians abroad with the local elites in political, corporate, cultural, scientific, and media circles. The first chapter of the Association was set up in Paris, France in 1999. In 2001, Canadians in Europe established chapters at Brussels in Belgium and London in the United Kingdom. The organization intended to expand activities into Germany. There was a separate Executive Director and Board of Directors for each chapter. Each Executive Director was responsible for budget control, organized a number of events per year, and published quarterly newsletters. Much of the work was carried out by volunteers. Each chapter held series of events including conferences, colloquia, symposia, meetings, seminars, round tables, debates, and speaking tours intended to be platforms of deliberation and debate using Canadian opinion leaders living in Europe to promote Canadian institutions and values. The events attracted media attention and well-known personalities and experts in various fields of study. Events were organized around general themes such as issues related to change brought about by globalization, relations with youth and the university and scientific research communities, terrorism and world security, international development, and the internet as a new global public forum.
Canadians in Europe was financed by the Government of Canada, initially through the Ministry of Communications and then through Heritage Canada. However, after a full evaluation of the program by Heritage Canada, the Minister indicated that it did not fit in with the mandate of that ministry. By October 2004, Government of Canada funding was withdrawn from the program. All Canadians in Europe activities ceased on December 31, 2004. In 2003 The Council had proposed to extend its activities into the United States under a one-year pilot project entitled, Canadians in the U.S.A. However, the project was postponed and not pursued later.
