Moving from Scarcity to Abundance
The last few months have been unprecedented. Trump. Tariffs. Snap Election Season. Mandate Letter. Speech from the Throne. Now with all of that behind us, we have our next moment - Canada’s G7 Summit.
Hi friends,
This May has been one for the history books—and in fact, this entire year has been unprecedented. As a country (and perhaps globally), we are still reeling from the daily influences of the 2nd Trump presidency, which have created shocks to global economic systems and our geopolitics. Most dramatic have been all the tariffs announced and their impact on nearly every nation and region of the world, including remote islands inhabited by just penguins. It’s been unreal: an understatement indeed.
Usually in my Substack dispatches, I like to take a political or policy moment and break it down and share some analysis. But the rate of change has been so fast-paced, especially in the last few weeks.
April 28th - Canadian Federal Election resulting in a Minority government
May 6th - Canadian Prime Minister Carney met with American President Donald Trump
May 13th - New Federal Cabinet Announced
May 21st - Single Mandate Letter Released
May 27th - Speech from the Throne read by King Charles III opens new session of Parliament
Many policy think tanks, from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives to the C.D. Howe Institute and more, have commented on what all these moments and documents reflect in terms of priorities and immediate actions by Prime Minister Carney and his cabinet. Suffice it to say, there is a significant emphasis on making the domestic economy as productive as possible, protecting Canadian jobs, and exploring trading relationships we want to diversify and deepen so we reduce our over-reliance on the United States of America.
Now, on this last day of May, as we look ahead, what I hope, in this moment of economic uncertainty, is that we do not stay stuck operating in a scarcity mindset but think about our challenges as opportunities to create a more sustainable, abundant world that goes beyond GDP. I’ve recently picked up from the library Ezra Klein’s and Derek Thompson’s latest book, Abundance, a paradigm-shifting call to action that focuses on just that: how do we achieve a state in which there is enough of what we need to create lives better than what we have had?
The book opens with a beautiful passage about what the world could be in 25 years from now. The 2050 society is replete with energy from clean sources of wind, solar, and nuclear. Vegetables and fruits are grown in nearby hydroponic farms. The rise of lab-based meat production means that large swaths of land put aside for farms and grazing are no longer needed. More time is spent on leisure because investment in faster forms of public transit and AI means less time on commutes and work.
An apt excerpt that encapsulates what could be possible for us all:
“Your micro-earpiece pings: a voice text from a friend and his family, on their way to the airport for another weekend vacation. Across the economy, the combination of artificial intelligence, labour rights, and economic reforms has reduced poverty and shortened the workweek. Thanks to higher productivity from AI, most people can complete what used to be a full week of work in a few days, which has expanded the number of holidays, long weekends, and vacations. Less work has not meant less pay. AI is built on the collective knowledge of humanity, and so its profits are shared. Your friends are flying from New York to London. The trip will take them just over two hours. Modern jetliners now routinely reach Mach 2 - twice the speed of sound - using a mix of tradition and green synthetic fuels that release far less carbon into the air.”
That last section was appealing to me. Travel is my love language, and I love exploring the world, so always interested in more time to dedicate to that intercultural learning and global engagement. So, how do we get started? For Ezra and Derek, the building blocks of that abundant future are getting back to the fundamentals: Housing, Transportation, Energy and Health.
To spark that very type of ‘abundant’ thinking and innovation, I am so excited for the Eureka Fellowship for Youth Changemakers in Canada, developed in partnership between Plan International Canada and AstraZeneca Canada, a phenomenal youth leadership development program focused on supporting the dreamers and do-ers who are working to make the world a better place, namely focused on advancing health equity in Canada and globally! Learn more and apply here by June 8th if you are interested, in English and French.
Looking ahead, we have an opportunity to dream up bigger, bolder, abundant futures - not just manage scarcity. The first upcoming forum for that is the G7 Leaders’ Summit, taking place in a few weeks. Stay tuned for a future Substack newsletter that breaks down what is at stake at the G7 and how Canada is faring on its journey to put a number of economic measures in place by Canada Day.
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On a personal note, I am truly humbled to have been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for my contributions to children’s rights, gender equality, and global cooperation in Canada and globally. Very grateful to have had the opportunity to share this special recognition with my family, including my Dad, the first policy advocate I knew.
I have shared in a previous post, Securing Your Seat At the Table, the relentlessness with which my Dad has pursued his advocacy for newcomers. It came from his own experiences when arriving in Canada. When I look back now, public policy, grassroots community mobilization, and government relations were concepts that were surprisingly introduced early on in my upbringing in Canada because of all the civic engagement my Dad was involved in.
As my extended family was sharing in a recent WhatsApp chat, Pasha, as he is known, has truly transformed the trajectories of our entire khandan. As the second-oldest brother, he was the first in our entire lineage to ever even leave the Indian subcontinent, let alone immigrate halfway around the world - first Saudi Arabia, then Yemen, and now in Canada.
I only hope I can contribute even half of his impact to our family’s legacy!
With heart and determination,
Anjum
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If you want me to circulate jobs, professional development opportunities, and events in future newsletters, please get in touch with me at anjumsultana.mph@gmail.com.
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Eureka Fellowship - Apply by June 8, 2025
Super proud to share that the Eureka Fellowship is back! Jointly developed by Plan International Canada and AstraZeneca Canada, 10 Fellows will be chosen to scale their initiatives focused on health equity in Canada and globally! Apply by June 8th: https://bit.ly/2025-Eureka-Fellowship-For-Youth-Changemakers-English-Application
✅ $ 10,000 in seed funding
✅ 18-month leadership development program
✅ Raise the profile of your initiative locally and nationally
✅ Virtual curriculum and workshops
✅ In-Person Summit in Toronto in Spring 2026
✅ Access to the Eureka Fellowship Alumni Network for ongoing support
Upcoming Events!
Hearsay Toronto | This is a great resource for keeping track of business and policy events in the City of Toronto.
Canada at the G7 Table: Redefining Trade Priorities | Institute for Research on Public Policy | June 2, 2025
Inspiring the World Cup Legacy: Advocate for access, opportunity, and dignity beyond 2026 | Play for Dignity | June 2, 2025
Opportunities to stretch + grow
Public Appointments to Agencies, Boards, and Commissions | City of Toronto
All of the Canadian governments’ staff directories | Springboard Policy
Global Leadership Program | Aga Khan Foundation Canada | Deadline June 8, 2025
Results Canada Fellowship | Deadline June 15, 2025
Event and Youth Initiative Grants | Canadian Race Relations Foundation - Deadline July 4, 2025
30 jobs in policy & public affairs & more
Summer Assistant, Newcomer Youth Programs | Deadline June 1, 2025
Vice President, Advocacy | Canadian Cancer Society | Deadline June 2, 2025
Vice President, External and Member Relations | Colleges and Institutes Canada | Deadline June 2, 2025
Policy Analyst | Clean Energy Canada | Deadline June 2, 2025
Manager, Policy, Programs, and Partnerships | York Region | Deadline June 4, 2025
Manager of Stakeholder Engagement | Women’s Centre of York Region | Deadline June 5, 2025
Social Action Manager | Family Services Toronto | Deadline June 7, 2025
Policy Officer | Cooperation Canada | Deadline June 8, 2025
Senior Manager, Research and Evaluation | United Way Greater Toronto | Deadline June 11, 2025
External Relations Specialist | HealthCareCAN | Deadline June 11, 2025
Coordinator, Youth Policy Program | Vancouver Foundation | Deadline June 15, 2025
Manager, Policy and Advocacy | Oxfam Canada | Deadline June 16, 2025
Communications Specialist | Wellesley Insitute | Deadline June 20, 2025
Director of Research, Policy, and Communications | Social Planning Toronto | Deadline June 23, 2025
Policy Analyst (Climate Engagement) | Congress of Aboriginal People | Deadline July 5, 2025
Manager, Program Design and Advocacy | Lung Health Foundation | Deadline July 6, 2025
Sustainability and Social Impact Manager | Broad Reach Canada | Deadline July 15, 2025
National Advocacy and Policy Specialist | Canadian Federation of University Women | Deadline July 19, 2025
Director, Strategic Communications | Ontario College of Family Physicians | Deadline July 21, 2025
Executive Director | Transparency International Canada
Senior Policy Advisor | Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Government Relations Officer | World Sikh Organization
Manager, Nonprofit Partnerships | Benevity
Strategic Advisor, Government Relations | Doctors of BC
Policy Director | Toronto Region Board of Trade
Director of Public Policy | Greenshield
Vice President, Federal Government Relations | Canadian Bankers Association
Associate Director of Government Relations | ONE Canada
External Affairs Specialist | Home Depot Canada