Kim Campbell

As Canada's first and only female Prime Minister, Kim Campbell's life has been a life of firsts. From the age of 16 when she became the first female student body president of her high school, until 30 years later as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada at the age of 46, Ms. Campbell has spent much of her life breaking barriers for women. Through her deep and lengthy political career, Kim knows what it's like to make it in a man's world, and is widely regarded as one of the foremost thinkers and speakers on gender issues. After leaving politics, Campbell went on to teach at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and in her course, Gender & Power, she brought together a mix of social science and her personal experiences.

In virtually all societies, leadership is gendered masculine. This is not because women do not lead, but because the positions that define leadership have been dominated by men. Social science research confirms that there are deep underlying preconceptions about femininity that dramatically affect the way women are perceived and which can override empirical observation.

In the past decade, climate change has come to be recognized globally as one of the most serious challenges facing our planet. In The Social Dimensions of Climate Change, former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell discusses the impact of the physical changes of global warming on human societies. She addresses the security risks to developed countries as well as the implications of what she calls "the trifecta of disadvantage" where countries most at-risk from global warming are also among the world's poorest economies and weakest states.

As a member of the Global Leadership for Climate Action (GLCA), a task force of world leaders committed to addressing climate change through international negotiations, Campbell has had access to the most up-to-date scientific information as well as the latest developments in the UNFCCC negotiations that are driving toward a global response in order to go beyond the "Kyoto Protocol." Campbell helps explain the effects of climate change on people, and offers insight into the actions that will be necessary in order to save cultures, lifestyles and lives.

Leadership, diversity, culture and the way we do business have all become intertwined. But what can science tell us about who gets to lead? Former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell takes a close look at leadership in politics and business as it relates to the building blocks of our respective societies. Across the globe communities embrace different values in terms of legitimacy, loyalty, and social trust – but how have these been shaped and influenced by the level of development in our democratic systems?

Known for her global vision and vast experience as a world leader, Campbell probes the question of cultural sensitivity as it applies to certain business and political ties and the factors that play a role in determining who is trusted as a leader.