Stephen Lewis
Encyclopedia
Stephen Henry Lewis, (born November 11, 1937) is a Canadian
politician, broadcaster and diplomat
. He was the leader of the social democratic
Ontario New Democratic Party
for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis
was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party
. After politics, he became a broadcaster on both CBC Radio
, and Toronto's CityTV
. In the mid-1980s, he was appointed as Canada's United Nations
ambassador, by Progressive Conservative Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney
. He quit in 1988 and worked at various United Nations agencies during the 1990s. In the 2000s, he served a term as the United Nations' special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University
in Toronto
. In 2003, he gained investiture into the Order of Canada
.
. His parents gave him the Hebrew name "Sholem", a Yiddish derivation of the Hebrew word shalom, which means peace, because he was born on Armistice Day
. From the time he was born, and through his early childhood, his father was the National Secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF), the predecessor party to the NDP. When his family moved to Toronto
in 1950, he attended secondary school first at Toronto's Oakwood Collegiate, and then his final three years of high school at Harbord Collegiate Institute
. In 1956, he entered the University of Toronto
(UofT) where he became a member of the Hart House debating committee, and on 14 November 1957, debated Senator and future American President, John F. Kennedy
on the question, "Has the United States failed in its responsibilities as a world leader?" The Senator narrowly beat the Hart House team 204-194. Lewis's performance was considered the highlight of the event, while Kennedy's was flat according to many members in the audience like John Brewin
. He spent his third year of university at the University of British Columbia
(UBC) before spending his final undergraduate year back at UofT where he failed to write his final examinations. He went to law school twice in the early 1960s, dropping out of both UofT and UBC's programs.
, where he received an invitation to a conference in Ghana. He attended, and instead of returning to Canada, spent more than a year working, traveling, and teaching in various places in Africa. He recalled in his 2005 Massey Lectures
that the relatively brief sojourn would be a key influence on his life, especially after the turn of the new millennium.
He came back to Canada at the instigation of Tommy Douglas
, and in 1963, at the age of 26, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
. Following the engineered 1970 resignation of Donald C. MacDonald
, Lewis was elected leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party
. His initial experience at the helm in the 1971 provincial election
was a disappointment, with the party slipping from 20 seats to 19.
A radical left wing group nicknamed The Waffle
had gained prominence, with one of its leaders, James Laxer
winning one-third of the vote when he ran to be leader of the federal NDP in 1971. Lewis felt that The Waffle was threatening the credibility and stability of the party and supported a movement against the group in June 1972 on the basis that it was a party within a party.
Lewis led a strong campaign during the 1975 election
with his oratory and passion bringing new supporters to the party. The NDP highlighted issues such as rent control and workplace safety. Each day, Lewis told the story of a different Ontarian in trouble, making a case that this was because of the lack of adequate legislation. Polls showed the NDP surging and the incumbent Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in freefall and in the course of the campaign Premier
William Davis
was forced to commit his party to bringing in rent control
and other progressive reforms in order to retain power. When the ballots were counted the Tories were reduced to a minority government
. Lewis' NDP had doubled its seats from 19 to 38, surpassing the Ontario Liberal Party
to become the Official Opposition. To some it appeared that it was only a matter of time before the NDP would form the government.
The next election, in 1977
, proved to be a disappointment. The growth of support for the NDP stalled, and while the Tories were kept to a minority, the NDP failed to make any gains. The party was reduced to 33 seats and lost its status as Official Opposition to the Liberals. In 1978, a frustrated Lewis stepped down as party leader and as a Member of Provincial Parliament.
After working for several years as a labour mediator, columnist and broadcaster, in 1984 Lewis was appointed Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations
by Governor General
Jeanne Sauvé
, on the advice of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
. Lewis served at the post until 1988. In the 1980s, he became a familiar voice appearing with Dalton Camp
and Eric Kierans
as part of a weekly political panel on Peter Gzowski
's CBC Radio
show, Morningside
.
From 1995 to 1999, Lewis was Deputy Director of UNICEF. From 2001 until 2006, he worked as United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. In his role as Special Envoy, he worked to draw attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis and to convince leaders and the public that they have a responsibility to respond. He has been widely praised for his effectiveness in this role. In 2005 he adapted his Massey Lectures
in a book titled "Race Against Time", where he describes the disjuncture between what the international community promises and their actions in responding to the pandemic in Africa.
In May 2006, Lewis joined the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University
as a Scholar-in-Residence. Also in 2006, he was elected a Senior Fellow of Massey College
in the University of Toronto. In 2009, Lewis strongly criticized Pope Benedict XVI
's assertion that condom use only makes the AIDS crisis worse.
shots, so that their recovery progress can be monitored at the time of the second vaccination. Lewis claims it has been scientifically proven that this method effectively reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In October 2009, to raise money for the foundation, Lewis helped with a campaign to dare Canadians to do something for Africa called A Dare to Remember. The campaign, paired Lewis with musician k-os
, Federal NDP leader Jack Layton
, Olympic gold medalist Duff Gibson
and many other Canadians performing various dares for the event. He faced his own personal fears as part of the campaign, and sang live on CBC's The Hour with the band the Arkells.
. He is married to Canadian journalist Michele Landsberg
. Their son is Canadian broadcaster Avi Lewis
, who married journalist and author Naomi Klein
, and their daughters are Ilana Naomi Landsberg-Lewis and Jenny Leah Lewis; Ilana is the partner of musician and activist Lorraine Segato
, and serves as executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
.
He is also the brother of Nina Lewis-Libeskind, the wife and partner of world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind
. Lewis' brother and sister, Michael Lewis and Janet Solberg, were both active and high-ranking officials within the party during the 1980s and 1990s: Michael was the Ontario provincial secretary, and Janet was the Ontario party's president. His grandfather Moishe Lewis
was an activist in the Jewish Bund in Russia and the Jewish Labour Committee in Montreal.
on October 10, 2002. His investiture into the order was held on October 23, 2003. He delivered the annual Massey Lecture in 2005, and it was published in book-form under the title Race Against Time: Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa. The book consists of five lectures that depict the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, critically examining the international community's passivity as a contributing factor.
In 2006, two new secondary schools in the Toronto area were named after Lewis: one in Mississauga, Ontario, Stephen Lewis Secondary School
and one in York Region. The Mississauga school has a special focus on educating students on issues relating to social justice and global citizenship to enhance the Ontario Curriculum.
In 2007, Lewis received the World Citizenship Award
, from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
, as well as the Health and Human Rights Leadership Award from Doctors of the World-USA. Lewis was also invested as a Knight Commander of the Most Dignified Order of Moshoeshoe by King Letsie III of Lesotho.
In 2010, Forbes magazine, in conjunction with their 2010 list of World's Most Powerful People asked the feminist playwright Eve Ensler
to identify Worlds' Most Powerful Feminists. She named Stephen Lewis as one of her top seven.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, broadcaster and diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
. He was the leader of the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
. After politics, he became a broadcaster on both CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
, and Toronto's CityTV
Citytv
Citytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications under its Rogers Broadcasting Ltd. division...
. In the mid-1980s, he was appointed as Canada's United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
ambassador, by Progressive Conservative Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. He quit in 1988 and worked at various United Nations agencies during the 1990s. In the 2000s, he served a term as the United Nations' special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa
HIV/AIDS in Africa
HIV/AIDS is a major public health concern and cause of death in Africa. Although Africa is home to about 14.5% of the world's population, it is estimated to be home to 67% of all people living with HIV and to 72% of all AIDS deaths in 2009.-Overview:...
. He is currently Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In 2003, he gained investiture into the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
.
Early life and education
Stephen Lewis was born in Ottawa, Ontario, on November 11, 1937, to Sophie Lewis (née Carson) and David LewisDavid Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
. His parents gave him the Hebrew name "Sholem", a Yiddish derivation of the Hebrew word shalom, which means peace, because he was born on Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
. From the time he was born, and through his early childhood, his father was the National Secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF), the predecessor party to the NDP. When his family moved to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in 1950, he attended secondary school first at Toronto's Oakwood Collegiate, and then his final three years of high school at Harbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute is a public secondary school located in downtown Toronto, Canada. Specifically, the school is located in the Palmerston-Little Italy/The Annex neighbourhood, situated on the north side of Harbord Street, between Euclid Ave. and Manning St...
. In 1956, he entered the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(UofT) where he became a member of the Hart House debating committee, and on 14 November 1957, debated Senator and future American President, John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
on the question, "Has the United States failed in its responsibilities as a world leader?" The Senator narrowly beat the Hart House team 204-194. Lewis's performance was considered the highlight of the event, while Kennedy's was flat according to many members in the audience like John Brewin
John Brewin
John F. Brewin is a Canadian politician, who served as Member of Parliament for Victoria from 1988 to 1993. He is a member of the New Democratic Party, as was his father Andrew Brewin. He was married to Gretchen Brewin, who served concurrently as mayor of the city of Victoria...
. He spent his third year of university at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC) before spending his final undergraduate year back at UofT where he failed to write his final examinations. He went to law school twice in the early 1960s, dropping out of both UofT and UBC's programs.
Political career
He left his studies in the 1960s and took up a clerical position with the Socialist InternationalSocialist International
The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of democratic socialist, social democratic and labour political parties. It was formed in 1951.- History :...
, where he received an invitation to a conference in Ghana. He attended, and instead of returning to Canada, spent more than a year working, traveling, and teaching in various places in Africa. He recalled in his 2005 Massey Lectures
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
that the relatively brief sojourn would be a key influence on his life, especially after the turn of the new millennium.
He came back to Canada at the instigation of Tommy Douglas
Tommy Douglas
Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas, was a Scottish-born Baptist minister who became a prominent Canadian social democratic politician...
, and in 1963, at the age of 26, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario , is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario, and is the second largest provincial legislature of Canada...
. Following the engineered 1970 resignation of Donald C. MacDonald
Donald C. MacDonald
Donald Cameron MacDonald, CM, O.Ont was a long time Canadian politician and political party leader and had been referred to as the "Best premier Ontario never had." He represented the provincial riding of York South in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1955 to 1982...
, Lewis was elected leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party
Ontario New Democratic Party
The Ontario New Democratic Party or , formally known as New Democratic Party of Ontario, is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. It is a provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party. It was formed in October 1961, a few months after the federal party. The ONDP had its...
. His initial experience at the helm in the 1971 provincial election
Ontario general election, 1971
The Ontario general election of 1971 was held on October 21, 1971, to elect the 117 members of the 29th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
was a disappointment, with the party slipping from 20 seats to 19.
A radical left wing group nicknamed The Waffle
The Waffle
The Waffle was a radical wing of Canada's New Democratic Party in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It later transformed into an independent political party, with little electoral success before it permanently disbanded in the mid-1970s...
had gained prominence, with one of its leaders, James Laxer
James Laxer
James Laxer is a Canadian political economist, professor and author.In 1969, Laxer, along with his father Robert Laxer and Mel Watkins, founded the Waffle, a radical left wing group influenced by the New Left, the anti-Vietnam War movement and Canadian economic nationalism, that tried to win...
winning one-third of the vote when he ran to be leader of the federal NDP in 1971. Lewis felt that The Waffle was threatening the credibility and stability of the party and supported a movement against the group in June 1972 on the basis that it was a party within a party.
Lewis led a strong campaign during the 1975 election
Ontario general election, 1975
The Ontario general election of 1975 was held on September 18, 1975, to elect the 125 members of the 30th Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
with his oratory and passion bringing new supporters to the party. The NDP highlighted issues such as rent control and workplace safety. Each day, Lewis told the story of a different Ontarian in trouble, making a case that this was because of the lack of adequate legislation. Polls showed the NDP surging and the incumbent Ontario Progressive Conservative Party in freefall and in the course of the campaign Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
William Davis
Bill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
was forced to commit his party to bringing in rent control
Rent control
Rent control refers to laws or ordinances that set price controls on the renting of residential housing. It functions as a price ceiling.Rent control exists in approximately 40 countries around the world...
and other progressive reforms in order to retain power. When the ballots were counted the Tories were reduced to a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. Lewis' NDP had doubled its seats from 19 to 38, surpassing the Ontario Liberal Party
Ontario Liberal Party
The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and...
to become the Official Opposition. To some it appeared that it was only a matter of time before the NDP would form the government.
The next election, in 1977
Ontario general election, 1977
The Ontario general election of 1977 was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario of the Province of Ontario, Canada....
, proved to be a disappointment. The growth of support for the NDP stalled, and while the Tories were kept to a minority, the NDP failed to make any gains. The party was reduced to 33 seats and lost its status as Official Opposition to the Liberals. In 1978, a frustrated Lewis stepped down as party leader and as a Member of Provincial Parliament.
Diplomatic and Academic Career
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
by Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Sauvé
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation....
, on the advice of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. Lewis served at the post until 1988. In the 1980s, he became a familiar voice appearing with Dalton Camp
Dalton Camp
Dalton Kingsley Camp, PC, OC was a Canadian journalist, politician, political strategist and commentator and supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. Despite having never been elected to a seat in the House of Commons, he was a prominent and influential politician and a popular...
and Eric Kierans
Eric Kierans
Eric William Kierans, PC, OC was a Canadian economist and politician.-Life and career:Born in Montreal on Feb. 2, 1914, Kierans grew up in the working-class Saint-Henri neighbourhood; his father worked at Canadian Car and Foundry and his mother came to Canada as a domestic...
as part of a weekly political panel on Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski
Peter Gzowski, was a Canadian broadcaster, writer and reporter, most famous for his work on the CBC radio show Morningside. His first biographer argued that Gzowski's contribution to Canadian media must be considered in the context of efforts by a generation of Canadian nationalists to understand...
's CBC Radio
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
show, Morningside
Morningside (radio program)
Morningside was a nationally broadcast Canadian radio program, which aired on CBC Radio from September 20, 1976 to May 30, 1997. It was broadcast from 9AM to 12 Noon, Monday to Friday...
.
From 1995 to 1999, Lewis was Deputy Director of UNICEF. From 2001 until 2006, he worked as United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. In his role as Special Envoy, he worked to draw attention to the HIV/AIDS crisis and to convince leaders and the public that they have a responsibility to respond. He has been widely praised for his effectiveness in this role. In 2005 he adapted his Massey Lectures
Massey Lectures
The Massey Lectures are an annual week-long series of lectures on a political, cultural or philosophical topic given in Canada by a noted scholar. They were created in 1961 to honour Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada...
in a book titled "Race Against Time", where he describes the disjuncture between what the international community promises and their actions in responding to the pandemic in Africa.
In May 2006, Lewis joined the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
as a Scholar-in-Residence. Also in 2006, he was elected a Senior Fellow of Massey College
Massey College
Massey College is a postgraduate residential college at the University of Toronto, established in 1963 with an endowment by the Massey Foundation. Similar to All Souls College, Oxford, members of Massey College are nominated from the university community, and are elected by and as fellows of the...
in the University of Toronto. In 2009, Lewis strongly criticized Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
's assertion that condom use only makes the AIDS crisis worse.
Foundation
Lewis heads the Stephen Lewis Foundation, a charitable organization that helps people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa. As a preventative HIV/AIDS strategy, Lewis has made a somewhat controversial call for male circumcision when African children receive the first of two UN administered Measles vaccinationMeasles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
shots, so that their recovery progress can be monitored at the time of the second vaccination. Lewis claims it has been scientifically proven that this method effectively reduces the spread of HIV/AIDS.
In October 2009, to raise money for the foundation, Lewis helped with a campaign to dare Canadians to do something for Africa called A Dare to Remember. The campaign, paired Lewis with musician k-os
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
, Federal NDP leader Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, Olympic gold medalist Duff Gibson
Duff Gibson
Duff Gibson is a Canadian skeleton racer who competed from 1999 to 2006. He was born in Vaughan, Ontario. His father was born on December 13, 1937. At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, He won the gold medal in the men's skeleton, narrowly beating out his teammate Jeff Pain...
and many other Canadians performing various dares for the event. He faced his own personal fears as part of the campaign, and sang live on CBC's The Hour with the band the Arkells.
Personal
Stephen Lewis is the son of former federal NDP leader David LewisDavid Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
. He is married to Canadian journalist Michele Landsberg
Michele Landsberg
Michele Landsberg, OC is an award-winning Canadian writer, social activist and feminist who wrote a column for the Toronto Star newspaper.-Life and career:...
. Their son is Canadian broadcaster Avi Lewis
Avi Lewis
Avram David "Avi" Lewis is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, host of the Al Jazeera English show , and former host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation current-affairs program On the Map.-Family:...
, who married journalist and author Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein
Naomi Klein is a Canadian author and social activist known for her political analyses and criticism of corporate globalization.-Family:...
, and their daughters are Ilana Naomi Landsberg-Lewis and Jenny Leah Lewis; Ilana is the partner of musician and activist Lorraine Segato
Lorraine Segato
Lorraine Segato is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for and a principal songwriter of new wave and pop rock group Parachute Club, with which she continues to perform.- History :...
, and serves as executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation
Stephen Lewis Foundation
The Stephen Lewis Foundation is a non-governmental organization that assists mostly AIDS and HIV-related grassroots projects in Africa.-History:...
.
He is also the brother of Nina Lewis-Libeskind, the wife and partner of world renowned architect Daniel Libeskind
Daniel Libeskind
Daniel Libeskind, is an American architect, artist, and set designer of Polish-Jewish descent. Libeskind founded Studio Daniel Libeskind in 1989 with his wife, Nina, and is its principal design architect...
. Lewis' brother and sister, Michael Lewis and Janet Solberg, were both active and high-ranking officials within the party during the 1980s and 1990s: Michael was the Ontario provincial secretary, and Janet was the Ontario party's president. His grandfather Moishe Lewis
Moishe Lewis
Moishe Lewis was a Jewish labour activist in eastern Europe and Canada. A tanner by trade, he was born and raised in the Svisloch shtetl in the Russian Empire...
was an activist in the Jewish Bund in Russia and the Jewish Labour Committee in Montreal.
Honours
For his humanitarian work in Africa and the United Nations, the Governor General of Canada appointed Lewis a Companion of the Order of CanadaOrder of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
on October 10, 2002. His investiture into the order was held on October 23, 2003. He delivered the annual Massey Lecture in 2005, and it was published in book-form under the title Race Against Time: Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa. The book consists of five lectures that depict the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, critically examining the international community's passivity as a contributing factor.
In 2006, two new secondary schools in the Toronto area were named after Lewis: one in Mississauga, Ontario, Stephen Lewis Secondary School
Stephen Lewis Secondary School (Mississauga)
Stephen Lewis Secondary School is a high school located in the city of Mississauga in Ontario, Canada and is a part of the Peel District School Board. It opened in September of 2006. Students from Ruth Thompson Middle School and Erin Centre Middle School are directed to Stephen Lewis-External links:*...
and one in York Region. The Mississauga school has a special focus on educating students on issues relating to social justice and global citizenship to enhance the Ontario Curriculum.
In 2007, Lewis received the World Citizenship Award
World Citizenship Award
The World Citizenship Award is an award of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts . Launched in 1996, the award is given to people outside the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting movement who have contributed to a better world in at least one of the following areas - peace, environment,...
, from the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts is a global association supporting the female-oriented and female-only Scouting organizations in 145 countries. It was established in 1928 and has its headquarters in London, England. It is the counterpart of the World Organization of the Scout...
, as well as the Health and Human Rights Leadership Award from Doctors of the World-USA. Lewis was also invested as a Knight Commander of the Most Dignified Order of Moshoeshoe by King Letsie III of Lesotho.
In 2010, Forbes magazine, in conjunction with their 2010 list of World's Most Powerful People asked the feminist playwright Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues.- Personal life :...
to identify Worlds' Most Powerful Feminists. She named Stephen Lewis as one of her top seven.
External links
- The Stephen Lewis Foundation
- Make Poverty History
- Stephen Lewis interviewed on Conversations from Penn State
- Information on Lewis's Massey Lecture
- Audio "Editor's Choice" podcast episodes of Lewis's Massey Lecture series from CBC RadioCBC RadioCBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
(MP3 files): Part 1: Context, Part 2: Pandemic, Part 3: Education, Part 4: Women, Part 5: Solutions - World Issues - Local Impact (Feb 2006) - video and audio file of a speech given at the University of British Columbia.
- Stephen Lewis Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario (opened Fall 2006)
- IMDb Profile
- Stephen Lewis Interview on The Hour with George StroumboulopoulosGeorge StroumboulopoulosGeorge Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...
- A Dare to Remember Campaign website
- Stephen Lewis Blasts President Obama, Rich Nations over AIDS Policy - video by Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...