A leading authority on public health, war, international aid and foreign policy, Dr. Nutt is one of the most intrepid and recognized voices in the humanitarian arena and a highly sought-after public speaker. With a career that has spanned more than two decades and dozens of conflict zones, her international work has benefited millions of war-affected children globally. Dr. Nutt is a respected authority for many of North America’s leading media outlets. She has been a regular foreign affairs panelist on the acclaimed news program, CBC TV NEWS: The National, and a contributor to NowThisNews. Nutt’s written work has been published by TED Ideas, Reuters, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Toronto Star, Maclean’s Magazine, The Ottawa Citizen, The Huffington Post, and other publications. She has appeared in AP News, Forbes, Town & Country Magazine, Time Magazine, More Magazine and on NBC Nightly News, BBC World News Service, America’s Radio News Network, NPR, CTV Power Play, CTV National News, Global TV News, and CBC Radio, to name a few. Dr. Nutt spoke at TED Talks Live “War & Peace” at The Town Hall Theater in New York, which aired on PBS. Dr. Nutt’s TED Talk, on the deadly impact of small arms, has garnered over a million views on TED.com. Dr. Nutt’s critically acclaimed debut book, entitled Damned Nations: Greed, Guns, Armies and Aid, was released by McClelland and Stewart Ltd. (a division of Random House) and was a #1 national bestseller in both hardcover and paperback. Lewis Lapham declared it a “brave and necessary book”, while the Literary Review of Canada called it a “brilliant polemic.” Damned Nations is a bracing and uncompromising account of Dr. Nutt’s work in some of the most devastated regions of the world. The new edition of Damned Nations was released in 2018 in Canada and the U.S.A. by Penguin Random House. Dr. Nutt has been named a 2025 Inductee to Canada’s Walk of Fame in Humanitarianism, and is a recipient of the prestigious Order of Canada – the country’s highest civilian honour – for her contributions to improving the plight of young people in the world’s worst conflict zones. She has also been appointed to the Order of Ontario and has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Time Magazine has featured Dr. Nutt as one of Canada’s Five Leading Activists and she was awarded the prestigious Loyola Medal by Concordia University. Samantha Nutt graduated summa cum laude from McMaster University, earned an M.Sc in Public Health with distinction from the University of London and holds a Fellowship in Community Medicine (FRCPC) from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She is further certified by the College of Family Practice and completed a sub specialization in women’s health through the University of Toronto as a Women’s Health Scholar. Dr. Nutt is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates from universities in Canada and the U.S.A. Dr. Nutt is a staff physician at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is a Senior Fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto and is former board member of the David Suzuki Foundation.
For more information, please visit www.warchild.ca or www.samanthanutt.com

Lauren has been with Oxfam Canada since 2011, holding a number of roles – including director of Policy and Campaigns – and working tirelessly to put women’s rights and gender justice at the heart of the global Oxfam confederation. Before joining Oxfam, Lauren worked at the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights & Democracy) where she managed the Center’s programs in the Americas and oversaw the Centre’s office and human rights programming in Haiti. She has also worked to tackle gender-based violence and promote sexual and reproductive rights with Planned Parenthood Global and the International Rescue Committee.  

Lauren has conducted extensive policy research and campaigned on issues of food justice, economic justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the role of women’s movements. She is passionate about building alliances across sectors to protect and advance human rights, and is a skilled public speaker who is regularly called upon by the Canadian media and government committees.  

Lauren holds master’s degrees in international affairs and development studies from Columbia University and the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po). Lauren sits on the Board of Directors of the Humanitarian Coalition and a number of local community organizations in Montreal, where she lives with her partner and two young kids.  

Before joining Plan, Lindsay was based in Switzerland acting as Secretary General of CARE International. Prior to her time at CARE, she held executive roles which included Director of International Cooperation and Development for the International Olympic Committee, President and CEO of Special Olympics Canada, and Global Director of Policy and Strategy for Right to Play International. Earlier in her career, Lindsay spent close to a decade working for the Government of Canada, including at Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. She also worked as a food security consultant for UN organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and UN Volunteers.

Throughout her career, Lindsay has garnered recognition for her people-oriented and collaborative management skills. In 2013, she was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2023, Lindsay received McGill’s Distinguished Leader Award. Lindsay’s impactful leadership was further underscored when she received the 2024 Top 25 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award by Women of Influence. She was then recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful CEOs by Women’s Executive Network (WXN) as part of the 2024 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards. These accolades highlight her profound influence, leadership, and lasting contributions to society.

Lindsay has been the President and CEO of Plan International Canada since 2020 – an organization committed to advancing child rights and equality for girls. Plan Canada is part of a global federation operating in over 80 countries and almost 67,000 communities around the world.

Previously, Kate worked with CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organizations, where she led strategy development and the organization’s efforts on data, sustainable development, and citizen action. She has also held senior policy and research positions at the North-South Institute and the Overseas Development Institute, advancing work on chronic poverty, protracted conflict, women’s economic justice, and international assistance while building several global, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Kate began her career at the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), working on the Indonesia and Papua New Guinea programs. She has lived and worked in Australia, Canada, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Thailand, and Uganda, with additional missions in several other countries. She holds degrees in economics and development studies from the University of Oxford and the University of Sydney.