An article in '' The Globe and Mail '' from December 1992 described Almeida-Côté as responsible for overseeing Rights & Democracy 's programs in Asia and Africa ; her duties in this capacity included organizing , monitoring , assessing , and sometimes visiting projects in countries such as Pakistan and Burkina Faso . She noted at this time that the centre 's funds for India went to an organization called the Centre of Concern for Child Labour , which , she said , was active in " organizing these kids to take care of themselves " by seeking better health standards and conditions at a time when child labour was still legal in the country . On another occasion , she said , " Ours is not the traditional approach . It 's a new way of dialogue with NGOs non-government organizations in the South : we can provide some expertise and some funding , but we do n't dictate their policy . " In February 1993 , Almeida-Côté urged the government of Canada to cut off its seventeen million dollars in annual aid to Rwanda due to the worsening human rights situation in that country . She was quoted as saying , " In a situation of extreme conflict , the fact that you 're giving it is taking sides . That is n't in Canada 's interest . Canada is interested in development . " She later welcomed Monique Mujawamariya to Montreal in April 1994 , in the early period of the Rwandan genocide and at a time when Mujawamariya was calling for the retention of United Nations peacekeeping forces in the country
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
Iris Almeida-Côté