Whistleblowing Canada Research Society

Description

Whistleblowing Canada Research Society is a non-profit organization and registered charity that researches whistleblowing and reprisals against whistleblowers.

Many countries treat whistleblowing as a reliable warning system for corruption and regulatory failure, since whistleblowers are often employees with deep knowledge of complex systems. Reprisals against them remain a persistent problem. The Society’s founding grew out of an in-depth case study of a 1996 Canadian whistleblowing case, completed in 2017. The study found that effective legal protection alone is not enough, and that unsafe organizational cultures let wrongdoers escape accountability while punishing those who speak up.

The Society studies this pattern of reprisal and impunity to build education and understanding around it. It works with academics and practitioners to build a community of practice on whistleblowing, in Canada and internationally. This work aims to gather and generate trustworthy, evidence-based knowledge and solutions.

The Society shares this knowledge with the public and with policy-makers to inform public policy and to strengthen accountable, democratic governance. Whistleblowing Canada operates in Canada.