Toronto — Stephen Lewis, former Canadian ambassador united nations And lifelong social activist and former politician has passed away. He was 88 years old.
The Stephen Lewis Foundation announced his death on Tuesday. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer eight years ago.
Following his four-year tenure as Canada’s Ambassador, Lewis held several positions at the United Nations, including special advisor to then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
He is the father of Evie Lewis, who was elected leader of Canada’s leftist federal New Democrat Party on Sunday.
Lewis spent her entire life fighting for issues that were close to her heart – including human rights, equality for women, and the plight of African families affected by AIDS. His weapons of choice were words.
“Stephen spent the last eight years of his life battling cancer with the same indomitable energy he brought to his lifelong work: an endless struggle for justice and respect for every human life,” his family said in a statement released shortly after his death.
It said, “The world has lost a voice of unmatched eloquence and integrity.”
Lewis was a prominent author and speaker in Canada, and spent decades advocating for the economically disadvantaged and disenfranchised, warning the world about the threat of climate change, and speaking out against physical and sexual violence against women and children everywhere.
He began working for the federal New Democratic Party and in 1963, at the age of 26, was elected to the Ontario legislature. In 1970 he became leader of the provincial NDP, which became the official opposition in 1975. In 1978, a year after the party suffered an electoral setback, he resigned as leader and became a media commentator, lecturer and labor mediator.
In 1984, then-Prime Minister of Canada Brian Mulroney appointed Lewis as the country’s Ambassador to the United Nations, a post he held for four years. He was then named Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on African Affairs, a position he held until 1991. From 1995 to 1999, Lewis was Deputy Director of UNICEF and from 2001 to 2006 he served as the United Nations Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he joined Canadians in mourning the passing of Stephen Lewis, “a pillar of compassionate leadership in Canadian democracy and a renowned global champion for human rights and multilateralism.”
“As a member of the Ontario legislature, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party and Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Lewis inspired millions with his appeal for a compassionate and just society,” Carney said in a statement.
Carney said Lewis helped establish Canada as a principled leader in ending apartheid in South Africa and believed that proper health care was the key to reducing poverty and growing economies.
Lewis was married to journalist and social activist Michelle Landsberg. The Toronto couple had three children, Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, Jenny Leah Lewis, and Evie Lewis, who is married to author Naomi Klein.
