Global Peacebuilder Nominated for Nova Scotia's Highest Honour

UPPER CLEMENTS, Nova Scotia - April 17, 2025 - PRLog -- Cornelis (Kees) Steenken, an internationally respected peacebuilding expert based in Nova Scotia, has been nominated for the Order of Nova Scotia—the province's highest civilian honour.

With more than 30 years of global service, Steenken is currently deployed in Ethiopia as a Senior Advisor, where he is leading the peaceful disarmament and reintegration of over 370,000 former combatants. This critical work is laying the foundation for long-term peace and reconciliation in the region.

His nomination has drawn widespread praise, including a powerful endorsement from Canada's Ambassador to Ethiopia, Joshua Tabah, who stated:
"Thanks to Kees, tens of thousands of men and women will return to their pre-war lives, with the support they need to build strong communities and maintain peace."

Over the course of his career, Steenken has served in more than 30 countries with the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union. He is regarded as a global leader in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR), known for his deep cultural understanding, strategic insight, and unwavering commitment to justice and inclusion.

At home in Nova Scotia, Steenken is equally admired for his quiet generosity and steadfast leadership. He has opened his home to those in crisis, fostered vulnerable youth, supported neighbours through hardship, and championed gender equity in the military—including advocating for better equipment for women in uniform. His efforts helped spotlight the need for female-specific body armour, now being developed by a Halifax-based company—strengthening both Canada's military readiness and Nova Scotia's role in advancing defence innovation and manufacturing..

"He is the person people call when they don't know who else to call," noted his nominator. "He never seeks recognition. But he most certainly deserves it."

The Order of Nova Scotia celebrates individuals whose exceptional contributions have enriched the cultural, social, or economic life of the province and beyond. Steenken's nomination honours not only a distinguished international career, but a life rooted in humility, service, and compassion.