Canada and Harvard Business School

Conservative government: Canada came in sixth overall as the most socially advanced country in the world — but was ranked first globally for offering its citizens what the study broadly terms opportunity, a group of indicators that include rights, freedoms, tolerance, and access to higher education, according to Toronto Star. The report comes as Canada wrestles with questions of cultural accommodation, sparked by the Conservative government efforts to bar niqab-wearing women from citizenship ceremonies and a general fear of Islamist-inspired terrorism following two deadly attacks last year on Canadian soil. The Social Progress Index, which is headed by Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter, delivered its third annual report Wednesday evening, ranking 133 countries on a basket of 52 different indicators. Canada ranking as the world sixth most socially progressive nation is testament to a strong performance across the board, with stand-out results for inclusion, thanks particularly to a high tolerance for religious minorities and immigrants, Michael Green, the executive director of the non-profit Social Progress Imperative, said in a release. Norway, the small Nordic country whose vast sovereign wealth fund built on oil and gas revenues has been frequently contrasted in recent months to Alberta, was ranked as the world most socially advanced nation, followed by Sweden, Switzerland, Iceland and New Zealand to round out the top five. High Canadian adult literacy rates and a very low homicide rate were also points of note. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.