Canada & the World 1980’s & 1990’s

ECONOMICS Team Canada: started by past-PM Jean Chretien in 1994 The PM and other delegates travel to other countries to meet with their representatives Goal: increase trade and create jobs and growth for Canada Group of 8: Eight member countries who get together each year to discuss major economic, social and political issues that affect the member nations Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the European Union and the United States

FOREIGN AID Official Development Assistance (ODA): gives financial aid to countries of Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, Asia and certain countries of central and eastern Europe Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA): promotes sustainable development in developing countries and focuses on areas such as basic human needs, infrastructure, women’s rights, democracy, environment, basic education, health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS & child protection

FOREIGN AID CONT’D Canada Fund for Africa: part of a $6 billion G8 plan; Canada will give $500 million Goal: To help promote development in Africa and to (help Africa) recognize their right to take control and ownership of their own path of development A policy change in 1986 linked human rights to foreign aid: in order to receive assistance, the gov’t in need cannot deny their citizens their basic economic, social and cultural rights

PEACEKEEPING Developed as a means to resolve conflict between states Achieved by deploying unarmed or lightly armed military personnel from a number of countries between the armed forces Parties of the conflict have usually agreed to allow the UN to be there Not part of the armed conflict, rather they would observe the cease-fire from the ground

UN Peacekeeping troops in blue helmets and vests. Troops wear their country’s flag on their left shoulder

CHANGING ROLE OF PEACEKEEPING More Missions : 18 missions 1990-Present: 45 missions (63 total – 14 still going) Peacekeeping Within States Now dealing with more civil wars More Actors More regional organizations involved (ex. NATO or the Organization for Africa Unity)

More peace “making” More involved in creating the peace where none exists Changing Role of Peacekeepers Now includes tasks like training police forces, conducting elections, monitoring human rights, promoting democracy Humanitarian Interventions Intervene in a country where human rights are threatened Controversial because the UN doesn’t always have a country’s permission to intervene CHANGING ROLE OF PEACEKEEPING

CANADA & PEACEKEEPING Between 1945 and 2010, over 100,000 Canadians have served as peacekeepers under the UN In recent years, our contribution has moved away from military troops and more to economic and political support for missions

Despite its honourable intentions, a few major peacekeeping missions in Canada’s history have not been successful…

Rwanda, 1994

RWANDA, 1994 Background: old colonial possession of Belgium; minority Tutsi’s were in power under the Belgium government but once Belgium left, the Hutu’s took power As civil war began to break out between the Hutu’s and the Tutsi’s, the UN set up a peacekeeping force led by General Romeo Dallaire (Canadian) This mission was poorly organized and did not have the capacity required; no clear mandate about what their role was

As the situation intensified, Dallaire received information that the Hutu’s were planning to exterminate the entire Tutsi population He pleaded with the UN to send more troops but the international community resisted (particularly the US) and the UN actually reduced his force to only 500 men With no weapons and few troops, Dallaire was forced to witness one of the most horrible acts of genocide in world history

Over a period of 3 months, approx. 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutu people in Rwanda were killed Virtually all were unarmed civilians Women and children were specifically targeted to ensure the final elimination of all Tutsi The attacks were vicious; most common weapon was a machete In addition to the killings, millions of Rwandans were internally displaced or became refugees in neighbouring countries

The weapon of choice during the genocide: machete (commonly used to cut down trees and crops)

Many people, including Dallaire, have argued that the UN’s feeble attempts only encouraged the violence Attackers saw no consequences This genocide is widely recognized as an extreme failure of the international community to protect victims A handful of people could have stopped this atrocity The UN, the United States, Belgium and the Anglican Church have since apologized

The international community has blood on its hands General Romeo Dallaire

THERE IS A POSITIVE NOTE! Canada has played a large role in dealing with the international landmines issue Landmines are often used during war but are rarely removed from the ground after the war is over There are over 110 million landmines in the ground in over 64 countries in the world 500 people die each week worldwide and thousands more are maimed Often these are children and other civilians who have moved into the area once the troops have moved on

Anti personnel landmines

It is very expensive and time-consuming to remove the landmines 1996 – Canada’s foreign minister Lloyd Axwothy hosted an international conference on landmines countries sign the Anti-Personnel Land Mines Treaty Bans the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of land mines As part of Canadian peacekeeping efforts, Canadian troops seek out and deactivate landmines around the world

CANADA AND PEACEKEEPING TODAY As an increasing number of states are becoming more involved in UN peacekeeping, Canada is contributing fewer troops to each mission Still currently working in various parts of Africa as members of on-going UN peacekeeping missions The extent to which Canada’s future commitment to UN peacekeeping will be sustained or increased is considered to be unknown at this point in time.