1. Promoting Liberal and Hegemonic Internationalism

2. Promoting Liberal Internationalism
Liberal internationalism has an optimistic belief in internationalism, organizations that embrace liberal internationalism promote peace and prosperity through humanitarian actions. Organizations that promote liberal internationalism can be IGOs or INGOs.
Introducing Liberal Democrat International!

3. The Red Cross: A Liberal INGO
The Red Cross is a humanitarian-focused INGO that has been in existence for over 140 years. The Canadian Red Cross (ICRC) has been around for over 120 years. The mission of the ICRC is to “to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance” and to ““prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.”
Canadian Red Cross: Responding to Disasters

4. Principles of the Canadian Red Cross
Since 1965, the Canadian Red Cross has relied on 7 fundamental principles to guide them in their humanitarian efforts:
The Fundamental Principles

5. How the ICRC Provides Humanitarian Aid
The ICRC responds to emergencies and disasters both in Canada and around the world, helping communities overcome and recover from tragedy. The ICRC also helps by advocating for human rights, campaigning against violence (war, bullying, and abuse prevention), and by aiding migrants and refugees.
How the Red Cross helps with disasters in Canada

6. Criticisms of the Red Cross
A criticism of the Red Cross, which is often levelled against many humanitarian organizations, is that they do not have enough resources to provide the amount of care that is needed. Another criticism is that the Red Cross at times has been slow to respond to several disasters.
Red Cross’ Response to Hurricane Sandy

7. The World Council of Indigenous Peoples
The WCIP was an INGO that, although did not have the same financial resources that comes with being an IGO, established declarations and sets of principles that guides the actions of governments and nation-based organizations.

8. WCIP: Declaration of Principles (1984)
Principle 1. All indigenous peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of this right they may freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social, religious, and cultural development.
Principle 2. All States within which an indigenous people live shall recognize the population, territory, and institutions of the indigenous people.
Principle 3. The cultures of the indigenous peoples are part of the cultural heritage of mankind.

9. WCIP: Declaration of Principles (1984)
Principle 4. The traditions and customs of indigenous people must be respected by the States, and recognized as a fundamental source of law.
Principle 5. All indigenous peoples have the right to determine the person or group of persons who are included within its population.
Principle 6. Each indigenous people has the right to determine the form, structure and authority of its institutions.
Principle 7. The institutions of indigenous peoples and their decisions, like those of States, must be in conformity with internationally accepted human rights both collective and individual.

10. WCIP: Declaration of Principles (1984)
Principle 8. Indigenous peoples and their members are entitled to participate in the political life of the State.
Principle 9. Indigenous people shall have exclusive rights to their traditional lands and its resources, where the lands and resources of the indigenous peoples have been taken away without their free and informed consent such lands and resources shall be returned.
Principle 10. The land rights of an indigenous people include surface and subsurface rights, full rights to interior and coastal waters and rights to adequate and exclusive coastal economic zones within the limits of international law.

11. WCIP: Declaration of Principles (1984)
Principle 11. All indigenous peoples may, for their own needs, freely use their natural wealth and resources in accordance with Principles 9 and 10.
Principle 12. No action or course of conduct may be undertaken which, directly or indirectly, may result in the destruction of land, air, water, sea ice, wildlife, habitat or natural resources without the free and informed consent of the indigenous peoples affected.
Principle 13. The original rights to their material culture, including archaeological sites, artifacts, designs, technology and works of art, lie with the indigenous people.

12. WCIP: Declaration of Principles (1984)
Principle 14. The indigenous peoples have the right to receive education in their own language or to establish their own educational institutions. The languages of the indigenous peoples are to be respected by the States in all dealings between the indigenous people and the State on the basis of equality and non- discrimination.
Principle 15. Indigenous peoples have the right, in accordance with their traditions, to move and conduct traditional activities and maintain friendship relations across international boundaries.

13. WCIP: Declaration of Principles (1984)
Principle 16. The indigenous peoples and their authorities have the right to be previously consulted and to authorize the realization of all technological and scientific investigations to be conducted within their territories and to have full access to the results of the investigation.
Principle 17. Treaties between indigenous nations or peoples and representatives of States freely entered into, shall be given full effect under national and international law.

14. The Arctic Council: A Liberal IGO
The Arctic Council is an IGO that combines the authority of governments to address the concerns of nation-states whose borders extend past the Arctic Circle. Member states include Canada, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the United States. The Indigenous peoples of those countries are also included as permanent participants.

15. Role of the Arctic Council
The AC was created to develop an Arctic environmental strategy and to promote cooperation and to coordinate interaction between Arctic nation states on common issues. It accomplishes these goals by: maintaining a current knowledge base, establishing standards and guidelines to be used by member nations, and promoting regional economic development.
The Arctic Council Explained

16. Hans Island: Canada vs. Denmark
For the past 3 decades, Canada and Denmark have been fighting over an uninhabited and desolate island in the far north. The dispute has come to be known as the “Whiskey War” as the countries are constantly taking each other’s flags down and leaving bottles of liquor for each other.

17. Promoting Hegemonic Internationalism
Many organizations are seen to be promoting a form of internationalism that is hegemonic, which means it promotes the culture and goals of one or certain elite nations over others, and at worst could be equated to empire building.

18. World Trade Organization and the G8
The WTO (made up of over 150 members) and the G8 deal with the rules that govern trade between nations. They seek to reduce barriers to trade between member nations, but that often involves member nations being forced to accept rules and policies that may not be in their interests.

19. The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
The IMF was formed in 1945 and it arranges loans for countries. When countries have difficulty paying back the loans, the IMF can impose conditions that, in many cases, create great hardship for citizens. Usually they require countries to privatize companies, eliminate government services, and adopt changes that will make the country have a market-based economy.
Criticisms of the IMF

20. How do organizations like the WTO and the IMF promote hegemonic internationalism?

21. By enforcing conformity and uniformity among nations and nation-states, and by promoting the national interests of certain elite nations and nation-states over others.

22. Reflection Questions
Do you think liberal internationalism is best promoted by IGOs or INGOs?
What effect do you think the WCIP’s Declaration of Principles has had on current policies and declarations regarding Indigenous peoples?
How do you think the Arctic Council could help preserve the Arctic environment and combat climate change?
Do you think the IMF and the WTO intentionally act to promote hegemonic internationalism?