Time to fundamentally reassess Canadian foreign policy
Time to fundamentally reassess Canadian foreign policy
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau,
With Canada suffering two consecutive defeats in its effort to gain a UN Security Council seat, the time has come to fundamentally reassess Canadian foreign policy.
Ten years ago, the Conservative government’s loss was largely explained as a rebuke of their support for Washington, mining and oil companies as well as anti-Palestinian policies. The Liberal government promised change, but the world is unconvinced.
Canada lost partly because of its support for controversial mining companies, indifference to International treaties, anti-Palestinian positions, climate policies and militarism. And in recent weeks, thousands of ordinary and prominent people were inspired to sign onto a grassroots effort that drew attention to the many flaws in Canada's foreign policy record.
The world’s rejection of Canada’s bid for a seat on the Security Council is a unique opportunity for a review of Canadian foreign policy.
These 10 questions must be considered as part of a foreign policy reset:
Should we have a foreign policy driven by Washington or an independent foreign policy?
Should Canada continue to offer financial and diplomatic support to arms exporters or refocus on demilitarization?
Should Canadian foreign policy continue to be enmeshed with mining interests abroad?
Why has Canada isolated itself from world opinion on Palestinian rights rather than standing for universal human rights?
How can we ensure Canada abides by all International treaties protecting Indigenous rights?
How can we ensure Canada radically reduces its greenhouse gas emissions?
Does Canada’s sanctions policy respect International law?
Why is Canada involved in efforts to overthrow Venezuela’s UN recognized government, a clear violation of the principle of non-intervention in other country’s internal affairs?
Should Canada continue to be part of NATO or instead pursue non-military paths to peace in the world?
How can we ensure Canada’s foreign policy has a focus on peace, human rights and overcoming global inequities?
There has not been a formal review of Canadian foreign policy in fifteen years. Let’s use this moment to usher in a new era in which our government’s policies abroad reflect the desire of Canadians to be a force for peace and human rights in the world.
SIGNATURES:
Stephen Lewis, Former UN ambassador
David Suzuki, Environmentalist and broadcaster
Naomi Klein, Author and activist
Leah Gazan, Member of Parliament
Paul Manly, Member of Parliament
Niki Ashton, Member of Parliament
Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament
Linda McQuaig, Author
Richard Parry, Musician (Arcade Fire)
Joel Harden, MPP Ottawa Centre
Roméo Saganash, Former Member of Parliament
Svend Robinson, Former Member of Parliament
Libby Davies, Former Member of Parliament
Jim Manly, Former Member of Parliament
Ellen Gabriel, Artist and activist
Sandy Hudson, Founder Black Lives Matter-Toronto
Judy Rebick, Author and activist
Monia Mazigh, Author and academic
Jean Swanson, Vancouver City Councillor
Jeremy Loveday, Victoria City Councillor
Ben Isitt, Victoria City Councillor
Antonia Zerbisias, Journalist
Sid Ryan, Former President Ontario Federation of Labour
Luc Ferrandez, Former Plateau Mont-Royal borough mayor
Ron Rousseau, Aboriginal Vice President Canadian Labour Congress
Gordon Laxer, Founding Director and former head of Parkland Institute
Dave Bleakney, 2nd national vice-president, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Will Prosper, Documentary filmmaker and civil rights activist
El Jones, Activist, educator, journalist and poet
Jord Samolesky, Musician (Propagandhi)
Laurel Sprengelmeyer (Little Scream), Musician
Rebecca Foon, Musician
Rinaldo Walcott, Professor University of Toronto
Harsha Walia, author & activist
Tim McCaskell, Founder AIDS Action Now!
Clayton Thomas-Muller, Director, Author, Senior Campaign Specialist - 350.org
Frantz Andre, Comité d'action des personnes sans statut
Charles Demers, Comedian
Alain Deneault, Author
John Clarke, Packer Visitor in Social Justice, York University, Toronto
Tom Woodley, President, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Andrew Mitrovica, Journalist
Elaine Brière, Documentary filmmaker
Aziz Fall, Professor, UQAM
Sakura Saunders, Mining Injustice Solidarity Network
Azeezah Kanji, Legal academic & writer
Dimitri Lascaris, Lawyer, journalist and federal leadership candidate for the Green Party of Canada
Cy Gonick, Founder of Canadian Dimension Magazine
Derrick O'Keefe, Activist, writer, founding editor of Ricochet Media
Justin Podur, Author and professor
John Philpot, Lawyer
Zaineb Hussein, LLB
Dru Jay, Writer and organizer
Martin Lukacs, Journalist and author
Abe Rosner, National Staff Representative (ret.), Unifor Union
Greg Albo, Professor of Politics, York University
Dr Joan Russow, Global Compliance Research Project
Nino Pagliccia, Activist and writer
Frederick Jones, Professor emeritus
Donald Cuccioletta, Professor, Université du Québec
Reuben Roth, Professor
Norah Fraser, Activist
Alison Bodine, Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice, author and activist.
Jenny Stimac, Retired high school art teacher
Diane Palm, Activist
Richard Morrow, Health policy analyst
Konstantine Malakos, Activist
Will Dubitsky, Activist and former Government of Canada employee
Frank Holden, Activist
Peter Eglin, Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University
Barry Weisleder, Federal secretary, Socialist Action
Joe Barrett, Labour, Human Rights Advocate
John R Bell, Professor emeritus
Jeremy Wildeman, PhD
Sid Shniad, Founding member, Independent Jewish Voices Canada
Gary Kinsman, Activist and author
Larry Hannant, Historian and author
Wally Brooker, Musician & journalist
Barbara Jackman, Immigration lawyer
Jack Etkin, Activist
Georgina Kirkman, Activist
Kevin Neish, Activist
Elizabeth Block, Potter and craftswoman
Khaled Mouammar, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (former)
Hans Modlich, 60 year member of NDP
Maria Páez Victor, Professor
William Sloan, Former lawyer
George McFetridge, Activist
Cory Greenlees, Activist
Elizabeth Borek, Activist
Adriana Petro, Colombia Humana International
Antonio Artuso, United Front against Fascism and War
Mary Carlisle, Educator (retired)
Yom Shamash, Independent Jewish Voices, Canadian and Israeli citizen
Bo Filter, Activist
Wes Kmet, Activist
John W Warnock, Professor emeritus, University of Regina
Margo L. Matwychuk, PhD, Director, Social Justice Studies, University of Victoria
Helene Demers, Research Associate, Vancouver Island University
Rick Arnold - Trade Justice activist
Michaela Rodman Lavis, Ph D candidate
Robin Matthews, Activist
Ali Mallah, Community activist, advocate against war & occupation
Ronald Shirtliff, Professor emeritus, Ryerson
Margaret Rao, President, Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
Desmond Sequeira, Activist
Lorraine Guy, BDS Quebec
Susan Clarke, Activist
Gavin Fridell, Associate professor in International development, Saint Mary's University
Gord Doctorow, Ed. D, Activist
Marty Roth, Retired academic and activist
Khaled Mouammar, Former Member, Immigration & Refugee Board of Canada
Carol E. Harris, Prof. Emerita, University of Victoria
Freda Knott, Activist
Tamara Lorincz, PhD candidate Wilfrid Laurier University and activist
Karen Rodman, Executive director, Just Peace Advocates
Bianca Mugyenyi, Former Co-Executive Director, The Leap
August Arnold, Author
Yves Engler, Author
David Kattenburg, University instructor & journalist
David Heap, Teacher-researcher; peace & human rights advocate
Richard Fidler, Ottawa-based activist and writer
Cheryl Gaster, Retired human rights lawyer
Nour El Kadri, Professor of Strategic Management and Innovation, University of Ottawa.
Graeme MacQueen, Professor Emeritus, McMaster University
Hassan Husseini, Labour Negotiator, Activist and ME Politics Instructor.
Ron Benner, Independent Visual Artist
Philip Zylberberg, Retired lawyer
Dr. Edwin Daniel, Professor Emeritus, University of Alberta
Joseph Modeste, Retired teacher
Rev. Paul Shepherd, United Church of Canada clergy
Avi Haligua, Human rights activist
Randa Farah, Activist
Rabbi David Mivasair, Rabbi emeritus at Ahavat Olam Synagogue
Kathy Bergen, Palestine solidarity activist
Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta, Activist (dual citizen Canada and Israel)
Susan P. Stout, Activist
Stephen Aberle, Activist
Bruce Katz, Activist
Rosette Rohana, Activist
Andrea Levy, Journalist
Miguel Figueroa, President, Canadian Peace Congress
Jean St-Vil, Scientist and activist
Siraj Ali, Advocate for human rights
Jim Mitchell, Retired Medical Officer of Health, City of York
Jake Javanshir, Activist
Russell Lavis, Logistics and event coordinator
James Yap, Lawyer
Karin Brothers, Activist and writer
Ineke Medcalf, Former human rights observer in Palestine
Harold Shuster, Independent Jewish Voices - Winnipeg
Valerie Raoul, Professor Emerita, French and Women’s Studies, UBC
Eric Mills, Editor
Nathania Rodman, Art therapist
Michael Keefer, Activist
Larry Brockelbank, Retired teacher
Dwyer Sullivan, D.Min. - Board member of Conscience Canada
Miriam Meir, Independent Jewish Voices
Jean Gagné, Independent Jewish Voices supporter & audiovisual technician
Betty Jane Antavitius, Human and animal rights activist
Matt Legge, Peace worker
Lorraine Farkas, Activist
Rev. Frances Deverell, Retired Unitarian Minister
Omer Aijazi, Research Fellow, University of Toronto
Atif Kubursi, Professor Emeritus of Economics at McMaster University.
Father Robert Assaly, Past co-Founder of Canadian Friends of Sabeel
Rev. Anne Hoganson, clergy (United Church of Canada)
Candice Bodnaruk, Peace Alliance Winnipeg Executive
Al Engler, Author
Michael Addario, Advocate for human rights
Patricia Mercer, Former eccumenical accompanier in Palestine
Sharon Hazelwood: Raging Grannie, Musician, Justice advocate.
Claude Morin, Professeur emeritus, Université de Montréal
Murray Lumley, Mennonite Church Canada
Norma Rantisi, Professor Concordia University
Owen Hughes, Editor and activist
Ken Stone, Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War
Dr. Ismail Zayid, MD, President of Canada Palestine Association
Ed Lehman, President, Regina Peace Council
Rev. Frances Comb, United Church of Canada clergy
Rifat Audeh, Canadian award-winning film director
Hanna Kawas, Chair, Canada Palestine Association-Vancouver
Marion Kawas, writer and Palestine Solidarity Activist
Corey Balsam - National Coordinator, Independent Jewish Voices
Stefan Christoff, Artist & activist
Gary Engler, Author
Norman Epstein, Activist
William K. Carroll, Professor of Sociology and Co-director, the Corporate Mapping Project, UVic
Stephen Kimber, journalist and Professor at University of King's College
Dr. John Kirk, Professor in the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies, Dalhousie University
John Foster, Retired petroleum economist and author
Tracy Glynn, Activist
Dr. Susan O'Donnell, Researcher, University of New Brunswick
Robert Fantina, Author, journalist
Lyn Adamson - Co-Chair, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
Hannah Hadikin - Co-Chair, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
Janis Alton - Past Chair, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
Simon Black, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Labour Studies Brock University
Kathy Sanford, Professor, Faculty of Education, UVic
Zafar Bangash, Director Institute of Contemporary Thought
Eric Shragge, Professor Emeritus, Concordia, Immigrant Workers Centre
Judy Deutsch, Psychoanalyst
James (Jim) Deutsch, MD, PhD, FRCPC Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
John Foster, Petroleum economist and author, Oil and World Politics
Rachel Engler-Stringer, Ph.D, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan
Dr. Pablo Idahosa, Head of Founders College,York University
Rev. Robin Wardlaw, United Church of Canada clergy
Terry Greenberg, Retired Canadian diplomat
Martin Duckworth, Award-winning cinematographer
organizational endorsements:
Greenpeace Canada
350 Canada
Vancouver District Labour Council
Climate Strike Canada
Idle No More
MiningWatch Canada
Voice of Women
Collectif Échec à la Guerre
Courage
World Beyond War
Sustainabiliteens
Rights Action
Justice for Indigenous Women
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
Science for Peace
Latin American Canadian Solidarity Association
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom - Canada (WILPF-Canada)
People for Peace London
Regina Peace Council
Louis Riel Bolivarian Circle
Socialist Action
International League of Peoples’ Struggle in Canada
The United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
Canadian BDS Coalition
Canadian Interfaith Fast For the Climate
Clayoquot Action Society
Toronto Raging Grannies
Leap Victoria
Leap U of T
Project of Heart
Vegans for BDS
Just Peace Advocates
Toronto Solidarity with Palestine
United Jewish People's Order
Niagara Movement for Justice in Palestine-Israel (NMJPI)
Barnard-Becker Centre Foundation
Drawdown Toronto
Unify Toronto
Leap Montreal
Mont-Royal Green Party EDA
Hamilton Coalition to Stop the War
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Peace Brigades International - Canada
People’s Climate Foundation
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Canada)
Centre for Gender Advocacy
Communist Party of Canada
Yukon Federal Green Party Association
Independent Jewish Voices
If your organization would like to add their name to this call for a fundamental reassessment of Canadian foreign policy, please get in touch at info@foreignpolicy.ca