Resisting Rights
THAT CANADA IS A GLOBAL LEADER in the promotion and defence of human rights is widely acknowledged, perhaps more so outside of Canada than within. That Canada’s reputation in this field was once not just unhelpful, but downright obstructionist, is less well…
Trudeau’s World: Insiders Reflect on Foreign Policy, Trade, and Defence, 1968–84
WHAT DO HISTORIANS DO WITH the interviews they conduct with insiders about the conduct of government business?
When Diplomacy Fails
This account of Canada’s contribution to the 1990-1991 Gulf War is the third in a series of articles marking the 25th anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait. During an I month campaign more than 4,500 Canadian Armed Forces personnel were deployed to…
Performance Anxiety?
As promised (or threatened) in previous issues of bout de papier, we are now publishing the third and final installment of the “McGill Report” on the role of the Department of External Affairs. As with the earlier extracts, this one was distributed…
What in the world (and in Ottawa) is the Department of External Affairs doing?
Canada’s foreign ministry was trying to cope with a prime minister who openly questioned its role, its commitment to the government’s agenda, its effectiveness and whether its results justified the expenses associated with international diplomacy. At the same time, it was unsure…
Understanding Iran’s Mindset
Note de la rédaction : Sur le plan de la politique étrangère, il y a lieu de féliciter le gouvernement actuel d’avoir négocié un accord économique avec l’UE (lAECG), cependant, la politique étrangère de notre gouvernement au Moyen-Orient a fait l’objet de…
Fresh Start? // Un nouveau départ?
Much has been written about John Baird’s abrupt departure and the nature of his legacy. Many have articulated ideas on how to repair our foreign policy and restore Canada’s once proud role internationally.
How We Lead – Canada in a Century of Change
For many of us, there is not much to cheer about these days in Canadian foreign policy, but we can’t say it’s boring. Blogs, newspaper editorials and op-eds clang with the vigorously opposing views of those denigrating or praising the Harper world…
The Dos and Don’ts of Democracy Support
Democracy has been a priority of Canadian foreign policy for longer than I can remember. Albeit with varying institutional arrangements and funding levels, both DFAIT and CIDA (and the IDRC, and Elections Canada) have been implementing policy advocacy and programming initiatives related…
At Britain’s Side: For the Defence of Canada and Freedom
As we approach the 75th anniversary of the start of the Second World War, bout de papier reproduces extracts from the diary of the Canadian Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King. Fifteen years ago, we published King’s account of the Cabinet meeting…
