What this says about the future direction of Canadian foreign policy By Philip MacFie On October 20, 2015, Prime Minister-elect Justin Trudeau told U.S. President Barack Obama that Canada would withdraw its jet aircraft from their current mission in Iraq and Syria. The move, at first glance, is about the removal of airplanes from a combat zone. But there is …
What we know about the $14.8-billion deal to provide Canadian-made military equipment to Saudi Arabia
Author Cesar Jaramillo Published in The Ploughshares Monitor Volume 36 Issue 3 Autumn 2015 10 Facts The largest arms exports contract in Canadian history will see Canadian-made military equipment shipped to one of the worst human rights violators in the world—Saudi Arabia. This will happen despite an existing export control regime specifically intended to prevent Canadian goods from fuelling human rights violations abroad. …
Time to revive Canada’s role as a peacekeeper
By Branka Marijan On September 28, 2015 U.S. President Barack Obama hosted a summit on peacekeeping on the sidelines of the annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations (UN). Held while the world wrestles with a growing number of humanitarian crises—including the on-going conflict in Syria—the summit was forced to recognize that inaction is no longer an option. …
Canada and the Global Arms Trade
Project Ploughshares, in partnership with the MSCU Centre for Peace advancement, Conrad Grebel University College and St. Jerome’s University, presents: “Canada and the Global Arms Trade: How weapons exports may fuel human rights violations and armed conflict” When: 6:30 p.m. Monday, September 21st ( UN-established International Day of Peace) Where: Theatre of the Arts, Modern Languages, University of Waterloo Chair …
Ploughshares in the news
July 2015 Embassy Cesar Jaramillo quoted: “Nigeria: Feds allow military exports, despite ‘abysmal’ rights record” Ottawa Citizen Cesar Jaramillo quoted: “Report on military executions casts shadow over LAV deal with Colombia”
Civil society and domestic radicalization
By John Siebert Executive Director, Project Ploughshares A small number of Canadians have always been tempted to fight in wars and conflicts in far-off lands, but those currently traveling to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS, or to Africa and Afghanistan to join other violent extremist groups, are causing acute anxiety on the home front. Developing strategies to prevent conversion …
Perspective and responding to terrorist violence
By John Siebert Osama bin Laden “hit us where it would hurt the most—right in our sense of perspective.” – David Rothkopf The nature of groups that engage in terroristic violence, such as ISIS, has mutated in this second decade of the Great War on Terror. But the lessons to be drawn from the first decade’s responses continue to be …
Lessons from Charles Norris Cochrane on the problem of domestic radicalization
John Siebert Project Ploughshares March 2, 2015 Islamism or radical Islam or jihadism, as a violent international ideology at odds with Canadian society and its values, is not the first challenge of its kind, nor is it unique in attracting Canadian adherents. During World War II Canada faced the dilemma of how to handle homegrown Canadian radicals. The insights of …
WWI and Contemporary Policy on War and Peace
Conference Report Click here or on image for PDF of full report. September 26-28, 2014 Ottawa On the centenary of the First World War, The Group of 78 and Project Ploughshares organized the conference “WWI and Contemporary Policy on War and Peace.” The conference was held at the Canadian War Museum and reflected on how we can reduce the incidence of armed …
Canadian military exports: Selected contracts or deliveries reported in 2013
Author Kenneth Epps Published in The Ploughshares Monitor Volume 35 Issue 4 Winter 2014