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Recent surveys indicate that Canadians increasingly care about international matters and want our country to play a constructive role in world affairs. What role should that be?
To help consider the options, globeandmail.com has invited three foreign policy activists to give us their thoughts and lead us in debate and discussion.
Lloyd Axworthy, president of the University of Winnipeg, and foreign minister of Canada from 1996-2000, argued Saturday in his essay We need a new map that we must throw out our slavish adherence to outdated U.S. policies and embrace truly international practices.
"Our present international policy is guided by an outdated set of co-ordinates arising from a slavish adherence to the Bush administration's misguided efforts at empire building, military adventurism, continental border security and bilateral trade deals, while avoiding international collaboration on environmental and disarmament initiatives," he writes.
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Internet Links
- Globe-Environics poll: Canada and its relationships to the world
- Canada's World: A historic peacekeeper in a world that struggles to keep peace
- Canada's World: America's neighbour in a world where global power is shifting
"Americans are eagerly anticipating the departure of their hapless President by engaging in a broad democratic debate on future directions . . .
"As the charismatic Barack Obama says "change is on a roll." Everywhere it seems, except in the corridors of power that sit astride the Rideau Canal. Well, the starting point for Canadians is right now. The place is Parliament. And the issue that serves as the catalyst is Afghanistan."
Jack Granatstein, political and military historian, and senior research fellow at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute, responded Sunday in his essay It's a matter of realizing our national interests that we must pursue our true national interests and they can never be divorced from those of the U.S. and other like-minded nations.
"Some Canadians foresee the Americans being surpassed in the coming years by others such as China, India, Brazil, or the European Union.
"If that occurs, and it may, then Canadians must realize that we will inevitably be forced even closer to the U.S. in our own economic and defence interests. The bulk of our trade will almost certainly continue to flow in a north-south direction, and we will only prosper if it does.
"Who dares to contemplate a future in which Beijing, say, occupies the economic role that the U.S. now plays for us?
"Could anyone, even the most fervent anti-American, believe that would be better for Canada?"
David Eaves, a public policy consultant, and the lead author of the 2004 Canada25 report From Middle to Model Power, writes today in his essay Unleash the power of our citizens that we must unleash the great under-utilized power of our outward-looking citizenry in roles still to be determined.
"For two decades, pundits have argued that Canada has lost its way in the world, that it no longer articulates a clear role for itself.
"But, in our search for answers, perhaps we've asked the wrong question. Rather than 'what is our role,' maybe we need to reaffirm 'what is our goal?' . . .
"Most of all, Canadians are looking for leaders who will empower each of us. As employees, consumers, business owners, investors, aid workers and, above all, citizens, the decisions we each make increasingly shape Canada's reputation and impact.
"The modern world is one in which the capacity to affect international affairs is shared among organizations and, indeed, among all citizens.
"A foreign policy that enables each of us to make better choices in pursuit of our common goal will create a role in which Canada and Canadians will thrive."
All three experts will answer questions today from the readers of globeandmail.com.
This is not one of our regular one-hour live discussions. Rather, it's a question-and-answer session. The answers will be posted no later than 5 p.m. EST today. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions before the 5 p.m. EST deadline yesterday (Monday).
For additional reading and insight, you can also go to The Canada's World website
Jim Sheppard, Executive Editor, globeandmail.com: Welcome to our readers and to our three experts. Throughout the day today, we will be posting first their responses to each other's articles, then their answers to the questions from our readers.
J.L. Granatstein: Thanks for the opportunity to reply to my colleagues' articles in this interesting exercise in 21st Century journalism.
I find much to agree with in David Eaves' article. Like him, I think that we need new leaders who can be warriors, diplomats and activists as circumstances demand.
