It
has been a long and busy day, so I am keeping things brief tonight.
Well
before Prime Minister Trudeau dashed off to New York to speak at the United
Nations I have been pondering over Canada’s role within and with the UN. The UN
seemed a critical negotiation space and battleground during the Cold War and in
its wake the utility of the institution seemed to wane. Often times it feels
like the UN is the hindrance to the right thing rather than the catalyst.
I
have recently been reading Shake Hands
with the Devil about the Rwandan genocide. In so many ways it is testament
to the power of the UN and peacekeeping when done effectively. Equally it
explores how broken the United Nations is as an institution. There is a
fundamental conflict in that those who wish to engage in global affairs must deal
with the bureaucratic and troubling UN. I have no idealism invested in that
institution, but as a small nation going it alone we hardly could have the kind
of impact we could if we worked within the UN’s umbrella. Also, it would not be
surprising to learn of squandered manpower and wealth on pointless infighting
and waste.
Our
current Prime Minister has uttered platitudes suggesting Canada is prepared to
engage more actively in the United Nations. At this point I am cautiously optimistic.
Canada, and countries of our ilk, cannot hide behind our wealth and security
and ignore the world. I hope to have more thoughts on this topic once I finish
the book and have more time to explore the idea.
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