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Values and Culture

Thank you for participating in the Dialogue on Foreign Policy. The interactive web site is now closed. The Minister's report will appear on this web site once it is released.

This Forum is bilingual, and participants post messages in their language of choice.

Canada's role and interets

Contributor: ninja

Date: 2003-03-04 16:08:49


Steve, You are so right. The idea that Canada could shape the world through supposed-to-be-Canadians values is indeed hypocritical. It is time that Canada does foreign policy and stop revising it.

Canada should invest in ODA at 0.8% of GDP (UN ratio) but in a selective manner by focusing on urgent needs (Africa, Latin-America). Spending on military perhaps, but I beleive reallocation could do the job. To much bureaucracy, not enough services.

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Canada's role and interets

Contributor: cfallon

Date: 2003-03-04 16:45:19


I agree, but would go even farther:

Focusing on Africa AND Latin-America is still too general. I think we should focus either on a single country for a 5-10 year period OR focus on a single issue (e.g., primary education) for a 5-10 year period.

And we have to be careful that increased spending in foreign aid doesn't translate into Ottawa-based jobs for political cronies of the governing parties.

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