IDF soldiers return from the Second Lebanon War in August 2006. Photo from Wikimedia Commons. The campaign to oppose illegal Israeli military recruitment has broken new ground. The Liberal government recently responded to a parliamentary petition calling for an investigation into those who have recruited or facilitated recruiting for the
Continue readingAuthor: Bianca Mugyenyi
Canadian Dimension: Roger Waters lends star power to the fight against Palestinian dispossession
Roger Waters performs with Pink Floyd in Ottawa. Photo by Brennan Schnell/Wikimedia Commons. Last week, a 78-year-old UK-born rock star and a soft-spoken Palestinian Canadian undergraduate joined forces for a discussion about the suppression of Palestine solidarity on campuses across the country. The contrast was sharp, but rallying disparate forces
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Ottawa must be honest with Canadians about troops in Ukraine
The NATO Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group conducts an exercise in the Camp Ādaži training area in Latvia as part of Operation Reassurance, September 1, 2019. Photo by Corporal Djalma Vuong-De Ramos/DND. During a press conference last week, I interrupted Chrystia Freeland to ask whether Canada sent special forces to
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: A modest proposal for reimagining Canadian foreign policy
The Canadian flag flies over the Peacekeeping Monument in Ottawa. Photo from Flickr. Kim Campbell once said “an election is no time to discuss serious issues.” While most politicians would reject the former prime minister’s bluntness, they largely follow her logic, offering sound bites and snappy proposals rather than substantial
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: 76 years after Hiroshima bombing, time for a nuke-free world is now
A huge expanse of ruins left after the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Photo courtesy AP. The Trudeau government says it supports nuclear disarmament, but its actions tell a different story. Seventy-six years ago Friday, the United States military dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: What will it take to transform Canada’s foreign policy for the better?
With Canada suffering two consecutive defeats in its effort to gain a UN Security Council seat, the time has come to fundamentally reassess Canadian foreign policy, writes Bianca Mugyenyi .Photo by Rebecca Schley/Flickr. This Thursday will mark one year since Canada was defeated in its bid for a seat on
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: How Canada should respond to Israel’s escalating violence
In this July 22, 2014 file photo, smoke and fire from a devastating Israeli airstrike rise over Gaza City during the holy month of Ramadan. Photo by Hatem Moussa. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s recent call for an arms embargo on Israel is a welcome development. A halt to weapons deliveries
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Backlash over ‘Free Meng Wanzhou’ event reflects growing anti-China sentiment
Illustration by Canadian Dimension Attacks against an event I recently moderated reflect a growing trend in Canada towards increased tolerance for anti-China rhetoric. It is time for progressives to stand up for an independent foreign policy and against attempts to escalate a ‘new Cold War’ with the world’s emerging economic
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: New group of progressive MPs are challenging Canada’s foreign policy myths
Illustration by Canadian Dimension Last week, Paul Manly brought some internationalist fire to the House of Commons. During question period the Green Party MP gave the government’s foreign policy a failing grade. “Thank you Mr. Speaker,” said Manly. “Canada has failed to meet our commitments to foreign aid, we have
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Canada does not need more warplanes
An F-35 Lightning II employs a Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II laser-guided weapon from the internal weapons bay against a fixed ground tank test target at a test range at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Photo by Darin Russell/Lockheed Martin/Flickr. Momentum is building against the Trudeau government’s planned purchase
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Canada’s Support for the Trump Administration’s Venezuela Policy
Venezuelans march against the US embargo in a large #NoMoreTrump protest in the streets of Caracas, August 2019. Photo by Ben Norton/The Grayzone. This is what empowering a bully looks like. The Canadian government is supporting Donald Trump’s efforts to starve Venezuelans. Before dismissing what may sound like over-the-top rhetoric,
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