LAV-25 of the 12th Armoured Regiment, January 14, 2012. Photo courtesy the United States Marine Corps/Flickr. For several decades, Liberal and Conservative governments have steadily militarized Canada. Since the end of the Cold War, peacekeeping numbers have dwindled while Canadian contributions to military interventions abroad have increased (Iraq, Somalia, the
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Canadian Dimension: As West African states take greater role in mining sector, how will Canada respond?
Illegal gold mining in Ghana. Photo by Randy Olson. Canadian mining companies are some of the largest investors in West African gold. Every year, these firms generate billions in revenue from countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Ghana, while local populations struggle in poverty and underdevelopment. The destruction of pan-Africanist,
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Ecuador oil drilling referendum a victory for biodiversity
On August 20, 2023, Ecuadorians voted overwhelmingly to stop oil drilling in the Amazon’s Yasuní National Park (pictured here) by a margin of nearly 20 percent. Photo by Paul Bertner/Minden Picture. August 20 was a busy day for Ecuadorians. The general election narrowed the field of presidential candidates to Luisa
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Canadian mining, oilsands companies saw huge revenue increases in 2022
Photo by Chris LeBoutillier/Unsplash The Canadian Mining Journal, an industry magazine catered to insiders, has released its annual ranking of Canada’s top 40 miners. Describing 2022 as “a remarkable year” for Canada’s largest mining companies, editor Tamer Elboki praised the Canadian mining sector for “prov[ing] to be as solid and
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Why is Niger’s junta so popular—and so feared?
Supporters of the coup with a picture of General Abdourahamane Tchiani in Niamey, Niger. Photo by Sam Mednick. Events in Niger have been moving fast. After overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, the military government of Abdourahamane Tchiani established itself as an independent and anti-Western force in the region,
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Niger coup will have global ramifications for the US, France, and Canada
Protesters display the flags of Niger and Russia during a protest in Niamey, Niger. Photo by Efe Issifou/Flickr. On July 26, the African continent was rocked by news of a military coup in Niger, the fourth in West Africa since 2020. Cooperation between the US and Nigerien militaries has been
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Indigenous resistance challenges Ontario’s ‘mining boom’
The Ring of Fire is located in northwestern Ontario. Many First Nations along the James Bay coast, pictured here, are located downstream of the development. Photo courtesy the Government of Ontario/Flickr. As Canada’s governments hungrily scour domestic and foreign territory in search of critical minerals—an essential part of Ottawa’s new
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Feds cut off Toronto while sending billions to Ukraine
Toronto’s new Mayor Olivia Chow is seen by many progressives as a welcome change from conservative rule, thirteen years of which transformed Canada’s largest city into a troubling icon of the “neoliberal city.” This was especially true under Chow’s predecessor John Tory, whom activist John Clarke describes as “the very
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: EU-CELAC summit fails to convince Latin America to abandon neutrality
L-R: Ilan Goldfajn, President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s President, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Prime Minister, and Sergio Diaz-Granados, President of the Corporacion Andina de Fomento take a group photo during the European Union and Community
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: In Latin America and Asia, Canada supports the US government’s new Cold War
The amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (foreground) and Peruvian navy Makassar-class landing platform dock ship BAP Pisco (background) conduct tactical maneuvers and naval formations during a training exercise in the Pacific Ocean. Photo by James Ho/US Navy/Wikimedia Commons. Over the past few weeks, two events have occurred
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Jens Stoltenberg’s global vision encourages conflict, militarization, and historical amnesia
Norwegian politician and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Photo courtesy NATO/Flickr. On July 10, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg published an article in Foreign Affairs titled “A Stronger NATO for a More Dangerous World.” The piece ran one day before the NATO summit in Vilnius, and it reads as a
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Justice for Mariano Abarca
Community organizers and land protectors present an environmental defense award named in honour of murdered activist Mariano Abarca in Chicomuselo, Chiapas, Mexico, November 2019. Photo courtesy Otros Mundos Chiapas. On November 27, 2009, Mexican mining activist Mariano Abarca was shot and killed in Chicomuselo, Chiapas, by an assailant who witnesses
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Central Asia in the multipolar world
Flags of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China, May 19, 2023. Photo from Flickr. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, many Western commentators have spoken of Russia’s apparently waning influence in the five Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: While thousands of Venezuelans died, Chrystia Freeland called for sanctions with ‘more bite’
A demonstrator holds a sign with a message that reads in Spanish: “Trump unblock Venezuela” in Caracas, August 7, 2019. Photo courtesy AP. Sanctions have become the most common weapon of war used by the United States and its Western allies. Currently, around one-third of the world economy is subject
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: ‘Decoupling’ from China means more Canadian exploitation of Latin America, Africa
A cobalt mine in central Africa. Image by Fairphone/Flickr. Last year, Ottawa announced its first-ever Critical Minerals Strategy, a program aimed at securing and expanding the access of Canadian companies to certain minerals deemed essential for the economy’s functioning. These 31 minerals, “the building blocks for the green and digital
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Latin America’s neutrality on Russia, China vexes Washington
A C-390 Millennium airplane from the Brazilian Air Force arrives in Warsaw, Poland with 11.6 tons of humanitarian aid for Ukraine. Photo courtesy the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Latin America and the Caribbean are caught between geopolitical competitors. According to leaked Pentagon documents, Washington is very concerned about what
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: AMLO’s mining reforms could lead to more conflict with Canada
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Photo courtesy Presidencia de la República/Wikimedia Commons. Mining companies are furious about Mexico’s proposed economic reforms, which would shorten mining concessions, provide greater environmental protections, and mandate that firms must consult with local Indigenous communities before securing approval to begin prospecting. The reforms are
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: On the Amazon, Lula tries to undo Bolsonaro’s destructive legacy
Deforestation in Maranhão state, Brazil, July 2016. Photo from Wikimedia Commons. Lula da Silva’s election as president of Brazil has raised hopes around the world for swift action in defence of the Amazon rainforest. His predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, opened up huge areas of the Amazon to deforestation by minimizing protected
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: While Canada profited from war in Yemen, China pushed for peace
Saudi forces take part in military exercises during a visit by Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah at a military base in Yemen’s southern embattled city of Aden. Photo by Ahmed Farwan/Flickr. One of the most encouraging developments in global affairs right now is China’s mediation of the regional rivalry between
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Foreign Affairs acknowledges Israel has destroyed the ‘two-state solution’
An elder waves the Palestinian flag near the boundary with Israel, east of Gaza City. Photo from Flickr. Foreign Affairs is the magazine of the US foreign policy elite. Published by the Council on Foreign Relations, a meeting place for the political and business aristocracy to discuss issues relevant to
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