Peace: Missing in Action
By Kathy Vandergrift

Canadian Peacekeeper Monument, Ottawa
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Is Canada still a peacekeeping nation?

Peacekeeping is an image that many people still associate with Canada's role in the world. Peacebuilding was added in the 1990s, to focus on a more active role in creating the conditions for peace. But it seems that this focus for peace has changed. Very few Canadian soldiers wear the Blue Berets of peacekeepers today. Canada's refusal to play a bigger role in the U.N. peace mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen by some as the end of its peacekeeping era. The new "Canada First" Defence Strategy pays little attention to peacekeeping, the U.N., or human security. All of these changes represent a significant change in Canada's international role.

Canada's transition away from active peace work raises questions that are important for Christian citizens who regularly pray for peace. I'd like to address some of those questions below because I believe that peace needs to be a priority for government policy and citizen action.

What happened to peacekeeping?

Well, that's a complicated question! Some call it a choice for a more militaristic foreign policy or for closer alignment with United States interests. Others point out that peacekeeping itself has had to evolve toward more robust armed missions to protect civilians in dangerous places, such as Sudan. The official line is that it is a matter of concentrating Canada's resources in a few places, Afghanistan and Haiti. Still others have called it a rejection of the U.N. in favour of NATO, but then, ironically, the Afghanistan mission is justified by the fact that it has U.N. Security Council approval.

There are plenty of confusing perspectives! I see a troubling common element in these explanations: an unclear direction for Canada's foreign policy. This erosion started under previous governments, and accelerated after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Where once we worked from sound analysis and long-term vision, now it seems we're caught up in the politics of fear and insecurity. Consider that the last comprehensive foreign policy framework approved by parliament was in 1990 (there were two less-formal processes under the Chrétien and Martin governments). The world has changed a lot since then.

Canada's role in the world needs more attention, including public debate about what principles and priorities ought to shape the choices our government makes. And right now, in the midst of an election campaign, we have an ideal opportunity to begin that needed public debate.

How can Canada best work for peace?

The CCG and the Christian Reformed churches in Canada, along with others, have advocated for giving greater priority to peacebuilding activities in Afghanistan. Military victory through counter-insurgency, by itself, will not bring peace. And, so far, education initiatives and road and dam reconstruction projects have not amounted to a much needed re-orientation of strategy.

Consider the words of John Manley, chair of the panel that delivered in January a critical assessment of Canada's mission in Afghanistan. "Our panel found that more of the same in Afghanistan was not good enough. Our assessment, overall, was that at the present time, NATO and its allies are failing in the mission in Afghanistan."

Manley wrote those words in the March 25, 2008 Globe and Mail—two months after his report was first released. He expressed alarm at the lack of balance in implementing his panel's recommendations:

Of concern, however, is the degree to which the panel's report has been reduced to the simple proposition that Canada should stay in Afghanistan if NATO provides an additional 1,000 troops. A military partner in Kandahar as a condition for Canada's continuing security role was a key recommendation, but, if that is the only aspect that receives attention, our panel's efforts will have been almost as much in vain as those whose reports sit on the bookshelves of Ottawa. . . .

We need a new and different approach to our mission in Afghanistan. In particular, there must be greater emphasis on diplomacy, reconstruction, development and building Afghan institutions of governance. . . . Insurgencies are rarely, if ever, resolved by military means, so Canada should encourage political reconciliation with those who will renounce violence and accept the democratic constitution.

Since Manley made these comments the Canadian government has stated a commitment to new priorities for institution-building and Afghan-led reconciliation efforts. It remains to be seen how these commitments, made in June, will become truly active peace priorities, with the necessary resources behind them.

Clearly, serious challenges to peace and reconciliation remain in Afghanistan. Christians in Canada have a critical role to play in seeing priorities for peace unfold. (See CCG's peacebuilding resources for learning, mobilizing and praying for peace with justice in Afghanistan.) Action plans for peace, justice, and reconciliation, developed by the Afghan people, need to be implemented. It is also critical that all people groups in Afghanistan be included in governing bodies. A more resolute focus on peace in these ways is in keeping with the CRC's 2006 Synodical Report on War and Peace, which gives priority to active work for peace with justice.

There remains a strong commitment to peacebuilding among citizens and civil society in Canada. More attention is being paid to the role of religion in conflicts—and also in making peace. Growing interest in global peace and conflict studies has lead to creative thinking within universities from Vancouver to Halifax and in a growing number of special institutes that have their own international connections. Christians and church-based agencies, such as Project Ploughshares, are also active in international civil society initiatives that lead the way in finding effective alternatives to armed conflict for resolving disputes and living together.

Peace & public debate

The election season now in full swing in Canada provides an important opportunity for public debate on the basic values that should shape Canada's role in the world. Church members can speak up for giving a higher priority to peacebuilding. One group, for example, is promoting the idea of a Department of Peace to make it a focused priority. Others, such as the CCG, have argued that peacebuilding needs to be a clear priority in Canada's international actions.

Living in the shadow of the United States, Canada is limited, to a certain extent, in its foreign policy decisions. But with the U.S. also in a heated election battle, their foreign policy is under heavy scrutiny and is predicted to change. And don't forget the growing global influence of emerging powers such as India, Brazil, and the European Union. All of these transitions open the door for Canada to pursue a principled foreign policy path.

The first step: a vision for peace with justice, growing out of God's intentions for shalom. CCG readers, remember your role in advocating for this vision—especially in this election season.

Kathy Vandergrift is the Coordinator of World Vision's Working Group on Children in Armed Conflict. She was formerly the Director of Policy for World Vision Canada, and Steering Committee member for the Child Soldier Coalition. She lives in Ottawa, Ontario; email her at kathyvandergrift@rogers.com.

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