Congo -- More Deaths Than Iraq & Afghanistan Combined....

Question: Given the scale and nature of the conflict in the D.R. Congo, is there any evidence Canadian foreign policy still operates on the human security agenda?

To construct your blog post:
i) paragraph detailing the origin and nature of the conflict in the D.R. Congo;
ii) paragraph detailing Canada's foreign policy towards the D.R. Congo;
iii) paragraph arguing your answer to the problem question.

Make an effort to establish references through the use of hotlinks and more traditional referencing techniques. Take advantage of the opportunities web publishing provides you.

Media Resources:
From the Globe and Mail:
Geoffry York, "The Bleak Calculus of Congo's War Without End," The Globe and Mail, (27 March, 2010).

The Anatomy of Congo's Bloodbath

Exodus from Congo's War

Disarming Congo's Rebels

From the BBC:
"The Human Cost of Mining in the DR. Congo" (2, September, 2009).

BBC: Congo's Silent Harvest of Death

Frontline Documentary:
Congo on the Brink

The Guardian:
World News: Democratic Republic of the Congo

NGO Resources:
Doctors Without Borders:
Doctors Without Borders: Top 10 Humanitarian Crises, 2009

Doctors Without Borders: Conflict in Easter D.R. Congo


United Nations:
MONUC: United Nations Mission in the D.R.Congo

Government of Canada:
Consider information about Canada/Congo Relations posted on the Canadian International Development Agency's website and the Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade

Various:
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Global Issues

Conduct further research as required.

Freedom of Speech threatened at the University of Ottawa?

Read Stephen Chase's article in the Globe and Mail, 23 March, 2010.

Chase writes about the failed attempt of American conservative pundit Ann Coulter to address a crowd at the University of Ottawa the evening of March 23rd. Protesters effectively shut down the venue, creating a situation which was considered 'unsafe' for the talk to continue.

Ezra Levant, a conservative activist, summarized the significance of the evening accordingly: "Isn't it ironic that it takes a provocative American coming to Canada to reveal the shortcomings in Canadian free speech?"

Thus: Should Ann Coulter have been allowed to address the audience at the University of Ottawa? Does the cancellation signify a dangerous threat to free speech in Canada as Mr. Levant argues?

Canadian Foreign Policy & "A full range of family planning options" -- the Debate Continues

The debate over whether the Government of Canada should be advocating for development assistance for mothers and children in lesser developed countries throughout the world remains a topic of Parliamentary debate. On the one side prominent Liberals argue that the Harper government must ensure funding to 'a full range of family planning options' to women -- including abortion. Critics of the Liberal position advance their motives are far from advancing maternal rights and conditions abroad; rather, the objective is to score political points here in Canada using a divisive issue, thereby weakening public support for the Conservative government.

As you follow this issue, observe (a) the manner in which Canadians debate the nature and expression of the country's collective values, and (b) the impact of such a values-debate on foreign policy decisions.

Thus: should the House of Commons have passed Bob Rae's motion "demanding that the government's maternal and child health initiative for the world's poorest regions include [a] 'full range of reproductive health options' ?"

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Resources:
Video: International Development Minister Bev Oda addressing the debate.

The following articles are found on Globeandmail.com.
Article 1 "Liberals Thwart Rae's Reproductive 'Options' Push"
Article 2 "Tories Oppose 'Anti-American' Motion on Family Planning"
Article 3 "Canadians Split on Funding Abortion"
Article 4 "Contraception & Mothers' Lives"
Article 5 "ABC's of Family Planning"
Article 6 "Liberals Press for Full Range of Family Planning Options in G8 Plan"
Article 7 "Liberals Weild Abortion as Wedge Issue"
Article 8 "Birth Control Won't Be in G8 Plan To Help Mothers, Tories Say"
Article 9 "Contraception A Part of Maternal Health Plan, Harper Says"
Article 10 "Maternal Mortality: Why Its a Crisis"
Article 11 "The Sad Truth About Harper & Maternal Health"