The country that is recognized as Canada has been created through the unity of several nations and different cultures. Canada is a country that strongly values diversity and multiculturalism, unity, freedom and last but certainly not least, independence. However, Canada has not always been an independent country. The battle for independence from the reign of Britain has allowed Canada to grow and transition into a proud, liberated nation. For this reason, Canada is one of the most respected and highly valued countries as of today. Canada has been noted in history for its willingness to accept migrants regardless of their origin. Due to the countries willingness to be openly accepting of people from all around the world, often times Canada is referred to as a “melting pot”, meaning that it is a diverse place where people from many different realms band together to create one large collective nation. Moreover, Canada is also known for its cultural diversity and globally, is well-known for being a peacekeeping country. It is fair to argue that since its declaration as an independent country in 1867, Canada has played an extremely significant role in the world. Nonetheless, many are unaware of Canada’s true purpose, or in other words, role in the world. There is a common misconception that Canada shadows the United States due to their strong tie as allies. This essay will argue that Canada should be a proactive humanitarian force in the world by increasing their contributions to peacekeeping missions, acting as a safe haven for refugees as well as actively contributing to multilateral organizations.
As previously mentioned, Canada is known for its humanitarian presence in the world. Some might even argue that Canada is somewhat of a philanthropic superpower. Canada’s presence in worldly affairs, such as peacekeeping has made a significant change in the overall perception and wellbeing of the world. According to the United Nations, the term “peacekeeping” is defined as “the deployment of international military and civilian personnel to a conflict area with the consent of the parties to the conflict in order to: stop or contain hostilities or supervise the carrying out of a peace agreement" . Peacekeeping was created as a means to interfere between states who are in conflict who are often times than not, fighting over disputed territories. Canada has situated themselves in the middle of over two dozen peacekeeping missions; nonetheless, Canada’s very first mission was one to be remembered. Canada’s very first peacekeeping mission was to the heart of Egypt to intervene in the Suez Crisis. The Suez Crisis was the invasion of Egypt in July 1956 by Israel, France, and the United Kingdom. These nations had invaded in an attempt to overthrow the Egyptian president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, who had recently attempted to seize and nationalize the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal was co-controlled by Britain and France and as a result, the French and British owners, declared the invasion of Egypt from their states and Allies. Canadian involvement in the crisis was essential and without it, it is hard to imagine what the result would have been if they had not intervened. Canadian Minister of External Affairs, Lester B Pearson, had proposed the idea of Canadian involvement in the emergency. Following the proposal, November 7th 1956, marks the day the that the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1001 had created the “United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF)”. The first mission on the United Nations Emergency Force’s agenda was "to use military personnel to create a buffer zone between belligerents and to supervise the withdrawal of forces." Following that, with the permission of the Egyptian government, the United Nations Emergency Force entered the country to maintain the ceasefire after the withdrawal of any opposing services. If not for Canadian interference, there would be evidence of a war between the countries involved. Be that as it may, Canada is no longer rigorously contributing to peacekeeping missions. In accordance to a study conducted by the United Nations, Canada is ranked 78th of all countries with only 41 agents on United Nations Peace Operations. By any means necessary, Canada should become a more active force in the world of peacekeeping. The decline in Canada’s involvement during the United Nations Peacekeeping missions has severely damaged the reputation of Canada as a peaceful state. If these actions are not taken sooner, rather than later, the word “humanitarian” will no longer be associated with the great nation that is Canada.
Furthermore, Canada’s public-spirited, benevolent, peacekeeping manner was once again exhibited through its willingness to provide protection for over 25,000 Syrian refugees in 2016, during the Syrian civil war. Syria, a land once recognized for its cultural diversity and ancient civilizations was turned upside down in March of 2011 when the civil war had broken out. It is thought that less than half of the Syrian population is still living in their own home.3 The on-going war in Syria has sparked one of the most devastating humanitarian crises in the world. It is estimated that 25,000 Syrian citizens have lost their lives since the conflict broke out There are many people who are living in the streets, buried in rubble. There are innocent people who are losing their limbs, as well as those who are dying of starvation. Canada’s readiness to act as a safe haven for those 25,000 Syrians and their families goes a very long way. By providing refuge for the innocuous residents, Canada has given 25,000 men, women, and children the chance to create and live happier, better, and more fulfilling lives. Canada is a relatively affluent country and because of this fact, Canada has an obligation to provide support whenever possible. The Canadian government worked tirelessly to implement programs that would help the new-comers attain jobs and housing, advance their language speaking abilities as well as provide a list of emotional and diverse support. Canada should continue to act as a safe haven for not only Syrian refugees, but anyone who is in need of refuge. It would not only positively influence Canada’s reputation as a peaceful country, but it would provide many people the chance to build a life for themselves and bring economic growth the country. Many people often refer to Canada as “the land of opportunities”. Canadian citizens have the privilege of living in a country where anything is attainable. By way of example, Canadian citizens do not have to wake up to the sound of bombs on their doorstep. They do not live with the fear that one day their child will leave for school and return with a missing limb. Furthermore, in comparison to a place such as Syria, Canadian citizens live a reasonably easy life where they feel a sense of security and are always in reasonable reach by institutions that aid in the protection of their citizens. Canada should continue to make efforts to provide support for those who are in need.
Moreover, The North Atlantic Alliance was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War. Its purpose was to secure peace in Europe, to promote cooperation among its members and to guard their freedom – all of this in the context of countering the threat posed at the time by the Soviet Union. The Alliance’s founding treaty was signed in Washington in 1949 by a dozen European and North American countries. Essentially, the settlement sets out the possibility of collective guard, implying that an assault against one Ally is considered as an assault against all Allies. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization guarantees that the security of its European part nations is indivisibly connected to that of its North American part nations. Canada has been a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), also known as the North Atlantic Alliance since its founding in 1949. Not only has Canada been a member for a long period of time, Canada is one of the founding countries of the alliance. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created as a form of security. The Canadian Armed Forces are the most involved, deployable and reactive troops within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Canada is also the only country who has ever contributed to every North Atlantic Trade Organization operation since the signing of the treaty. 5 In addition, during the war that took place in Afghanistan in 2003, Canada had controlled the International Assistance Force (ISAF) by contributing 40,000 troops as well as dispersing over 22 billion dollars. Likewise, during the crisis in the Ukraine, Canada was one of the first nations to prepare and send out its military troops to assist. Canada has not only played a detrimental role in the creation and maintenance of the North American Treaty Organization, they are the sole of the organization. Multilateral organizations such as the North American Treaty Organization are important for the overall wellbeing of the world. Instead of fighting amongst themselves, the superpowers of the world, in partnership with many other nations, come together for one collective reason, the overall wellbeing of their individual nations. It is important for Canada to contribute to these organizations simply because it has the resources to do so. As previously mentioned, Canada is a wealthy nation. Canada may not be as large as the United States of America or as powerful as Russia, but it is an independent state that is able to actively participate and contribute to an organization of this manner. Canada should maintain their contribution to this organization because it not only furthers Canada’s social identity as a peacekeeping nation, but it provides Canada and its citizens with a sense of security.
Controversially, it has been argued for many years that Canada should tend to their own needs. It has also been argued that Canada is simply putting on somewhat of a show for the rest of the world. It has been broadcasted to the world that Canada has issues of their own, much like any other nation in the world. Many often to point to the idea that there are already many Canadian citizens who are already suffering and struggling to survive. They put an emphasis on the fact that, Canada should take care of their own citizens before they attempt to help any other inhabitants. It is fair to claim that Canada has a variety of issues that demand immediate attention; however, it also important to note that Canada is categorized as a first world country and remains the second largest country in the world. With that being said, it also fair to assume that the economy of the nation is only increasing. Canada has access to more than enough resources to be active in the world by offering its own assistance for those that do not have as much resources and support their own citizens at the same time. As one of the larger countries in the world, Canada has an obligation do what they can to help others. It appears as though Canada prides themselves on being somewhat of a humanitarian super power.
As a final point, Canada has not only been a proactive humanitarian force in the world, but they have also made contributions to the world that have changed both Canadian history and history globally. Canada is not only known for their efforts in immigration, but they are regarded as the pioneers of peacekeeping. Their contributions to peacekeeping will go unmatched due to the fact that many countries tend to only do what is in the best interest of their nation. However, Canada has maintained their image as a country with somewhat human characteristics. When the word Canada comes to mind, often times people associate the nation with words such as “selfless” and polite”. These words are an accurate representation of Canada’s role in the world. They are not only a force to be reckoned with, but they are selfless in terms of fulfilling their commitments and upholding their position in the world as a nation that contributes to peacekeeping missions, protecting refugees and actively contributing to a variety of organizations.