It was a little over a decade ago that Bono uttered: “I believe the world needs more Canada.”
Since then, Canada has “won” five consecutive Fossil of the Year awards for its role in undermining international climate change talks and was rejected for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. How times have changed! For Canadian researchers working abroad, this change to our national “brand” presents new challenges.
In The Ugly Canadian: Stephen Harper’s Foreign Policy, Canadian writer Yves Engler examines why international perceptions have changed. He exposes this country’s sabotage of international environmental efforts and close alignment with extractive industries that have been widely condemned for abuses. This sweeping critique documents Canadian foreign policy positions that have sparked reaction, such as opposition to the “Arab Spring” democracy movement, support for a military coup in Honduras and indifference to post-earthquake Haitian suffering, opposition to social transformation in Latin America and far-reaching support for a right-wing Israeli government. The author will discuss what these changes mean for Canadians, and what is called for to earn a more positive reputation.
Date: February 13, 2014
Time: 4:30 – 6:00 pm
Location: Room B151, School of Population and Public Health, 2206 East Mall, UBC
More information and to register
Yves Engler is a Montreal-based writer and political activist. He has been dubbed as “Canada’s version of Noam Chomsky” (Georgia Straight) and “part of that rare but growing group of social critics unafraid to confront Canada’s self-satisfied myths” (Quill & Quire). Yves Engler’s books have been praised by Noam Chomsky, Naomi Klein, William Blum, Rick Salutin and many others.
Sponsored by the Global Health Research Program, School of Population & Public Health and Global Health Research Network, Liu Institute for Global Issues