"When you make love to a porcupine, do it carefully"
Conférence de Lloyd Axworthy
Concordia University
30 septembre 2004
"When you make love to a porcupine, do it carefully" - about relationship of Canada with US
World of uncertainties & horrible certainties
politics no more feeled by people as place to set goals & directions
It's an arena of debate and policy-making that was... but that is now disconnected from the people.
Thaylard de Chardin: "Something tremendous is happenning... But what is it?"
"Our search to become global citizens"
A child soldier was told "you will have to learn not to cry"
there's roughlly 15000 child-soldiers in Columbia
Ouganda
Ethiopia
etc...
It's a dark side of globalization
... (some bizarre ranting about linking western worlds sufferings post 9/11 and sufferings of child-soldiers)...
Financing the "underworld"
Federal budget of Canada --- profilactic of terror
Wars: always increase the power of the authority ( gov ) over the individual
Post-WWII institutions: a "constitution" for the conduct and stands of the world
now it's a new paradigm: we need a new "world constitution"
Businesses "investing" in schools, education, community: ???
we must redifine rule of citizenship
we must consider sacrifices as global citizens, we have responsibilities, interdependencies
a realistic and a imaginistic paradigm
the public opinion "attention-deficit disorder"
--- Axworthy blames universities and think tanks for not making their "imaginative work"
we must find needs underlying terror's appeal
so far, we only have found quick-fixes to it.
Axworthy: i'm a firm believer in Utopia that "we are capable", "we can make a change"
canadian-made idea of "responsibility to protect"
- to protect individuals, not governments
- so that individuals can no more hide behind gov. prerogative & authority to fly away with murder, rape, abductions, etc...
Obligation to enforce by and with force
a balance between self-determination and right to intervene = responsibility to protect individuals
Prevention is part of that (before the conflict arise)
Require that int'l institutions intervene
- should have its own constabulary to avoid commissioning & free-rider, that have a real capacity to intervene
also: against environmental, social and physical deteriorations
All this is not cost-free
involves changing behaviour
This could become (our?) focal point in foreign policy
Global understanding requires imagination
dealing with:
- mortality
- refugees
- prevention and preemption
- changing decision-making
"how to become democrats"
- the dropping turnouts to elections is a concern: can we say democracy is working right now?
examples:
- changes in Senate: should be made responsible - and should be elected - for nominations like ambassadorships
- a "ministry of peace" should be created" that would promote a peace agenda (hihi: minipax)
Concordia University
30 septembre 2004
"When you make love to a porcupine, do it carefully" - about relationship of Canada with US
World of uncertainties & horrible certainties
politics no more feeled by people as place to set goals & directions
It's an arena of debate and policy-making that was... but that is now disconnected from the people.
Thaylard de Chardin: "Something tremendous is happenning... But what is it?"
"Our search to become global citizens"
A child soldier was told "you will have to learn not to cry"
there's roughlly 15000 child-soldiers in Columbia
Ouganda
Ethiopia
etc...
It's a dark side of globalization
... (some bizarre ranting about linking western worlds sufferings post 9/11 and sufferings of child-soldiers)...
Financing the "underworld"
Federal budget of Canada --- profilactic of terror
Wars: always increase the power of the authority ( gov ) over the individual
Post-WWII institutions: a "constitution" for the conduct and stands of the world
now it's a new paradigm: we need a new "world constitution"
Businesses "investing" in schools, education, community: ???
we must redifine rule of citizenship
we must consider sacrifices as global citizens, we have responsibilities, interdependencies
a realistic and a imaginistic paradigm
the public opinion "attention-deficit disorder"
--- Axworthy blames universities and think tanks for not making their "imaginative work"
we must find needs underlying terror's appeal
so far, we only have found quick-fixes to it.
Axworthy: i'm a firm believer in Utopia that "we are capable", "we can make a change"
canadian-made idea of "responsibility to protect"
- to protect individuals, not governments
- so that individuals can no more hide behind gov. prerogative & authority to fly away with murder, rape, abductions, etc...
Obligation to enforce by and with force
a balance between self-determination and right to intervene = responsibility to protect individuals
Prevention is part of that (before the conflict arise)
Require that int'l institutions intervene
- should have its own constabulary to avoid commissioning & free-rider, that have a real capacity to intervene
also: against environmental, social and physical deteriorations
All this is not cost-free
involves changing behaviour
This could become (our?) focal point in foreign policy
Global understanding requires imagination
dealing with:
- mortality
- refugees
- prevention and preemption
- changing decision-making
"how to become democrats"
- the dropping turnouts to elections is a concern: can we say democracy is working right now?
examples:
- changes in Senate: should be made responsible - and should be elected - for nominations like ambassadorships
- a "ministry of peace" should be created" that would promote a peace agenda (hihi: minipax)
posted by Jean-Sébastien Lévesque at 9:01 PM
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