Securing the World From War: Examining the UN Security Council
There have been no outright wars between the world’s major powers since WWI. It’s this fact that causes some to say the UN Security Council has successfully served its purpose.
Politics
Guardians of Global Peace: Is Peacekeeping Still Relevant?
Given the United Nations mandate to maintain international peace and security, the question of the relevance of peacekeeping missions seems ironic.
Human Rights: Canada’s Successes Shouldn’t Overshadow its Failures
Many of us likely take basic universal human rights for granted. Yet in a legal sense, human rights have existed for less than 75 years.
Canada Speaks Softly But Persuasively: Notable Canadian Ambassadors
Canada’s ambassador to the UN is frequently seen as the face of Canadian diplomacy, who often brings his or her personal style and values to the role.
Model UN and The Art of Diplomacy
The Model UN Club found me in 2013 in the shape of two very keen grade 9 girls making a pitch to me at lunch about the need for more women in politics.
Inventing Global Cooperation: A Brief History of the United Nations
Getting students to understand the role the UN plays in the world is one step. Teaching its history and the role that Canada has played can be a much more complicated endeavour.
The Official Languages Act: Canada’s Living Document
Canada is a very different country than it was in 1969 when the Official Languages Act was first enacted. That’s why some people are working to update the Act.
Two Solitudes and their Connected History
Today relations between English- and French-speakers in Canada are and have been peaceful for some time. But this was not always the case.
“Try to Lay Low”: Growing Up Gay in Pre-1969 Canada
It isn’t easy to teach the history of homosexuality in Canada. We interviewed three gay men who were there and remember what it was like growing up before Decriminalization.
The Inclusivity Challenge: Is Canada a Just Society?
In my Grade 10 Canadian History course, students explore LGBTQ+ history the same way they explore the stories of many different Canadians in the context of our history.