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Canada’s Decade of Diplomatic Darkness 0
- Analysis
- September 24, 2014
Published in the Globe and Mail, Sept. 24, 2014

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper addresses the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, observers should not expect a warming in Canada’s attitude toward the world body.

Since Mr. Harper failed …
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The Outcome of the Scottish Independence Referendum 0
- Analysis
- September 23, 2014
55 percent for ‘no,’ 45 percent for ‘yes.’ It was simultaneously a very close result and a comfortable win for Better Together.

The vote was close if we take a historical perspective on it. Support for independence in Scotland …
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Harper Goes to the UN for Domestic Consumption in 2015 0
- Analysis
- September 22, 2014
Published on National Newswatch, September 22, 2014

In the week of September 22, 2014, Stephen Harper will address the UN General Assembly, the global forum that not only he has shunned in his almost nine years of office but …
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The Myth of Canada as a Military Free-Rider 0
- Analysis
- September 22, 2014
Published in the Ottawa Citizen on September 18, 2014

How much is enough in Canadian defence spending?

It has never been enough, and it won’t be in the future is the answer.

NATO suggests that states spend two per cent …
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Harper at the UN: The Speech He Could (But Won’t) Give 0
- Analysis
- September 21, 2014
In a few days, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will address the UN General Assembly. In an alternate universe, imagine a scenario where he is planning to use the event to announce a fundamental new direction for his foreign policy. Perhaps …
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Short-term Hopes for a Unity Government as Prospects for Afghan Democracy Darken 0
- Analysis
- September 17, 2014
Afghanistan’s never-ending election process is continuing past the quarter-year mark as political, economic and security crises loom large on the horizon. A democratic election, providing the opportunity for popular participation in forming a government, also helps build legitimacy for the …
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The Death of the North-South Institute 0
- Analysis
- September 16, 2014
by Lauchlan Munro

Canada’s only independent think tank on international development and foreign policy, the North-South Institute, will soon close its doors. According to media reports, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) communicated its decision not to …
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Le Canada Invisible 0
- Analysis
- September 15, 2014
Par Ferry de Kerckhove et George Petrolekas; La Presse, 12 septembre 2014.

C’est avec une extrême surprise que nous avons pris connaissance des propos du premier ministre Stephen Harper selon lesquels « la contribution du Canada aux affaires mondiales n’a
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Obama’s Gamble in Iraq and Syria 0
- Analysis
- September 12, 2014
President Barack Obama’s speech on Wednesday marks the third major shift in United States counterterrorism strategy since 9/11, but it remains to be seen if the new approach will work better than the previous ones.

The first shift followed the …
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Canada Should Prepare for a Long Fight Against IS 0
- Analysis
- September 12, 2014
By George Petrolekas and Ferry de Kerckhove

Published in the Globe and Mail, September 12, 2014

In 1938, Neville Chamberlain returned to a hero’s welcome in London having given away parts of Czechoslovakia to Hitler at Munich. He announced …
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Hedging Bets: Aid Agencies’ New Preoccupation with Failure 0
- Analysis
- September 11, 2014
An earlier version of this essay appeared on RegBlog.org

Nobody likes to admit failure—least of all government-funded development organizations in hard economic times. Yet recent years have seen a number of prominent development agencies confess to failure. The International Monetary …
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What Should Canada Do About Cuba’s Participation in the Americas Summit?0
- Analysis
- September 11, 2014
This commentary reflects the public remarks and off-the-record discussion with officials at the forum on Cuba, the 2015 Americas Summit, and Beyond: Obstacles and Opportunities, which was co-sponsored by CIPS on September 4, 2014.

Most Latin American and Caribbean …
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