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Canada Makes Palestinian Human Rights a Pawn in Mideast Peace Talks 0
- Analysis
- April 10, 2014
As John Kerry’s deadline fast approaches for concluding a ‘Framework Agreement’ in the resuscitated Israel-Palestine negotiations, few are optimistic. Those disparaging the deal, or even the need for a deal, appear to have the upper hand in both camps. The …
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Afghanistan’s 2014 Election: A Referendum Against the Taliban 0
- Analysis
- April 8, 2014
April 5 was the day of Afghanistan’s historic election, a milestone in its history. I saw men and women, young and old, lined up in the rain-damped city to vote from dawn to dusk, exercising their democratic rights. In 50 …
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The Curious Case of Jonathan Pollard 0
- Analysis
- April 7, 2014
One of the stranger aspects of the current round of the interminable Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is the reported idea that the U.S. is considering releasing Jonathan Pollard as an inducement to keep the Israeli government at the peace table for …
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The Putin Book Club 0
- Analysis
- April 3, 2014
“We must love all nations as we love our own,” writes Russian philosopher Vladimir Sergeevich Solovyov in his 1897 book The Justification of the Good. The “greatness and value” of nationality, he claims, lies “not in itself taken in …
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Understanding the Great War 0
- Analysis
- April 1, 2014
Published in the Ottawa Citizen, March 31, 2014

The assassination of Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie on June 28, 1914 set off a chain of events that a few weeks later led to an all-out war involving virtually …
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Pre-Election Reflections from Kabul 0
- Analysis
- March 31, 2014
On April 5, the people of Afghanistan will vote in their third national election since 2001—a hundred million-dollar effort financed by international donors. The air is filled with anticipation and hope, albeit tempered with grave concerns held by both the …
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Coming Soon: A Truly Global Human Rights Revolution?0
- Analysis
- March 31, 2014
Published on the openGlobalRights Blog, March 31, 2014

There is an unmistakable fin de régime sentiment to much current thinking regarding international human rights. Conferences and discussion forums convene to debate ‘the future of human rights’, with implicit in …
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With Russia Out of the G8, What About the G7 and G20?0
- Analysis
- March 25, 2014
Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Prime Minister Harper has insistently demanded that Russia be expelled from the G8. But what sort of G7 will survive that action? And what happens to the G20?

For now, the situation was resolved at …
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Europe Will Wake Up, and Putin Can Expect a Harsh Response 0
- Analysis
- March 25, 2014
Published in The Globe and Mail, March 19, 2014

There are many aspects to the current struggle over the future of Crimea which pose serious difficulties for an international community that would like to respond firmly. On the one …
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An Ex-CIDA Officer’s Reflections on Afghanistan: Looking Back, Looking Forward 0
- Analysis
- March 13, 2014
The departure of Canadian troops from Afghanistan does not mark the end of Canadian aid to that country. To move forward, however, Canada must accept the strategic mistakes of the past and record the lessons learned, not only to avoid …
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Russia’s Crimea Caper: One More Nail in the Non-Intervention Coffin 0
- Analysis
- March 6, 2014
Both Russia and those opposing its intervention in Crimea are making claims regarding the legality of its acts. Russia is asserting the right to use force in Crimea and, if necessary, in eastern Ukraine. The U.S., Canada, and European states …
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Crisis in South Sudan: What Role for Canada?0
- Analysis
- March 5, 2014
By Stephen Baranyi and Tag Elkhazin

The signing of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army sparked optimism that the country could find a way out of its devastating cycle …
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