Conservatives’ Empty Symbolism on Citizenship Honours No One0

• Analysis
• February 25, 2013

Published in the Toronto Star, February 25, 2013

Lessons from Canada’s Development Engagement in Fragile States0

• Analysis
• February 21, 2013

For anyone who thought that ‘fragile states’ would quietly fade off Canadian policy agendas when Canadian forces withdrew from Kandahar, the last year has been full of surprises. In 2012, Mali—long considered a paragon of democracy and a stable African …

Mali: Global Jihad, Local Struggles and the Dangers of a Single Story0

• Analysis
• February 19, 2013

In the wake of the French intervention in Mali, there is much talk of the Sahel region becoming a safe haven for extremist Islamists. Africa’s vast desert territories are perceived as ‘ungoverned spaces’, or ‘black holes’ where a dangerous underworld …

A Headhunter’s Nightmare at Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom0

• Analysis
• February 18, 2013

Published in the Toronto Star, February 18, 2013

Despite the recent papal drama in Rome, the Catholic Church isn’t the only religion-focused body with prominent personnel troubles. In Ottawa, the Harper government has spent the last year dealing with …

Canada Should Play the Royal Card Against Sri Lanka’s Government0

• Analysis
• February 15, 2013

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma ended his visit to Sri Lanka this week by confirming that the next biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will go ahead as planned in the country later this year. Given that the Sri Lankan …

‘Canada First’ Military Spending a Surrender to Bad Policy0

• Analysis
• February 14, 2013

Published in the Globe and Mail, February 14, 2013

We have in this country a federal government that increasingly is engaged in trying to determine which business, which regions, which industries will succeed, and which will not, through a

Misinterpreting Mali: The Uses and Abuses of R2P0

• Analysis
• February 11, 2013

As argued in this space recently, there are sound legal and political justifications for the intervention of French and West African troops in northern Mali. Further, the apparent achievements of the operation so far lend support to those who argue …

Bang Bang Bangalore: India’s Military Spending Spree0

• Analysis
• February 8, 2013

“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore” is one of my favourite episodes of The Simpsons. First aired in 2006, it is an important contribution to North American and global popular culture’s celebration of post-liberalization India that began in the 1990s. In …

Are Iran’s Nuclear Dangers Overblown?0

• Analysis
• February 7, 2013

Iran’s nuclear program continues to generate much heat and light on the global stage.  While the Iranian nuclear challenge is a serious matter, much of the commentary on the degree and immediacy of its dangers is overblown. These are the …

Diasporas in Foreign Policymaking: Just Another Ploy of Neoliberal Multiculturalism?0

• Analysis
• February 5, 2013

Recent weeks have seen a brief revival of discussion in print and elsewhere on the question of whether Canadian multiculturalism is passé. This latest round of debate has shed little new light on the topic, having consisted chiefly of anecdotes …