Essay On Canada Peacekeeping

Canada is well known for its peacekeeping efforts and contributions through peacekeeping. Yet, few of the population knows of Canada’s transition to peacemaking, and how Canada aims to return to keeping peace instead creating it. Peacekeeping first transitioned to peacemaking after the Cold War. The change caused public opinion to drop, resulting in Canada declining missions, and contributing less to the UN’s peacekeeping efforts. The Canadian government became unhappy with what Canada's Peacekeeping had become, and decided to take on and complete missions in a manner unlike the way that they were completed for years prior, but in a way alike peacekeeping once was. Now, after years of peacemaking, the government aims to return to being a peacekeeping

The Liberal government “has brought a change in tone, a more active Canadian engagement in multilateral organizations, and a promise to strengthen Canada’s commitment to UN peace operations”(Fergus Watt 16). Canada has now recognised that “the nature of peacekeeping has changed and therefore new approaches are required beyond the traditional “boots on the ground””(Romeo Dallaire, Shelly Whitman 1). The Canadian government is planning to create peacekeeping missions that will “address the realities of today's wars: the use of child soldiers, complex and ambiguous theatres of operation, more equitable and prepared peacekeeping forces”(Romeo Dallaire, Shelly Whitman 9). Canada is now able to build a number of troop contributing countries which will be able to “address the realities faced by peacekeepers today”(Romeo Dallaire, Shelly Whitman 11), and has promised to forge a new path by including women in missions and leading solutions to issues around the globe. Canada’s new government is taking the old way of peacekeeping and making it more modern and suitable for the issues of today, which will help countries