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After the Cold War. Peacekeeping . Main Topics: Canada’s International Reputation Canada’s Contributions to World Peace. Peacekeeping changed radically once the Cold War was over! More missions Different types of missions More peacekeeping organizations New roles for peacekeepers.
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After the Cold War Peacekeeping
Main Topics: • Canada’s International Reputation • Canada’s Contributions to World Peace
Peacekeeping changed radically once the Cold War was over! • More missions • Different types of missions • More peacekeeping organizations • New roles for peacekeepers
More Missions • There have been over 40 peacekeeping missions since 1990 . • The UN alone currently has 16 active peacekeeping missions – these cost an average of $5 billion per year. • Currently, over 88,000 peacekeepers from 113 different countries are deployed throughout the world!
UN peacekeeping missions - dark blue represents current missions.
Different Missions • Peacekeepers now keep the peace within states as well as between states. • Peacekeeping has turned more into peacemaking: it has become a matter of creating peace where it does not exist.
More Organizations • The UN is no longer the world’s only peacekeeping organization! • Other peacekeeping organizations: • NATO • Organization for African Unity • Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
New Roles for Peacekeepers • Train and organize local police • Remove mines • Conduct fair elections • Assist the return of refugees • Protect human rights • Intervene to prevent humanitarian disasters.
Peacekeeping and Canada • Ever since the end of the Cold War, Canada has been involved in peacekeeping activities throughout the world.
Iraq (1991) • In 1991, Canada participated in the first Gulf War as part of a UN force. • Canadians helped to push the Iraqi army out of Kuwait. • We participated with our air force, our army and our navy!
Yugoslavia (1992-1995) • After the fall of Communism in 1991, Yugoslavia began to break apart. • Yugoslavia was made up of many different ethnic groups, and they all wanted to become independent. • Problem: Some Yugoslavian provinces had ethnically mixed populations. What country would these people belong to?
Result: • Wars broke out between the Serbs, the Croats and the Bosnian Muslims. • UN peacekeepers were sent to the region in order to force the rival armies apart. • In both Croatia and Bosnia, the peacekeepers were unable to stop massacres and ethnic cleansing from taking place.
Somalia (1992) • In 1992, soldiers of the Canadian Airborne Regiment were sent to Somalia as part of a very difficult peacekeeping mission: • Somalia had been devastated by civil war and famine. • There was no central government, as gangs ran parts of the country and controlled the distribution of food aid coming from other countries.
Somalia (1992) • During this mission, an event took place that permanently harmed the reputation of Canadian soldiers and UN peacekeepers. • The Somalia Affair:
Somalia (1992) • Read the handout titled “Death of ShidaneArone” and respond to the following: • Explain why this event harmed the reputation of the entire Canadian military and not just the reputation of those who were directly involved in the crime. • Describe the Canadian government’s response to this event.
Rwanda (1994) • In 1994, there was a civil war in the small African nation of Rwanda, as two ethnic groups, the Tutsis and the Hutus fought for power. • The Hutus won and began to organize a genocide against the Tutsis.
Result: • A UN peacekeeping force was sent to protect the Tutsis. • Problem: UN members contributed only 3,000 troops to this force. • Problem: The UN peacekeepers were attacked, and most counties removed their soldiers. • Result: 500 peacekeepers were left with the task of stopping the genocide.
The peacekeeping mission was led by Canadian General Romeo Dallaire. • Dallaire warned the international community that a genocide would take place, but his pleas for help were ignored.
Result: • Over 1,000,000 people were killed in the genocide. • Dallaire later wrote a book in which he claimed that “the international community ha[d] blood on its hands.” • Do you agree with Dallaire’s statement? Write a point-from list of reasons to support your position.