: A recent poll found that 88 per cent of Canadians believe the country should be engaged with the United Nations. These are not people reliving some halcyon days of Pearsonian peacekeeping. I believe Canadians, across the country and the ideological spectrum, understand that the institution was set up “not to get us to heaven but to save us from hell.”
While much continues to be forwarded by Canada within the UN General Assembly, the Security Council remains the most important board in the world, where decisions affecting global power and peace are taken. During previous stints on the council, Canada brought forth concepts and practices that contribute to a more just world. The government’s aspirations to be there again should be seen as a powerful acknowledgment of the country’s global responsibilities.
There is a Canadian viewpoint that should be present in UN leadership. It is not triumphal; it is persistent and speaks for all global citizens – that we must think and feel beyond our shores. That Canada recently voted in support of the long-held view of a two-state solution in the Middle East should not shock anyone, nor should the fact that Canada also remains a staunch supporter of Israel.
Including persons with disabilities is not charity – there is evidence it’s good business. They are accustomed to problem-solving on a daily basis to live in a world that was not designed for them. As Janet Riccio of Omnicom Group put it in challenging business leaders to include disability in their diversity agendas: “There’s something far worse than being mistreated and that’s being ignored.”