Executive Director of the Centre for Global Studies and CIGI Distinguished Fellow
Dr. Gordon Smith is the Executive Director of the Centre for Global Studies, a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for international Governance Innovation (CIGI), and Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Victoria. Dr. Smith is the recipient of the 2009 Vanier Medal from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. Previously Dr. Smith had served at the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1997, Ambassador to the European Union in Brussels from 1991 to 1994, and Ambassador to the Canadian Delegation to NATO from 1985 to 1990. Since 1997, Dr. Smith has been a Member of the Canadian Group of the Trilateral Commission. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from M.I.T.
What is Mr. Baird doing aligning himself with Netanyahu? These were and are tough negotiations. Trust but verify. But don’t expect perfection – it isn’t possible. Does anyone really believe war with Iran is a better option? The U.S. needs Canada’s support, not carping.
I do not know a major country that does not do some form of economic intelligence. But sharing with corporations is or should be a no no. Of course we know for China it is not a no no.
Sandy certainly ought to help engender a serious conversation – one which moves us to action – on climate change. Climate experts have been clear. We will have more extreme weather events. We are having them. Records were broken with Sandy – the lowest pressure ever recorded in the New York area is one. Thinking […]
Cyber-security is a huge issue. Canada’s economy and society are vulnerable to attacks; we are vulnerable individually as well as collectively. We must develop technically sophisticated protective and defensive measures both in Canada and in cooperation with our allies. More is needed. We also need to think creatively and be prepared to work globally to […]
Anybody who thought the SCAF would readily give way to an elected parliament or president was dreaming. This is a long term process. Just think how long it has taken in Turkey for the military to accept a civilian government (and one with Islamist inclinations to boot). Syria is, I fear, still in the early […]
Cyberspace is here to stay and everybody has to deal with it unless they choose to move to an island and live in isolation from the rest of the world. Cyberspace is both threat and opportunity. What is needed is “governance”, not (much) “government. There is now a battle between the forces of order and […]
I answer the question with a question: “Who gets to decide which are corrupt and repressive regimes?”
Certainly not. Whose religion? How many religions? We don’t want to forget the creationists. What is the matter with the pursuit of the long term interests of the Canadian people?
The decision to intervene in Libya. It was the right decision but Ottawa was strangely silent about what our aircraft (and ships) were doing. The worst moment was to listen to Peter Kent in Durban and then withdrawing from Kyoto.
It is too early to say the Egyptian revolution can be counted a success. It did succeed in ousting Mubarak; that is important. But there is no real sign that the military will give up the reins of power after the elections have taken place. Only if they do can the Egyptian revolution be truly […]
There is no question about it. Digital media produce awareness, and awareness is essential to stopping mass atrocities. Visit the website of the Enough Project. At the MIGSR2P conference last week Jon Hutson described the work they are doing, and in particular I discussed with him the Sentinel Satellite Project. It uses photographs that provide the […]
Diplomats are needed more than ever in the digital age. They must just engage in and be part of that age. This involves more than the knowledge of how to use the technology; it requires cultural change. This normally comes quite naturally as new recruits, familiar with FaceBook and Twitter, replace those for whom email […]
This is a tough question. The answer would depend (the regime hasn’t collapsed just yet) on the ability and willingness of Assad’s opponents to hang together. If it becomes Sunni vs. Shia/Alawite, there would be a real temptation of outsiders to intervene.
This is a tough question. The answer would depend (the regime hasn’t collapsed just yet) on the ability and willingness of Assad’s opponents to hang together. If it becomes Sunni vs. Shia/Alawite, there would be a real temptation of outsiders to intervene.
There clearly are “societal problems”. We know most of them well – the growing gap between rich and poor, a lack of economic opportunity for youth and immigrants failure to integrate. But there is something more, something we know less about. That is the readiness of too many of today’s male youth to engage in […]
Canada’s military engagement in Afghanistan certainly changed a long held perception of Canada throughout the world. It contradicted any idea that Canada would only undertake blue helmet operations. Afghanistan, and now Libya, have shown Canada in a different light, ready to fight and to lose lives of soldiers. Does this stem from a different concept […]
It would make sense to start with the two wars Canada is now in. We are on our way out of Kandahar militarily, but it is not at all clear that we will be able to keep our development activities going because of lack of security. Yet we have invested heavily, above all in lives […]