Impact of Canadian values on policy is focus of symposium

“Canadian Foreign Policy: The Values That Shape It" is the theme of the 18th annual Reddin Symposium, which will be held Saturday (Jan. 15) from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in 101 Olscamp Hall.

Presented by the University's Canadian Studies Center, this year's event will feature three prominent experts who will discuss how Canadian values reflect that nation's international approaches to security, trade and the environment.

The speakers will be:
• Maureen Appel Molot, a professor of international affairs and political science at Carlton University, who will focus on Canadian multilateralism as it relates to international trade agreements and broader aspects of Canadian foreign economic policy;

• The Right Hon. Herb Gray, a former Deputy Prime Minister and member of Parliament who now chairs the Canadian Section of the International Joint Commission, discussing how environmental issues—particularly those related to air and water—influence Canadian foreign policy, and

• Retired Maj. Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, who led United Nations protection forces in Bosnia and,
since 9/11, has been an adviser to the Ontario government on counterterrorism and emergency measures. He will discuss Canadian views on military funding and deployment.

Values are an important part of Canada's security and of U.S.-Canadian relations, center Director Mark Kasoff noted.

"Canada, for example, is known for its support of international peacekeeping missions, but it is worth examining whether multilateralism really is an expression of Canadian self-interest. Canada chose not to participate in the second war in Iraq, and that caused some friction in U.S.-Canadian relations," he pointed out.

For more information or to make reservations, contact Elizabeth Forester at 2-2457 or email cast@cba.bgsu.edu.

The Canadian Studies Center seeks to strengthen the relationship between Canada and the United States through educational, research and business development activities that foster a better understanding and mutual respect for economic, educational, cultural and environmental perspectives on both sides of the border.

The center also is the home of The American Review of Canadian Studies (ARCS), which Kasoff edits. ARCS is the scholarly journal of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS).