The Nobel lecture Cluster Munitions Act South Sudan Saudi arms deal Working for a world free Bill-C6 awaits third Shattered peace leaves Export win raises questions of chemical weapons reading in Commons more than 10,000 dead on human rights

The Ploughshares Monitor SPRING 2014 | VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 1

Viewing nuclear weapons through a humanitarian lens

by Cesar Jaramillo

A quarterly publication of Project Ploughshares • Available online: www.ploughshares.ca Contents The Ploughshares Monitor Volume 35 | Issue 1

PROJECT PLOUGHSHARES STAFF Spring 2014 John Siebert Executive Director

Kenneth Epps Cesar Jaramillo Debbie Hughes Matthew Pupic Charmila Ireland Wendy Stocker The lecture Tasneem Jamal Barbara Wagner The 2013 prize went to the Organisation for the Prohibition The Ploughshares Monitor is the quarterly journal of Project Ploughshares, the peace 3 of Chemical Weapons. centre of The Canadian Council of Churches. Ploughshares works with churches, by Ahmet Üzümcü nongovernmental organizations, and governments, in Canada and abroad, to advance policies and actions that prevent war and armed violence and build peace. Project Ploughshares is affiliated with Problems with Bill C-6 the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, An Act to Implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions Conrad Grebel University College, University 6 awaits third reading in the House of Commons. of Waterloo. by Project Ploughshares staff Office address: Project Ploughshares 57 Erb Street West Waterloo, Ontario N2L 6C2 Canada 519-888-6541, fax: 519-888-0018 South Sudan at odds with itself [email protected]; www.ploughshares.ca A shattering of the peace has led to more than 10,000 deaths. 10 Project Ploughshares gratefully acknowledges by John Siebert the ongoing financial support of the many individuals, national churches and church agencies, local congregations, religious orders, and organizations across Canada that ensure that the work of Project Ploughshares continues. Is a nuclear weapons ban in sight? cover story Recognition is growing that the possession and use of nuclear We are particularly grateful 12 weapons is inconsistent with International Humanitarian Law. to The Simons Foundation in Vancouver by Cesar Jaramillo for its generous support.

All donors of $50 or more receive a complimentary subscription to The Ploughshares Monitor. Annual Hope for Liberia subscription rates for libraries and institutions Trauma healing and reconciliation in the war-torn country. are: $30 in Canada; $30 (U.S.) in the United 16 States; $35 (U.S.) internationally. Single copies by Aloysius B. Nyanti are $5 plus shipping.

Unless indicated otherwise, material may be reproduced freely, provided the author and source are indicated and one copy is sent Arms export win is human rights loss to Project Ploughshares. Return postage 20 Deal with Saudi Arabia raises human rights concerns. is guaranteed. by Kenneth Epps Publications Mail Registration No. 40065122. ISSN 1499-321X.

The Ploughshares Monitor is indexed in the Canadian Periodical Index.

Books etc. Photos of staff by Karl Griffiths-Fulton 23 A debut novel by Ploughshares staffer Tasneem Jamal. Printed at Waterloo Printing, Waterloo, Ontario. Printed with vegetable inks on paper with recycled content.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

COVER: This iconic photograph, first published in Life magazine, shows a mother and child in Hiroshima in 1945. Getty Images Nobel Peace Prize lecture 2013 Working together for a world free of chemical weapons, and beyond

By Ahmet Üzümcü

or sixteen years now, the ity. But chemical weapons have, by of 1899. OPCW [Organisation for any measure, an especially nefarious The fact that this treaty was not F the Prohibition of Chemical legacy. observed during the First World Weapons] has been overseeing the Almost one hundred years since War prompted immediate efforts to elimination of an entire category of their first large-scale use on the negotiate a stronger norm. These weapons of mass destruction. Our battlefields of Flanders, it is worth efforts resulted in the 1925 Geneva task is to consign chemical weapons reminding ourselves of the reasons Protocol. While it prohibited the use to history, forever—a task we have why these weapons invoke such hor- of chemical weapons, the Protocol been carrying out with quiet deter- ror, right up to our own time. Chemi- did not ban their production or pos- mination, and no small measure of cal weapons stir the deep-rooted and session. success. pathological fear all humans share of History, alas, did not bear out its Under the terms of the Chemical being poisoned. They do not discrim- robustness. Chemical weapons con- Weapons Convention, the OPCW inate between combatant and civilian, tinued to be used across the globe, has so far verified the destruction nor between battlefield and village. including against civilian populations. of more than 80% of all declared You cannot see them. You cannot And, alarmingly, large and more so- chemical weapons. We have also im- smell them. And they offer no warn- phisticated arsenals were developed plemented a wide range of measures ing for the unsuspecting. during the Cold War. It was not until to prevent such weapons from re- But their effects are devastating— the 1980s that negotiations for a emerging. And with 190 states now burning, blinding or suffocating their more comprehensive chemical weap- members of this global ban, we are victims. Death is rarely instant and ons treaty got under way in earnest. hastening the vision of a world free never painless. And when they fail to Chemical attacks being perpetrated of chemical weapons to reality. kill, as they often do, these weapons at that time by the former regime inflict lasting damage on people and in Iraq added to the urgency of this ********** their environment, denying them the process. opportunity to repair and rebuild in Fortunately, it was not only the There can be no doubt about the the wake of conflict. brutal effects of chemical weapons value of this work. For chemical that focused minds. What drove the weapons have been used with brutal ********** negotiators was also the imperative to regularity over the twentieth cen- ensure the effectiveness of the future tury—and, tragically, in our own cen- The first attempt to ban the use of norm to ban these weapons. tury as well. No weapon, of course, chemical weapons under interna- States were adamant that chemical has a monopoly on cruelty or lethal- tional law was Convention weapons had to be made a thing of

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 3 NOBEL LECTURE

It is high time to move towards a different, more durable security in keeping with the extraordinary opportunities that globalisation has brought—a security that accommodates human development, economic cooperation and mutual prosperity.

the past—by deeds, not just words. of the Chemical Weapons Conven- such compressed timeframes. But, as What they strove for was a treaty that tion. much as this mission is testing our all but enforced compliance, coming With the entry into force of the capacities and resources, our progress closer than any predecessor to guar- Convention in 1997, we have thus so far has only strengthened our con- anteeing adherence to its provisions. been able to cross, and link, the wide fidence that we can succeed. And, after almost two decades of dif- space in disarmament between pas- ficult negotiations, they succeeded. sion and practicality, between senti- ********** Their efforts gave birth to the full ment and action, between noble global ban that came to be known ambition and concrete achievements. International consensus on the elimi- as the Chemical Weapons Conven- And, for the first time in the history nation of chemical weapons in tion—and to an entirely independent of multilateral diplomacy, we were has as its basis the same consensus organisation, the OPCW, to oversee able to show that consensus-based that drove the Chemical Weapons its implementation. decision-making can yield practical, Convention to conclusion. The chal- effective and, above all, verifiable re- lenge now is to persuade those six ********** sults in disarmament. countries1 still outside the Conven- tion to join it—without delay or con- It was out of these negotiations that ********** ditions. the crucible of the unique success There has long been no reasonable of the Chemical Weapons Conven- The Convention’s achievements make defence for not doing so—all the tion was forged—a comprehensive the recent chemical attacks in Syria, more now in the wake of the robust international verification mechanism. which shocked us all, even more international reaction to recent use A mechanism that had no prior tragic. For they highlight the manifest of chemical weapons. No national model and had to be developed from security advantages that states adher- interest can credibly outweigh either scratch. A mechanism that obliges ing to the Convention enjoy. In the the security or economic benefits of every one of the Convention’s 190 sixteen years that the Convention has adhering to the global chemical ban. Member States, without discrimina- been in force, no Member State has It is my fervent hope that this tion, to destroy its experienced an attack with chemical award will spur on efforts to make stocks and production facilities—and weapons. the Chemical Weapons Convention to lay bare, through inspection, any Thankfully, the international re- a truly universal norm. Universal ad- industrial facilities that could be used sponse to those attacks set in motion herence to the Convention would be for purposes prohibited by this treaty. an extraordinary series of events. the most enduring investment in its A mechanism that brooks no excep- These resulted in Syria’s accession integrity—and the best guarantee of tions, and can conduct inspections to the Convention and a front-line its reach. at short notice to investigate alleged role for the OPCW, working together use of chemical weapons, or suspi- with the , to eliminate ********** cions over banned activities. In short, Syrian chemical weapons. a mechanism that places the onus Never in its history has the OPCW When the Chemical Weapons Con- on states to ensure full transparency overseen the destruction of such a vention was concluded in 1992, it vis-à-vis their obligations—with the major chemical weapons stockpile was rightly heralded as the most OPCW acting as arbiter and guardian in the midst of a civil war, and in tangible disarmament outcome of

4 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 NOBEL LECTURE

Ahmet Üzümcü is Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Reuters the immediate post-Cold War period. to achieve its ambitions. community’s guarantee of the Con- But over the more than two decades This means being pragmatic, clear- vention’s implementation. since then, we have little else to show minded—even dispassionate—about The Chemical Weapons Conven- in the area of disarmament for the acquiring the best possible tools for tion has given us a legacy that no enormous peace dividend that the achieving and consolidating disarma- future disarmament effort can afford end of the Cold War brought us. ment goals. And it often means gov- to ignore. It is high time to move towards ernments showing the political cour- a different, more durable security age to take tough decisions for the in keeping with the extraordinary benefit of the community of nations. © The Nobel Foundation, Stockholm, opportunities that globalisation has The Chemical Weapons Conven- 2013 brought—a security that accommo- tion has shown that this sort of an dates human development, economic approach yields results. For the Con- cooperation and mutual prosperity. vention is more than mere words and Excerpted from the lecture presented Effective implementation of the promises on a piece of paper. It is by the Organisation for the Prohibition Chemical Weapons Convention has a comprehensive regime geared to- of Chemical Weapons, delivered by its played a definitive role in empower- wards ridding the world of chemical director-general Ahmet Üzümcü in , ing a broader community of stake- weapons, and making sure they never on December 10, 2013. holders to this end. again threaten humankind. In this regime, member states pro- ********** vide the will behind the Convention. Note And it is the OPCW that provides The history of arms control has the force for making its goals a real- 1. Israel, Myanmar (both have signed shown no lack of passion. Yet, when ity. but not ratified), Angola, Egypt, North Korea, so much is at stake, passion must take Our work, imbued with resolve South Sudan. care to ground itself in reality, if it is and certitude, is the international

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 5 Canada’s Bill C-6 needs amending to fully implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions

The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) is “an international treaty that addresses the unacceptable harm to civilians caused by cluster munitions, through a categorical prohibition of the weapon and a framework for action” (UNDP 2014).

Adopted on May 30, 2008 in Dublin, Ireland and opened for signature on December 3-4, 2008 in Oslo, Norway, the CCM entered into force on August 1, 2010. Currently the Convention has 113 signatories, of which 84 are also States Parties.

Canada has signed, but not yet ratified, the treaty.1Bill C-6: An Act to Implement the Convention on Cluster Munitions is now awaiting third reading in the House of Commons.

By Project Ploughshares staff

n April 2012 legislation to imple- Reading in the House of Commons and ment the Convention on Cluster return to the Senate for comprehensive Munitions (Bill S-10) was tabled in review and approval.2 the Canadian Senate, where it was Earl Turcotte, who led the Canadian subject to Committee review. The delegation throughout the negotiation of IBill passed the Senate without amend- the Convention on Cluster Munitions, ments and was sent for consideration in was one of many witnesses who appeared the House of Commons. before the Senate Committee; he also sent In October 2013 the bill, now C-6, comments to the Standing Committee passed second reading and was sent to the (Turcotte 2013). Turcotte was highly criti- Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs cal of the draft legislation. Although Tur- and International Development. They cotte strongly supports Canadian acces- completed their work before Christmas, sion to the Convention, he contends that removing one word—“using”— in Sec- the proposed legislation remains tragically tion 11(1)(c), and sent the bill back to and deeply flawed. In his view, Bill C-6 the House. Bill C-6 must now pass Third constitutes a reversal of many of the key

6 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 BILL C-6

commitments Canada made during nego- • assist, encourage or induce anyone tiations and by signing the Convention in to engage in any activity prohibited 2008, and is an affront to other states that to a State Party under this Conven- negotiated in good faith. It could render tion. Canada’s armed forces complicit in the Among other things, States Parties continued use of cluster munitions and must also subject to prosecution in other jurisdic- • destroy stockpiles within eight tions. years; In the Project Ploughshares Brief to • clear contaminated areas within 10 the Standing Committee (Epps 2013), Se- years; nior Program Officer Kenneth Epps also • assist the victims. expressed concern over the draft legisla- The purpose of the CCM is to ban, for tion and urged politicians “to consider the all time, an indiscriminate and inhumane full range of international humanitarian weapon that has a history of killing large obligations to which Canada has agreed. numbers of civilians. The first article of In this instance, the obligation to prevent the Convention also imposes a total ban the use of cluster munitions must be para- on any form of assistance, encourage- mount.” ment, or inducement of anyone to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party Responsibilities under the CCM under this Convention. Article 21, which Article 1 of the Convention on Cluster deals with relations with states not party Munitions sets out the primary responsi- to the CCM, further requires States Parties bilities of States Parties: to “advance the norms of the Convention Each State Party undertakes never un- and make best efforts to discourage their der any circumstances to use by non-party states.” Article 19 dic- • use cluster munitions; tates that “the Articles of this Convention above: Earl Turcotte, who • develop, produce, otherwise ac- shall not be subject to reservations.” led the Canadian delegation throughout the negotiation quire, stockpile, retain or transfer Yet draft Bill C-6 seeks “exceptions” of the Convention on Cluster to anyone, directly or indirectly, during combined military operations with Munitions, was highly critical cluster munitions; non-party states that, among other things, of the draft legislation.

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 7 BILL C-6

Landmines in Laos

During the Vietnam war, the United States carried out intensive bombardment of more than one-third of Laos, primarily in an effort to cut off supply routes to the North Vietnamese. In total, almost 3-million tons of ordnance—approximately one ton for every man, woman, and child living in Laos at the time—was dropped. Laos has the tragic distinction of being, per capita, the most heavily bombed country in history. According to U.S. bombing data, among the ordnance were 270-million cluster submunitions, each with a kill range of more than 100 metres in all directions. It is estimated that 80-million cluster submunitions remained unexploded and potentially lethal when the war ended in 1973. Since then thousands of people have been killed. An estimated 20,000 have been injured and now require varying degrees of physical, psychological, and economic support. Clearing explosive cluster munition remnants is expensive and painstaking. After 40 years of intensive effort and with the support of the international community, the Lao Government estimates that it has cleared less than two per cent of the area that is potentially contaminated. Cluster munitions deny safe access to valuable agricultural and development land and the most impoverished parts of Laos are often the most heavily contaminated by cluster munitions. (Source: Turcotte 2013)

A live bomb nose with a fuse found by a scrap metal collector sits in the yard of a scrap dealer in Langkang town near Vietnam. Elisia Yeo/IRIN

would legally permit tions’ that permit Canadian Forces per- • Canadian Forces to assist with lo- sonnel gistics and the targeting of cluster • to aid, abet, or counsel non-party munitions; state forces to commit acts prohib- • the use of Canadian carriers to ited to States Parties; transport cluster munitions that • to conspire with non-party state belong to non-party state forces; forces to commit acts prohibited to • Canadian pilots and artillery per- States Parties; sonnel to acquire, possess, and • to assist non-party state forces that move cluster munitions while at- commit such acts to escape. tached or seconded to non-party In the view of Turcotte (2013), the state units; proposed Canadian legislation is “by far • Canadian commanders of multina- the worst tabled to date by any of the 113 tional forces to authorize or direct countries that have signed the Conven- non-party state armed forces to tion. It is the antithesis of the balanced use, acquire, possess, import, and agreement that 108 negotiating states export cluster munitions. struck in Dublin in 2008.” Clause 11.3 proposes blanket ‘excep- The Department of National Defence

8 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 BILL C-6

claims that other countries, including years. In his view, these two trends “pro- some of Canada’s NATO allies, are in- vide an opportunity to reflect on, and terpreting the provisions of Article 213 alter, doctrines and tools of war that are of the CCM in the same way. Turcotte based on traditional views of armed con- indicates that Canada, Australia, France, flict.” Germany, Japan, the , Spain, Turcotte (2013) warns: Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and a Canada is poised to set a dangerous few others have actively sought provision precedent that could well undermine the on interoperability, in which States Par- standards that have been painstakingly ties and states not party to the Conven- achieved in international humanitarian tion would combine their military forces law and render our armed forces com- in joint operations. Most signatories to plicit in further loss of civilian life. This the CCM, he contends, have adamantly would betray the trust of other coun- opposed any such provision, “for fear it tries that negotiated the Convention would be used as a legal loophole for the in good faith and of Canadians who continued use of cluster munitions during expect far better from our nation. Worst such operations.” of all, Bill C-6, as currently constituted, Turcotte claims that no other country would represent a complete failure to will allow many of the things that Bill do everything we can to prevent more C-6 deems legal in Section 11, where needless deaths and suffering. exceptions to the prohibitions related to Project Ploughshares (Epps 2013) calls use, outlined in Section 6, are set forth. for Indeed, several of the proposed actions political leadership and innovative think- “could earn perpetrators up to 14 years in ing that would amend Section 11 of Bill prison in the United Kingdom and serious C-6 to allow Canada’s military to main- jail time in many other countries” (Tur- tain interoperability with allies while en- cotte 2013). suring that Canada fully implements the CCM…. By reinforcing the full ban on Canadian security cluster munitions, a revised Bill C-6 will will not be compromised advance civilian security and save hu- In his testimony to the Standing Commit- man lives and limbs across the globe. □ tee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Turcotte (2013) denied that Canadian security could be compromised Notes if we were not prepared to assist in the 1. For more on this subject, see Turcotte 2011. use of cluster munitions by non-party 2. Updates on the passage of Bill C-6 can be found on the Mines Action Canada state forces: Facebook page. Project Ploughshares is a member of MAC. In all the years Canada has possessed 3. For more on Article 21, see Turcotte 2011. cluster munitions, we have never used them. NATO has acknowledged that a References major factor in determining success of Epps, Kenneth. 2013. Brief on Bill C-6: An Act to Implement the Convention on Cluster any military operation is the protection Munitions. November 13. www.ploughshares.ca. of civilians. There are many alternative Turcotte. Earl. 2013. Bill C-6: An Act to Implement the Convention on Cluster weapons systems that inflict far less col- Munitions, November 13. www.ploughshares.ca. lateral damage, both at the time of use _____. 2011. Long-term menace: International efforts to ban cluster munitions are and post-conflict. under threat. The Ploughshares Monitor, Autumn. In his brief, Epps (2013) noted that United Nations Development Programme. 2014. The Convention on Cluster there are currently no interstate wars and Munitions. that the number of armed conflicts has been generally declining in the last 15

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 9 South Sudan at odds with itself A total shattering of the peace has led to more than 10,000 deaths and upwards of one million displaced John Siebert

e opened with a minute trip included a week of field research a coup by former members of his of silence to remember in sparsely populated Warrap State government. The wheels had fallen Wthose who have been vic- on the role of development and off the bus. The lug nuts on the tims of violence since December 15, peacebuilding in countering armed wheels were decidedly loosened last 2013, when the world’s newest coun- violence (Siebert & Epps 2009) July when Kiir dismissed his cabinet, try, the Republic of South Sudan, Over the past few years I’ve including then Vice-President Riek began a descent into chaos. also met neighbours in Kitchener- Machar, and formed a new one. But On February 26 the Centre for Waterloo of South Sudanese origin the total shattering of the peace, International Policy Studies at the who fled the violence of the second which has led to more than 10,000 University of Ottawa and the Subsa- Sudan civil war (1983-2005). Since deaths and upwards of one million hara Centre hosted a gathering of the signing of the CPA, some have displaced people, was unexpected. Canadians committed to restoring traveled to their homeland to help peace in South Sudan. Representa- build a new society. They are pas- A challenging situation tives from different sides of the sionate about what happens in South On February 26 at the University conflict presented their perspectives Sudan, but do not always agree on of Ottawa I focused on the under- by SKYPE and telephone. Canadians next steps. lying structural and cultural factors from South Sudan were in the room The peace brought about by the that challenge the integrity of South to share their views. I spoke on a CPA was followed by a census, elec- Sudan as a nation state. It remains panel that examined ways in which tions, a referendum on self-deter- largely a frontier society with com- Canada could more effectively con- mination, and the celebration of the munity-based retributive violence tribute to peace and reconciliation. birth of the Republic of South Sudan operating where the reach of the The day before several of us met in July 2011. During this period state and its security apparatus is with officials at the Department of the threat of renewed war between either minimal, nonexistent, or re- Foreign Affairs, Trade and Develop- North and South always hung in the inforces communal divisions rather ment to learn about Canada’s re- air. South Sudan resisted responding than a shared national purpose. sponse to date to the crisis in South to many military provocations by Citizens of South Sudan do not Sudan. Sudan as it pursued independence yet trust the state to protect and and self-determination. serve them. After decades of civil Before the crisis Resisting provocations by Sudan war, with little development of eco- Since the mid-1990s Project Plough- to return to war, South Sudan since nomic and social infrastructure, this shares, with our friends at the Africa 2005 has also focused on balancing response is understandable. Attention Peace Forum (APFO) in Nairobi, the interests of its many internal fac- has been focused on the threat from Kenya, has engaged in track two dip- tions. Like a road-battered bus, the the North, allowing a semblance of lomacy efforts with local churches Government of South Sudan seemed unity within South Sudan to be main- and civil society to end Sudan’s civil to keep trundling along, with each tained. Below the surface, however, war, and in research on the security major milestone on the road to in- unity has always been strained. The implications of the Comprehensive dependence met with international state apparatus wasn’t just weak or Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in recognition and support. fragile, but struggling to take shape. 2005 between the North and South. It was a shock, then, on Decem- Amalgamating a national army This provided opportunities to ber 16 to see photos of President and demobilizing troops have not visit Juba, now the capital of South Salva Kiir in military fatigues and made much headway. Civilians re- Sudan, in 2006 and 2008. The second cap, responding to what he called main heavily armed with automatic

10 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 SOUTH SUDAN

rifles. Traditional cattle-raiding prac- tices by pastoralists throughout the countryside are excessively deadly. As a result, distinctions between civilians and factional militias are difficult to establish in the current violence. Since 2005 South Sudan has spent upwards of 40 per cent of its rev- enues on hard security. In a country of extreme poverty and food short- ages, this expenditure represents a compounding tragedy. Now these tanks and rocket launchers are being employed by different internal fac- tions against each other.

Building a stable peace Although a ceasefire agreement was signed in January, it is not being observed and no one knows when the outlines of a peace agreement will be achieved or what it will look like. Those of us who are concerned observers of South Sudan need to be appropriately modest about what we really know and can do to assist in resolving the current conflict and An officer of the Republic of South Sudan holds the new nation’s flag during the historic building the conditions for longer- Independence Ceremony in July 2011. Paul Banks/UN term peace. Local traditional conflict reso- losing face. crisis, it seems we, along with Can- lution techniques will need to be The current talks on South Sudan adian officials, are all trying to move married to international multilateral hosted by IGAD in Addis Ababa, from shock to formulating new and resources for restoring peace and Ethiopia, are inching forward. Am- appropriate strategies for Canada’s stability. South Sudanese traditional bassador Kiplagat and Ambassador role in assisting reconciliation and leaders, the churches, and civil society Adala of the Africa Peace Forum are sustainable peace in South Sudan organizations must play a key role if directly engaged with the Kenyan (Siebert 2014). □ peace is to be achieved. Government, IGAD, and the region’s Solutions must emerge from the churches in seeking a firm cessation primary actors in the conflict, with of hostilities and a process that will References the assistance and direct involvement lead to lasting peace. Reconciliation of their immediate neighbours. The processes within South Sudan will Siebert, John. 2014. South Sudan needs Intergovernmental Authority on De- need Canadian and other support in Canada’s support. Letter to the Hon. John velopment (IGAD), the subregional the medium and longer terms. Baird and the Hon. Christian Paradis, January multilateral body, is providing the The University of Ottawa discus- 24. www.ploughshares.ca. structure for mediating the conflict. sions reunited Canadian church and Siebert, John and Kenneth Epps. 2009. IGAD is the shell organization in civil society representatives with aca- Addressing Armed Violence in East Africa: which the highly conflicted Horn of demics who have contributed over A Report on World Vision Peacebuilding, Africa periodically engages its mem- the last decade to the emergence of Development and Humanitarian Assistance bers multilaterally to avoid direct an independent South Sudan. Two- Programmes. World Vision Canada. bilateral diplomacy that may result in and-a-half months into the current

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 11 Is a nuclear weapons ban in sight?

A development of historic dimensions is beginning to energize the otherwise lethargic nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation regime. Nearly seven decades after nuclear bombs obliterated Hiroshima and Nagasaki, an international process to achieve a legal ban on nuclear weapons is starting to take shape.

above: International civil society campaigners meet in Nayarit, Mexico in February. Cesar Jaramillo

12 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

By Cesar Jaramillo

A global push for a ban weapon states—were not there to be On February 13-14 the Government heard. They boycotted the conference in of Mexico hosted the Second Confer- Mexico, as they had the inaugural one in ence on the Humanitarian Impact of Oslo (The Oslo Times 2013). The P5 boy- Nuclear Weapons in the state of Nayarit cott, however, didn’t prevent their posi- (Mexico 2014a). Like the first, held in tions from being aired in Mexico. Others Oslo, Norway last year (Norway 2013), it were there to make the P5 case. was premised on the belief that the only Canada and other NATO members foolproof way to ensure that humans do insisted at the conference—as nuclear not again suffer the devastation caused by weapon states often do—that the primary nuclear bombs is to completely eliminate sources of nuclear insecurity reside in the this category of weapons. byproducts of nuclear weapons, such as A key catalyst for both conferences has proliferation pressures, not in the weapons been the renewed attention given to the themselves. They conflated and confused catastrophic humanitarian consequences the root cause of the problem with its of nuclear weapons and to the concomi- various manifestations. They lamented the tant impossibility of providing effective lack of engagement with the P5 by those emergency relief following their use. Rec- leading the calls for nuclear abolition—at ognition is growing that the use of nuclear the very forum the P5 had boycotted. weapons would be inconsistent with fun- But they were largely silent on the blatant damental precepts of International Hu- disregard by nuclear-armed states for their manitarian Law, including key principles obligations to disarm. governing the legal use of force, such as Canada expressed a legitimate fear that distinction, precaution, and proportional- nuclear weapons could fall into the hands ity.1 of rogue non-state actors, but failed to For such a fraught issue, the basic case acknowledge that the weapons them- for nuclear abolition is remarkably simple: selves are unacceptable, no matter who If the consequences of nuclear weapons has them. Canada also voiced skepticism use are unacceptable, and there is a clear about the value of a legal ban on nuclear and present danger that these weapons weapons. Banning nuclear weapons, ar- may be used by accident, miscalculation, gued the Canadian delegation, does not or design, then they must be eliminated. guarantee their elimination. The attitude of scores of nations on True. But establishing a legal ban this issue has reached a critical tipping would be the strongest diplomatic signal point, and calls for nuclear disarmament in decades of the widespread rejection of were heard loud and clear in Mexico. these weapons. It would also fill a void in Diverse states, including the Philippines, ; every other category of Jordan, Chile, New Zealand, Malaysia, weapons of mass destruction—all far less Bangladesh, Colombia, Hungary, Iraq, and destructive than nuclear arms—has been Switzerland, referred specifically to the explicitly declared illegal. unambiguous and urgent need to com- This anomaly was emphasized in Mex- pletely eliminate all nuclear weapons. ico. The summary report from the con- ference Chair specifically recognized that The predictable pushback ongoing discussions on the humanitarian But the five permanent members (P5) impact of nuclear weapons should encour- of the UN Security Council—all nuclear age the establishment of new international

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 13 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

norms and standards “through a legally of Canada have also petitioned the gov- binding instrument” (Mexico 2014b). ernment to endorse and support a process Canada argued in Mexico that the leading to the prohibition and elimina- priority should be to ensure that nuclear tion of nuclear weapons (Canadians for weapons are never used. However, while a Nuclear Weapons Convention 2013). the notion of a perpetual moratorium on Polls show that roughly 9 in 10 Canadians nuclear detonations sounds appealing, it believe that nuclear weapons make the is based on flawed assumptions. From world a more dangerous place and 73 per human folly to technical error, there are cent would support their total elimination countless well documented scenarios in through an enforceable ban (Environics which nuclear weapons could have been 2008). Members of Parliament from every employed in the past (Lewis et al. c.2014). major party are members of Parliamentar- Cesar Jaramillo The only way to guarantee that they will ians for Nuclear Disarmament and Non- is a Program Officer with never be used in the future is to eliminate Proliferation, which advocates for nuclear Project them. abolition. Ploughshares. In the end, Canada and a handful of But, so far, the Canadian government other countries, including Germany and has been far from responsive. The force- Australia, continue to insist on the tried- fulness of Canada’s warnings on the risks

[email protected] and-failed, step-by-step approach that, of proliferation stands in stark contrast 40 years on, has not made the goal of with the timidity with which it demands complete nuclear disarmament any more concrete nuclear disarmament. On related attainable. This position is increasingly issues, such as nuclear weapons concerns out of tune with the emerging, compel- in the Middle East, Canada’s position has ling, and persuasive narrative embraced by become brazenly and predictably one- a majority of the world’s nations, which sided—bashing Iran about its purported says that a legal ban is not only urgently desire and capability to develop nuclear needed, but indeed possible. weapons, while staying silent about Israel’s At best, Canada seems indifferent to undeclared nuclear arsenal. the logical implications of fully recogniz- ing the humanitarian impact of nuclear Going forward weapons. At worst, it is solidifying its po- Despite the recalcitrant positions taken by sition as an obstacle to their unequivocal some states, the push for a legal ban on prohibition. nuclear weapons remains strong. Skeptics doubted that momentum could be sus- Domestic support tained after the 2013 Oslo conference, but for nuclear disarmament Mexico decisively took the baton from Canada’s current stand on this issue is Norway. The 2014 conference represented more perplexing given the favourable do- a remarkably cohesive movement of mestic political environment for nuclear supporting states and civil society orga- abolition. A historic unanimous parlia- nizations. Austria’s announcement that mentary motion in 2010 urged Canada it would host a follow-up conference as to “engage in negotiations for a Nuclear early as later this year consolidated the Weapons Convention as proposed by the process. United Nations Secretary-General” and A challenging path lies ahead. The “to deploy a major world-wide Canadian nuclear weapon states have dug in their diplomatic initiative in support of pre- heels. Not only did they boycott the two venting nuclear proliferation and increas- conferences on the humanitarian impact ing the rate of nuclear disarmament” (Par- of nuclear weapons, they also skipped liament of Canada 2010). the 2013 United Nations Open Ended More than 700 recipients of the Order Working Group on nuclear disarmament

14 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

Polls show that roughly 9 in 10 Canadians believe that nuclear weapons make the world a more dangerous place and 73 per cent would support their total elimination through an enforceable ban.

(UNGA 2013). In addition, their policies concerted diplomatic efforts to achieve and actions are far from consistent with the complete and irreversible elimination the goal of nuclear disarmament. The of nuclear weapons is in the best interests doctrine of deterrence remains central to of every nation. their security arrangements, while billions For now, the process to establish a of dollars are being spent to modernize legal ban constitutes a necessary step for- nuclear arsenals (Priest 2012). ward. It will be rooted in the widespread It is also the case that the global mo- rejection of the continued existence of mentum and political will to move this nuclear weapons and a full recognition issue forward are unprecedented in the of the catastrophic humanitarian conse- post-Cold War era. The feigned lack of quences of their use. From this perspec- interest of nuclear weapon states and their tive, the use of nuclear weapons is unac- coordinated boycotts may indicate that the ceptable and the goal of their complete process is starting to become a diplomatic elimination is not negotiable. annoyance for them. Every indication is that the process will Canada’s support for a legal ban on move full steam ahead, with or without nuclear weapons would be welcome and the nuclear weapon states. And with or consequential. The prompt pursuit of without Canada. □

Note

1. See, for example, ICRC 2011. This resolution 1) emphasizes the incalculable human suffering that can be expected to result from any use of nuclear weapons, the lack of any adequate humanitarian response capacity, and the absolute imperative to prevent such use; 2) finds it difficult to envisage how any use of nuclear weapons could be compatible with the rules of international humanitarian law.

References

Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention. 2013. 705 Recipients of the Order of Canada. Environics. 2008. The Canada’s World Poll. January. International Committee of the Red Cross. 2011. Working towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. November 26. Lewis, Patricia, Heather Williams, Benoit Pelopidas, and Sasan Aghlani. c.2014. Too close for comfort: Cases of Near Nuclear Use and Policies for Today, Chatham House, Mexico, Foreign Affairs Secretariat. 2014a. Second Conference on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons. ­_____. 2014b. Chair’s summary. Norway, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2013. Conference: Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons. Parliament of Canada. 2010. Nuclear non-proliferation. 40th Parliament, 3rd session, December 7. Priest, Dana. 2012. Aging U.S. nuclear arsenal slated for costly and long-delayed modernization. , September 15. The Oslo Times. 2013. Conference for Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons—A Comprehensive Initiation: Report. Blog, March 10. United Nations General Assembly. 2013. Report of the Open-ended Working Group to develop proposals to take forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations for the achievement and maintenance of a world without nuclear weapons. September 3.

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 15 Hope for Liberia: Trauma healing and reconciliation

A program promoting peace and reconciliation is helping people traumatized by the severe effects of civil war

Civil war began in Liberia in 1989. Although a peace agreement was signed in 1995, war broke out again in 1999. A second peace agreement was reached in 2003, leading to elections in 2005.

By Aloysius B. Nyanti

dith Pewee, now 30, was her son, now 19, when she was only 11. among countless civil- Edith was forced to spend more than above: The Trauma Healing ians who were victims of four years in combat and committed hor- and Reconciliation Program’s Charles Taylor’s rebel Na- rendous crimes against civilians. Now she Kids for Peace program focuses on building self- tional Patriotic Front of says, “I thank God for the Trauma Heal- esteem and mitigating the effects of early sex, teenage Liberia (NPFL). Abducted when she was ing and Reconciliation Program (THRP), pregnancy, and sexually E just six years old, she was raped and her which has transformed my life. I am em- transmitted diseases. LCL-THRP PHOTO parents were executed. She gave birth to powered to do something for myself.”

16 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 LIBERIA

Network for Peace-building to Recovering from war create a pervasive awareness of The THRP, operated by the Lutheran violations and abuse of power; Church in Liberia (LCL), was established and in 1998 to promote peace and reconcilia- • Creating an environment in which tion and provide coping mechanisms for security forces and communities people such as Edith, who were trauma- can meet and dialogue. tized by the severe effects of the civil war. The civil war in Liberia left many young Focus on the young people who participated in the conflict THRP is currently providing psycho- disillusioned, without ambition, and un- social support and conflict resolution sure of their social, economic, cultural, training and counseling workshops to and political values. Treated as outcasts young people in Liberia’s Lofa County by fellow Liberians, they are viewed as in the north. The project, codenamed perpetrators of heinous crimes who are “Former Child Soldiers Rehabilitation,” is still threats to their communities and to also sponsoring war-affected youths who national peace and stability. have expressed the desire to acquire some THRP works with Christian and Mus- vocational training. After completing their lim communities and ethnic groups that courses, students are given money and were torn apart by the war. People are tools to enable them to start small busi- encouraged to learn to resolve problems nesses or joint enterprises. peacefully and denounce violence. One Young men and women have acquired program that focuses on women and girls skills in agriculture, carpentry, masonry, is known as the “cotton” project. It em- and plumbing. Their activities and busi- powers women who lost their husbands nesses are monitored by THRP staff to and children during the civil war by pro- increase the chances of success. viding skills training and micro-credit mar- The Former Child Soldiers Rehabili- ket initiatives. tation project also provides sports and Core functions of the Lutheran pro- recreational programs to keep participants gram include: busy and focused. The intention is not • Helping people to deal with the only to prevent former child soldiers and past, through cultural perfor- other youths from committing crimes mances such as song, drama, and and engaging in violent activities, but to dance; provide them with opportunities to fully • Restoring lost values by giv- develop their individual talents. ing Liberians relevant skills and THRP describes the program as an knowledge to handle conflict “asylum” for hundreds of war-affected nonviolently; youths, because it provides care, support, • Empowering people to take initia- and discipline. Since its beginnings in tives through the establishment 2003, it has transformed the lives of more of local Peace Mediation commit- than 1,000 people. Many testify that the tees; Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Pro- • Providing internship opportuni- gram has changed their lives. Their new ties for students from universities lives demonstrate to their communities and peacebuilding institutions; that change has taken place and they can • Providing psycho-social counsel- contribute much more positively to devel- ing at several prisons for prison- opment. ers and corrections officers; THRP believes that young people and • Rehabilitating security agencies by ex-combatants can be agents of peace and establishing the National Security key players in promoting and sustaining

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 17 LIBERIA

“Can you imagine, when I was captured, I was forced to kill my father, but Trauma Healing has made a great impact in my life.”

peace, reconciliation, and development in Korpo Kollie, now 18, says that during post-conflict Liberia. To that end it con- the latter part of the war she was adopted tinues to engage this group through inter- along with her mother by Liberia United active dialogues, forums, seminars, work- for Reconciliation and Democracy rebels. shops, and recreation programs—teaching As a young child, she remembers being them to solve problems peacefully. referred to as “Rebel Baby” by her cap- tors. “THRP has added another value to Stories of participants my life. As a human being, this is a clear Aloysius B. Kabeh Takey, now 24, was eight when manifestation that God created me for a Nyanti joined THRP in she was captured by the United Liberian purpose.” 1998 and Movement Organization. She said she was has worked trained as an intelligence officer within the According to program “graduates,” on conflict resolution, rebel ranks. She was tasked to interrogate THRP’s intervention has paved the way peacebuilding, and torture women and girls. She admits for their acceptance and reintegration into trauma healing, that she killed many women and drank their home communities. Some said that and leadership development programs. As Program human blood as a way of exorcising the they are no longer seen as threats. Many Officer, he is responsible spirits. more need this help. Reports show that for program oversight and staff management. More “Since the war, I have been going more than 250,000 ex-combatants, mostly information about THRP can through lots of trauma and have been child soldiers, have yet to be integrated be found at www.lcl-thrp. experiencing unusual things like talking into formal training programs. com. and shouting to myself,” she says. “Can [email protected] you imagine, when I was captured, I was Capacity building forced to kill my father, but Trauma Heal- THRP has also been working with com- ing has made a great impact in my life.” munity-based groups, youth organizations, religious institutions, and private and Zubah Pewee, now 36, was adopted public security agencies to build capacity by the rebel forces when he was 14. Four through training and seminars in psycho- years later, according to his account, he social counseling and conflict resolution. was given the rank of commander to head Participants learn how to intervene to the Special Boys Unit. “I led the unit into resolve personal, community, and national several battles. I had a very fearless squad; conflicts. we did lots of bad, bad things.” Zubah Recently THRP conducted a series said that, as one of the beneficiaries of of training sessions for over 90 senior the THRP program, his future has been government officials from six security restored, because he has adopted a new ministries and agencies, including the attitude and acquired some skills training Liberia National Police, Executive Pro- and is able to survive on his own. He ap- tective Service (a special elite force), the pealed to THRP to expand the program Ministry of National Security, and the to other regions to benefit more young National Bureau of Investigation. The people. training gave rise to the establishment of

18 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 LIBERIA

the National Security Network for Peace- In her peace message to commemo- building, a conglomeration of security rate the signing of the Comprehensive personnel to enhance human rights, gov- Peace Agreement, the President (Sirleaf ernance, and peace among the civilian 2013) said, “Many forces combined in population. this singular achievement, to bring us to Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson where we are today. We celebrate the will Sirleaf has acknowledged the extensive and determination of the Liberian people work of THRP in conflict resolution and through our women, faith-based institu- peacebuilding in Liberia. THRP is often tions, youths and students, and communi- called upon by the national government to ties, including the Diaspora.” □ resolve conflict in local communities. In 2013 THRP was one of several local and international organizations, including the United Nations Mission in Liberia, Reference above: A Ghanaian peacekeeper with the UN Mission in Liberia is pictured that participated in a series of programs Sirleaf, H.E. President Ellen Johnson. 2013. No on guard duty in Cestos City, and activities to celebrate 10 years of un- to War!, August 19. Liberia in November 2012. interrupted peace in Liberia. Staton Winter/UN

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 19 Arms export win is human rights loss

A $10-billion deal announced by Ottawa will supply weapons-equipped vehicles to Saudi armed forces

Kenneth Epps

n enormous order of from the office of Canadian Prime Minis- armoured vehicles from ter Stephen Harper” (Pugliese 2014). Two Saudi Arabia, announced years of concerted Canadian government by Minister for Interna- effort included trade missions led by Fast tional Trade Ed Fast on to Saudi Arabia in 2012 and 2013, lob- FebruaryA 14, may become the conflicted bying efforts by Foreign Affairs Minister poster child for Canada’s efforts to boost John Baird in 2012, and the close involve- military exports. The largest Canadian ment of the Canadian Commercial Cor- military export sale in living memory— poration, the crown-owned agency that and likely ever—is seen as a victory for arranged and contracted the deal. the “jobs and growth” economic strategy Worth at least $10-billion, the size of of the current government, even if a the recent Saudi order is unprecedented, similar victory occurred at the same plant even if the contract is not. Since 1991 decades before, with a different govern- manufacturer General Dynamics Land ment in charge. And as it did then, supply- Systems Canada (GDLS-C), has exported ing weapons-equipped vehicles to Saudi over 1,800 armoured vehicles, worth more armed forces raises fundamental concerns than $2-billion, to Saudi armed forces. about Canada’s commitment to human Due to these vehicle exports, Saudi Ara- rights and other international humanitar- bia was the largest recipient of Canadian ian standards. military equipment after the United States during the 20-year period ending in 2008. A timely deal Beginning in 2016 GDLS-C will ship In keeping with the clandestine nature of updated versions of its vehicles to Saudi much of the arms trade, not all details Arabia in as yet unknown numbers that about the announced sale are available. will certainly dwarf previous shipments. But it appears that the Saudi order was The new order represents the latest the result of a coordinated and aggressive component of a repeated production bid by Canadian government, military, cycle that began almost four decades ago. and industry officials in competition with In the late 1970s then General Motors other supplier states, including Germany of Canada (GMC) began manufacturing and France. armoured vehicles in London, Ontario to A Canadian military industry spokes- supply the Canadian Army. In the early man credited the success to a recent “shift 1980s, with this contract winding down, in attitude” that has delivered more gov- the company won its first order from the ernment support for defence sales, and U.S. Pentagon. noted that the initiative “is coming direct In 1991 the U.S. contract was com-

20 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 CANADIAN ARMS EXPORTS

below: Canadian pleted and rumours of plant closure were from Canadian missions around the world soldiers are shown in an upgraded light armoured in the air. Then GMC won its largest to meet with industry representatives. The vehicle unveiled at a news contract to that point—an order from the intention was for trade officials to better conference at a General Dynamics facility in London, Saudi Arabian National Guard for more promote Canadian military goods when Ont. Canadian Press than 1,100 vehicles. This order sustained they returned to their posts abroad. the plant and its union jobs until new Recent directives have increased the orders came in from the Canadian Army breadth and frequency of government and the Pentagon. These included a major promotion, and have coincided with a contract in 2000 for “Stryker” armoured decline in export control standards (Epps vehicles that provided the backbone for 2013). A government “Global Markets U.S. Army operations in Afghanistan and Action Plan” now targets Saudi Arabia Iraq. and 19 other nations, including Brazil, With shipments to Canadian and U.S. China, Colombia, India, Israel, Turkey, forces again winding down, the second and the United Arab Emirates. Accord- cycle of vehicle production has now been ing to an industry official, a new “culture completed with the latest Saudi order. of engagement” has seen senior officers A persistent argument throughout this from the Department of National De- production history has been that, to main- fence actively promoting Canadian equip- tain needed military industrial capacity in ment “not just in the Middle East but also Canada—a capacity that is also considered in Latin America” (Pugliese 2014). an important part of the North American Defence Industrial Base—the manufactur- Canadian jobs—but at what cost? er must have access to export customers. In the two-page government press release Ottawa’s support for the Saudi contract announcing the latest Saudi sale, the word and the arms industry in general is stron- “jobs” appears six times. Human rights is ger but not new. The Canadian govern- not mentioned. Yet its poor human rights ment has a history of assisting Canada’s climate is a defining feature of Saudi Ara- military contractors to win export orders. bia. The Human Rights Watch World Re- Thirty years ago annual “Hi-Tech” events port 2013 documents how the Saudi gov- in Ottawa brought trade commissioners ernment “stepped up arrests and trials of

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 21 CANADIAN ARMS EXPORTS

peaceful dissidents, and responded with Saudi-regime is autocratic, corrupt, and force to demonstrations by citizens.” actively suppressing basic human rights According to the report, authorities and freedoms. The many variants of Ca- suppress or fail to protect the rights of nadian-built vehicles, which include troop Saudi women and girls as well as foreign carriers, communications vehicles, and workers. Every year thousands of people tanks with large cannons, as well as their are subjected to arbitrary arrest and tor- operability in both urban and rural set- ture, ill treatment in detention, and unfair tings, virtually guarantee that the vehicles trials. Saudi judges routinely sentence will be front-line equipment to suppress defendants to thousands of lashes. The civilian opposition if an “Arab Spring” government does not tolerate public arises in Saudi Arabia. Indeed, there is vid- worship by adherents of religions other eo evidence that Canadian-built armoured than Islam, a situation that should be of vehicles supplied to Saudi Arabia were interest to Canada’s new Office of Reli- used in 2011 to support the repression of Kenneth Epps gious Freedom. Just 11 days before the peaceful civilian demonstrations by Bah- is Senior Program announcement of the GDLS-C contract, rain security forces. Officer (2014) reported The sale also adds to dire challenges to with Project that “a new counter-terrorism law in Saudi regional and global security. Decades of Ploughshares. Arabia will entrench existing patterns of weapons imports have made the Middle human rights violations and serve as a East arguably the globe’s most heavily

[email protected] further tool to suppress peaceful political armed region. In Libya, Egypt, and now in dissent.” Syria, the world has witnessed with horror According to Canada’s export control the human devastation that occurs when policy guidelines, Canada “closely con- over-armed governments turn their weap- trols” the export of military goods to ons on their own people. Well-equipped countries such as Saudi Arabia, “whose wars have created widespread regional governments have a persistent record of instability—including record numbers of serious violations of the human rights of displaced persons—with long-term reper- their citizens” (FATDC 2014). The guide- cussions that extend far beyond the re- lines do not prohibit arms exports to such gion. And the constant addition of costly governments but call for a “case-by-case” and increasingly sophisticated weapons risk assessment to determine “that there not only consumes regional resources that is no reasonable risk that the goods might could alleviate poverty, but ensures a fu- be used against the civilian population.” ture of armed conflict. Although Canadian officials reviewed The multi-year sale of possibly thou- and authorized the latest sale, it is hard sands of armoured vehicles to Saudi Ara- to fathom how there is “no reasonable bia is not the national success that Minis- risk” that armoured vehicles will be used ter Fast and others would claim. Rather it against the Saudi civilian population. The is a triumph of expediency over principle. By creating job dependency on supply- ing weapons to an intolerant regime, the References government is linking basic employment needs in Canada to the suppression of Amnesty International. 2014. Saudi Arabia: New terrorism law is latest tool to crush peaceful expression. February 3. basic rights elsewhere. The sale illustrates Epps, Kenneth. 2013. Canada’s push into new arms markets. The Ploughshares ongoing Canadian divergence from the Monitor, Autumn, pp. 3-7. Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada. 2014. Report on Exports of Military emerging international standards of the Goods from Canada, 2010-2011. recent Arms Trade Treaty, a key purpose Human Rights Watch. 2013. World Report 2013. of which is “reducing human suffering.” Pugliese, David. 2014. Top Gov’t Officials Join Canada’s Export Push. defensenews. com, February 22. It is time for a reset of Canada’s strat- egy to promote arms exports. □

22 The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 Books etc.

Where the Air Is Sweet Tasneem Jamal HarperCollins Canada 2014

A luminous first novel by Ploughshares Communications and Fundraising Officer Tasneem Jamal,Where the Air is Sweet tells the story of three generations of a South Asian family living in Uganda. Between 1921 and the early 1970s the family grows and prospers, until the policies of Ugandan President Idi Amin force them, with 80,000 other South Asians, to leave. As we learn to care for these characters, who came from British India seeking a better life, we share the fears and anxieties that grow with Amin’s increasingly erratic and mad behaviour. Among the many things that author Jamal teaches us in this book is the wrenching, deadening pain of the persecuted and the exiled:

The realization of her own powerlessness, of her family’s impotence descends slowly on Mumtaz. For her, acceptance does not come in a moment, in a second, or a few seconds. The notion of being thrown out, of being discarded, penetrates little by little, like drops of water filing a bowl, until one day it is full, overflow- ing, seeping into every crevice of her life. A fact, simple and familiar.

Where the Air is Sweet goes on sale June 3 and can be pre-ordered anywhere books are sold.

The Ploughshares Monitor | Spring 2014 23 Join our work to advance international peace and security by making a tax-deductible donation today. Visit www.ploughshares.ca or call 519-888-6541.