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Saturday, November 23, 2024
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Douglas Roche

It may be a long time until we reach the other side of this dark valley

  • Trump has mesmerized a big chunk of the American public, but he doesn’t have progressive nations with him, though he will try to bully
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 6, 2024
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, pictured at a rally in Phoenix, Ariz., on June 6, 2024. His victory, based on glorifying the powerful and de-humanizing the weak, reinforces the old saying: if you want peace, prepare for war, writes Doug Roche. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

It may be a long time until we reach the other side of this dark valley

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 6, 2024
  • Trump has mesmerized a big chunk of the American public, but he doesn’t have progressive nations with him, though he will try to bully

It may be a long time until we reach the other side of this dark valley

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 6, 2024
  • Trump has mesmerized a big chunk of the American public, but he doesn’t have progressive nations with him, though he will try to bully
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, pictured at a rally in Phoenix, Ariz., on June 6, 2024. His victory, based on glorifying the powerful and de-humanizing the weak, reinforces the old saying: if you want peace, prepare for war, writes Doug Roche. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

It may be a long time until we reach the other side of this dark valley

  • Trump has mesmerized a big chunk of the American public, but he doesn’t have progressive nations with him, though he will try to bully
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 6, 2024
Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, pictured at a rally in Phoenix, Ariz., on June 6, 2024. His victory, based on glorifying the powerful and de-humanizing the weak, reinforces the old saying: if you want peace, prepare for war, writes Doug Roche. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

It may be a long time until we reach the other side of this dark valley

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 6, 2024
  • Trump has mesmerized a big chunk of the American public, but he doesn’t have progressive nations with him, though he will try to bully

It may be a long time until we reach the other side of this dark valley

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 6, 2024
  • Trump has mesmerized a big chunk of the American public, but he doesn’t have progressive nations with him, though he will try to bully
Donald Trump
Donald Trump, pictured at a rally in Phoenix, Ariz., on June 6, 2024. His victory, based on glorifying the powerful and de-humanizing the weak, reinforces the old saying: if you want peace, prepare for war, writes Doug Roche. Photograph courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr

Is the abolition of nuclear weapons really an impossible dream?

  • It’s certainly not a task for the faint-hearted. But I think Nelson Mandela got it right when he encouraged humanity to keep moving forward towards
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 17, 2024
António Guterres
António Guterres
As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warns, 'Not since the worst days of the Cold War has the spectre of nuclear weapons cast such a dark shadow.' Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Is the abolition of nuclear weapons really an impossible dream?

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 17, 2024
  • It’s certainly not a task for the faint-hearted. But I think Nelson Mandela got it right when he encouraged humanity to keep moving forward towards

Is the abolition of nuclear weapons really an impossible dream?

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 17, 2024
  • It’s certainly not a task for the faint-hearted. But I think Nelson Mandela got it right when he encouraged humanity to keep moving forward towards
António Guterres
As UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, warns, 'Not since the worst days of the Cold War has the spectre of nuclear weapons cast such a dark shadow.' Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Suddenly, there he was all over the United Nations

  • Justin Trudeau was ubiquitous, with a burst of commitment to UN causes that, had he shown it when Canada was running for a Security
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 30, 2024
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the Hill on June 19, 2024. Trudeau, besieged at home, deserves credit for trying last week in New York City to strengthen UN efforts to make the world a better place, writes Doug Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Suddenly, there he was all over the United Nations

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 30, 2024
  • Justin Trudeau was ubiquitous, with a burst of commitment to UN causes that, had he shown it when Canada was running for a Security

Suddenly, there he was all over the United Nations

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 30, 2024
  • Justin Trudeau was ubiquitous, with a burst of commitment to UN causes that, had he shown it when Canada was running for a Security
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the Hill on June 19, 2024. Trudeau, besieged at home, deserves credit for trying last week in New York City to strengthen UN efforts to make the world a better place, writes Doug Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

NATO runs on hard power, the UN on soft

  • The work of peacebuilding is not as headline-snaring as building up the military to fight wars. Governments are now spending $2.4-trillion annually on their
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 3, 2024
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters Feb. 7, 2024. NATO wants more military spending to deal with escalating global threats to security, writes Douglas Roche. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

NATO runs on hard power, the UN on soft

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 3, 2024
  • The work of peacebuilding is not as headline-snaring as building up the military to fight wars. Governments are now spending $2.4-trillion annually on their

NATO runs on hard power, the UN on soft

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 3, 2024
  • The work of peacebuilding is not as headline-snaring as building up the military to fight wars. Governments are now spending $2.4-trillion annually on their
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters Feb. 7, 2024. NATO wants more military spending to deal with escalating global threats to security, writes Douglas Roche. Photograph courtesy of Flickr

Clark makes passionate plea for a return to ‘co-operation across our differences’ in politics today

  • At a dinner in his honour last week, Joe Clark rebuked the modern Conservative Party for worsening Canada’s divisions today, and the Liberals for
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 27, 2024
Joe Clark, pictured in this file photo, celebrated his 45th anniversary of his election as Canada's 16th prime minister on May 22 in Ottawa, and used the event to make a plea for a return to co-operation across our differences in politics today. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Clark makes passionate plea for a return to ‘co-operation across our differences’ in politics today

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 27, 2024
  • At a dinner in his honour last week, Joe Clark rebuked the modern Conservative Party for worsening Canada’s divisions today, and the Liberals for

Clark makes passionate plea for a return to ‘co-operation across our differences’ in politics today

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 27, 2024
  • At a dinner in his honour last week, Joe Clark rebuked the modern Conservative Party for worsening Canada’s divisions today, and the Liberals for
Joe Clark, pictured in this file photo, celebrated his 45th anniversary of his election as Canada's 16th prime minister on May 22 in Ottawa, and used the event to make a plea for a return to co-operation across our differences in politics today. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Canada’s salute to militarism is sad

  • Mélanie Joly is heir to some great Canadians initiatives for peace: Lester Pearson on peacekeeping in the Suez Canal, Jean Chrétien in keeping Canada out
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 15, 2024
Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly speaks with reporters in the West Block on May 9, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada’s salute to militarism is sad

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 15, 2024
  • Mélanie Joly is heir to some great Canadians initiatives for peace: Lester Pearson on peacekeeping in the Suez Canal, Jean Chrétien in keeping Canada out

Canada’s salute to militarism is sad

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 15, 2024
  • Mélanie Joly is heir to some great Canadians initiatives for peace: Lester Pearson on peacekeeping in the Suez Canal, Jean Chrétien in keeping Canada out
Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly speaks with reporters in the West Block on May 9, 2023. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Heather McPherson has suddenly become one of the most important MPs in Ottawa

  • The NDP MP is not just standing up for Palestinians, but for a rules-based order that the world needs reaffirmed at this moment in
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 25, 2024
NDP MP Heather McPherson, pictured on the Hill, said of her motion which was passed by the House on March 18: 'Thanks to our motion, Canada is the first G7 country to stop sending weapons to [Israel's] extremist government.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Heather McPherson has suddenly become one of the most important MPs in Ottawa

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 25, 2024
  • The NDP MP is not just standing up for Palestinians, but for a rules-based order that the world needs reaffirmed at this moment in

Heather McPherson has suddenly become one of the most important MPs in Ottawa

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 25, 2024
  • The NDP MP is not just standing up for Palestinians, but for a rules-based order that the world needs reaffirmed at this moment in
NDP MP Heather McPherson, pictured on the Hill, said of her motion which was passed by the House on March 18: 'Thanks to our motion, Canada is the first G7 country to stop sending weapons to [Israel's] extremist government.' The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau may not be able to fend off NATO’s ceaseless demands for more money

  • The booming voices of the militarists claiming peace can only be won through more arms carry a lot of weight. Those like UN Secretary-General
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 4, 2024
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waits outside of West Block for King Abdullah II of Jordan on Feb. 14, 2024. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau may not be able to fend off NATO’s ceaseless demands for more money

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 4, 2024
  • The booming voices of the militarists claiming peace can only be won through more arms carry a lot of weight. Those like UN Secretary-General

Trudeau may not be able to fend off NATO’s ceaseless demands for more money

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 4, 2024
  • The booming voices of the militarists claiming peace can only be won through more arms carry a lot of weight. Those like UN Secretary-General
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waits outside of West Block for King Abdullah II of Jordan on Feb. 14, 2024. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada and Oppenheimer race the Doomsday Clock

  • No Oscar for Canada for its performance in the most important subject on the global security agenda—the legitimacy of nuclear weapons for war-fighting.
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 29, 2024
J. Robert Oppenheimer, third from left, at the ground zero site of the Trinity nuclear test in 1945. Canada continues to hold that adherence to NATO’s nuclear weapons policies is more important than a forthright stand against the possession of nuclear weapons, writes Douglas Roche. Wikimedia Commons/United States Army Signal Corps

Canada and Oppenheimer race the Doomsday Clock

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 29, 2024
  • No Oscar for Canada for its performance in the most important subject on the global security agenda—the legitimacy of nuclear weapons for war-fighting.

Canada and Oppenheimer race the Doomsday Clock

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 29, 2024
  • No Oscar for Canada for its performance in the most important subject on the global security agenda—the legitimacy of nuclear weapons for war-fighting.
J. Robert Oppenheimer, third from left, at the ground zero site of the Trinity nuclear test in 1945. Canada continues to hold that adherence to NATO’s nuclear weapons policies is more important than a forthright stand against the possession of nuclear weapons, writes Douglas Roche. Wikimedia Commons/United States Army Signal Corps

McPhedran, May, McPherson, Davies defy government, attend UN meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

  • Senator Marilou McPhedran will use her experience to engage her Senate colleagues in special dialogues. Green Leader Elizabeth May says she’s 'more committed than ever to
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | December 4, 2023
Non-affiliated Senator Marilou McPhedran, left, Jennifer Simons, president of The Simons Foundation, NDP MP Don Davies, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and NDP MP Heather McPherson at the UN in New York City last week. Photograph courtesy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

McPhedran, May, McPherson, Davies defy government, attend UN meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | December 4, 2023
  • Senator Marilou McPhedran will use her experience to engage her Senate colleagues in special dialogues. Green Leader Elizabeth May says she’s 'more committed than ever to

McPhedran, May, McPherson, Davies defy government, attend UN meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | December 4, 2023
  • Senator Marilou McPhedran will use her experience to engage her Senate colleagues in special dialogues. Green Leader Elizabeth May says she’s 'more committed than ever to
Non-affiliated Senator Marilou McPhedran, left, Jennifer Simons, president of The Simons Foundation, NDP MP Don Davies, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, and NDP MP Heather McPherson at the UN in New York City last week. Photograph courtesy of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

As John F. Kennedy famously said in his inaugural speech, we should never negotiate out of fear, and never fear to negotiate

  • Jeffrey Sachs, the renowned senior UN adviser and author, said the key lesson that we can learn from Kennedy 'is to fashion the future
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 16, 2023
U.S. president John F. Kennedy, pictured in 1962, throwing the season's first pitch at the baseball stadium in Washington, D.C. Kennedy was shot on Nov. 22, 1963. On the 60th anniversary of his assassination, Kennedy's greatest lesson—that humanity can build a world of peace—is lost amid the flotsam of today's political wreckage. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. National Archives via Picryl.com

As John F. Kennedy famously said in his inaugural speech, we should never negotiate out of fear, and never fear to negotiate

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 16, 2023
  • Jeffrey Sachs, the renowned senior UN adviser and author, said the key lesson that we can learn from Kennedy 'is to fashion the future

As John F. Kennedy famously said in his inaugural speech, we should never negotiate out of fear, and never fear to negotiate

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | November 16, 2023
  • Jeffrey Sachs, the renowned senior UN adviser and author, said the key lesson that we can learn from Kennedy 'is to fashion the future
U.S. president John F. Kennedy, pictured in 1962, throwing the season's first pitch at the baseball stadium in Washington, D.C. Kennedy was shot on Nov. 22, 1963. On the 60th anniversary of his assassination, Kennedy's greatest lesson—that humanity can build a world of peace—is lost amid the flotsam of today's political wreckage. Photograph courtesy of the U.S. National Archives via Picryl.com

Darkness of violence must not kill hopes for peace

  • Escalating global conflict in Israel and Gaza raises the question of whether 'our world is becoming unhinged,' to use the phrase of the beleaguered
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 9, 2023
UN Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted on Oct. 9: 'It’s time to end the vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred & polarization in the Middle East. Israel must see its legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see a clear perspective for the establishment of their own state realized.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Darkness of violence must not kill hopes for peace

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 9, 2023
  • Escalating global conflict in Israel and Gaza raises the question of whether 'our world is becoming unhinged,' to use the phrase of the beleaguered

Darkness of violence must not kill hopes for peace

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 9, 2023
  • Escalating global conflict in Israel and Gaza raises the question of whether 'our world is becoming unhinged,' to use the phrase of the beleaguered
UN Secretary-General António Guterres tweeted on Oct. 9: 'It’s time to end the vicious circle of bloodshed, hatred & polarization in the Middle East. Israel must see its legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see a clear perspective for the establishment of their own state realized.' Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Guterres’ new agenda for peace ignored by most big media

  • It is sad that the UN chief cannot be heard over the clatter of ongoing war. The pressure to send more arms to Ukraine
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 31, 2023
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres published his 'New Agenda for Peace' on July 20, laying out a route for stronger world co-operation. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Guterres’ new agenda for peace ignored by most big media

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 31, 2023
  • It is sad that the UN chief cannot be heard over the clatter of ongoing war. The pressure to send more arms to Ukraine

Guterres’ new agenda for peace ignored by most big media

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 31, 2023
  • It is sad that the UN chief cannot be heard over the clatter of ongoing war. The pressure to send more arms to Ukraine
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres published his 'New Agenda for Peace' on July 20, laying out a route for stronger world co-operation. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Guterres has a good pencil, but NATO has a big hammer

  • Peace in the world is larger than NATO’s vision. The UN’s forthcoming 'New Agenda for Peace' will show it's a multi-agenda issue linking sustainable
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 17, 2023
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pictured in 2018, is preparing 'A New Agenda for Peace.' The issue of peace in the world is far larger than NATO’s vision, it's a multi-agenda issue, writes Douglas Roche. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Guterres has a good pencil, but NATO has a big hammer

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 17, 2023
  • Peace in the world is larger than NATO’s vision. The UN’s forthcoming 'New Agenda for Peace' will show it's a multi-agenda issue linking sustainable

Guterres has a good pencil, but NATO has a big hammer

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 17, 2023
  • Peace in the world is larger than NATO’s vision. The UN’s forthcoming 'New Agenda for Peace' will show it's a multi-agenda issue linking sustainable
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, pictured in 2018, is preparing 'A New Agenda for Peace.' The issue of peace in the world is far larger than NATO’s vision, it's a multi-agenda issue, writes Douglas Roche. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

At 100 years old, Kissinger pushes back against demonizing China

  • When The Economist recently asked Henry Kissinger his thoughts on China’s global role today, he said he wants a permanent dialogue between the U.S. and
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | June 19, 2023
Former U.S. national security adviser Henry Kissinger calls for 'reason' to prevail in making a world order out of present chaos. 'I found it revelatory that the man who always put power over morality is now talking in ways that, while he doesn’t say so explicitly, point to a common security agenda to ensure common survival," writes Douglas Roche. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

At 100 years old, Kissinger pushes back against demonizing China

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | June 19, 2023
  • When The Economist recently asked Henry Kissinger his thoughts on China’s global role today, he said he wants a permanent dialogue between the U.S. and

At 100 years old, Kissinger pushes back against demonizing China

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | June 19, 2023
  • When The Economist recently asked Henry Kissinger his thoughts on China’s global role today, he said he wants a permanent dialogue between the U.S. and
Former U.S. national security adviser Henry Kissinger calls for 'reason' to prevail in making a world order out of present chaos. 'I found it revelatory that the man who always put power over morality is now talking in ways that, while he doesn’t say so explicitly, point to a common security agenda to ensure common survival," writes Douglas Roche. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The nuclear threat is real

  • Canadian policy on nuclear disarmament can be summed up in one word: ambiguity. It’s not a pretty word, nor is it a pretty sight
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 25, 2023
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, pictured May 9, 2023. Even though the prime minister has said publicly that Canada would remain engaged in nuclear disarmament discussions 'in all multilateral fora,' it appears that Joly did not get the message, writes Doug Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

The nuclear threat is real

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 25, 2023
  • Canadian policy on nuclear disarmament can be summed up in one word: ambiguity. It’s not a pretty word, nor is it a pretty sight

The nuclear threat is real

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 25, 2023
  • Canadian policy on nuclear disarmament can be summed up in one word: ambiguity. It’s not a pretty word, nor is it a pretty sight
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, pictured May 9, 2023. Even though the prime minister has said publicly that Canada would remain engaged in nuclear disarmament discussions 'in all multilateral fora,' it appears that Joly did not get the message, writes Doug Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau is right to resist defence lobby’s call for more military spending

  • NATO doesn’t do holistic peace. Always demanding more money for arms, it intimidates its own members.
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 20, 2023
It's not easy for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to challenge the military-industrial complex, which drives U.S. policy, which in turn, drives NATO. He deserves credit, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Trudeau is right to resist defence lobby’s call for more military spending

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 20, 2023
  • NATO doesn’t do holistic peace. Always demanding more money for arms, it intimidates its own members.

Trudeau is right to resist defence lobby’s call for more military spending

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 20, 2023
  • NATO doesn’t do holistic peace. Always demanding more money for arms, it intimidates its own members.
It's not easy for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to challenge the military-industrial complex, which drives U.S. policy, which in turn, drives NATO. He deserves credit, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Pope Francis focuses his remaining energies on Ukraine battlefield

  • Seldom in the modern history of the Catholic Church has a pope been plunged into both external and internal crises at the same time.
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 13, 2023
On March 13, Pope Francis will observe the 10th anniversary of his election to the papacy. In that decade, he has reached outward to a fractured world and inward to a fractured church. Seldom in the modern history of the Catholic Church has a pope been plunged into both external and internal crises at the same time. Photograph courtesy Flickr/Commons Wikimedia

Pope Francis focuses his remaining energies on Ukraine battlefield

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 13, 2023
  • Seldom in the modern history of the Catholic Church has a pope been plunged into both external and internal crises at the same time.

Pope Francis focuses his remaining energies on Ukraine battlefield

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | March 13, 2023
  • Seldom in the modern history of the Catholic Church has a pope been plunged into both external and internal crises at the same time.
On March 13, Pope Francis will observe the 10th anniversary of his election to the papacy. In that decade, he has reached outward to a fractured world and inward to a fractured church. Seldom in the modern history of the Catholic Church has a pope been plunged into both external and internal crises at the same time. Photograph courtesy Flickr/Commons Wikimedia

Canada quiet as Ukraine war inches Doomsday Clock closer to midnight

  • With the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the war, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the globe has entered ‘a time
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 30, 2023
Mélanie Joly
Mélanie Joly
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly speaks with reporters in June 2022. A Global Affairs response to the extreme warning Doomsday Clock tightening to 90 seconds to midnight is just business-as-usual for Canada, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Canada quiet as Ukraine war inches Doomsday Clock closer to midnight

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 30, 2023
  • With the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the war, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the globe has entered ‘a time

Canada quiet as Ukraine war inches Doomsday Clock closer to midnight

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 30, 2023
  • With the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the war, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists says the globe has entered ‘a time
Mélanie Joly
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly speaks with reporters in June 2022. A Global Affairs response to the extreme warning Doomsday Clock tightening to 90 seconds to midnight is just business-as-usual for Canada, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Feds’ purchase of F-35s indicates Canada has given up on peace-building as best route to global security

  • It’s now clear for all to see that militarism has taken over Canada’s foreign policy.
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 16, 2023
Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Jan. 9 that the government had finalized its deal to replace the Air Force's again fleet of CF-18 fighter jets with 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. It's estimated to cost $19-billion, but will cost about $70-billion for the entire lifecycle of the jets. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Feds’ purchase of F-35s indicates Canada has given up on peace-building as best route to global security

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 16, 2023
  • It’s now clear for all to see that militarism has taken over Canada’s foreign policy.

Feds’ purchase of F-35s indicates Canada has given up on peace-building as best route to global security

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | January 16, 2023
  • It’s now clear for all to see that militarism has taken over Canada’s foreign policy.
Defence Minister Anita Anand announced on Jan. 9 that the government had finalized its deal to replace the Air Force's again fleet of CF-18 fighter jets with 88 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets. It's estimated to cost $19-billion, but will cost about $70-billion for the entire lifecycle of the jets. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A path to peace in a time of polycrisis

  • The age of common security, or at least the recognition that no one nation can achieve security at the expense of neighbours, has arrived.
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | December 15, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Defence Minister Anita Anand, right, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, left, and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland leave a media availability in West Block on Jan. 26, 2022. Changing our attitude to reject militarism would enable Canada to adopt a more holistic approach in pursuing a just peace, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

A path to peace in a time of polycrisis

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | December 15, 2022
  • The age of common security, or at least the recognition that no one nation can achieve security at the expense of neighbours, has arrived.

A path to peace in a time of polycrisis

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | December 15, 2022
  • The age of common security, or at least the recognition that no one nation can achieve security at the expense of neighbours, has arrived.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Defence Minister Anita Anand, right, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, left, and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland leave a media availability in West Block on Jan. 26, 2022. Changing our attitude to reject militarism would enable Canada to adopt a more holistic approach in pursuing a just peace, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Peace movement in Canada has a new leader, it’s Cesar Jaramillo

  • Cesar Jaramillo has reached a critical point in his career. His effectiveness as a peace advocate will be judged by how well he finesses
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 31, 2022
Cesar Jaramillo, a 45-year-old political refugee from Colombia, last week guided a high-powered policy conference on new ways to build global security out of the Ukraine war. Photograph courtesy of Douglas Roche

Peace movement in Canada has a new leader, it’s Cesar Jaramillo

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 31, 2022
  • Cesar Jaramillo has reached a critical point in his career. His effectiveness as a peace advocate will be judged by how well he finesses

Peace movement in Canada has a new leader, it’s Cesar Jaramillo

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 31, 2022
  • Cesar Jaramillo has reached a critical point in his career. His effectiveness as a peace advocate will be judged by how well he finesses
Cesar Jaramillo, a 45-year-old political refugee from Colombia, last week guided a high-powered policy conference on new ways to build global security out of the Ukraine war. Photograph courtesy of Douglas Roche

The world doesn’t want another Cuban Missile Crisis

  • EDMONTON—The possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war has led to comparisons with the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 12, 2022
The possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war has led to comparisons with the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago this month, in which, for 13 days, humanity stood on the brink of World War III. The crisis passed because U.S. president John F. Kennedy, left, and Soviet Union president Nikita Khrushchev, right, engaged in crisis diplomacy and negotiated a solution to the problem of the Soviets installing nuclear missiles in Cuba. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The world doesn’t want another Cuban Missile Crisis

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 12, 2022
  • EDMONTON—The possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war has led to comparisons with the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago

The world doesn’t want another Cuban Missile Crisis

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 12, 2022
  • EDMONTON—The possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war has led to comparisons with the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago
The possibility of Russia’s use of nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war has led to comparisons with the Cuban Missile Crisis 60 years ago this month, in which, for 13 days, humanity stood on the brink of World War III. The crisis passed because U.S. president John F. Kennedy, left, and Soviet Union president Nikita Khrushchev, right, engaged in crisis diplomacy and negotiated a solution to the problem of the Soviets installing nuclear missiles in Cuba. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Canada needs to give more support to UN’s new Agenda for Peace

  • EDMONTON—If good speeches at the UN—which fill the air this week at the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate—could save the world, we’d all
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 22, 2022
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is currently preparing a paper, 'A New Agenda for Peace,' which will be published next year as part of the run-up to the UN Summit for the Future in 2024. Give the man credit for at least trying to build an agenda that prevents future wars, writes Doug Roche. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Canada needs to give more support to UN’s new Agenda for Peace

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 22, 2022
  • EDMONTON—If good speeches at the UN—which fill the air this week at the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate—could save the world, we’d all

Canada needs to give more support to UN’s new Agenda for Peace

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 22, 2022
  • EDMONTON—If good speeches at the UN—which fill the air this week at the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate—could save the world, we’d all
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is currently preparing a paper, 'A New Agenda for Peace,' which will be published next year as part of the run-up to the UN Summit for the Future in 2024. Give the man credit for at least trying to build an agenda that prevents future wars, writes Doug Roche. Photograph courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

The ugly truth about nuclear disarmament

  • EDMONTON—”The ugly truth, no matter how we wrap it, is that all nine nuclear weapon states have no intention to disarm; quite the contrary,
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 5, 2022
The Western states blamed Russia and Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine for the failed Non-Proliferation Treaty conference. Yet to leave the matter squarely on the doorstep of Russia would be a gross distortion. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The ugly truth about nuclear disarmament

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 5, 2022
  • EDMONTON—”The ugly truth, no matter how we wrap it, is that all nine nuclear weapon states have no intention to disarm; quite the contrary,

The ugly truth about nuclear disarmament

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | September 5, 2022
  • EDMONTON—”The ugly truth, no matter how we wrap it, is that all nine nuclear weapon states have no intention to disarm; quite the contrary,
The Western states blamed Russia and Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine for the failed Non-Proliferation Treaty conference. Yet to leave the matter squarely on the doorstep of Russia would be a gross distortion. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Influx of women into nuclear disarmament gives us hope, unless they work for a NATO country

  • EDMONTON—At 10 a.m. on Aug. 4, the fourth day of the month-long Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton stepped to the
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 10, 2022
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, left, Defence Minister Anita Anand, and Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton. Despite the enormous danger to the world from the aggressive nuclear modernization programs of the nuclear powers, who intend to spend billions of dollars to retain their nuclear arsenals for the rest of this century, the Canadian government still refuses to support comprehensive, time-bound negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, and courtesy Flickr, and Commons Wikimedia

Influx of women into nuclear disarmament gives us hope, unless they work for a NATO country

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 10, 2022
  • EDMONTON—At 10 a.m. on Aug. 4, the fourth day of the month-long Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton stepped to the

Influx of women into nuclear disarmament gives us hope, unless they work for a NATO country

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 10, 2022
  • EDMONTON—At 10 a.m. on Aug. 4, the fourth day of the month-long Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton stepped to the
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, left, Defence Minister Anita Anand, and Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton. Despite the enormous danger to the world from the aggressive nuclear modernization programs of the nuclear powers, who intend to spend billions of dollars to retain their nuclear arsenals for the rest of this century, the Canadian government still refuses to support comprehensive, time-bound negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons, writes Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photographs by Andrew Meade, and courtesy Flickr, and Commons Wikimedia

World’s only surviving multilateral nuclear weapons treaty is on the verge of collapse

  • EDMONTON—Joe Biden is ineffectual. Vladimir Putin is demented. Donald Trump is ubiquitous. Antonio Guterres is invisible. Jens Stoltenberg reigns. Political leadership in the world
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 18, 2022
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured May 30, in Ottawa. Does anybody care that the world’s only surviving multilateral nuclear weapons treaty—the one designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons around the world—is on the verge of collapse, writes Douglas Roche.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

World’s only surviving multilateral nuclear weapons treaty is on the verge of collapse

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 18, 2022
  • EDMONTON—Joe Biden is ineffectual. Vladimir Putin is demented. Donald Trump is ubiquitous. Antonio Guterres is invisible. Jens Stoltenberg reigns. Political leadership in the world

World’s only surviving multilateral nuclear weapons treaty is on the verge of collapse

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | July 18, 2022
  • EDMONTON—Joe Biden is ineffectual. Vladimir Putin is demented. Donald Trump is ubiquitous. Antonio Guterres is invisible. Jens Stoltenberg reigns. Political leadership in the world
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured May 30, in Ottawa. Does anybody care that the world’s only surviving multilateral nuclear weapons treaty—the one designed to stop the spread of nuclear weapons around the world—is on the verge of collapse, writes Douglas Roche.   The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade
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UN vote will be moment of truth for Canada

  • EDMONTON—“The General Assembly…decides to convene a United Nations conference in 2017, to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 5, 2016
Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Minister Pam Goldsmith-Jones, pictured earlier this year, has dismissed a UN-mandated working-group process as having 'failed to bring the states possessing nuclear weapons to the table.' The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

UN vote will be moment of truth for Canada

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 5, 2016
  • EDMONTON—“The General Assembly…decides to convene a United Nations conference in 2017, to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total

UN vote will be moment of truth for Canada

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | October 5, 2016
  • EDMONTON—“The General Assembly…decides to convene a United Nations conference in 2017, to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total
Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Minister Pam Goldsmith-Jones, pictured earlier this year, has dismissed a UN-mandated working-group process as having 'failed to bring the states possessing nuclear weapons to the table.' The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Canada turns back on UN plan to ban nuclear arms

  • EDMONTON—In an amazing diplomatic volte-face, the Canadian government last week in Geneva voted against starting, in 2017, negotiations to ban nuclear weapons. The government
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 24, 2016
Tariq Rauf, left, who specializes in nuclear disarmament, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, 'seems disengaged on nuclear arms control.' UN photograph by Amanda Voisard and Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Canada turns back on UN plan to ban nuclear arms

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 24, 2016
  • EDMONTON—In an amazing diplomatic volte-face, the Canadian government last week in Geneva voted against starting, in 2017, negotiations to ban nuclear weapons. The government

Canada turns back on UN plan to ban nuclear arms

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 24, 2016
  • EDMONTON—In an amazing diplomatic volte-face, the Canadian government last week in Geneva voted against starting, in 2017, negotiations to ban nuclear weapons. The government
Tariq Rauf, left, who specializes in nuclear disarmament, says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, 'seems disengaged on nuclear arms control.' UN photograph by Amanda Voisard and Hill Times photograph by Jake Wright

Canada should back effort to eliminate nuclear weapons

  • EDMONTON—What will it take to get the Canadian government to start fighting for the elimination of nuclear weapons rather than against? That question takes
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 8, 2016
Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion has shown no signs that he grasps the nuclear moral and political crisis, write Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Canada should back effort to eliminate nuclear weapons

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 8, 2016
  • EDMONTON—What will it take to get the Canadian government to start fighting for the elimination of nuclear weapons rather than against? That question takes

Canada should back effort to eliminate nuclear weapons

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | August 8, 2016
  • EDMONTON—What will it take to get the Canadian government to start fighting for the elimination of nuclear weapons rather than against? That question takes
Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Dion has shown no signs that he grasps the nuclear moral and political crisis, write Douglas Roche. The Hill Times photograph by Sam Garcia

Why Canada should pay attention to Obama’s historic Hiroshima visit this week

  • United States President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima May 27 hits a special nerve with me because I am an honorary citizen of Hiroshima.
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 25, 2016
U.S. President Barack Obama listens to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during Mr. Abe's state visit to Washington, D.C. in April 2015. Mr. Obama is set this week to be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, hit by a U.S. atomic bomb during the Second World War. White House photograph by Pete Souza

Why Canada should pay attention to Obama’s historic Hiroshima visit this week

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 25, 2016
  • United States President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima May 27 hits a special nerve with me because I am an honorary citizen of Hiroshima.

Why Canada should pay attention to Obama’s historic Hiroshima visit this week

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 25, 2016
  • United States President Barack Obama’s visit to Hiroshima May 27 hits a special nerve with me because I am an honorary citizen of Hiroshima.
U.S. President Barack Obama listens to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during Mr. Abe's state visit to Washington, D.C. in April 2015. Mr. Obama is set this week to be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, hit by a U.S. atomic bomb during the Second World War. White House photograph by Pete Souza

Feds stand pat despite UN disarmament chief’s call to think big

  • United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Kim Won-soo put a spotlight on the global nuclear disarmament crisis when he held meetings with Foreign Minister
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 11, 2016
United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Kim Won-soo shakes hands with Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion in Ottawa on May 2. Twitter photograph by Global Affairs Canada

Feds stand pat despite UN disarmament chief’s call to think big

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 11, 2016
  • United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Kim Won-soo put a spotlight on the global nuclear disarmament crisis when he held meetings with Foreign Minister

Feds stand pat despite UN disarmament chief’s call to think big

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | May 11, 2016
  • United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Kim Won-soo put a spotlight on the global nuclear disarmament crisis when he held meetings with Foreign Minister
United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Kim Won-soo shakes hands with Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion in Ottawa on May 2. Twitter photograph by Global Affairs Canada

Nuclear Security Summit: Is that all there is?

  • When the recent 50-some-nation Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, aimed at stopping terrorists from obtaining nuclear materials, ended on a flat note, I was
Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 13, 2016
British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President François Hollande, U.S. President Barack Obama and other leaders of nuclear-armed states talk on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April 1. Photo courtesy of U.S. State Department/Ben Solomon

Nuclear Security Summit: Is that all there is?

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 13, 2016
  • When the recent 50-some-nation Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, aimed at stopping terrorists from obtaining nuclear materials, ended on a flat note, I was

Nuclear Security Summit: Is that all there is?

Opinion | BY DOUGLAS ROCHE | April 13, 2016
  • When the recent 50-some-nation Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, aimed at stopping terrorists from obtaining nuclear materials, ended on a flat note, I was
British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President François Hollande, U.S. President Barack Obama and other leaders of nuclear-armed states talk on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April 1. Photo courtesy of U.S. State Department/Ben Solomon

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