Canada caters to France and their cultural ideologies

[Leafless]

Thanks to Quebec and their association with France and la Francophonie Canadian tax payers are on the hook for 555 million dollars.

How a minority have not province like Quebec can influence the federal government to be part of and support la Francophonie is beyond my comprehension.

1. The Foundations of Our Collaboration

La Francophonie is a key issue for France and Canada, and an entry point for bilateral relations.

Canada and France share a commitment to human rights, liberty, democracy and the rule of law.

Canada and France belong to the same international fora that provide essential support to our respective development policies. In addition to the United Nations system, these include the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), the G8, and the Organisation for Economic Co?operation and Development (OECD).

France and Canada share a significant commitment to Africa and note the importance of other geographic regions, such as the Caribbean and Asia.

Mutual recognition of Canada's and France's investment in, and commitment to, the reconstruction of Haiti is the basis of our strengthened cooperation in Haiti.

France and Canada are committed to the implementation of the principles outlined in the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. To that end, both countries seek to harmonize their approaches, and are undergoing similar reflections, particularly in regards to the measurement of results and the focus of development assistance.

Promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women are issues of common concern to both Canada and France.

2. Terms for Regular Consultation

France and Canada agree to strengthen their cooperation through regular bilateral meetings, on dates to be determined, on the following topics:

2-1. La Francophonie

Both France and Canada deem that engaging in dialogue on the issues, objectives, and organization of La Francophonie is essential. This dialogue will serve to strengthen La Francophonie's effectiveness in accordance with the practices of the international community and to promote its value-added as an international organization.

Encouraging development cooperation within La Francophonie, notably in governance, gender equality, education, and training. La Francophonie encompasses a significant portion of France's and Canada's areas of geographic concentration.

Working together to support the OIF's new management in modernizing La Francophonie is a common objective for Canada and France.

Proposing joint monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to support the implementation of results-based management. This evaluation mechanism will include gender equality-based analysis.

Re-evaluating participation in the efforts of La Francophonie will be an important step.

2-2. Official Development Assistance (ODA)

Canada and France aim to ensure the effectiveness of ODA.

Canada and France expressed the desire for organizational dialogue on managing development assistance and on strengthening rights and gender equality.

A common reflection on the issue of emerging donors is also desired.

A review of the performance evaluation process of multilateral donors is also anticipated.

Also envisaged is an exchange on the reform of United Nations operational activities.

2-3. Haiti

France and Canada reaffirmed their commitment to continue to work in close cooperation in accordance with the priorities of the new Government of Haiti and of the Interim Cooperation Framework.

France and Canada will seek to support the efforts of Haitian authorities to:

Create favourable conditions for restoring the rule of law in Haiti;

Support reforms in the areas of security and justice, with particular attention to human rights;

Support the efforts of Haitian authorities to implement their national development strategy, unveiled at the International Donors' Conference for the Economic and Social Development of Haiti on July 25, 2006;

Contribute to Haiti's economic recovery by investing in infrastructure and local governance.

Canada and France will develop practical avenues for cooperation in partnership with the Government of Haiti. This cooperation could take the following forms:

Exploring the possibility of joint financing of projects and/or initiatives, allowing both parties to identify areas of intervention that reflect their priorities,

Actively taking part in various consultation and coordination processes related to international assistance.

Read more:

http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/acdi-cida/acdi-cida.nsf/eng/RAC-101993816-HZG

Ottawa is the second-largest donor of international aid to Haiti, having pledged to provide the country with $555 million in assistance between 2006 and 2011.

In the 2006 census, some 100,000 Canadians identified as being of Haitian origin, the vast majority of whom live in Quebec.

The following is a list of current projects Ottawa is involved with in Haiti:

$3.7 million for the reinforcement of the Haitian National Police's marine unit to purchase five boats.

$701,287 for the construction of a slipway and workshops at the Port-au-Prince naval base.

$3.6 million for "capacity building in migration management"

$4.4 million to construct the Croix-des-Bouquets detention centre

The following is a list of Canadian projects in Haiti that was released in February 2008:

$75 million for the construction and rehabilitation of the road between the cities of Jermie and Les Cayes

$19 million to improve reproductive health

$13.8 million for technical assistance to the Haitian State Project

$10 million to support school feeding programs

$5.4 million to help with tuition fees

$1.2 million for the Education for All program

$700,000 for disaster preparedness in Haiti

http://news.sympatico.ctv.ca/World/ContentPosting?newsitemid=CTVNews%2F20100114%2Fhaiti_relations_100114&feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V3&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True

Canada has it's own problems with starving children, homelessness and the unemployed.

Perhaps we should be looking looking after our own before looking after other foreign countries cultural ideologies.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Leafless

[Smallc]

You don't like $555M? Well, just wait until the billions get announced in short order.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Smallc

[Leafless]

You don;t like $555M? Well, just wait until the billions get announced in short order.

Thanks Smallc, but I am already fully aware of that being the case.

I wonder how our old age pensioners think of this situation. There are many who cannot afford to eat or live properly and who's diet sometimes consist of canned cat food and living in a cockroach infested apartment.

[Smallc]

And yet, they're still far better off than the people of Haiti. I support my tax dollars going to this project, which it seems will be Canada's follow up to Afghanistan.

[August1991]

Thanks to Quebec and their association with France and la Francophonie Canadian tax payers are on the hook for 555 million dollars.

How a minority have not province like Quebec can influence the federal government to be part of and support la Francophonie is beyond my comprehension.

That figure of 555 million is spread over five years so the expenditure in fact is about $110 million annually.

CIDA's annual budget is about $3.2 billion.

Bev Oda, the minister responsible for CIDA, has said that she will concentrate on fewer countries, and on countries in the Western hemisphere.

And BTW, Haiti has been an independent country since 1804. I don't see the logic of the connection to France in the thread title. It makes as much sense as saying that Canada has strong ties with the Britain since we trade mostly with the US.

[Shwa]

Canada has it's own problems with starving children, homelessness and the unemployed.

Perhaps we should be looking looking after our own before looking after other foreign countries cultural ideologies.

Curious. Did your knee jerk a little bit when you wrote that?

Canada IS "looking after our own" through all the various social programs that help "starving children, homelessness and the unemployed." You have heard of school food programs, food banks, family allowance, welfare, EI, medicare, Children's Aid, the sum costs of which dwarf a measely 110 million per year.

For a partnership with France we get to use their foriegn administrative infrastructure to advance our causes and priorities with regard to foriegn aid and development. To develop our own such infrastructures would be very costly and basically re-inventing the wheel. So this could be a very good thing that we can use to deliver programs and services much cheaper than if we were to go it alone.

I don't think such joint ventures - whether it is aid or capital development are a new thing with Canada as I am sure there are likely similar partnerships with Britain and the US to share delivery mechanisms. Nothing wrong with us doing the same with France especially for regions where French is the prevalent language.

[August1991]

You don't like $555M? Well, just wait until the billions get announced in short order.

The federal government has said that it will match private donations for Haiti earthquake relief up to a maximum of $50 million. I don't know if this is "new" money or will be part of the roughly $110 million already allocated for Haiti.

IOW, we are not talking "billions" - and the federal had already decided to spend more in Haiti than all the money being privately collected now. $110 million is about $4 from each Canadian.

For a partnership with France we get to use their foriegn administrative infrastructure to advance our causes and priorities with regard to foriegn aid and development.

In the case of Haiti, I don't know what Leafless is talking about. After the US, Canada is the second largest foreign aid provider in Haiti. If anything, the French would use our infrastructure.

The Western donor countries meet and coordinate their efforts. They will soon meet in Montreal for Haiti earthquake relief. As I have argued elsewhere, this is multi-billion dollar world "industry". I feel safe in predicting that in 2060, this industry will still exist, it will still meet and if anyone in poor countries is better off in 2060, it will be despite this industry rather than because of it.

[Leafless]

And BTW, Haiti has been an independent country since 1804. I don't see the logic of the connection to France in the thread title. It makes as much sense as saying that Canada has strong ties with the Britain since we trade mostly with the US.

La Francophonie is the brainchild of France and Haiti is part of Francophonie nations.

Canada is already a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and provides and provides support to those countries that are members. Haiti is not a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Our allegiance lies with Britain and not France as France never did have anything to do with Canada or the building of Canada.

Why should Canada burden it's tax payers with the cultural ideologies and aspirations of a foreign country like France and the countries it harbours in it's la Francophonie organization.

This of course has nothing to do with Canada providing quake assistance which is another issue.

[Guest TrueMetis]

Our allegiance lies with Britain and not France as France never did have anything to do with Canada or the building of Canada.

You need to o back to history class if you think France had nothing to do with the building of Canada.

[Shwa]

Our allegiance lies with Britain and not France as France never did have anything to do with Canada or the building of Canada.

Not quite. Since a significant portion of our population is francophone - for good reason -our allegiance also lies with the francophone regions of the world as Canada is one of the founding members.

"The primary mission of the organization is the promotion of the French language as an international language and the promotion of worldwide cultural and linguistic diversity in the era of economic globalisation." - Organisation_internationale_de_la_Francophonie

There are many benefits for Canada in the OIF as there is with our memberships in the Inuit Circumpolar Council, APEC, etc.

[Leafless]

You need to o back to history class if you think France had nothing to do with the building of Canada.

You are talking early history and has nothing to do with the Canada we know since confederation.

It was Britain who won Canada and gave us the country.

France deserted their own people.

[Leafless]

Not quite. Since a significant portion of our population is francophone - for good reason -our allegiance also lies with the francophone regions of the world as Canada is one of the founding members.

Canada is a founding member of what? If you mean Quebec and New Brunswick is one of the founding members of la Francophonie, say it.

The last I heard Quebecers are Canadians and their allegiance should lie with the country that gave them Canada and the Quebec Act, Britain.

"The primary mission of the organization is the promotion of the French language as an international language and the promotion of worldwide cultural and linguistic diversity in the era of economic globalisation." - Organisation_internationale_de_la_Francophonie

Their mission also includes the promotion of democracy and human rights which is the same agenda as the 'Commonwealth of Nations' who they are trying to clone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_internationale_de_la_Francophonie

[Guest TrueMetis]

You are talking early history and has nothing to do with the Canada we know since confederation.

It was Britain who won Canada and gave us the country.

France deserted their own people.

You do realize that without France colonizing Eastern Canada before the English even got here there would be no Canada right? No Ontario and no Quebec, no atlantic provinces, no Manitoba, etc. We owe France just as much as we owe England.

[Shwa]

Canada is a founding member of what? If you mean Quebec and New Brunswick is one of the founding members of la Francophonie, say it.

No I mean Canada is a founding member of la fracophonie as well as other specilaized international organizations that can provide mutual benefit:

"Acknowledging the importance of the French presence within its borders and determined to support the role of its francophone community internationally, Canada was one of the first countries to promote La Francophonie by helping establish and develop its institutions." - Canada in la Francophonie - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

The last I heard Quebecers are Canadians and their allegiance should lie with the country that gave them Canada and the Quebec Act, Britain.

Canada's membership in OIF has nothing to do with allegiances to Britain any more than our membership in the Pacific Rim or Circumpolar organizations.

Their mission also includes the promotion of democracy and human rights which is the same agenda as the 'Commonwealth of Nations' who they are trying to clone.

The OIF may have some overlapping initiatives, but differs from the Commonwealth in that they promote French as an international language. Plus all the other good stuff I wrote about earlier.

[Leafless]

You do realize that without France colonizing Eastern Canada before the English even got here there would be no Canada right? No Ontario and no Quebec, no atlantic provinces, no Manitoba, etc. We owe France just as much as we owe England.

The only problem is that they did not colonize enough.

The French were primarily interested in fur trading. Between 1608 and 1640, fewer than 300 settlers arrived. The sparse French settlements sharply contrasted with the relatively dense English settlements along the Atlantic coast to the south. Under a policy initiated by Champlain, the French supported the Huron in their warfare against the Iroquois; later in the 17th cent., when the Iroquois crushed the Huron, the French colony came near extinction. Exploration, however, continued.

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Canada

The claim to North America was made by England and explorer John Cabot.

It is ironic that England's claim to North America, the claim that is responsible for the creation of Canada as we know it, rests on the discoveries of an Italian sea captain.

Although he was probably born in Genoa, Italy, the man who is known to history as John Cabot was authorized by King Henry VII of England to "search for unknown lands in the west." It was the age of exploration, when the European powers of Spain, Portugal, England, Holland, and France sought to expand their trade with Asia and discover untapped sources of wealth in "new worlds." Adventurous navigators like Cabot and his Italian contemporary, Christopher Columbus, received support from powerful monarchs because of the international competition for riches that lay beyond the horizon.

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10122

[Leafless]

No I mean Canada is a founding member of la fracophonie as well as other specilaized international organizations that can provide mutual benefit:

When you say Canada, in this particular instance, you are saying federal government and not all of the provinces nor the citizens of Canada.

The federal government basically spoke for Quebec and New Brunswick regarding la Francophonie.

If the feds want to behave in an irresponsible manner you end up with a dysfunctional government.

But get use to it as this is pretty much the story of Canada.

[August1991]

Our allegiance lies with Britain and not France as France never did have anything to do with Canada or the building of Canada.

Selon vous...

[Shwa]

When you say Canada, in this particular instance, you are saying federal government and not all of the provinces nor the citizens of Canada.

The federal government basically spoke for Quebec and New Brunswick regarding la Francophonie.

If the feds want to behave in an irresponsible manner you end up with a dysfunctional government.

But get use to it as this is pretty much the story of Canada.

Now you are just being ridiculous.

[Leafless]

Now you are just being ridiculous.

Canada should have known better before signing a potentially volatile and divisive agreement relating to the creation of la Francophonie.

Even French minorities from other Canadian provinces felt they were betrayed.

While Canada agreed in principle to the organization's creation, it was dismayed by France's position that not only should Quebec participate as an equal, independent member, but that the federal government and (by omission) the other provinces with significant French minorities could not. This was seen by many French-Canadians outside of Quebec as a betrayal. This was also seen by some Canadians as France supporting the Quebec sovereignty movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada%E2%80%93France_relations

The bottom line is Quebec is not a country and should never have been allowed to participate in la Francophonie since Canada was already a member with the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 54 independent sovereign states (one of whose membership is currently suspended), most of them are former British colonies, or dependencies of these colonies. No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as in a political union. Rather, the relationship is one of an international organisation through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, and co-operate within a framework of common values and goals, as outlined in the Singapore Declaration.[1] These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace, and are carried out through multilateral projects and meetings, as well as the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.[2] The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II, known for this purpose as Head of the Commonwealth. This position, however, does not imbue her with any political or executive power over any Commonwealth member states; the position is purely symbolic, and it is the Commonwealth Secretary-General who is the chief executive of the organisation.[3]

The Commonwealth was first officially formed in 1931 when the Statute of Westminster gave legal recognition to the independence of dominions. Known as the "British Commonwealth", the first members were the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Dominion of Newfoundland, although Australia and New Zealand did not adopt the statute until 1942 and 1947 respectively.[4] In 1949, the London Declaration was signed and marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and the renaming to its present name.[5] The most recent member is Rwanda, which joined on 29 November 2009.[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_Commonwealth_of_Nations

[Leafless]

Selon vous...

No, according to history.

So tell us then.

What did France have to do with Canada or the building of Canada after the British won Cananda?

[Shwa]

The bottom line is Quebec is not a country and should never have been allowed to participate in la Francophonie since Canada was already a member with the Commonwealth of Nations.

Canada is the founding and participatory member of the OIF, not Quebec. All things la Francophonie come through Canada via Foriegn Affairs agreements.

You are continuing to be ridiculous.

[Leafless]

Canada is the founding and participatory member of the OIF, not Quebec. All things la Francophonie come through Canada via Foriegn Affairs agreements.

You are continuing to be ridiculous.

Youu are continuing to be just plain dumb.

Read and heed, if you can.

1986 Paris (France)

1987 Quebec (Canada)

1989 Dakar (Senegal)

1991 Paris (France)

1993 Port-Louis (Mauritius)

1995 Cotonou (Benin)

1997 Hanoi (Viet Nam)

1999 Moncton (Canada)

2002 Beirut (Lebanon)

2004 Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

2006 Bucarest (Romania)

2008 Québec (Canada)

http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/int-frp.html

QUEBEC (CANADA)----Get it!

And also Canada (New Brunswick)

Member States of the OIF

The current members of the OIF are (states and governments):

Albania | Andorra | Belgium (Wallonia) | Benin | Bulgaria | Burkina Faso | Burundi | Cambodia | Cameroon | Canada | Canada (New-Brunswick) | Canada (Quebec) | Cape Verde | Centrafrican Republic | Chad | Comoros | Congo | Congo (Rep. Dem.) | Côte d'Ivoire | Djibouti | Dominique | Egypt | Equatorial Guinea | France | French Community (Belgium) | Gabon | Greece | Guinea | Guinea Bissau | Haiti | Laos | Lebanon | Luxembourg | Macedonia | Madagascar |Mali | Mauritania | Mauritius | Moldavia | Monaco Moldavia | Morocco | Morocco |Niger | Romania | Rwanda | Saint Lucia | Sao Tome e Principe | Senegal | Seychelles | Switzerland | Togo | Tunisia | Vanuatu | Viet Nam.

Cyprus and Ghana have the status of Associated Members.

Armenia, Austria; the Czech Republic, Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Lituania, Mozambique, Poland, , Slovakia and Slovenia and Ukraine have the status of observers at the Summit.

http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/int-frp.html

[Smallc]

The federal government has said that it will match private donations for Haiti earthquake relief up to a maximum of $50 million. I don't know if this is "new" money or will be part of the roughly $110 million already allocated for Haiti.

I would be very surprised if it wasn't new money.

[g_bambino]

QUEBEC (CANADA)----Get it!

Quebec City is in Canada, yes. This is a surprise for you?

[Smallc]

http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/int-frp.html

QUEBEC (CANADA)----Get it!

And also Canada (New Brunswick)

You mean the only French speaking province and the only bilingual province get a seat as part of the Canadian delegation? The horror.