World Humanitarian Day was August 19—a day to recognize and honour the work of dedicated workers and volunteers who have struggled to make the world a better place. Around the world, Canada is viewed as a respected middle power, but there have been times when Canadians have punched well above their weight and made significant contributions to the welfare of humankind. Here are only a few of these individuals who remain (mostly) unknown.
Peacekeeping troops
The best-known Canadian contributor in peace and international affairs is former Prime Minister Lester Pearson, who came up with the idea of sending United Nations peacekeeping troops into troubled areas. His idea stemmed the 1956 Suez conflict and peacekeeping forces have been used in dozens of conflict situations since that time. There are now over 81,000 full-time personnel working for the UN in peacekeeping roles.
Human Rights for all
Few people know of the contribution made by Canadian diplomat and lawyer John Humphrey, the primary drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which Eleanor Roosevelt called the Magna Carta of all humankind. Now published in over 500 languages, it’s a code of moral principles, behaviour and rights for all humans. The thirty articles of the UDHR state that regardless of race, colour, sex, religion, social order or birth, every human being has equal rights before the law for education, protection against arbitrary arrest, the right of privacy and the right to go from, and return to, their country.
While the UDHR is not followed by everyone, it has become a benchmark for the individual rights of people around the world and has spurred many countries to create their own bills of rights, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the UN’s Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Human rights are now central in most agreements and are the foundation of international law.
Humphrey’s early experiences had a major impact on the wording of the declaration. He lost both parents to cancer as a young boy. Then an accident took his arm, and he was bullied at school. Despite this, he entered University at 15, studied law, worked for the UN for 20 years, and then became a professor. Working in the Canadian civil service, he participated in many human rights causes, including the status of women.
World for all
Another little-known contributor to worldwide human welfare is Paul Martin Sr., who had polio at the age of four. He recovered, but was permanently blinded in one eye and had only partial mobility in one arm. He went on to study law at Harvard, then served Canada as a federal Member of Parliament for 39 years. He later became a senator and Canada’s High Commissioner to the U.K. A senior cabinet minister for many years and a leading founder of Canada’s social welfare system including Medicare, he was also involved with the UN in its infancy.
The UN initially had 51 members and Martin fought tirelessly against fierce opposition to open the membership to all nations. He believed it was imperative and morally responsible that all nations have a place in this new worldwide institution. Thanks to his tenacity, there are now 193 members.
The total impact of this may not seem readily apparent, all countries now have a forum at which to speak and access to the various UN agencies including: UNICEF, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Program, and the World Health Organization. This has literally impacted billions of people.
The G20
While Paul Martin Sr. never became Canada’s Prime Minister, his son Paul Martin Jr. did. He too had polio and is best known as the person who brought Canada’s finances under control by balancing budgets and preventing Canada from financial disaster. On the world scene, he was the architect of the G20, which replaced the G7, made up of the world’s wealthiest countries.
Like his father, he believed other countries had much to contribute and should have a forum to do so. Made up of 19 countries plus the European Union, the G20 was originally a meeting place for finance ministers, but now includes heads of government. They discuss international, economic, environmental and sustainable development issues. The countries involved represent 66% of the world’s peoples covering 50% of the land mass, and other countries are often invited to participate in the meetings.
Martin, has also done much in support of the education of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples and has worked tirelessly on environmental issues, in particular towards saving the rainforest in the Congo basin.
The International Landmine Treaty
In 1996, as Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lloyd Axworthy persuaded 122 (now 164) countries through the OTTAWA TREATY to stop the production, stockpiling, transfer and use of anti-personal landmines. The treaty also called for their removal and created a mechanism to monitor the results and determine who is fulfilling the terms of the treaty.
Before the agreement was signed, an estimated 150 million landmines were scattered in fields throughout the world, waiting to indiscriminately maim and kill. Now there are about 40 million, and this is decreasing every day. Treaties often take years to make, but through a new process (now called the Ottawa Process) this was reduced to 14 months. This process has been used many times since, speeding up action in many areas. While some major countries (including the USA, China, and Russia) have not signed it, thanks to this treaty, many economies have been improved. Hundreds of thousands of children can go safely to school, farmers can work their fields, and a countless number of people can walk around without fear of being blown-up by a landmine. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The new Responsibility to Protect
In reaction to the genocide in Rwanda and the world’s apparent inability to intervene, Canada, led by Axworthy, set up the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, which led to the UN in 2005 establishing a code of conduct, The Responsibility to Protect.
Under this policy, every country has the responsibility to protect its people against genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Other states can help the affected state, and if any state fails to protect its people, other states can take appropriate action and override that nation’s sovereignty.
The Arctic Council
Our warming planet is creating significant changes in the Arctic. In 1996, a group of countries including Iceland, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, U.S.A., Denmark and Canada, came together under the leadership of Canada—and in particular Canada’s Governor General, The Honourable Mary Simon, an Inuit. They formed the Arctic Council to improve social, economic and environmental conditions and broaden world awareness of the Arctic.
AIDS, Doctors Without Borders, Insulin and Apartheid
Many others could be included in this list of Canadians who have made a significant contribution to a wide range of aspects of international human welfare: Stephen Lewis and his work on AIDS, and as head of UNICEF; James Orbinski, President of Médecins Sans Frontiéres when it won the Nobel Peace prize; Drs. Frederick Banting and Charles Best and their 1921 discovery of insulin; and two other past prime ministers Brian Mulroney and Joe Clark in bringing an end to apartheid.
And all the volunteers …
Not to be forgotten are all those Canadians who have sponsored refugees from Vietnam, Syria and other countries. Few Canadians know of the amazing and incredibly important contributions to humankind by their fellow citizens. While some volunteers gain recognition, many remain anonymous—the main reward being the knowledge that they have helped make the world a better place. If you are, or have been a volunteer, you will know the feeling that comes from helping others.
Chris Snyder is the author of several books and several hundred articles on personal finance, Chris’ most recent book "Creating Opportunities-A Volunteer's Memoir" describes a lifetime of volunteer experiences, much of it as an active member of the Rotary Club of Toronto and on many not-for-profit boards. Chris is past chair of the Canadian Landmine Foundation, founding chair/current chair of HIP (Honouring Indigenous Peoples) and the Trudeau Centre of Peace, Conflict and Justice as well as past board member of CUSO and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. He organizes and runs hands-on school building trips to the developing world and is the recipient of many volunteer and community service awards, among them the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, the Queen's Gold and Diamond Jubilee Awards, the Rotary Service-Above-Self Award and the Governor General's Sovereign Award for Volunteering. His latest book, “Good News in A Crazy World,” will be published by Civil Sector Press in 2024.
