Canada’s role in the world matters to Canadians. It also matters to Christians. The federal government’s long-awaited International Policy Statement, released April 19, responds to this interest with its title: “A Role of Pride and Influence in the World.”

Pride in what? Influence for what? The answers to these questions remain ambiguous through the five documents that outline new directions in trade, diplomacy, defence and development, with an overview that ties them all together. Coherence is the first goal of the new policy, which sets out a commitment to use a “whole of government” approach to global issues.

Policy coherence is a good thing. Christian social justice groups have long advocated for greater coherence, pointing out situations where Canada’s commitments to human rights or environmental protection are ignored in the interests of promoting trade or gaining strategi

Basic themes
But what are the basic themes around which the coherence is to be built? Are they justice, compassion, and care for creation—the core Christian values for our role in the world? Certainly, there are positive elements in the new policy. Resources for crisis situations, like that in the Darfur region of Sudan, are to be increased and Canada’s role in promoting nuclear disarmament, controlling the flow of small arms, and preventing the spread of deadly diseases is to continue.

It is no surprise that security is a strong theme, with a renewed and stronger Canadian Armed Forces, a new Department for Public Safety in Canada, a National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, and a strong emphasis on improving governance in weak and fragile states. Also strong is the emphasis on promoting Canadian commerce in emerging markets, like those of China, India, and Brazil, and on measures to ensure access to the large U.S. market.

Sadly, development is the weakest of the five strategies. Few will dispute the focus on fewer countries and on specific sectors in a search for greater effectiveness, but why is agriculture dropped as a sectoral emphasis? To its credit, the government promises an increase in resources with a doubling of aid to Africa by 2008-09. But Canada will not fulfill a 30-year old pledge to allocate just .7 per cent of our national wealth to help the poorest in the world.

Canada now gives less than half that amount, at around .3 per cent. Equally disturbing is the reason that the government has gives: “our economy is growing too fast to reach .7 per cent.” In other words, we are becoming too rich to give to the poor. As the famous singer, Bono, of the Irish rock group U2, put it: “It’s like renegotiating your deal with God downward after you have done well.” Most troubling is the absence of a vision for what Canada could do in the fight to end global poverty and to build just relations between the powerful and those without power.

Deep concern
The concern goes deeper. Ending global poverty gets scant attention in the chapter on trade policy; nor are human rights, though recognized in diplomatic language, integrated into the security strategy. The chapter on aid has more references to security and trade than the other chapters do to poverty reduction. One comes to the conclusion that Canada’s security and prosperity are the basic themes around which coherence of the other policies is to be built. They will drive the new “whole-of-government” approach. The Bible, in contrast, is clear that justice and love of neighbor are the only way to peace and prosperity.

Several Christian churches and organizations in Canada have joined the international movement called Micah Challenge, to engage Christians in our call to help the poor and seek justice. The current focus on Canada’s role in the world invites Christians to tell our political leaders what we know from Scripture. Reviewing Canada’s new policy, the prophet Micah would say: “Get your priorities right,” but perhaps in stronger language.

Kathy Vandergrift is the director of policy for World Vision Canada and a member of the Micah Challenge Canada Advocacy Committee. For more on Micah Challenge Canada, see www.micahchallenge.ca