By: Mike De Souza

Published in the National Post, October 1, 2009

OTTAWA — A federal New Democrat has teamed up with a Liberal to propose the creation of an army of peace professionals within a new federal department to resolve violent conflicts within Canada and around the world.

The idea was introduced through new legislation tabled Thursday by NDP MP Bill Siksay, seconded by Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis. Siksay said the proposed department of peace could change the role of the Canadian military, but not necessarily replace it.

“In a utopian vision of our world, maybe that will be possible some day but certainly we see this as an area that hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves,” said Siksay at a news conference.

“The inclination to seek a non-violent solution to conflict isn’t always the first action that people take in our society and around the world.”

Siksay’s private member’s bill was modelled after a proposal by an advocacy group that suggests Canada needs more trained experts to promote peace in its diplomatic corps as well as in the military.

Bill Bhaneja, a co-chair of the Canadian Department of Peace Initiative, said the proposed department could employ hundreds of professionals who would promote a culture of peace in the government’s policies and actions, as well as help to resolve conflicts in a non-violent way.

“These peace professionals would be different from the diplomats and from the soldiers,” said Bhaneja. “Right now we have suits and boots on the ground, but we don’t have people who are trained to resolve conflicts at the cutting edge where the problem is taking place.”

He said his group has also submitted its proposals to the Harper government which replied it was satisfied with existing policies and practices.

Siksay said it was unlikely that the legislation and its proposals would get adopted in the near future in Parliament since it is a private member’s bill. Government legislation gets priority for debates in Parliament while opposition bills are debated in order based on a random draw.

But Bhaneja said he was encouraged by recent meetings with Liberals and New Democrats who appear to be more interested by the establishment of a ministry of peace, following other countries such as Nepal, Solomon Islands and Costa Rica.