The recent inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th American president sent shockwaves of joy and hope around the world.
On Jan. 28, joy and hope came to Western as a panel of experts discussed how the new president will affect cross-border relations.
An event hosted by the Faculty of Law, “Canada/U.S. Relations in the Obama Era” was a chance to share views on contentious issues such as the economy, Afghanistan, border security, the environment, the tar sands project, NAFTA and the Arctic.
In general, the experts spoke optimistically about the possibility of strengthening a bi-lateral relationship considered to be among the world’s strongest.
“Canada has embraced Barack Obama,” said Don Abelson, director of the Centre for American Studies, pointing to a poll that suggested two-thirds of Canadians would have voted for Obama if given the chance. He implied that Canada should be using good relations with the United States to achieve some of its interests early in the presidency.
“We have a lot of political capital at this time, and I think that will help us in Washington,” said Abelson. “It’s going to be very important for us to make our presence felt.”
Humility, honesty and respect going forward are ideas that each panellist shed light on at one time or another.
“You have to have a grown-up conversation here,” said Sue Barnes, a former Liberal MP. “
It’s not about who wins and who loses, it’s about respect and partnership, going in the same direction, and sharing more goals and agreements.”
The environment is presumed to be an issue on which Obama will take more action than his predecessor. Canada has an immense opportunity to forge joint environmental agreements with the United States in the next few years, something faculty of law professor Chi Carmody would not simply like to see accomplished, but done properly.
“Our agreements on the environment have to sink down beneath the national level and we have to make a change in terms of the lifestyles we lead,” said Carmody. “We simply cannot continue to live the way we do.”
The panel also included visiting professor Michael Perry of Atlanta’s Emory University, and was moderated by Western professor Michael Lynk. Most panellists agreed that in order to make progress, Canada as a country needed to get past the anti-American sentiment and sense of superiority. In that same regard, we must not be afraid to speak out and command the respect that we have earned.
“We have a lot of offer, we have a lot to be proud of, and we’ve made great contributions on the world stage,” said Abelson. “We will never be on the same stage and the United States, but that doesn’t mean that we are not entitled to a strong voice.”
The writer is a graduate student in journalism and intern at Western News.