Emma Swan | University of Ottawa | Université d'Ottawa (original) (raw)
Papers by Emma Swan
International Journal, Mar 29, 2023
This special issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, guest edited by Dr Jeremy Wildeman, uO... more This special issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, guest edited by Dr Jeremy Wildeman, uOttawa HRREC Fellow, and Emma Swan, Trudeau Scholar and uOttawa PhD candidate, addresses Canada’s foreign policy toward the Middle East Peace Process and the Palestinians. Through articles and commentaries by distinguished contributors, scholars and practitioners, the purpose of the issue is to offer insight into this important yet largely underexplored facet of Canadian foreign policy. To this end, Dr Jeremy Wildeman describes the different approaches the Government of Canada has adopted toward to the Palestinians and the Peace Process, while Professor Costanza Musu (uOttawa) and Amelia Arsenault (PhD cand. Cornell) describe how Canada has articulated and pushed its views on Israel-Palestine at the United Nations. Writing in a personal capacity, Dr Michael Atallah (Privy Council Office) assesses the role international donors like Canada have played in shaping and maintaining the turbulent status quo in Israel-Palestine. Offering insight into the impact Canadian policy has on Palestinians, Emma Swan enters into a detailed discussion of how Canada has fared in its commitment to a feminist-informed international assistance policy in Gaza, while Professor Ruby Dagher (uOttawa) assesses the role Canada has played in Palestinian economic development and the problems affecting Palestinians. Rounding out the issue are policy commentaries from noted experts. These include former Canadian diplomats with extensive experience in the Peace Process. Ambassadors Michael J Molloy, Andrew Robinson and David Viveash, offer a peak behind the curtain of Canadian foreign policy through three key historical moments: the admittance of Palestinian refugees to Canada in 1955-1956, Canada’s policy toward the Palestine Liberation Organisation and recognition of Palestinian self-determination in 1989, and Canada’s involvement in the Madrid Peace Process in 1991 and subsequent role in Israel-Palestine peacebuilding. Offering experience as both a practitioner in Israel-Palestine and scholar of human security, Dr Timea Spitka interrogates Canada’s image as a normative leader in human rights, human security and gender, versus its tendency to waver on those principles when applied to Israel.
Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 2021
This thematic issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal explores Canada's foreign policy relat... more This thematic issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal explores Canada's foreign policy relationship with the Palestinians and the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP). It does this through a combination of articles and policy commentaries by scholars from the academy and "pracademics" from government. This includes regional experts on Palestine, Palestinian refugees Palestinian state-building and Canadian foreign policy. The topics they cover include Canadian diplomacy on Israel-Palestine at the United Nations, the impact the international community and Canada have had on Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding, Canada's policy toward Palestinian refugees, Canadian development aid in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and an overview of Canadian foreign policy toward both the Palestinians and MEPP. This introduction sets the stage for their contributions by first providing an overview of the contemporary politics of the Middle East and where Israel-Palestine fits within them, including a brief account of peacebuilding efforts today. It also describes Canada's not-insignificant contribution to the politics of the Middle East and towards the composure of Israel-Palestine today, and likewise the impact of each on Canada. In sum, the articles each explore a unique and important facet of the ongoing development of Canadian foreign policy toward the Palestinians and the MEPP.
Genre, féminismes et développement (pp.131-150), 2019
Comment peut-on mieux comprendre les expériences gen-rées et faire la promotion de la justice des... more Comment peut-on mieux comprendre les expériences gen-rées et faire la promotion de la justice des genres dans des contextes de violence structurelle (d'inégalité), de colonia-lisme et d'injustice ? Il est possible d'arriver à percevoir la violence structurelle et de reconnaître que celle-ci est genrée, de considérer les sources d'insécurité telles que définies par ceux qui sont le moins en sécurité et en sûreté, et de progresser vers la justice et vers des résolutions équitables des éléments qui obligent les gens à déménager afin de survivre et pros-pérer. La violence systématique, la migration forcée, le colo-nialisme et la guerre sont des processus sociaux qui ont des effets genrés qui touchent et sont touchés par les femmes et les hommes, les jeunes et les aînés, les enfants et les parents, les personnes de genre-variant et les individus de minorités sexuelles-autrement dit, tous ceux qui se trouvent entraînés dans leur sillage. Ce chapitre explore la façon dont ces mêmes individus et groupes forgent de nouveaux (et d'anciens) modes de fonctionnement qui s'alignent avec la justice des genres et la justice sociale. Il décrit également le contexte légal international et les cadres politiques dans lesquels ils sont mobilisés. Enfin, ce chapitre suggère des moyens plus constructifs de réfléchir à la justice des genres, à la justice sociopolitique et à la violence structurelle manifeste, afin de collaborer et de prendre part à des stratégies transformatrices cruciales et des pistes pour aller de l'avant.
Justin Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Policy, 2018
Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 2020
Canadian Yearbook of Human Rights, 2018
2017 marked 50 years since the beginning of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. T... more 2017 marked 50 years since the beginning of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Technically, under various statutes of international law (Article 42 of the 1907 Hague Regulations and Article 2, of the four Geneva Conventions, 1949) temporary military occupation of foreign territory is permissible for self-defence purposes. However, the way Israel has prosecuted its control over Palestinian lands and Palestinian lives is in blatant violation of numerous international norms. While most countries around the world challenge the legality of particular aspects of Israel’s occupation – though not always in its totality – a de facto consensus that accepts the status quo persists. Virtually all major actors in international relations – Canada included – prioritize Israeli claims regarding its security over Palestinian aspirations for independence or self-determination. Yet during the last days of 2016 the conflict appeared to be entering a period of potentially significant turbulence.
As a signature to seven major international human rights conventions, Canada’s long-standing perceived international influence related to values of human rights dates back to their role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of human rights in 1947-1948. However, as this paper demonstrates, official statements by the Canadian government, combined with Canada’s voting at the UN on resolutions pertaining to Palestine paint a very different story than that of a ‘determined peacebuilder’ and an even handed advocate for human rights.
This paper assesses Canada’s relationship to the conflict and examines whether Canada’s reputation as a peacemaker and human rights advocate are reflected by its record on Israel-Palestine. Ultimately arguing that, in this case, there is little evidence to suggest that this reputation is warranted. In order to dodge the proverbial trap of the hypercritic, this paper concludes with forward-looking analysis and suggesting ways in which Canada may better live up to these models in the future.
International Journal, Mar 29, 2023
This special issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, guest edited by Dr Jeremy Wildeman, uO... more This special issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, guest edited by Dr Jeremy Wildeman, uOttawa HRREC Fellow, and Emma Swan, Trudeau Scholar and uOttawa PhD candidate, addresses Canada’s foreign policy toward the Middle East Peace Process and the Palestinians. Through articles and commentaries by distinguished contributors, scholars and practitioners, the purpose of the issue is to offer insight into this important yet largely underexplored facet of Canadian foreign policy. To this end, Dr Jeremy Wildeman describes the different approaches the Government of Canada has adopted toward to the Palestinians and the Peace Process, while Professor Costanza Musu (uOttawa) and Amelia Arsenault (PhD cand. Cornell) describe how Canada has articulated and pushed its views on Israel-Palestine at the United Nations. Writing in a personal capacity, Dr Michael Atallah (Privy Council Office) assesses the role international donors like Canada have played in shaping and maintaining the turbulent status quo in Israel-Palestine. Offering insight into the impact Canadian policy has on Palestinians, Emma Swan enters into a detailed discussion of how Canada has fared in its commitment to a feminist-informed international assistance policy in Gaza, while Professor Ruby Dagher (uOttawa) assesses the role Canada has played in Palestinian economic development and the problems affecting Palestinians. Rounding out the issue are policy commentaries from noted experts. These include former Canadian diplomats with extensive experience in the Peace Process. Ambassadors Michael J Molloy, Andrew Robinson and David Viveash, offer a peak behind the curtain of Canadian foreign policy through three key historical moments: the admittance of Palestinian refugees to Canada in 1955-1956, Canada’s policy toward the Palestine Liberation Organisation and recognition of Palestinian self-determination in 1989, and Canada’s involvement in the Madrid Peace Process in 1991 and subsequent role in Israel-Palestine peacebuilding. Offering experience as both a practitioner in Israel-Palestine and scholar of human security, Dr Timea Spitka interrogates Canada’s image as a normative leader in human rights, human security and gender, versus its tendency to waver on those principles when applied to Israel.
Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 2021
This thematic issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal explores Canada's foreign policy relat... more This thematic issue of the Canadian Foreign Policy Journal explores Canada's foreign policy relationship with the Palestinians and the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP). It does this through a combination of articles and policy commentaries by scholars from the academy and "pracademics" from government. This includes regional experts on Palestine, Palestinian refugees Palestinian state-building and Canadian foreign policy. The topics they cover include Canadian diplomacy on Israel-Palestine at the United Nations, the impact the international community and Canada have had on Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding, Canada's policy toward Palestinian refugees, Canadian development aid in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and an overview of Canadian foreign policy toward both the Palestinians and MEPP. This introduction sets the stage for their contributions by first providing an overview of the contemporary politics of the Middle East and where Israel-Palestine fits within them, including a brief account of peacebuilding efforts today. It also describes Canada's not-insignificant contribution to the politics of the Middle East and towards the composure of Israel-Palestine today, and likewise the impact of each on Canada. In sum, the articles each explore a unique and important facet of the ongoing development of Canadian foreign policy toward the Palestinians and the MEPP.
Genre, féminismes et développement (pp.131-150), 2019
Comment peut-on mieux comprendre les expériences gen-rées et faire la promotion de la justice des... more Comment peut-on mieux comprendre les expériences gen-rées et faire la promotion de la justice des genres dans des contextes de violence structurelle (d'inégalité), de colonia-lisme et d'injustice ? Il est possible d'arriver à percevoir la violence structurelle et de reconnaître que celle-ci est genrée, de considérer les sources d'insécurité telles que définies par ceux qui sont le moins en sécurité et en sûreté, et de progresser vers la justice et vers des résolutions équitables des éléments qui obligent les gens à déménager afin de survivre et pros-pérer. La violence systématique, la migration forcée, le colo-nialisme et la guerre sont des processus sociaux qui ont des effets genrés qui touchent et sont touchés par les femmes et les hommes, les jeunes et les aînés, les enfants et les parents, les personnes de genre-variant et les individus de minorités sexuelles-autrement dit, tous ceux qui se trouvent entraînés dans leur sillage. Ce chapitre explore la façon dont ces mêmes individus et groupes forgent de nouveaux (et d'anciens) modes de fonctionnement qui s'alignent avec la justice des genres et la justice sociale. Il décrit également le contexte légal international et les cadres politiques dans lesquels ils sont mobilisés. Enfin, ce chapitre suggère des moyens plus constructifs de réfléchir à la justice des genres, à la justice sociopolitique et à la violence structurelle manifeste, afin de collaborer et de prendre part à des stratégies transformatrices cruciales et des pistes pour aller de l'avant.
Justin Trudeau and Canadian Foreign Policy, 2018
Canadian Foreign Policy Journal, 2020
Canadian Yearbook of Human Rights, 2018
2017 marked 50 years since the beginning of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. T... more 2017 marked 50 years since the beginning of Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. Technically, under various statutes of international law (Article 42 of the 1907 Hague Regulations and Article 2, of the four Geneva Conventions, 1949) temporary military occupation of foreign territory is permissible for self-defence purposes. However, the way Israel has prosecuted its control over Palestinian lands and Palestinian lives is in blatant violation of numerous international norms. While most countries around the world challenge the legality of particular aspects of Israel’s occupation – though not always in its totality – a de facto consensus that accepts the status quo persists. Virtually all major actors in international relations – Canada included – prioritize Israeli claims regarding its security over Palestinian aspirations for independence or self-determination. Yet during the last days of 2016 the conflict appeared to be entering a period of potentially significant turbulence.
As a signature to seven major international human rights conventions, Canada’s long-standing perceived international influence related to values of human rights dates back to their role in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of human rights in 1947-1948. However, as this paper demonstrates, official statements by the Canadian government, combined with Canada’s voting at the UN on resolutions pertaining to Palestine paint a very different story than that of a ‘determined peacebuilder’ and an even handed advocate for human rights.
This paper assesses Canada’s relationship to the conflict and examines whether Canada’s reputation as a peacemaker and human rights advocate are reflected by its record on Israel-Palestine. Ultimately arguing that, in this case, there is little evidence to suggest that this reputation is warranted. In order to dodge the proverbial trap of the hypercritic, this paper concludes with forward-looking analysis and suggesting ways in which Canada may better live up to these models in the future.