Mining feminism to support Canadian corporations abroad

An important component of Justin Trudeau’s international branding exercise is his “feminist foreign policy”. Government officials emphasize feminism/women’s empowerment in public statements, diplomatic twitter accounts, Global Affairs websites, etc. As part of these efforts, government officials have increasingly promoted women’s role in the patriarchal mining industry. The Trudeau government’s feminist rhetoric on mining largely seeks... Continue Reading →

August 10, 2023

Ottawa sides with unpopular government against Ecuador protesters

Once again Canada’s government is choosing to defend an unpopular neoliberal government against a popular uprising. The Trudeau government is hostile to popular protests roiling Ecuador. Ottawa worries that a regional ally might fall and that Canadian mining companies’ interests will be harmed. On June 13 the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE) launched... Continue Reading →

June 29, 2022

Ugly Canadian mines new depths

The Justin Trudeau government threw its diplomatic weight behind Canada’s most controversial mining company in the country where it’s committed its worst abuses. Canadian officials threatened to cut off aid to Tanzania and justified Barrick Gold’s killings, according to newly released internal government documents. Barrick Gold’s African subsidiary, Acacia Mining, was embroiled in a... Continue Reading →

June 9, 2022

Media ignore tragedies, exploitation in Canadian mines

Eight miners in Burkina Faso have been stuck underground for nearly a month. Unlike other mining disasters, it’s received little attention outside West Africa. Over the weekend K. Diallo tweeted, “for 20 days, 8 African miners have been stranded more than 500 meters deep in a zinc mine operated by a Canadian company in Burkina... Continue Reading →

May 11, 2022

Globe columnist blinded by Canadian chauvinism

Don’t let the Chinese buy up Canada’s strategic minerals… in Argentina. That’s what Eric Reguly argued in Saturday’s Globe and Mail. “The West is asleep while China hoards key minerals”, blared the front page of the Report on Business. Reguly complained that Zijin Mining recently paid $960 million for Vancouver-based Neo Lithium, which... Continue Reading →

December 22, 2021

Canadian imperialism in Africa

Canadian imperialism in Africa has had a rare social media moment. On Twitter K. Diallo recently posted a map of the continent with the sum of Canadian mining investment in each African country under the words “75% of mining companies globally are now Canadian. Canada is a great source of corporate neocolonialism expansion.” The tweet received 25,000... Continue Reading →

September 13, 2021

‘Ugly Canadian’ mining policies continue with Trudeau

The Liberal government continues to promote an often-controversial industry across our planet. Canada is home to 75% of the world’s mining companies. Present in most countries, Canadian-based or listed firms operate about 4,000 mineral projects abroad, which works out to over 20 per UN member state. There have been an astounding number of conflicts at Canadian-run mines. Pick almost any country in... Continue Reading →

May 9, 2021

Should Canadian foreign policy continue to be enmeshed with mining interests abroad?

“Should Canadian foreign policy continue to be enmeshed with mining interests abroad?” That is one of 10 questions put forward in an open letter calling for a “fundamental reassessment of Canadian foreign policy” following Canada’s second consecutive defeat for a seat on the United Nations Security Council. The letter organized by the of Canadian Foreign... Continue Reading →

July 2, 2020

Trudeau government seeks West African gold

Despite the prime minister’s show of visiting a place where thousands of people were sold as commodities, the point of his trip was not to acknowledge the great wrong done to Africa during the slave trade but rather for Canadian companies to get their hands on Senegal’s resources. During Justin Trudeau’s expedition to Senegal last... Continue Reading →

March 25, 2020

Trudeau promotes mining exploitation in Africa

The Trudeau government, just like the Harper Conservatives, has used Canadian foreign policy to protect the profits of wealthy mining companies against ordinary Africans desire to benefit from resource extraction. During a recent visit Justin Trudeau announced negotiations on a Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA) with Ethiopia. FIPAs empower international investors by giving... Continue Reading →

February 19, 2020

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