Canadas Involvement in Defeating the Apartheid System - Essay Example

?Canada’s Involvement in Defeating the Apartheid System Introduction When the American Civil War ended and equality in all its aspects reigned, the world was convinced that there will never be a government again that would try to sow the seeds of pertinacious cruelty and grave injustice. Nevertheless, this belief was proven wrong when traces of racial inequality in South Africa were revealed among the member states of the United Nations. It became more apparent when the South African government implemented the apartheid system. The series of events demonstrating the evil effects of the brutal policy had caught the attention of powerful and rich countries like United States and Canada. Together with the other concerned states, the Canadian government extended social, political, and economic support to the black people in South Africa. With its heterogeneous population, Canada was considered to have an essential role in thwarting the principles advanced by the apartheid system. The Apartheid System and its Justification The apartheid system refers to “the separation of races” in almost every aspect of life (Edwards n. pag.). Under this system, there is segregation with regard to the following: (1) education (2) medical care (3) transportation (4) housing (5) employment (6) voting and (7) public accommodation (Edwards). Its main thrust is to prevent the other races from enjoying the areas of life which are only meant for the white race. In the eyes of the minority white government, the implementation of the Apartheid policy is a necessary precondition in attaining a good political structure. The government believes that this objective is only achievable if there will be peace throughout the South African community. For the minority white, a peaceful co-existence will only truly happen if there would be separation of races (Edwards n. pag.). For them, there should be social, political, and economic segregation between the different races in South Africa. It would seem that the ruling whites are irritated and disgusted with the presence of dark-skinned individuals within the South African community. Apparently, the government uses the physical attributes of the blacks as an excuse to its inefficient delivery of essential public services. For the white leaders, good governance would mean racial segregation. In such case, it is their belief that a smooth flow of interaction between the various agencies of the government would only be feasible through the apartheid system. This is buttressed by the fact that the whites are the dominant race in South Africa when the apartheid policy was introduced in 1948 (“Apartheid Era”). Canadian Diplomacy It is a generally accepted principle in international law that if a certain issue is of national scope, the other nations are not supposed to interfere with the subject state. However, in actuality, there are national issues which need a worldwide intervention; the apartheid in South Africa is a good example. When the apartheid policy of the South African government became a global issue, many states extended their support as in the case of Canada. Just like the other concerned states, the Canadian government also tried diplomacy to defeat the apartheid system. Diplomacy, as an art of dialogue and negotiation, was used by Canada to gain support from the other states and weaken the government of South Africa (“Diplomacy”). The negotiation effort was personally handled by the country’s Prime Minister, Martin Brian Mulroney. Canada, represented by Mulroney, vigorously advanced the situation in South Africa within the Commonwealth of Nations; in turn, the organization supported Mulroney’s conviction and imposed a new condition for membership -- a state must at all times respect racial equality (“Canada’s Role”). Nevertheless, with such condition at hand, the South African government still did not dismantle the apartheid. Instead, it left the Commonwealth in 1961 and became a republic (“United States”). The Role of Economic Sanctions The economic sanctions imposed upon South Africa were very crucial in dismantling the apartheid. There were many states which joined in the imposition of these sanctions against the white minority government such as Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Norway, United States, Great Britain, and Canada (“Apartheid South Africa”). With regard to Canada, it introduced over twenty economic measures against South Africa in protest of the brutal policy. To mention, Canada was at first doubtful to issue some of these measures. The country was actually caught in the middle; it wanted to maintain its peaceful relation with South Africa but at the same end the apartheid. Fortunately, the Canadian government gave up the first option. For the first time, Canada closed its doors to South Africa; it prohibited further business relation and withdrew some of its grants. With this situation at hand, South Africa experienced an economic crisis. Unluckily, this became worst when Canada imposed the following measures: (1) closed the office of its consul-general located in Cape Town (2) withdrew its Trade Commissioners (3) rescinded the government account facilities of EDC (Export Development Corporation) for export and (4) withdrew the foreign investment insurance facilities of EDC (“Apartheid South Africa”). Due to these actions, the South African government slowly abolished some of the principles advanced by its apartheid system. Public Pressure Public pressure also played an important role in defeating the apartheid system. It is the reason why the first general election in South Africa happened. Actually, it could be hypothesized that the South African government could not endure anymore the condemning words of the people, so it opened its gate for equal political participation. Notably, the Canadian citizens had exerted a considerable effort in achieving this political landscape. When the news of the apartheid reached Canada, the complacent Canadians immediately expressed their dismay of the South African government (DuCharme). Many of them condemned the policy and formed organizations to help the disfranchised black people in South Africa and restore true democracy. The anti-apartheid advocates of Canada had even made a slogan, “Speak out / South Africa will hear us,” which received an overwhelming support and attention from the international community (DuCharme). To put more pressure on the South African government, the Canadian citizens including those in the religious sector expressed their opinion regarding the apartheid in many different ways such as peaceful demonstrations and rallies (“Canada and the Fight”). Everyone else in the Canadian community was in one way or another showing their desire for the oppressive policy to end. Luckily, their efforts were not put to waste; they were able to influence the other organizations in the world to react on the issue and assist the black people in South Africa. As states, private agencies, and non-governmental organizations all around the world were demonstrating support for the oppressed blacks, the white minority government was threatened -- it became worried of the country’s existence as a political entity. At that time, major states of the world were imposing sanctions against it, making South Africa a crippled state (“Apartheid South Africa”). With its major investors desisting and international companies closed, the country could not generate anymore enough income to support its people. It was left with no other option but to give in to the demand of the international community. The Response of the White Minority Government In response to the overwhelming support of the Canadians to the blacks in South Africa, the white minority government tried to embarrass them by quoting a historical fact about their country. According to the South African government, Canada is not an innocent state with regard to the apartheid policy. It asserted that Canada has long been a racist country and that it just based its apartheid system to it. This argument is somehow true since in the late eighteenth century, the Indians in Canada were placed on Reserves in order to accommodate the European immigrants and U.S. settlers (DuCharme). With all its might, the Canadian government objected to the accusation by detailing its history and emphasizing its commitment and respect for diversity. Canada’s Care for South Africa The Canadians’ care for the black citizens in South Africa is based upon the fact that they do not want these people to experience a part of their history. This refers, of course, to the period when Canada had been indifferent with its aboriginal people. They do not want to witness another event demonstrating a profound inequality of life and grave injustice. To reiterate, in the past, the Canadian government had implemented rules aiming to extinguish the black natives in its area; stated in another sense, the government once aimed to have a community of pure white Canadians. Given that fact, the Canadians are doing everything that they can to prevent any acts of racism within the community of states. Today, Canada is a very diverse country; it accepts all interested immigrants regardless of racial background although with some justifiable limitations. Interestingly, Canadians are very friendly to foreigners; they treat them like a true member of the Canadian community. I can even say that there is no residue of colonization which lives on in Canada. Canadian Identity Canadians are known to be neutral people; as much as possible, they avoid getting involved in any public issues. As always, they try to be quiet and non-reactive; however, upon knowing the apartheid policy, they went out of their shell and became defenders of the black people in South Africa. Socially, Canada has always been composed of natives and non-natives. The Canadian government’s involvement in the apartheid issue only shows how it values diversity and the preservation of its cultural heritage. Politically, Canada’s diplomatic efforts in defeating the apartheid system demonstrate its commitment to justifiable intervention. Conclusion As a diverse country, Canada has proven to the whole world its commitment to prevent inequality and injustice because of one’s racial identity. With respect to its involvement in the apartheid issue, it has shown its willingness to give up some of its economic ventures just to end a racist policy. To emphasize, without the efforts of the Canadian people to inform the world of the oppressive and brutal policy, the apartheid could not have been an international issue and it could have been left unattended by the community of nations. The Canadian’s overwhelming support has effectively caught the attention of the international media which became the leading source of information. To state it in a more serious vein, without Canada, South Africa could have been a racist state until now. Works Cited “Apartheid Era.” Skolarbete.nu. Skolarbete.nu, n.d. Web. 27 Jul. 2011. . “Apartheid South Africa.” SouthAfrica.To. KA Baker, n.d. Web. 28 Jul. 2011. . “Canada and the Fight against Apartheid.” CBC Digital Archives. CBC, n.d. Web. 28 Jul. 2011. . “Canada’s Role.” CHF. CHF Partners, n.d. Web. 28 Jul. 2011. . “Diplomacy” BusinessDictionary.com. WebFinance, n.d. Web. 28 Jul. 2011. . DuCharme, Michele. “The Segregation of Native People in Canada: Voluntary or Compulsory.” The Students Commission. The Students Commission, n.d. Web. 29 Jul. 2011. . Edwards, Sarah. “The Apartheid System.” Democracy in South Africa. Democracy in South Africa, n.d. Web. 27 Jul. 2011. . United States. Department of State. Background Note: South Africa. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, 2 Jun. 2011. Web. 28 Jul. 2011. . Read More