Canada planning to give $11M to Egypt for democracy-building efforts

Oh Canada.

 Shakes head and sighs.

Even though the persecution of religious minorities is illegal in within the borders of Canada, Canadians are obligated to support [with tax dollars] countries where certain segments of the population are regarded as second class citizens for having a faith different than the majority. Countries where the abuses against these groups run the gamut from verbal abuse to murder. Where their homes and churches can be burned and land stolen all while the state yawns and pays platitudes to the victims and media.

If Canada’s foreign policy is a reflection of our morality then I’m taking the mirrors down because I can’t stand what is staring back at me.

Winnipeg Free Press

OTTAWA – Canada is giving almost $11 million to Egypt to help foster democracy in the North African country.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon announced the funding Wednesday in Cairo, where he attended meetings with Egypt’s new leaders and civil society groups.

Cannon said he told Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and his cabinet that Canada was willing to participate in Egypt’s “transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

The money will target opportunities for young Egyptians and help develop democratic institutions in their country and across the broader Middle East.

The vast majority of the new funds — $10 million over five years — will be supplied by the Decent Employment for Youth Project, a Canadian International Development Agency project which trains and helps young people find jobs and start businesses in tourism and manufacturing.

Canada is also joining the German government to help train journalists with a $300,000 contribution to build capacity in Egypt’s media sector.

In addition, Canada is contributing $600,000 to a United Nations electoral support program and another $100,000 to aid the democratic transition in neighbouring Tunisia.

“Everywhere, I witnessed the strong determination by Egyptian leaders to transform the clearly expressed will of the Egyptian people to build a society based on freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law,” Cannon said.

NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar welcomed what he called a change of tone from the Harper government.

“They’re engaging in some damage control after the Prime Minister compared the dawn of democracy in Egypt to spilling toothpaste out of a tube,” he said.

Dewar added that more details of Canada’s funding to Egypt were needed.

“I hope this means the government will revisit the promise it made in its Speech from the Throne to create a democratic development institute.”

In addition to his funding announcement, Cannon also met with the secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, who has indicated he will run for Egypt’s presidency.

The two men discussed the deteriorating situation in Libya, where forces loyal to strongman Moammar Gadhafi appear to be beating down rebel forces.

“I impressed upon him the importance of Arab leadership in this crisis.”

Cannon said the international community has been working “feverishly” to come up with a way of intervening in Libya. He noted the United Nations Security Council was meeting to discuss another resolution.

Canada favours tougher sanctions and would like to see a ceasefire, he said.

Cannon is the highest ranking Canadian official to visit Egypt since the Feb. 11 ouster of ex-president Hosni Mubarak, whose 30 years of iron-fisted rule ended after an 18-day popular revolt.

Cannon said he was moved by his tour of Tahrir Square, the centre of pro-democracy demonstrations.

He said he told his officials to work toward lifting a travel warning that his department has issued to Canadians considering travel to Egypt.

“I think it’s incumbent that the country be able to restore the great tourism industry it does have.”

Sharaf told Cannon that he hoped Egypt’s nationwide curfew and other stepped-up security may also soon be eased.

Cannon’s visit coincided with the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Egypt.

8 Replies to “Canada planning to give $11M to Egypt for democracy-building efforts”

  1. I just hope Canada would never give another penny to any deteriorating rotting authoritarian islamic countries, even if they appear to be pro-democracy.

  2. Note to Canada… Not only will Yusuf al-Qrapadawi, Egypt’s future sultan, NEVER thank you for that, but expect threats if more cash isn’t made available after that…

  3. In making this donation, Canada is being ***very, very naive.*** I am not at all convinced that the unrest will result in a “democracy”. It is much more likely that it will simply result in one “bad guy” being replaced by another.

  4. This is sooo foolish and naive > 11 million waste of money that we do not have to spend in the first place.

    This is not “democracy” these people would not know “democracy” if it slapped them in the face . They want Sharia not democracy . The Muslim Brotherhood and Iran is behind these changes … it will sweep the Middle East with the last to fall will be the House of Saudi Arabia . The aim is the caliphate . The beast that seem to have a fatal wound on one of it’s head had been healed . The whole world was astonished and followed the beast (Rev.13:3) .

  5. The US has an anti-American Moslem sympathizer as President, what is Canada’s excuse?

  6. Richard, Canada suffered a traumatic spinal injury in the early fifties that we never fully recovered from.

  7. Give me those money. I have the soultion…

    For true democracy there should be stated in the constitution that:

    § Only the people can change the constitution of a country, via referendum”.

    This is the only way to stop corruption in caotic situations like this, where so many corrupt parties fight for the power over the people. The power should be for peoples! Not even in the western style of democracy is given to the people the power to once a year vote in the most important questions; what should be regulated in the constitution.

    A new role for the politicians would be to inform people in international affairs, so they can make good decisions. It must not always be secret! With time people trust more and give more power for leaders to rule over people in some areas, regulated by the constitution written by the people.

    I believe that must be stated forcibly: “Only the people can change the constitution of a country, via referendum”. The military and capitalists will do whatever to not let this happen. If managed, with help from UN, all will be safe for the people.

    Maybe this step should be taken after the western style of democracy is stated. So that the people can fine tune it to their own culture and get rid of the corruption. Or maybe this is the fastest and only way to stop the fight for power over the people?

  8. Why do they take the money from tax-payers and give to Libyan corrupt government organizations?

    I tell you.. this is a part of Divid’n Conquer. First sell weapons to the dictators. Then give rebels some money to by weapons and start fight. Now give the government and military the $11M to by more weapons. Then help the rebels again with weapons. This continues until the population in the arab-world is reduced enought to make the conquer part of the strategy.