Brand Canada

Our government should establish Canada as a trustworthy global partner and hope others follow suit.

Does Canada – or should it – have a particularly exportable trait? It’s a dangerous question to ask, because to many it implies a sense of national chauvinism or superiority: we do things well, therefore you should do things like we do.

Foreign policy analysts are divided on whether such rhetoric, or branding, is helpful or harmful to a state like Canada. Supporters note that an identifiable brand not only promotes the state abroad, but can also stimulate national pride at home.

Opponents are more sympathetic to the arguments of foreign aid experts: if one hopes to inspire lasting change in another state, it is critical that said state take ownership and responsibility for that change. Imposing, or “exporting,” a foreign-born solution is typically perceived by the receiving, or “importing,” country as imperialistic, and more often than not it fails in the long term.

Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? To create a consciously Canadian brand – an approach to some aspect of world politics the wider adoption of which would benefit Canadian interests – without coming across as imposing, arrogant, or imperialistic?

I think it is, but my proposal is likely much less tangible than others that will be presented in this series, and it requires Canadians to abandon the obsessive rhetoric of global leadership that has characterized public statements of foreign policy for too long. As Lester B. Pearson once said, “We are certainly not without power to influence … But we needn’t exaggerate our power, or deceive ourselves about it.”

It also requires Canadians to set aside the impulsive need to emphasize any alleged originality in our national approach to foreign policy. Rather than setting out to consciously shape a new “Made in Canada” foreign policy brand, we would be best served by allowing thoughtful, responsible policies to speak for themselves.

The government in Ottawa should strive to establish a diplomatic brand characterized by Canada’s reliability as a global partner. Canadian commitments on the world stage should always be real commitments, ones our allies can take seriously.

That means no longer setting carbon emissions targets that we do not plan to keep. It means not withdrawing from a NATO-sponsored mission abroad until the entire alliance considers the mission complete. And it means mapping out a long-term, sustainable, non-partisan foreign aid strategy and then sticking to it, regardless of the political implications.

Since Canada is a relatively small power that depends on the stability and orderly functioning of the international community to survive and prosper, it’s in the nation’s interest that all countries be true to their commitments. We thrive in a predictable global environment in which the rules are clear, our allies are loyal, and our people are free from fear and want.

Branding ourselves as an example of diplomatic reliability would promote the type of world order that serves us best.