"Soft" power looks like a different story but, to take two examples, Brazil has signed no trade deal since the mid-1990s and its quest for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council has been an abject failure, gaining little support from fellow ...

This gradually developed into the Chrétien government’s endorsement of “soft power,” a phrase originated by former U.S. president Bill Clinton’s national security adviser Joe Nye, which was a soft alternative to the use of American military might.

Canada maintaining in Haiti, a long-standing relationship. This relationship was built first and foremost, on people, many Haitian and Canadian travel between our two countries and thus contribute to forging close ties. These exchanges have particularly enriched the culture of our two countries and lead to many cultural events and activities.

“Language instruction always comes with values and with ideologies and messages...but in the Canadian context, where academic freedom and intellectual expression are highly prized . . . an institution that can provide high-quality language instruction should be embraced.”

Canada’s brand could also be enhanced by associating with iconic, highly visible projects in Asian countries. For example, Ottawa should push to achieve partner-country status for the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, Asia’s largest building project (Japan is already there). It’s also time to revisit the argument to build a Sovereign Wealth Fund by pooling our resource rents.

Canada and the United States enjoy the most placid and interdependent bilateral relationship in the world. And the norms and conventions of quiet diplomacy have, for the most part, ensured the smooth operation of a mutually beneficial partnership. Experience has taught policymakers on both sides of the 49th parallel that noisy political debates and belligerent statements by leaders tend to cause national positions to harden, making compromise difficult.

Foreign Affairs is axing a $5-million program that funds Canadian studies abroad...The "Understanding Canada" initiative, which began in the 1970s, was a $5-million expenditure that gave grants to foreign scholars to teach courses or hold special academic events about Canada in foreign countries.