Evidence of meeting #10 for Foreign Affairs and International Development in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was know.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Bloc
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Thank you, Mr. Latulippe, for all the information you've given us on what you intend to do.
I would like you to share with us what you intend to do about cooperation with the new Centre for Advancing Democracy. That centre—and this is one of the government's well-known projects—must help the political parties in emerging developing countries. It is intended to be non-partisan.
In your examples, you talked about the aid you could grant for political parties. How would Rights and Democracy, under your control, and the new centre for the advancement of democracy share the responsibilities?
President, Rights & Democracy
I am not familiar with the situation of that new centre. I don't even know whether it will exist. I don't know whether there will be a bill. It's not up to me to comment on that centre.
Bloc
Bloc
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
When we met you before you became president of Rights and Democracy, had anyone talked to you about that centre, which will be called upon to share democratic development tasks with you?
President, Rights & Democracy
I was given a mandate. I was told that taxpayers' money would have to be used to ensure that Rights and Democracy's missions in the field have the greatest impact.
I will repeat: they gave me the mandate so that taxpayers' money would be used within the mission of Rights and Democracy so that it has more impact on the ground to help human rights development and democratic development. That's what I was hired for. That's what the questions were asked of me--nothing else.
So you're in a better position to answer that question than I am.
Bloc
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
So no one talked to you about that. That surprises me.
You say that taxpayers' money should be used to ensure that Rights and Democracy's missions in the field have greater impact. To say that, you must also have conducted an evaluation and considered that what was previously done can be considerably improved. However, as you know, in the area of democratic development, it can be difficult to establish an evaluation method, for reasons you have no doubt experienced.
President, Rights & Democracy
Indeed, I would have to provide technical details, which I could share with you in another context or place.
However, there are project evaluation techniques. Those techniques—I'm obliged to use technical terms—are quantitative and qualitative in nature. I have used both those techniques and that will require staff training. That will require work on my part to ensure that evaluation, using the appropriate techniques, becomes a concern for the president's office. The president's office will have to concern itself with project evaluation techniques. That's what I'm going to do because I'm familiar with them.
Bloc
Francine Lalonde Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC
Mr. Latulippe, you are not unaware that this evaluation is hard to do because democracy itself is a subject that is not easy to evaluate. Some in Canada may currently feel that democracy is weakening because the government lacks transparency—I'll say only that. So saying that it has to be more effective doesn't suit me. In fact, it can trouble me because that would mean that the hardest missions that Rights and Democracy has undertaken in a number of countries would be abandoned in favour of missions that would make it easier to raise funding among the Canadian public.
President, Rights & Democracy
I can assure you of the contrary, madame. Moreover, I would refer you to a number of books by Tom Carruthers, who is the world expert in this matter.
President, Rights & Democracy
He is the world expert in this area, from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Bloc
President, Rights & Democracy
Yes, indeed, he talks about that. If you read his books, you'll understand the techniques I want to apply.
President, Rights & Democracy
No, that shouldn't trouble you because these techniques have been applied in the programs we have in Afghanistan and Haiti: CIDA applies them. And we've had positive evaluations of the work that Rights and Democracy has done in Afghanistan and Haiti. CIDA says it's very positive. If I were you, that wouldn't trouble me; on the contrary, it would encourage me.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Dean Allison
Thank you, Madame Lalonde.
We'll go back to Mr. Abbott for five minutes.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Thank you very much for your continuing testimony.
I would like to bring up the elephant in the room that nobody ever wants to talk about, and that's Israel. From the response that I had from the former presidents at the meeting on Tuesday, as Mr. Van Kesteren mentioned, it seemed to me they were of the opinion, I am of the opinion, that this whole issue seems to focus around the attitude that the Government of Canada has toward the only democracy in that region. I would like to give you an opportunity to just express....
You know, I'm taking a look at your CV. I see Jordan, I see Libya, I see Iraq, I see Egypt--all countries that you don't exactly have warm fuzzies about or send Christmas cards to. Well, of course, you wouldn't send a Christmas card to Israel, but you understand what I'm saying; they're not really on this....
Help us to understand where you would be coming from on that very vexatious, complex issue.
President, Rights & Democracy
I can tell you something: I'm not here to interpret or to discuss Canadian foreign policy; I'm here in fact to develop support for human rights and democracy. I am not here to change an organization in an ideological way. Nobody from the government, nobody from the board, has even asked me anything in terms of changing this organization ideologically.
You know, we are working across the world, and at this point we don't really have any programs in Israel or in Gaza. We don't have any programs in this region. We are working across the world. In fact, I see the vision of Rights and Democracy not in terms of the conflicts of Israel and Palestine, but I see it as an opportunity to develop Canadian values across the world.
Let me tell you something. I've been working for a U.S. organization. In fact, it's the NGO of the Democratic Party. Everywhere that I've been, people have asked me, “Are you a Canadian?” It was opening doors for me. Because I was a Canadian, I had access to a level of leadership to which others did not have access, and people were asking me why I wasn't working for Canada. There are a lot of people within the NDI who are in the same situation. Your friend Les Campbell is in the same situation.
In fact, that's an opportunity for us to develop that across the world. The world believes in our values. We should all be on the same page, because we can make this a leader across the world. We should all work together. Help me to give Rights and Democracy a bright future and to promote Canadian values across the world. Please help me do that.
Conservative
Jim Abbott Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Good. Thank you.
I have one quick technical question. There was a movement afoot during the more troublesome times historically with Rights and Democracy to do amendments on clauses, certainly on clause 19 of the bylaw, which has to do with the mandate relative to the executive performance review committee.
I don't think there were any movements afoot to do an amendment, but I would like your comment on how acceptable you find clause 20 as provided in the act: that the president is the chief executive officer of the centre and shall supervise and direct the work of the centre in accordance with the policies established by the board. In other words, there is a pecking order established here.
So it's really two questions. Number one, are you comfortable with the bylaws as they are written with respect to executive performance review committee? Number two, are you comfortable with the fact that the policies for Rights and Democracy will be established by the board?
