Web Links

Use archival and current Internet sources to chart and analyse Canada's role in NATO from the 1950s to the present time. Develop and present an argument to convince your classmates that NATO has been either a positive or negative force for Canadian security.

NATO's essential purpose is to ensure the freedom and security of its members by political and military means, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter. It is dedicated to protecting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

from "Common Values," at Welcome to NATO, 27 July, 2000

NATO has claimed that its air campaign against the FRY [Federal Republic of Yugoslavia] was the "most precise and lowest-collateral damage air campaign in history." However, Amnesty International has serious concerns about the extent to which NATO forces participating in Operation Allied Force adhered to the rules of international humanitarian law on the conduct of hostilities, specifically those laid down to protect civilians and civilian objects.

from Introduction, NATO/Federal Republic of Yugoslavia:
"Collateral Damage" or Unlawful Killings? Violations of the Laws of War by NATO During Operation Allied Force, Amnesty International, 27 July, 2000

These quotations from NATO and from Amnesty International demonstrate that the NATO alliance has been viewed from very different perspectives. In this activity, you are asked to take a stand on the issue of whether Canada's participation in NATO has been a positive or a negative force for Canadian security. Canada: Our Century, Our Story and the Internet sources recommended for this activity present a variety of viewpoints on this issue. You will need to look at the different perspectives in order to come to your own decision about NATO as a positive or negative force for Canada and in order to be able to respond to opposing viewpoints.

You may find it helpful to use a time line, a flow chart, a pros-and-cons chart, or a concept web to collect, record, and organize your findings. Present your argument as an oral presentation in which you attempt to persuade your classmates to agree with your point of view.

In Canada: Our Century, Our Story, reread Defences and Insecurities (pages 263-266) and Nuclear Weapons: A Balance of Terror (starting on page 269). As you plan and do your research and prepare your oral argument, use the Historical Inquiry Model on page viii to guide you through the process. You will also find helpful the Historian at Work features Developing a Thesis (page 251) and Building an Effective Argument (page 275).

Use the following questions to guide your research and analysis:

• Why was NATO formed? What role did Canada play in the early days of NATO? Why did it adopt this role? How did this role affect Canada's international status?
• What was the political situation in the world when NATO was formed? How is the situation different today?
• How has Canada's role in NATO changed since the organization was founded?
• What concerns about Canadian independence have arisen because of Canada's membership in the NATO alliance?
• What are some of the advantages and disadvantages to Canada of being a member of NATO?
• In what NATO engagements have Canadian troops been involved?
• What short- and long-term consequences has Canada experienced because of its membership in NATO?
• What is NATO's current agenda? How has NATO been transformed since the end of the Cold War?
  

Use the following websites to help you research your topic and prepare your presentation:

• background information on the organization at NATO's official site
• Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (source Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade)
• "Club NATO: Is Bigger Better?" from Time Magazine on plans to expand the membership of NATO
• NATO Expansion from the Federation of American Scientists
• Amnesty International Report "NATO/Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 'Collateral Damage' or Unlawful Killings? Violations of the Laws of War by NATO During Operation Allied Force" (June 2000)

What were the short- and long-term effects for Canada of one of the defensive or destructive technologies developed during the Cold War? Create a cause-and-effect chart to demonstrate these effects on one Canadian company or one sector of the Canadian economy.