Shadows of Peace: Canadian Misconduct in Peacekeeping with Colleen Bell

Trigger Warning: The following episode discusses sensitive topics including abuse and sexual exploitation involving peacekeeping forces. Listener discretion is advised, as the content includes discussions of sexual exploitation and systemic issues that may be upsetting or triggering for some. We encourage our audience to take care of their mental and emotional well-being while listening to this episode.

In this episode of "Resolving Violence," we tackle the complex issue of sexual exploitation and abuse by Canadian officers in UN peacekeeping missions, inspired by the research of Colleen Bell, an associate professor. Bell's studies, initially focused on the influence of Canadian police in Haiti, unexpectedly revealed instances of sexual exploitation and abuse. The episode critically examines Canada's self-image as a law-abiding, altruistic nation, juxtaposed against findings of alleged misconduct by Canadian peacekeepers.

The discussion broadens to consider how factors like local poverty, desperation, and patriarchal standards in host nations might cultivate environments conducive to exploitation, with peacekeepers playing contributing roles. As we challenge the prevailing narrative that distances Canada from such problems and promotes a seemingly superior moral standing, we highlight the importance of addressing violence and exploitation from nuanced perspectives, avoiding simplistic binaries of victim and perpetrator.

Our episode concludes by urging you to engage with these issues and promote a collective pursuit of resolution, ensuring that values of transparency and accountability are not merely aspirational but actively upheld in peacekeeping missions.

Learn More About Our Guest: 

Colleen Bell is an associate professor in the department of political studies. Her research contributes to theorizations of war and security and explores the contested boundary between military and civilian operations in western counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and stabilization missions. She is the author of the freedom of security, governing Canada in in the Age of Counter terrorism, co editor, War, Police, and Assemblages of Intervention, and current editor of the Journal of Critical Studies on Security. Her current research examines the colonial politics of international policing, martial public diplomacy, and feminist foreign policy.

To learn more about Resolve SK, head to research-groups.usask.ca/resolve/