Canadian Peacekeepers were an important part of early UN peacekeeping efforts. A Canadian, Lester B. Pearson, first proposed the idea of peacekeeping in the 1950s. Canadian peacekeepers originally served as unarmed observers but later took on more active combat roles. Today, Canadian peacekeepers provide services like medical assistance, security, and help rebuilding infrastructure in conflict areas around the world.
2. Who are Peacekeepers?
• Peacekeepers are part of the
United Nations family of
organizations.
• Peacekeepers are made up of
soldiers, military officers, civilian
police officers and civilian
personnel from many countries.
• Peacekeepers are sent to
troubled countries all over the
world to maintain international
peace
http://www.indopedia.org/Peacekeeping.html
3. A Canadian started Peacekeeping.
• In 1957, Lester B. Pearson
came up with the idea of an
armed peacekeeping force.
• Lester B. Pearson became our
Prime Minister in 1963 and
won the Nobel Peace Prize for
his idea of peacekeeping.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/2/4/h4-3356-
4. The Role of Early Peacekeepers
Canadian peacekeepers were:
• sent mainly to observe and
report
• sent in small numbers
• lightly armed or even
unarmed
• to use force only for self-
defence
• required to leave once the
problem was resolved
5. The Role of Peacekeepers Today
Peacekeepers are used also:
• As combat units
• They are fully armed
• They engage in battle
They work in other areas like:
Child survival and development, environmental protection, human rights,
health and medical research, decreasing poverty, relocation of refugees,
improving economic and agricultural development, fisheries and
education and fund raising.
http://www.unac.org/peacecp/factsheet/role.html
6. How Canada Has Evolved in Peacekeeping.
• The Kosovo conflict in 1999 shows how Canada has evolved in
Peacekeeping. Peacekeepers did more than observe they provided:
• Medical Assistance
• Security for the safe
return of refugees
• Help to build Schools
and Hospitals
• Border Security
• Protection for the public
• Protection for convoys
of relief supplies and
medical equipment
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadas_military/69995
7. Conclusion.
• Many Canadians have sacrificed
their lives for World Peace but as
Lester B. Pearson said:
• “The stark and inescapable fact is that today we cannot
defend our society by war since total war is total
destruction. And if war is used as an instrument of policy
eventually, we will have total war.”
- Lester B. Pearson
http://www.unac.org/en/projects/pearsonnobel50/index.asp
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Notes
“Charter of the United Nations.” 22 December 2009. Online. http://www.un.org/en/documents/
charter/chapter1.shtml
“History of the United Nations.”22 December, 2009. Online.
http://www.un.org/aboutun/unhistory/
27 December, 2009. Online. http://geography.about.com/cs/countries/a/numbercountries.htm
27 December, 2009. Online. http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/1945topresent/suezcrisis.html
http://www.unac.org/peacekeeping/en/un-peacekeeping/fact-sheets/canadian-participation-
29 December, 2009
Online.http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/1945topresent/canadasrole.htmlhttp://www.vac-
29 December, 2009. Online. acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?
source=history/canadianforces/factsheets/cyprus
29 December, 2009. Online. http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us//cur/Baker_00/03-04/baker%20-
%20p1%20-%20yao/us-3kosovo.html http://www.histori.ca/peace/page.do?pageID=340
2 January, 2010. Online http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadas_military/69995
2 January, 2010. Online. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadas_military/69995
2, January, 2010. Online. http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cdnmilitary/kosovo.html
• ENDNOTES
• 1 History of the United Nations. http://www.un.org/aboutun/unhistory/
• 2 Charter of the United Nations.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter1.shtml
• 3 http://geography.about.com/cs/countries/a/numbercountries.htm
• 4 http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/1945topresent/suezcrisis.html
• 5 http://www.unac.org/peacekeeping/en/un-peacekeeping/fact-
sheets/canadian-participation-in-un-peacekeepinga-chro/
• 6http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/1945topresent/canadasrole.htmlhttp:
//www.vac-
• 7acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm?source=history/canadianforces/factsheets/
cyprus
• 8 http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us//cur/Baker_00/03-04/baker%20-
%20p1%20-%20yao/us-kosovo.html
http://www.histori.ca/peace/page.do?pageID=340
• 9 http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadas_military/69995
• 10 http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/canadas_military/69995