The Responsibility to Protect

The concept of the "Responsbility to Protect" was developed in an international context in the aftermath of the international intervention to prevent widespread slaughter in Kosovo. Briefly, in part the concept deals with the idea that governments lose their legitimacy when they are unable to protect the citizens they represent. Under such circumstances, internationally, there may be a need for international intervention to protect individuals.

In the wake of the murder of an innocent bystander in Winnipeg last week, there has been a similar loss of legitimacy in the case of our present provincial government which has been unable to provide basic human security and protect citizens in Manitoba. In this case, there is a need, not for international involvement, but rather for a a recognition that we need to make some fundamental changes in Manitoba in order to ensure Manitoba citizens can feel secure.

The changes needed are not solely a "crackdown" on gangs and violence, but also a major reform of our current social assistance system, measures to directly address the poverty which drives involvement in gangs and drugs, and measures to provide positive and productive alternatives for youth who feel they have little in the way of opportunity.

At the Annual Meeting of the Mount Carmel clinic at noon today, Lloyd Axworthy was at his best discussing the concept of the Responsibility to Protect, and its possible application in Winnipeg. Whatever, one may think about this, Lloyd was right about one thing - we need to do more than hang our heads in shame at being the murder capital of Canada. We need to recognize that when there are so many problems, something is wrong with the "architecture". We need fundamental system wide changes.