Tag Archive: International Law


Written by

Curtis Matwychuk-Goodman

The following document is produced as a result of being contacted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to provide an outline for a possible documentary called “The Race to 8 Billion – 1492 to 2022.”  Based on the requests of the producers, please find attached a brief outline of major historical episodes that may be of interest to the feature.  [editors note: was not contacted by BBC]

Included with each major theme are pivotal moments of human history that transformed the way we understand the world – with brief discussion of the personalities who had a role in the growth of human perception.  Rationale behind each event will should be apparent within the explanation of each major theme; as they each contributed to the process of globalization.  Each event presented herein is presented as part of larger patterns of globalization that have developed over time.  These patterns of globalization will be the focus of the conclusion of this outline.

Focusing on individuals and their influence on historical outcomes and developments provides real case studies for examination.  People have been the driver in creating change and pushing the modern boundaries of our understanding of the world around us.  Christopher Columbus, the Crown of Castile and Aragon, Sir Francis Blake, King Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Napoleon, Sir Sandford Fleming, Fredrick Jackson Turner, Edward Said, Eleanor Roosevelt, and George W. Bush are but a few names that will be essential to creating a comprehensive documentary of the time period between 1492 and 2022.   By no means is this list meant to be comprehensive, rather a point of beginning. View full article »

written by

Curtis Matwychuk-Goodman

Contents

Section I  – Proposed FDI in Potash Corporation by BHP Billiton

Section II – Canadian Rejection of FDI &  the Declaration of a Strategically Significant Industry

Section III – International Relations Theoretical Foundation for Canada’s Position

Theoretical Discussion.

Summary.

Bibliography.

F

oreign direct investment has been a key component of the development of the modern Canadian economy.  Since before confederation in 1867 an economic heritage developed based upon foreign investments from European and American sources.  The foreign capital provided basis for much of the infrastructure required to exploit the wealth and diversity of natural resources throughout the farthest reaches of Canada.  This paper will explore a most recent example of Canadian rejection of foreign direct investment – the 2010 case where a hostile bid for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan was rejected on the grounds of preserving national interest.  This case is unique because it is the second such case in the past three years that has come to define the investment climate of the Canadian economy under Stephen Harper’s conservative government.  This paper will seek to answer the question of whether international relations theory is relevant in the formulation of foreign and domestic policy.

In doing so, this paper will first provide an overview of the case and provide context for why the rejection of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Canada matters.  It will explore the nature of the proposed acquisition of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (Potash Corp), the largest global supplier of potash, by BHP Billiton Limited (BHP) an Australian company that is currently the world leader in the iron-ore and coal industries, to name a couple.  Background information on each company will provide clarity to the importance of the proposed deal.  Ultimately this paper will delineate the exact impact such a deal would have on Canadian interests by examining the nature of the global mining industry and the nature of the potash resource for Canada in comparison to the rest of the world.  View full article »