International Social Work.

One hundred and thirty-three dollars; in round numbers, that's what it costs each Canadian citizen to maintain the country's foreign policy. Do we get our money's worth?

At first glance, many Canadians question its value. About half the foreign policy cost ($68 per person) goes on aid; it's not uncommon to hear grumbles about that. Don't we have problems of poverty and homelessness in Canada that need fixing first? Why are we spending so much time and money banning landmines, prosecuting international criminals, halting the trade in firearms, and talking to tyrants who abuse the rights of their citizens? Haven't we got better things to do than run around the world solving other people's problems? None of these things directly affects the lives of Canadians.

But, that's just at first glance.

Ottawa spends about 2.6% of its annual income on foreign policy. And, at second, third, and fourth glances this looks like a bargain.

Canada is not the world's Boy Scout, doing good without thought of reward. We maintain a foreign policy and give dollars to developing nations because it's in our own best interests. How so? Safeguarding our prosperous society is a lot easier in a stable, peaceful world.

Four dollars in every ten of Canada's Gross National Product comes from exports. A world that has fallen into chaos and conflict won't be buying many of our goods and services. So, Canada's economic security is rooted in the country's ability to help reduce strife and tension.

As each new government comes to power it usually embarks on a study of its foreign policy objectives. One veteran of such studies has been through four in the last 30 years, and he feels they are largely a waste of time. "We always set up committees to try to reinvent the wheel," he told the Globe and Mail in 1994. "At the end of the day, we `discover' we are still Canada, we are still part of North America, and we still have the same national interests to pursue in our foreign policy." And what are those national interests?

Canadians want foreign policy to promote economic growth, help them preserve a high standard of living, safeguard Canadian security and sov-ereignty, promote human rights and justice abroad, and protect the global environment. Canadians want their country to be involved in peacekeeping in global hot spots. They want to promote development assistance in poorer countries.

Within Canada, we try to assist families in crisis with financial supports and advice and counselling from social workers. So, our foreign policy can be viewed as social work on a global scale - finding better ways for the world's family to get along, and helping those having difficulties.

RELATED ARTICLE: OUR FIRST FOREIGN POLICY

By the time of the European "discovery" of this continent, Aboriginal peoples occupied most of the land we now call Canada. The First Peoples lived in complex societies as diverse as those that came after them. More than 50 different languages were spoken and lifestyles were elaborate and varied. Most Indigenous peoples lived their lives within a complex framework of spirituality. They saw all living beings as related. Humans were part of a larger order that depended on a balance of forces to keep the universe functioning in harmony. Helping to maintain this equilibrium by means of rituals and ceremonies was a deeply felt responsibility. As well, trade was seen as a way of smoothing out the imbalance in the way that Nature distributed resources. As trade could only be carried out among friends, diplomatic skills were needed to negotiate treaties. Great importance was placed on alliances and mutual assistance.