Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Today – A mix of sun and cloud. Wind northeast 20 km/h gusting to 40 increasing to 40 gusting to 60 this morning. High plus 4. UV index 4 or moderate.

Tonight – Mainly cloudy. Wind northeast 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low minus 2.

First day of spring

The March Equinox in Chatham-Kent, Ontario, Canada is on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 12:15 p.m., according to www.timeanddate.com.

The Vernal (Spring) Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is the Autumnal (Fall) Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa.

On the equinoxes the Sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal – but not quite.

The March equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north and vice versa in September.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Vernal (Spring) Equinox marks the first day of astronomical spring. There’s also another, more common definition of when the seasons start, namely meteorological definitions, which are based on average temperatures rather that astronomical events.

Blood donor clinic on Thursday in Wallaceburg

A blood donor clinic is taking place at the UAW Hall in Wallaceburg on Thursday, March 22, 2018.

The clinic will run from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Visit blood.ca to make an appointment or call 1-888-2 DONATE (1-888-236-6283).

Canada sending Aviation Task Force to Mali

National Defence and Global Affairs Canada officials announced on Monday that Canada is committed to building a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Ensuring the safety and security of Canadian citizens – and those of Canada’s allies – means working to confront instability and conflict around the world. Canada’s support for United Nations peacekeeping will help vulnerable and marginalized communities build a better future for themselves, government officials stated.

Last November, in Vancouver, the Government of Canada announced its return to peace operations, including:

– The Vancouver Principles – focused on ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers around the world;
the Elsie Initiative – a pilot project aimed at rapidly increasing the number of women police and military deployed on UN peace operations, supported by the expertise and political commitment of a group of countries who share Canada’s ambition for change; and

– A range of Smart Pledges and military capabilities – aimed at leveraging Canadian expertise. The first smart pledge – a C-130 Hercules aircraft to provide tactical airlift support for the UN’s Regional Support Centre in Entebbe Uganda – was announced in Vancouver and preparations for deployment are currently underway.

As part of Canada’s return to peace operations, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on Monday the Government of Canada’s second smart pledge: a commitment to deploy an Aviation Task Force to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for a period of 12 months.

“As a responsible member of the international community, we recognize the importance of working collaboratively with our partners to promote peace and security,” stated Sajjan.

“Supported by our diplomatic negotiations, I am confident we can help make a real difference in this region through the deployment of the Aviation Task Force.”

The Aviation Task Force will include Chinook helicopters to provide urgently needed transport and logistics capacity for the MINUSMA mission, as well as Griffon helicopters to provide armed escort and protection. The Task Force will be accompanied by a number of Canadian Armed Forces personnel for support. Canada remains committed to advancing gender equality in its deployment.

“Today’s smart pledge is another way Canada is contributing its expertise to create a safer, more peaceful world,” stated Freeland.

“We are committed to improving the effectiveness of UN peace operations. We are doing this by working with partner countries to increase the meaningful participation of women, through the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, implementing the Vancouver Principles to end the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and providing specialized training to meet the needs of the UN.”

Canada’s contribution will join 57 MINUSMA partner countries in their continued efforts to bring sustainable peace and stability to Mali and the Sahel. Today’s announcement builds on the Government’s significant development, peace and security initiatives in the region.

In the coming days, the Government will register its pledge with the UN, and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) will begin their planning process, in conjunction with the UN, partners and the host nation.

More details:

– During the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial conference hosted by Canada in Vancouver in November 2017, Canada pledged to improve the effectiveness of UN peace operations in a number of ways.

– Canada committed a number of “smart pledges” of high value military capabilities to be deployed in a 5-year timeframe with planned and predictable rotations with other member states. They are:

– A Quick Reaction Force and accompanying equipment;

– An Aviation Task Force of medium utility and armed helicopters; and

– a tactical airlift support to address critical gaps in the UN’s ability to transport troops, equipment, and supplies to their missions.

– The Elsie Initiative for Peace Operations is a Canadian-led pilot project to test new ways of eliminating barriers to the participation of women police and military in peace operations. Canada will lead this search for a breakthrough, working closely with a Contact Group of countries who will bring their experiences, expertise and political commitment to the project. A tailored package of technical assistance and training will be offered to a select partner country (or two), and an innovative financial mechanism will be designed to incentivize progress among countries who contribute police and military to UN operations.

Canada hosts conference on human rights and corruption in the Americas

Matt DeCourcey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, this week announced his participation at the Conference on Human Rights and Corruption in the Americas, to be held at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on March 20, 2018.

Global Affairs Canada is partnering with the Canadian Museum for Human Rights to host this conference on human rights and democratic governance challenges and opportunities in the Americas. Participants will explore a range of topics, including women’s rights, Indigenous rights, the role of civil society, and the impact of corruption on state institutions and development.

“Canada is committed to supporting democracy and human rights throughout the Americas,” DeCourcey stated in a press release.

“This conference provides one more forum in which our region can demonstrate a positive model of diversity and inclusion. I look forward to continued collaboration with our neighbours on protecting human rights and ending corruption in the Americas. The future of our hemisphere is bright.”

This conference will bring together key international and domestic human rights defenders, academia, politicians and recipients of Global Affairs Canada’s first Canada in the Americas – Human Rights Leader Award.

“Corruption is a root cause of bad governance and leads to conflict and the suppression of human rights,” stated Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, PC, OC, OM, PhD.

Discussions generated during this conference will contribute to Canada’s engagement at the Eighth Summit of the Americas, which will take place April 13 and 14, 2018, in Lima, Peru, under the theme Democratic Governance Against Corruption.

More details:

– Canada has joined with other countries in the hemisphere to form the Lima Group, which was created to address the critical situation in Venezuela and to explore ways to contribute to the restoration of democracy through peaceful and negotiated means.

– The Lima Group was established on August 8, 2017, to coordinate participating countries’ efforts and apply international pressure on Venezuela. Meetings of the group have been regularly attended by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia.

– Canada’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy plays an important role in how the Government of Canada engages with the region. Improving access to sexual and reproductive health and rights is a key component of Canada’s approach. In fiscal year 2016 to 2017, Global Affairs Canada contributed $607 million in international development assistance to the Americas.

– Through the Organization of American States, Canada is supporting an Inter-American Commission on Human Rights project to combat violence and discrimination against women and girls. This initiative deals with two major challenges: providing access to justice for women and girls, and avoiding discrimination and violence against women and girls.

– With Canada in the Americas – Human Rights Leader Award winners, Canada seeks to increase empowerment of local advocates for rights of women and girls across Latin America and the Caribbean.

– Recipients of the Canada in the Americas – Human Rights Leader Award include:

– Juana Carol Francis Bone, Director, Women of Asphalt, Ecuador

– Danièle Magloire, activist and sociologist, Haiti

– Susana Chavez, Director General, Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos [centre for the promotion and defence of sexual and reproductive rights], Peru

– Alicia Lopez, founder of the women’s rights organization CEDIMUJER, Guatemala