Towards a New Security Agenda Between Colombia and Canadá

Scope and nature of the research project: key theoretical and methodological issues
My research will focus on the comparison between Canadian human security and Colombian democratic security as strategic concepts that could help to strengthen the relationship between Canada and Colombia governments. Although these countries have other geographical priorities in foreign policy , both share similar concerns about security that could become a solid support to build a unified and cooperative agenda. As a matter of fact, Canada has developed a broader concept of human security very useful to hold the main Colombian problems, the organized armed violence –especially organized gangs and outlaw groups’ activities-, and the drug trafficking. Colombia is concerned by the fact that these phenomena have caused too many violations of human rights and the decrease of the economic growth and, for this reason, the current President Álvaro Uribe's government developed, since 2002, the democratic security concept aiming at facing those threats.
I will develop two specific goals in my research: First, I will analyze the Canadian soft power approach in the international system and how it has been the main cause by which this country has contributed to the understanding of security issues in the post-Cold War Era, especially in the Third World States, where the citizens have undergone traditional and non-traditional threats. Alongside this goal, it is necessary to explore the evolution of the Canadian security doctrine as part of its international policy during the post-Cold War Era.
Canadian foreign policy has been deeply concerned about its soft power and tried to promote it by the strengthening of the existing international institutions and the multilateralism as well as by the participation in the building of a more secured world through peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations.
It is worth noting that in this process, Canada has not tried to impose its world point of view supported on hard power ; instead, this country has been committed to understanding a more complex international reality. It is quite interesting to find objectives in the Canadian human security program, principally in the Glyn Berry Program, focused on the developing of a better understanding of domestic and regional conflicts.

1.Developing a state of art about the Colombian Democratic Security approach in Colombia.
2.Undertaking a research field in Canada emphasizing interview with scholars concerned on Human Security and other members of Canadian academic institutions specialized in Canadian security, and
3. Getting information on Canadian human security in University libraries and research centers
Writing the final version of article “Towards a new security agenda between Canada and Colombia” to be published.