Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Stephen Lewis lauded trade unions for safeguarding community concerns in the midst of the global financial crisis, at the Union of Northern Workers14th Triennial Convention last weekend.

Yellowknifers got to hear Lewis' ideas at the Explorer Hotel on Saturday morning.

Diplomat Stephen Lewis was the keynote speaker at the Union of Northern Workers 14th Triennial Convention last weekend. He praised the union for its work and discussed the United Nations Millennium Goals. - photo courtesy of Barbara Wyness

Lewis has had a long career as a politician and a diplomat. He was the leader of the Ontario NDP from 1970 to 1978. He has worked as a labour mediator, columnist and broadcaster. He was the Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations from 1984 to 1988. From 1995 to 1999 he was the Deputy Director of UNICEF. He served as a United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa from 2001 to 2006. In 2005 he published the book Race Against Time, which discusses the international community's failure to fulfil promises made to African countries.

Lewis is currently a scholar in residence in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University, a position he began in 2006.

Lewis, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, praised the Union of Northern Workers for the work it does in its communities.

He said the financial current global crisis is the result of greed without the "slightest concern" for the public. Two main sources of the crisis, he said, were the lack of regulatory control over corporate institutions and a complete abandonment of corporate social responsibility.

"We don't trust government anymore to (elect them in by) a majority," said Lewis, adding Canadians have not voted any federal political party into government by majority since 2000.

He criticized the international community for not making enough progress in keeping its promises laid out in the United Nations' Millenium Goals. Global problems the United Nations had promised to resolve by 2015 still exist, said Lewis. Progress has been made, but he said there is still a long way to go.

"I thought I knew how the world works, but I don't," said Lewis, adding trade unions are invaluable for giving people hope.

"I offer my profound appreciation for the work you do,."