KINGSTON, Ont., Sept. 10, 2004 -- A unique team of Canadian military officers and academics, including a renowned multicultural expert and aboriginal scholar, departed today for Bolivia as part of an ongoing Foreign Affairs Canada-funded effort to advance Canada's human security agenda in the hemisphere. The five-person team, led by the Kingston-based Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (CFLI) and supported by Dutch and French colleagues, will participate in an international seminar entitled Military Leadership, Education and Multiculturalism. The seminar is the culmination of months of direct CFLI support to Bolivian government efforts to professionalize its military and better integrate indigenous people into its ranks. "This is an excellent example of different Canadian institutions coming together for the benefit of the Bolivian people," says Professor Brian Selmeski of CFLI, who is spearheading the initiative. "The Army is a very powerful institution in Bolivia - if we can help it in its own efforts to reform and professionalize, the country as a whole will benefit, including its majority indigenous population." Selmeski adds that the forum is a two-way street. "We are also learning. Our efforts in South America have direct benefits to the Canadian Forces and aboriginal Canadians." General César Lopez Savavedra, Commanding General of the Bolivian Army, described Canadian assistance as having "transcendental value in shaping and initiating these significant changes. This process will doubtlessly permit the Bolivian Army to continue contributing to the construction of a more just, democratic and inclusive society." General Lopez first requested the support of CFLI in October 2003 at the Conference of American Armies in Ottawa. Bolivian president Carlos Mesa opened the previous, Canadian-supported seminar in La Paz, Bolivia in March 2004, which was attended by key Bolivian stakeholders and international participants including the leader of the Opposition and senior representatives of the country's military and indigenous community. President Mesa will also open this week's Military Leadership, Education and Multiculturalism conference and attend the keynote address given by multicultural expert Dr. Will Kymlicka of Queen's University. For further information: More information on the 'Bolivia Initiative', including high-resolution images from the March conference in La Paz is available at www.cda.forces.gc.ca. Media can contact members of the team in Bolivia by calling Prof. Brian Selmeski at 011-591-7-056-3505, or reach him when he returns to Canada at (613) 541-5010 extension 6971. CFLI representatives will be available to speak with media at an Inter-University Seminar in Toronto 1-3 October. Details will be available on the web site or by calling Mr Selmeski. A Combat Camera team from Ottawa is on-site to document the event and will produce video clips and still imagery for use by media.
