Canada Free Press -- ARCHIVES

Because without America, there is no free world.

Return to Canada Free Press

Maurice Strong, Paul Martin, Costa Rica

Is University for Peace Maurice Strong's Costa Rican rain forest?

By Judi McLeod
Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Within a natural reserve that includes a secondary forest and–"the last private remnant of primary forest in Costa Rica"--is a university, which Canadian tax dollars have supported to the tune of about $13-million.

The one-of-a-kind university, the United Nations-sanctioned University for Peace, had a roster of 25 students when Canadian tax dollars first began being poured into it.

On its website, the university, located 30 kms southwest of San Jose, is described as being in a country "that opted not to have an army".

While he was Minister of Finance in 2000 and 2001, Paul Martin and his lifetime mentor Maurice Strong corresponded regarding Strong's "new project in Costa Rica: the University for Peace".

Martin said at the time, "…I will encourage Minister (Maria) Minna to give your request for funding her close, personal consideration".

On april 30, 2001 Martin invited Strong to an "off the record" provocative discussion at the residence of Paul Heinbecker, Canadian ambassador to the UN.

a significant amount of funds have subsequently been advanced for the University for Peace, where Strong has been president since 1999, and where his Earth Council was based until the council ran into problems over a land deal with the Costa Rican government.

By 2004, the Canadian International Development agency (CIDa), of which Strong was also the founding father, contributed $5.7-million to the University for Peace,

according to a CIDa briefing note, funding for the university dates back to 1997.

In 2004, CIDa's Multilateral Branch entered into an agreement worth another $4.2-million to the University for Peace. The money is divided up using $3-million in africa branch funds, $900,000 from PSec and $300,000 from the asia branch.

although the university had but 25 students in 2003, there were to be 70 students in 2004. The student population grew to 82 in 2005 and the deadline for applying to UPeace has been set for March 1, 2006.

In more recent chapters, Liberal Immigration Minister Joe Volpe put even more money on the table with $3-million in an effort to have the university set up a campus in Toronto to energize plans held by the Toronto Waterfront Revitalization Corp (TWRC), which also hopes to lure the university to Toronto.

TWRC paid $12.25-million to acquire half a hectare of land for public use. TWRC chairman Robert Fung is a personal friend of Prime Minister Paul Martin.

although the post-Costa Rica Earth Council set up shop in the offices of a Toronto-area environmental consulting agency, it was originally affiliated with the University for Peace. The council is described on brochures as an "international, non-government organization whose mission is to support and empower a more secure, equitable and sustainable future."

a new headquarters was to have been built at the UPeace campus, but plans had to be scuppered when the Costa Rican government began to pursue the council for payment of US $1.65-million, for the wrongful sale of a tract of land donated to the council.

"Intriguingly, the funds to build the new headquarters were to come from part of the proceeds of issuing Costa Rican Carbon Bonds, a Swiftian emissions trading instrument which entitled the bearer to emit CO2 if he paid the Costa Rican government not to torch its own rain forest. Hence, `value' would be created literally from thin air, with the proceeds to flow to part of Mr. Strong's master plan to save the world from capitalism. at least capitalism practiced by others." (Peter Foster, National Post, May 2004).

In 1992, when Strong was chairman of Ontario Hydro, North america's largest utility, one of his most bizarre recommendations was for Hydro to buy a 31,000-acre Costa Rican rain forest.

The deal, Strong contended, would be fair compensation for the harm Hydro was doing to the local environment.

Perhaps the $13-million Canadian taxpayer supported University for Peace is Maurice Strong's Costa Rican rainforest.


Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2018 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2018 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement