Apartheid Quote by Bob Hawke
“We [ with Brian Mulroney and Rajiv Gandhi] went to the meeting in Canada [the 1987 Vancouver CHOGM] and I said to them there that sanctions weren't working; they were just being busted. And it did seem to me that one way that we could bring the apartheid regime down would be if we did mount an effective investment sanction.”
About This Quote
The speaker argues that traditional sanctions were ineffective against apartheid, suggesting targeted investment restrictions could be a more powerful lever.
In simple terms: Investment bans may pressure regimes more than sanctions.
Targeted economic pressure can be decisive.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- UN debates on sanctions
- corporate decisions on investment in conflict zones
Key Concepts
Practical Applications
- Design precise investment bans
- Coordinate multinational financial actions
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards protect civilians when imposing investment bans?
- How can the effectiveness of such sanctions be measured?
Investment sanctions risk collateral damage to civilian economies and may be hard to enforce.