forces of the future - diplomatonline.com · minister peter mackay from: the experts: what to do...

Multiculturalism reaches the foreign service

Allan Thompson on Stephen Harper’s foreign policy

Essential reading on the new Prime MinisterESTABLISHED 1989 CDN $5.95

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March–April 2006

C A N A D A ’ S D E F E N C E M I N I S T E R O N H I S P L A N

Forces ofthe FutureCANADA’S DEFENCE POLICY

MUST EVOLVE

Volume 17, Number 2

Table of CONTENTS

DIPLOMATICA|Free advice for Canada’s new foreign affairs boss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Good Deeds: WaterCan’s Embassy Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Questions Asked: protocol maven Malcolm McKechnie . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Remembering Germany’s Helmut Geese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Diplomatic Agenda: Poland’s envoy tells of his time underground . . . 8New arrivals in the diplomatic corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

DISPATCHES|Defending Canada’s BordersCanada’s defence quandry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 12Gordon O’Connor’s plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16The UN pleads: “Don’t ignore peacekeeping” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Northern sovereignty must be addressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Canada must be defensive at home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

An increasingly multicultural foreign service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Trade Winds: Talking trade with Pakistan’s high commissioner . . . . . . 24

DELIGHTS|Books: Required reading on Stephen Harper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Entertaining: Writing a cookbook isn’t easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Outside the Guide: Costa Rica’s spheres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 31Wine: Revisiting Chardonnay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33The Art of Diplomacy: Oz Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Envoy’s Album . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Canadiana: The worst weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

DEBATE|Allan Thompson weighs in on Harper’s foreign policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. The viewsexpressed in the articles are those of the authors. © 2006 ISSN 1190-8343 Publication Mail # 40957514. Return undeliverable Canadian copies to: Diplomat Magazine, P.O. Box 1173, Station B, Ottawa, ON K1P 5R2

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Piotr Ogrodzinski

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Multiculturalism reaches the foreign service

Allan Thompson on Stephen Harper’s foreign policy

Essential reading on the new Prime MinisterESTABLISHED 1989 CDN $5.95

PM 40957514

March–April 2006

C A N A D A ’ S D E F E N C E M I N I S T E R O N H I S P L A N

Forces ofthe FutureCANADA’S DEFENCE POLICY

MUST EVOLVE

The World in Canada

DIPLOMATICA|EDITOR’S NOTE

MARCH—APRIL 20062

Dealing with defence

Defence was a prominent issue inthe election campaign, particularlyfor Prime Minister Stephen Harper

who laid out his plans for increasedspending and improved surveillance ofthe North early on.

Now, as the new Conservative govern-ment gets comfortable with the reigns ofpower, observers are waiting to see whatit will move on first. In our cover pack-age, Daniel Drolet asked the experts tolook at where this country is going withits defence policy. They identified severalthreats to Canadian safety includingfailed states, fragile eco-systems and elu-sive terrorists who may target Canada, ormay even live on Canadian soil already.Gordon O’Connor, the new minister ofdefence, reveals his plans while UnitedNations Association executive directorKathryn White urges Mr. O’Connor ’sgovernment to get serious about peace-keeping on this, the 50th anniversary ofthe birth of the idea. Carleton Universityprofessor Elinor Sloan talks about theneed for security at home as well asabroad while Gerard Kenney, himself apassionate Arctic defender, looks at howthe new government should deal withnorthern sovereignty.

Further in Dispatches, find GeorgeAbraham’s look at the idea of Canadataking its multicultural identity to theworld stage where it could use the manyimmigrants it boasts to befriend foreignpowers such as China and India. Part ofthat campaign might be to include visibleminorities among its foreign service offi-cers – those it sends out into the world asits representatives. And, Mr. Abrahamdiscovers, those in the upper echelons ofForeign Affairs are making it so. A full 18

per cent of new recruitsin 2003 identified them-selves as visible minori-ties. Mr. Abraham alsoi n t e r v i e w e d t h r e eyoung officers abouthow the i r p laces o fbirth or origins haveshaped their careers.

Still at the Lester B. Pearson Buildingin Ottawa, we dropped in on MalcolmMcKechnie, Canada’s chief of protocol.U.S. vice-president Adlai Stevenson oncesaid a diplomat’s life is made up of threeingredients: protocol, Geritol and alcohol.Of course, we know diplomatic life in-volves more than the latter but there is,admittedly, much of the former. Mr. McK-echnie, who took over from Robert Col-lette in November, explained that his jobalso involves a lot more than canapés andcocktails.

There’s much else within these pages.Costa Rican Ambassador Carlos Mirandashares one of his country’s treasures – itsmysterious stone spheres. Culture editorMargo Roston interviewed AustralianHigh Commissioner Bill Fisher about theart collection in his office. Food writerMargaret Dickenson tells us how she be-came her retired ambassador husband’sboss and Stephen Beckta, sommelier ex-traordinaire, rethinks his Chardonnaysnobbery.

Finally, Allan Thompson gives his takeon what’s to come on the foreign policyfront with the new Conservative govern-ment. Iraq? Missile defence? What willCanada do on each file? Turn to page 44to find out..

Jennifer Campbell is editor of Diplomatmagazine. Reach her at [email protected], or (613) 231-8476 or P.O. Box1173, Stn. B, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5R2.

JENNIFER CAMPBELL

CONTRIBUTORS

Gerard Kenny, author of Northwest Impasse

In the 60s and 70s, Gerard Kenney engi-neered Bell Canada’s short-wave radionetwork in the eastern Arctic, Labradorand Québec. His work took him all overthe North. In the mid-70s, through suc-cessive assignments with the federal government, Mr. Kenney designed asatellite-based CBC broadcasting networkthat led to today’s extensive radio and TVnetworks in the North. His interest in theArctic never waned. He believes Cana-dian governments have too long ignoredthe North and that today, Canada’s sover-eignty over its Arctic waters is precarious,and will remain so, unless governmentimmediately takes significant steps to en-sure its strength. In this photo, Mr. Ken-ney was traveling up the Naskaupi Riverof Labrador.

Dyanne Wilson, contributing photographer

For Ms. Wilson, photography is a secondcareer, one she started after her childrengrew up. It’s a profession that allows herto give truth to Kahlil Gilbran’s statementthat “work is love made visible.” Thefreelancer has worked for several clientsincluding the National Arts Centre, Pub-lic Service Commission, the Dominion In-stitute as well as many embassies andhigh commissions. She loves that her reg-ular contributions to Diplomat let hermeet people from different cultures. Inthis self-portrait, Ms. Wilson tries to ab-sorb a little Vitamin D, even in the middleof winter.

UP FRONTCanada’s role in Afghanistan has come under a mi-croscope since troops have moved to volatile Kanda-har. In this Department of National Defence photo,soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patrica’s Cana-dian Light Infantry Battle Group hiked throughAfghanistan’s mountains, east of Gardez at 3,000 me-tres above sea level. They rested frequently to adjustto the oxygen-poor atmosphere. These troops wereengaged in Operation Anaconda, the CanadianArmy’s first combat mission since the Korean War.This battle group was deployed in Afghanistan onOperation Apollo, Canada’s military contribution tothe international campaign against terrorism. Diplo-mat’s package on defence starts on page 12.

Peter MacKay was namedforeign affairs ministershortly after being re-

elected in January. Thecrown attorney turnedpolitician has never pub-licly shown much inter-est in foreign affairs but pundits think theyoung, yet seasonedpolitician can rise tothe challenge. To help himalong with his new portfolio, Diplomatasked the experts to come up with a to-do list of advice for him.

BE A PROACTIVE MINISTER: “Canadahas had reactive foreign ministers andwe’ve had many,” explained FenHampson, director of the Norman Pa-terson School of International Affairsat Carleton University. “And thenwe’ve had foreign ministers who’vemade a difference. Lloyd Axworthywas controversial but I think whatmade him successful was that he hada very clear vision and he pursuedhis agenda with a tenacity that pro-duced results. Joe Clark was an-other.” To be proactive, Mr. MacKaywill have to go forward in his job with aclear sense of what he wants to accom-plish. “There will always be events thatwill push you to be reactive,” Dr. Hamp-son added. “In very short order, he needsto figure out two or three key priorities.”

USE YOUR BUREAUCRATS: “MacKay hassome very talented people at the assistantdeputy minister level and in the deputyminister,” Dr. Hampson said. “At theADM level, he has Peter Boehm , DavidMalone and others. These are thinkers

and he would be well advised tolook at their advice as he fashions his to-do list.”

MAKE A PLAN FOR CHINA AND INDIA:Dr. Hampson said it’s clear Prime Minis-ter Stephen Harper and AmbassadorMichael Wilson will look after the U.S.file, which leaves the rest of the world forMr. MacKay. First, he needs to decidehow to manage Canada’s relationshipwith the global economic powers – China

and India. “It needsto be more than trade missions and min-isterial visits,” Dr. Hampson said. “Heneeds to do some major-league thinkingabout how to institutionalize our relation-ship with those countries.”

ENGAGE THE UN: “We need to be think-ing about how to carry forward the re-form agenda,” Dr. Hampson said ofCanada’s role at the United Nations.

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DEAL WITH FAILED STATES: “The battleagainst terrorism needs to be fought, notin terms of finding terrorists under everyMiddle Eastern carpet, but rather in look-ing at failed states,” Dr. Hampson said.“We need to think ‘What are those coun-tries where we have a national interest,and where can we make a difference?’Haiti would be a case in point.”

WATCH WESTERN LEADERS: “We nowexperience a new challenge, which isposed by popular leaders, who aredemocractically elected but show all themanifestations of new authoritarianstyle,” Dr. Hampson said. “(Hugo)Chavez is a case in point.” He noted thatWashington is clearly having troubledealing with Mr. Chavez and that Canadacould play a brokering role to stabilizedevelopment in the Western hemisphere.

ENJOY THE REUNION: The Harper gov-ernment has rejoined international tradeand foreign affairs and Elliot Feldman, apartner in the Washington, DC office oflaw firm Baker & Hostetler LLP and di-rector of the Canadian-American Busi-ness Council, says there’s a reason forthat. “Remember that Canada is an ex-porting country,” he said, adding that Mr.MacKay’s primary mission should be tokeep the market open.

LEAVE THE LEGAL BRIEFCASE: “Foreignpolicy is not like managing briefs,” Dr.Hampson said. “It ’s not just aboutprocess. It’s about ideas, priorities, visionand implementation.”

REVISIT MISSILE DEFENCE: Dr. Feldmancalled the decision to opt out “stupid”, say-ing the system probably won’t work any-way and Canada had more to lose thangain by saying no, a move that showed thecountry as “an unreliable ally.”

SEE THAT 9/11 CHANGED EVERYTHING:Dr. Feldman said Canadians don’t un-derstand how profoundly the U.S. was,and is, affected by 9/11. Canadians needto recognize that border security is theNumber 1 issue for Americans, he said.

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE: The typicalminister in any government has a half-lifeof 18 months, and that’s if the govern-ment has a majority, Dr. Hampson said.Mr. MacKay will have to act fast if hewants to have any effect.

USE YOUR CHARISMA: Peter MacKay is“young, dynamic, intelligent, good-look-ing, and articulate – he's going to be no-ticed,” Dr. Hampson said. “These arequalities you want to capitalize on.” Dr.Hampson added that he should also,however, make sure he is well-briefed be-fore he “opens his mouth.”


GOOD DEEDS|DIPLOMATICA

Some 40 embassies and high com-missions band together for onecause – clean water – and make

the WaterCan Embassy Dinner a realityeach year.

This year’s dinner, which takes placeat the Aberdeen Pavilion at LansdownePark on May 5, marks the 12th annual. Inkeeping with tradition, the highlight ofthe event is a “buffet of nations” with thediplomatic missions sharing their cultureby offering a mouth-watering array of in-digenous food and drink. Always a hitare the Piscou Sours from Peru, choco-lates from Belgium, fragrant food fromAsia and spicy goodies from Africa andSouth America.

This will be Yemeni Ambassador Ab-dulla Nasher ’s third Embassy Dinner.Last year, he took his wife Ilhan and hisuniversity-aged children, Maha and Ab-dulaziz, who worked at Yemen’s table.

“The event is great because it getseveryone together for a good cause –clean water,” Dr. Nasher said. “Withoutwater, every living thing, people, animalsand plants, will die.”

In addition to the meal, there is a pa-rade of nations where the embassies andhigh commissions parade around theloop of the pavilion with their flags.There’s also a live and silent auction. Lastyear’s auctions raised $36,800.

The event typically raises more than$100,000 and the money helps supportsmall-scale clean water and sanitationprojects in developing countries. Last

year’s total of $113,000 helped provideclean and affordable drinking water andsanitation services to some 4,600 people.

For tickets to this one-of-a-kind eventin Ottawa, get in touch with WaterCan at

(613) 230-5182. Tickets are $100 with acharitable tax receipt of $60 per ticket.Corporate tables of 8 and 10 are availablefor $1,000 and $1,200 respectively. But actfast – last year’s event sold out.

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Mahar Nasher, daughter of Yemeni ambassador Abdulla Nasher, served food at Yemen’s table at the WaterCan Embassy Dinner last year.

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DIPLOMATICA|QUESTIONS ASKED

MARCH—APRIL 2006

Canada’s chief of protocol has a lot more thancanapés on his plate. Malcolm McKechnie satdown with Diplomat to explain his intensejob, which involves everything from know-ing the proper way to present businesscards, to arranging state dinners and scold-ing naughty diplomats.

DIPLOMAT MAGAZINE: You’ve been postedto Mexico, Paris, New York, L.A. andWashington – those are pretty nice post-ings . . . MALCOLM MCKECHNIE: I did my hard-ship posting first. Not in the tradi-t ional sense of hardship but asvice-consul (in Mexico), you dealt

with every conceivable thing thatcould go wrong with Canadian

tourists and there’s quite a gamutthere. I was pretty green and I felt I

had to be a psychologist, lawyer, po-liceman, care-giver and relative. I had

everything ranging from shark deaths tomurders to rapes to robbery to drug-run-ning. I had to try to help them. It was aneye-opener to me.

DM: What was your best posting? MM: I’m not trying to be diplomatic butthey all had their highs and not too manylows. The most demanding and exhilarat-ing from a professional point of view wasprobably Washington. I was press coun-selor and spokesman and it was at a timewhen there were big issues betweenCanada and the United States – acid rain,free trade and NAFTA. I was there be-tween 1989 and 1993. The thing about be-ing in Washington was that it’s like amicrocosm of everything that goes onhere. There’s a huge Canadian presscorps so you’re trying to answer theCanadian media on issues that are in thenews every day and then you’re trying toraise the Canadian profile with the Amer-ican media. That’s always a challenge.

DM: What’s been your most stressful dayon the job as chief of protocol? MM: I guess that early day on the jobwhen we got word that the French primeminister (Dominique de Villepin) wasn’tcoming. We had 300 people coming to astate dinner. Fortunately, we have a verygood team and I think within a couple ofhours, we had contacted most people. Wehad people there in case anyone showedup and two people did. We sent them to

the Westin for dinner and they had alovely time. The gentleman was fromVancouver and the lady was from Mon-treal and now they’re married.

DM: No! MM: No, but wouldn’t that be something?So that’s the visit side but there’s also bal-ancing the distinct areas of the job. Thenthere’s our own department. That com-bined with the daily servicing of thediplomatic corps, which can have its de-mands, takes balancing. There are twosides to the job with diplomats. We wantto facilitate their understanding andknowledge of Canada as best we can andwe want to take them to various parts ofCanada to give them the length andbreadth of the country. The other side isrelated to immunities, privileges and re-sponsibilities. We have to monitor any ac-tivities that might be seen to be not incompliance with the law or regulations.We have a whole section that looks afterthat. Sometimes they answer questionsand sometimes they have to intervene.The one we’re most on guard for is drink-ing and driving and we take it very seri-ously. It’s a part of protocol that’s verynecessary but for the most part, peopleare very responsible.

DM: Is your job secure with the change ingovernment? MM: I think so. I’m not a political ap-pointee and traditionally the chief of pro-tocol isn’t. Thinking back, there wasmaybe one that I can recall. And I thinkwe’ve demonstrated to the new govern-ment that we can be very helpful.

DM: How many nights a week do youhave evening engagements? MM: Sometimes there are two on thesame evening. Last week, I went to thewrong one. I was supposed to be nextdoor. So, I was there, having a drink, butdidn’t recognize anyone and finally Iasked whether this was the diplomaticfunction. The person I asked said no, andthen said “At least you can get a drink atthis one.” I was supposed to be down thehall at an Arab embassy’s event. I figureI’m out four nights a week on average.My philosophy for the first while was“Go to everything” because you want tomeet everyone. Certainly national days,you’re expected to be there.

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THE LAST POST|DIPLOMATICA

7DIPLOMAT AND INTERNATIONAL CANADA

When Helmut Geese moved toOttawa three years ago, he fellin love with Canada.

For 30 years, he moved around theworld with the German foreign service.He had l ived and worked in India,Botswana, Yemen, Ethiopia and SierraLeone, and all over Europe. Wherever hewent, he lived life to its fullest, travellingto remote areas and exploring every as-pect of the local cultural and social envi-ronment.

But it was Canada where he felt mostat home. He rejoiced in the wild spaces,the diversity and beauty of Canada’s na-ture. He enjoyed living in what he saw asa safe, friendly and generous country.“Nobody should be sent to Canada on afirst posting,” he often said. “It would beto hard to leave.”

Mr. Geese brought energy and com-mitment to his profession, to his enjoy-ment of sport and, most of all, to his lovefor his wife, Heike, and daughter, Ann-Christin. Their unity gave them roots in amobile life. The ever-changing environ-ment, jobs and new people brought chal-lenges that made life in the foreignservice interesting to Mr. Geese. As headof administration at several missions, hebelieved his job was to look after embassyemployees. When local employees in Ad-dis Ababa were infected with AIDS, hefound a way for the embassy to buygeneric medicine from India to treatthem. His system is still in place.

His adventurous spirit even allowedhim to enjoy – at least in retrospect – sev-eral crises that he and his family livedthrough. Mr. Geese told stories of kidnap-pings, bombings and natural disasters.The one job offer that may have temptedhim away from Ottawa would have been

to join the crisis unit in the German for-eign office.

Canada offered him a different life, onewhere he could enjoy all his great pas-sions in security and peace. Always akeen sportsman, he seized every opportu-nity. He would be up a mountain on thefirst chairlift run of the day, regardless ofthe windchill factor. He knew all thecross-country skiing trails in GatineauPark and played tennis for hours afterwork. He played nearly every public golfcourse around Ottawa. Together withHeike, he indefatigably explored Canadaby car in his Mercedes convertible, a life-long dream come true for a man who wascrazy about cars.

When he learned he had aggressivebrain cancer, Mr. Geese fought hard. Fortwelve months, he battled courageously,undergoing several operations and treat-ments. Throughout the hope and disap-pointment, he drew strength from hiswife and daughter. He never gave in.

After all his travels, Ottawa turned outto be his last posting. In accordance withhis wishes, Helmut Geese was buriedhere, at Beechwood Cemetery. He hadasked to stay in Canada.

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MARCH—APRIL 20068

It’s been 25 years since the independent,self-governing trade union known asSolidarity was established in Poland.

On Aug. 31, 1980, the factory strikingcommittee at the Gdansk Shipyard, and adelegation of the Polish Peoples Republicgovernment, signed an accord that estab-lished it.

At that time, like most Poles, I had afeeling that something awesome had hap-pened. But none of us understood thiswas the beginning of the end of commu-nism – not only in Poland but also in Eu-rope. Very quickly that so-called tradeunion became a safe haven for activitiesthat weren’t controlled by the communistregime. Within a few months, member-ship in Solidarnosc, as it’s known in Pol-ish, grew to 9.5 million members. Thiswas the first massive opposition move-ment within the communist block.

The sixteen months of its existence rep-resented our festival of freedom. We wereintoxicated by it. We felt freedom wasours to take, that we could almost touchit. Like Faust in Goethe’s famous drama,we wanted the moment to linger. Yetdeep in our subconscious, we suspectedthat this blissful reality was only an illu-sion created by Mephisto. After all, a gen-uinely independent political body wasincompatible with a communist regime.The political law of gravity required thatit should be either we or they: solidarityand freedom or communism and subju-gation. The imposition of marshal law inPoland became the unfortunate result ofthis contradiction.

Still, we didn’t ac-cept the imposeddissolution of Soli-darity. For the nexteight years, we keptthe “sentimentallady S” (as the Soli-darity bard JacekKaczmarski sang)alive in our mindsand s tubbornlycontinued clan-destine activities.Wi t h a n o t h e rwave of strikesthroughout

Poland in 1988, andMikhael Gorbachev’s reforms in the So-viet Union, the Polish communist author-ities decided to seek an agreement withmembers of the Solidarity opposition. Inearly 1989, round-table talks were initi-ated and by June, in semi-free elections toParliament, Solidarity members won allthe seats available under the round table

agreement and formed the first govern-ment with a non-communist prime minis-ter. A year later, Lech Walesa, Solidarity’slegendary leader, became president ofPoland. Solidarity prevailed; communismcollapsed.

I was but one, among many, who wasinvolved in this movement. Solidarity, af-ter all, means unity of many. Even beforeSolidarity, we had a sense of commonpurpose that stayed with us until the mo-ment the movement regained independ-ence. The communism of the ‘40s, ‘50sand ‘60s – when the totalitarian regimewas at its peak – cast people into an abyssof hopeless alienation. But slowly, we dis-covered each other, and discovered that“we, the people” could make a difference.

Pope John Paul II played a major rolein this will to strive for freedom. His re-spect for every human made Solidarity aninclusive movement.

I hope some readers visited Roads toFreedom, the exhibition at Old OttawaCity Hall in January and February. Itshowed the story of Solidarity is an opti-mistic one. Even with the frustration andhardship many Poles suffered during thetransition to democracy and market econ-omy, it was ultimately a success. From1795 – when Poland lost its independencefor many generations – uprising after up-rising had ended in failure.

Members of my father ’s generationwere born to a free Poland, during an in-ter-war period, but they had to suffer un-der the extremely cruel Nazi occupation.What followed was period of disillusion-ment caused by the subjugation of Polandunder Soviet domination, after the col-lapse of the Third Reich. The Solidaritygeneration is the first to successfully se-cure freedom for the long term. We be-long to the fortunate generation.

Solidarity belongs to all who cherishfreedom. In 2004, people in Poland,Canada and all over the world observedwith enthusiasm the success of democ-racy in Ukraine and Georgia. We hopethat a day will come when Belarus, NorthKorea and Cuba will also celebrate free-dom.

We respect Canada for its long-stand-ing tradition of giving to people in needand striving for freedom worldwide. We wil l work alongside Canada inAfghanistan, Ukraine, and the Balkans.Our motto in Poland during the marshallaw period was always Nie ma wolnoscibez Solidarnosc: There is no freedom with-out solidarity.

Piotr Ogrodzinski is ambassador of Poland.

FIRST NAME: Piotr

LAST NAME: Ogrodzinski

CITIZENSHIP: Polish

PRESENTED CREDENTIALS:

Nov. 3, 2004

OTHER FOREIGN POSTINGS:

Washington

My clandestine, history-altering past

I WAS BUT ONE,

AMONG MANY, WHO WAS

INVOLVED IN THIS MOVEMENT.

SOLIDARITY, AFTER ALL, MEANS

UNITY OF MANY. EVEN BEFORE

SOLIDARITY, WE HAD A SENSE

OF COMMON PURPOSE THAT

STAYED WITH US UNTIL THE

MOMENT THE MOVEMENT

REGAINED INDEPENDENCE.

RECENT ARRIVALS|DIPLOMATICA


New Heads of MissionSmail BenemaraAmbassador of Algeria

Mr. Benemara’s appointment as ambassa-dor in Ottawa marks a return for the en-voy who served as counsellor and chargéd’affaires from 1987 and 1990.

Born in 1955, Mr. Benemara completeda law degree and a master’s in businessl a w b e f o re d o i n g a p o s t - g r a d u a t ediploma in international law in Paris. Hejoined the ministry of foreign affairs in

1980. Since then, he has been posted toItaly, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal,and Gambia.

At the ministry of foreign affairs, heserved as an adviser to the minister andas a coordination assistant for the Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Barcelonain 1995. Before being posted to Canada,he was director of the Institut of Diplo-macy and International Relations in Al-geria.

Mr. Benemara is married, with threechildren. He speaks Arabic, French andEnglish.

Jaime Giron DuarteAmbassador of Colombia

Mr. Giron Duarte comes to his position inCanada, straight from a short posting asambassador to Kenya.

The Bogota-born diplomat has a de-gree in economics from Santo Tomás Uni-versity in Bogota. He did post-graduatestudies in Chile and Mexico.

Prior to his posting in Kenya, Mr.Giron Duarte, 56, spent three years asdeputy foreign minister, in charge ofmultilateral affairs in Colombia and be-

fore that, he served as ambassador toEgypt and Jordan concurrently. Other for-eign postings have included the UnitedNations and India.

At the ministry in Colombia, he wasalso director-general of multilateral politi-cal, economic and social organizationsand conferences; deputy-director of mul-tilateral political affairs; and director ofthe European desk, to name but a few.

Djoko HardonoAmbassador of Indonesia

Mr. Hardono is a career diplomat whowill make Canada his f i f th posting

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abroad and his first as ambassador. Mr. Hardono was born in Indonesia in

1949 and completed a law degree at Airlangga University in Surabaya in 1977.From there, he completed his diplomatictraining course and joined the departmentof foreign affairs in 1978. Mr. Hardono’sfirst posting took him to Ankara. He re-turned to the department for three yearsand then took a position as head of theconsular section at Indonesia’s embassyin London. His next posting abroad wasto Singapore, followed by a position asdeputy chief of mission in Tokyo. Beforecoming to Ottawa, he was chief of stateprotocol.

He is married to Ulfah Hanif Hardonoand they have three sons.

Gabriele SardoAmbassador of Italy

Mr. Sardo is a career diplomat with closeto four decades of service under his belt.

Born in Trieste in 1944, he completed alaw degree at the University of Trieste in1966 and entered the foreign service twoyears later. Between assignments inRome, he has been posted to Munich,Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Washington,and Paris. In Washington, he was firstcounsellor and in Paris, he served as headof Italy’s permanent mission to UNESCO,with the rank of ambassador.

His assignments in Rome have in-cluded positions in sections including po-

RECENT ARRIVALS|DIPLOMATICA


Non-Heads of mission

AlbaniaFatbardha KolaFirst Secretary

ArgentinaLuis Fernando Del SolarDorregoCounsellor

AustraliaGordon Lyndon AndersonDefence Adviser

BrazilNorberto MorettiCounsellor Pedro Murilo OrtegaTerraFirst Secretary

BulgariaZdravko Ivanov PetrovAttaché

CameroonRichard Nyamboli NgwaSecond Counsellor

ChileArturo David UndurragaDiazDefence, Military andNaval Attaché

ChinaShuyun ShiMinister-Counsellor Chang WuSecond Secretary

Côte d’IvoireLéopold KohouDefence Attaché

CroatiaAntun MahnicFirst Secretary

CubaPorfirio Caraballo CaceresAttaché

Dominican RepublicOdanis Hildelise ReyesDiazSecond Secretary

GuineaAïssata SowCounsellor

IndiaRakesh MalhotraSecond Secretary Rani MalickSecond Secretary Ajay Kumar SharmaFirst Secretary

IsraelDan HarelDefence and ArmedForces Attaché

Republic of Korea Miseol ParkThird SecretaryCheolho Kim Second Secretary

LibyaMaatoug A.M. EmbarakCounsellor Khaled A.A. ZekriCounsellorMohamed M.A. Shneib Counsellor

MexicoJose Mauricio GuerreroGomezThird Secretary Enrique Lobo NiembroMinister Guillermo Malpica SotoFirst Secretary

MauritiusShiu Ching Young Kim Fat Chargé d'Affaires

MongoliaKhaliun DalantaiFirst Secretary and Consul

MoroccoGhofran SalahFirst Secretary

RomaniaMugurel Ioan Stanescu First Secretary George Sorin ZahariaFirst Secretary Aurelian CretuMinister-Counsellor

Saudi ArabiaAhmed Mitwalli A.HassanAttaché Ghazy A. Makky AlmakkyCounsellor Abdulaziz Suliman AlFaadhelAttaché

SudanAsim Mohamed AliMukhtar IbrahimCounsellorMawada OmerHageltoam ElbadawiSecond Secretary

SwedenBjörn Fredrik AlferSecond Secretary

TogoFatoumata TignokpaN’dombe KpetemeyAttaché

TurkeyYusuf ErturkAttaché

UgandaJoseph Kiiza KahiigwaDeputy HighCommissioner

UkraineYaroslav BrisiuckFirst Secretary

United Arab EmiratesBader Abdulla S. BinSaeedSecond Secretary

See www.diplomatonline.com

for a complete list of international affairs resources

litical affairs, emigration and social af-fairs. He was also acting chief of staff forthe minister of foreign affairs. Before be-ing posted to Canada, Mr. Sardo spentfour years serving as diplomatic adviserto Italy’s minister of the environment.

Mr. Sardo is married to Enrica FerreroSardo.


DI SPATCHES|DEFENDING CANADA’S BORDERS

THE DEFENCEDILEMMA

For as long as anyone canremember, humans haveworried about defendingthemselves against possi-ble attack. From the walledcities of Mesopotamia tothe Bomarc missiles ofthe Cold War, we have al-

ways feared potential enemies and de-voted t ime, effort and resources toensuring our defence.

But how we prepare depends a greatdeal on the kinds of threats we face.Fending off invasion from a neighbouringcountry with a conventional army isstarkly different from fighting suicidebombers, indistinguishable from ordinary

people, who emerge from the urban land-scape with murder in their hearts. This isone of the latest of the emerging threatsand changing circumstances defence ex-perts must grapple with.

With that in mind, Diplomat asked fourexperts for their thoughts on whatCanada’s defence priorities should be in arapidly changing world. Should Canadaworry about China? Global warming andits potential to open the Arctic to ship-ping? Iran as a nuclear threat?

The experts have different perspec-tives. But all agree that Canada needs toput more effort – and money – into de-fending itself in a world where distanceno longer matters.

Marc Milner, military historian and actingdirector of the Centre for Conflict Studies atthe University of New Brunswick

Dr. Milner says the big defence con-cerns of the coming decades will comefrom both conventional sources – thegrowth of China and India, the potentialdecline of the United States – and fromnew sources such as failed states and col-lapsing ecologies.

China, a rising economic power, ap-pears poised to play a correspondinglybigger role in international affairs.

“The scuttlebutt on China is disturb-ing,” said Dr. Milner, adding that thereare two views on where China wants togo: One is that China will be happy to be-

Failed states, collapsing ecologies and elusive terrorists will all challengeCanada’s defence policymakers in the coming years, writes Daniel Drolet

“All the manliness in the civilized world is due to wars or to the need of being prepared for wars. All the

highest qualities of mankind have been developed by wars or the dangers of wars. All the enterprise of the

world has grown out of the aggressive, adventurous and warlike spirit engendered by centuries of wars.”

– William Van Horne, builder of the Canadian Pacific Railway, 1912


DEFENDING CANADA’S BORDERS|DI SPATCHESD

EPA

RTM

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OF

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L D

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Tracking terrorists: Rootingout terror cells, as Canadiansare attempting here on thestreets of Kabul, is part of thenew defence policy picture.



come a major regional power in east Asia;the other is that it will push to become aglobal player.

Either way, Dr. Milner thinks the daysof U.S. dominance are waning.

“We’re probably moving toward amulti-polar world,” he said. “The U.S.can’t sustain its current hegemony. There’sa pattern for great powers, and one ofthem is strategic overreach. There’s noguarantee that the Americans will stay ontop of the heap for the next 25 years.”

He said Canada needs to be concernedwith failing states and collapsing ecolo-gies in what seem to Canadians to be thefar corners of the globe, but which aren’tthat far away anymore.

“It used to be that what happened incentral Asia didn’t matter to us. That’s

not the case now,” he said. Dr. Milner said failed states – even

those remote from Canada – have a directimpact on us by either creating refugeeswho seek our aid, or by spawning terror.

“The world is more inter-connected,and it’s smaller than before. If you hadasked 10 or 12 years ago whether wewould get involved in central Asia, I’dhave said no. But now that’s not the case.

It’s in Canada’s interest to make failedstates work.” For example, he said failedstates in central Asia at the very least cre-ate refugees; at worst, these failed statesbecome havens for terrorists.

Of course Canada also needs to be ableto defend itself, he said.

“We need the ability to patrol and po-lice. How do you police the North Atlanticfishery? How do you keep longliners and Japanese shrimp boats from suck-ing up every bit of protein that’s in theocean?

“The problem I find with Canadians isthat we are naive and trusting with ourown sovereignty. I don’t think we under-stand that the ability to demonstrate effective control is bundled up with sov-ereignty. You need the ability to deployyour people to demonstrate the sover-eignty of the state.”

Paul Heinbecker, director of the Centre forGlobal Relations, Governance and Policy atWilfrid Laurier University and seniorresearch fellow at the Centre forInternational Governance Innovation

Mr. Heinbecker, like Dr. Milner, said heworries about failed states and Canada’sability to defend itself and deploy mili-tary personnel. But he is more of an opti-mist about the future.

“The easiest thing to do is pick onChina,” said Mr. Heinbecker. He addsthat some people who consider future de-fence strategies seem intent on makingChina into an enemy, “whether Chinawants to be or not.”

He suggests that Canada should bethinking of its capabilities, and not of itspotential enemies. And its capabilitiesneed beefing up.

“It doesn’t look like we’re going toneed huge ground armies, but it doeslook like we’re going to need things likeJTF2 – people who are capable of specificoperations,” he said.

“When you add up the failing statesand the endless demand for soldiers,from Asia to the Middle East to Africa, itmeans highly capable forces that can bedeployed – ground forces and the sea ca-pacity to deploy them.

“It doesn’t mean inter-operability withthe U.S., which risks getting us into trou-ble. We shouldn’t be acting as mercenar-ies on behalf of the U.S.,” he said, addingthat we need to frame and plan our oper-ations internationally.

Mr. Heinbecker says global warmingcould be a significant issue 20 years fromnow “and I’m not sure we’ve planned

hard for that.” He said that if globalwarming opens up the Arctic to naviga-tion, Canada has to have the capability ofpatrolling it.

And “if terrorism is still an issue, we’regoing to have to spend money to makeour coasts secure and to integrate coastaland air defence much better than wehave.”

Internationally, he said Canada has arole to play: “There seems to be an end-less need for nation-building and peace-keeping, and we’re not doing nearlyenough of that now.”

Mr. Heinbecker said that overall, he isan optimist, citing the recently publishedHuman Security Report 2005, which saysthe number of people killed in conflict isdeclining: “The trend line is in the rightdirection.”

David Carment, associate professor ofinternational affairs at Carleton University’sNorman Paterson School of InternationalAffairs

Dr. Carment insists the most pressingconcern is the breakdown of state struc-

DEFENCE DOLLARS

Military expenditures as a percentageof GDP for 2003

Philippines 0.9

Canada 1.2

Venezuela 1.3

Germany 1.4

Chad 1.5

South Africa 1.6

Australia 1.9

Poland 2.0

China [2.3]*

Cambodia 2.5

UK 2.8

U.S. [3.8]*

Greece 4.1

Morocco 4.

India 4.3

Djibouti 4.3

Jordan 8.9

Israel 9.1

*Note: Stockholm International PeaceResearch Institute notes that bracketednumbers are expert analysis estimatesbecause exact data was not available, or not reliable, from those countries.

Source: FIRST database, Stockholm International Peace

Research Institute

“WE’RE PROBABLY

MOVING TOWARD A

MULTI-POLAR WORLD,”

HE SAID. “THE U.S. CAN’T

SUSTAIN ITS CURRENT

HEGEMONY. THERE’S A

PATTERN FOR GREAT

POWERS, AND ONE OF

THEM IS STRATEGIC OVER-

REACH. THERE’S NO

GUARANTEE THAT THE

AMERICANS WILL STAY ON

TOP OF THE HEAP FOR

THE NEXT 25 YEARS.”

tures and authority. In some parts of theworld – Africa, for example – bordersdon’t matter much anymore and theymay matter even less in future. Mean-while, in many places, government au-thority has broken down. This, he said,leads to the emergence of transnationalcriminal networks that affect all parts ofthe globe.

“Once you have a breakdown of stateauthority, alternative organizations willtry to take advantage of that,” he said.“We’ve seen it in the Balkans, in Kosovowhere organized crime is really filling insome of the gaps.”

(The Human Security Report 2005states that “in most states, most of thetime, far more people are killed or injuredby criminal violence than by warfare.And while less than one sixth of states arecurrently afflicted by armed conflict, allsuffer from criminal violence.”)

“Conflicts over resources – that maynever go away,” he said. “You can onlyimagine that with resources being a finitecommodity, they will continue to be asource of many armed conflicts.”

He said this is a particular concernwith failed states with few choice re-sources such as gold: “A country that’sfairly weak and commodity-based is upfor grabs.” That could be from neigh-bouring states, or from any group thatcan profit from the resources. And thesituation is worse in countries hard-hitby AIDS: “AIDS can debilitate a societyand its military capability – hollow itout so it’s not capable of defending it-self.”

Dr. Carment says big wars may befewer, but the number of small-scale in-surgencies where there’s limited loss oflife isn’t dropping.

“One area we need to be concernedabout is Oceania,” he said, adding thatcountries such as Papua New Guineacould collapse.

Dr. Carment doesn’t share Mr. Hein-becker’s optimism. He said even if theHuman Security Report 2005 shows thatthe number of people killed in war isdown, that’s only because people caughtin conflict are more likely than before totry to move out of harm’s way and be-come refugees.

“The people who would normally bekilled in these conflicts are running awayfrom them – and where they go destabi-lizes neighbouring states,” he said. “Onemillion people moved from Rwanda intothe Congo, and that contributed to its col-lapse.”

Douglas Goold, journalist, author andpresident and CEO of the Canadian Instituteof International Affairs

Dr. Goold says that while the biggestglobal threat appears to be nuclear arms inIran and North Korea, “there’s clearly beena move away from traditional warfare,both with the end of the Cold War and theidea of large armies facing each other inWestern Europe. What we have now, be-cause of fragile and failed states and guer-rilla warfare and a willingness of terroriststo work in urban areas, is warfare that’smore dispersed and harder to fight.

“The whole idea of warfare is becom-ing far more problematic,” he said, ex-plaining that war is no longer about onegovernment fighting another. For exam-ple, he said, it’s unclear just who theAmericans are fighting in Iraq.

That, he said, means Canada must re-think its approach and spend more defence.

“Canada spends less on defence as apercentage of the GDP than any othercountry in the OECD, and the chickensare coming home to roost. The Ameri-cans are right in saying that we basicallyget a free ride from them under the um-brella of American military power andit’s not unreasonable to get us to carryour weight.”

Dr. Goold said Canada needs the abil-ity to deploy its forces rapidly “withoutborrowing jetliners from the Russians.

“I think we will move toward a moreunified defence of North America. I thinkNORAD will be expanded beyond aero-space to defence of the seas.”

Dr. Goold also sees the possibility ofjoint border control and warns it maylead to weakened Canadian sovereignty.

“We have very different immigrationpolicies, and as soon as you have jointcontrol of the border, you run the risk ofceding control of your immigration poli-cies to someone else.”

Dr. Goold also says that increasingly,immigrant groups who agitate in Canadadetermine where the country focuses itsattention. For example, Haitian exiles liv-ing in Canada focus the government’s at-tention on Haiti.

Still, he says, in the long run defenceneeds remain difficult to predict: “TheCIA told us for decades about the powerof the USSR, and the USSR failed like ahouse of cards. And we were told by theAmericans about the weapons of massdestruction of the Iraqis.”

Daniel Drolet is Diplomat’s contributingeditor.


DEFENDING CANADA’S BORDERS|DI SPATCHES

IS PEACEKEEPING A PRIORITY?MAYBE NOT.

Canadians are often eager to toutLester B. Pearson’s creation of

peacekeeping, but many critics havelamented Canada’s decline frompeacekeeping missions in the past fewdecades. According to Foreign AffairsCanada, the country has contributednearly 20,000 troops to UN peacekeepingmissions since 1947, over a quarter ofwhich were sent since 1996. ThoughCanadians are currently serving in 17different UN missions around the world,Canada has hovered around 35th place introop contribution rankings to the UNover the past five years. But dependingon how “peacekeeping operations” aredefined, Canada may simply be usingdifferent multilateral channels tocontribute far more troops per capitathan it used to. The UN, after all, is notthe only multilateral organization thatdeploys missions under the banner ofpeacekeeping. Canada has contributedapproximately 5,500 troops to operationsunder NATO and other multinationalcoalitions between 1996 and 2006. But amore telling sign of Canada’s shiftingmilitary priorities is the fact that morethan 14,000 Canadian sailors, soldiers,and air force personnel have beendeployed to the U.S.-led InternationalCampaign Against Terror since 2001alone. Within five years, Canadacontributed more troops to the “war onterror” than it has sent to the UN since1981. Apparently, Canada’s fight againstterrorism has pushed UN peacekeepingmissions even further down the prioritylist. Is this an indication of further shiftsto come? With an ever-increasing focuson national security concerns, it seemsplausible that the ongoing war on terrorwill continue to take priority over otherUN missions, making it unlikely thatCanada will reclaim its UN peacekeepingtitle any time soon. Perhaps the morepertinent question is: Does it even want to?

– Rachel Schmidt

During the electoral campaign, theConservative Party talked aboutstanding up for Canada. This is

exactly what our approach to defence isfocused on. We will put Canada first bystrengthening our national sovereigntyand by increasing Canada’s self-reliancein matters of defence.

This government’s vision for defence isabout having a three-ocean navy, a robustarmy, and a revitalized air force, all ofwhich would operate as part of an inte-grated and effective Canadian forcesteam anywhere in the world.

Realizing this vision will require a sig-ni f icant amount of work. We muststreamline the procurement process, wemust reinvest in our infrastructure andequipment, but first and foremost, wemust recruit and train new personnel.

This government has stated that itwants to increase regular force personnelby 13,000 and reserve force personnel by10,000 over a five-year period, the end re-sult being a regular force of 75,000.

Over the coming years, the CanadianForces will need to replace the many babyboomers who will retire soon. They willneed to address the shortages in criticaltrades and occupations.

There will be many opportunities forpromising careers in the military andwe’ll ensure that Canadians look at theirCanadian Forces as an employer of choice.

To meet this requirement, we will ex-pand the existing recruitment and train-ing system, and look at alternate ways toincrease personnel levels, such as tem-porarily tasking selected operationalunits to act as trainers.

To ensure these new recruits are aswell-equipped as they are trained, wewill need to revisit our procurementprocess. Our armed forces can no longerafford to take years and years to obtainmajor pieces of equipment.

The end state of this review is an ac-quisition process that is fair, that is trans-parent, and most of all, that gives theCanadian Forces the equipment theyneed when they need it.

Our government also intends to create

new capabilities for the armed forces, aswell as expand and transform existingones. This will give the Canadian Forcesgreater strength at home and greater im-pact abroad. We will increase our mili-tary’s deployability. We will improve ournational surveillance capabilities. We willacquire new equipment and upgrade ex-isting platforms.

International law and diplomacy areimportant instruments in the protectionof our sovereignty. However, our claimsmust also be backed by strong militarycapabilities, including having the capac-ity for both surveillance and presenceover every part of Canada’s Arctic terri-tory.

This is why the government has devel-oped an ambitious plan to bolster Canada’smilitary capabilities in the Arctic. It’s ourintention to devote more people, moreequipment and more money to the de-fence of our great northern areas.

But the defence of Canada sometimesstarts abroad. Our commitment to Afghan-istan is a great example of this. Since itsoriginal participation in Operation En-during Freedom in 2001, Canada’s over-arching goal in Afghanistan has been toprevent it from relapsing into the failedstate that gave terrorists and terrorist or-ganizations a safe haven for so manyyears. This mission is ongoing and evolv-ing to meet the current security threats ofsouthern Afghanistan.

Together with troops from other coun-tries, the Canadian forces are making areal impact in Afghanistan. All over thecountry, buildings are being rebuilt.Refugees are returning home. Market-places are bustling. And little girls onceagain attend schools. But challenges re-main. Extremism is still a strong force andthe drug trade remains a currency formany.

This means that our work is not done.We will continue to support Afghanistanby increasing our commitment to the UN-mandated operations in that country andby playing a leadership role in the south-ern region of Kandahar.

Long-term success in Afghanistan re-quires a long-term commitment fromCanada, NATO and the United Nations.We will stay the course in that country.It’s important for the future of Afghan-istan. It’s important for the stability of theregion. And it’s important for interna-tional security.

We believe in these goals, we believe inthe good work being done in Afghan-istan, we believe in the men and womenof the Canadian Forces and we are committed to creating the best possibleconditions for the implementation of thisvision.

Gordon O’Connor is minister of defence anda former brigadier-general.



Defence is our focusProtecting the North and continuing the dangerous mission in Afghanistan remain commitments of the Conservative government, writes Canada’s new defence minister.

By Gordon O’Connor

IT ’S OUR INTENTION TO

DEVOTE MORE PEOPLE,

MORE EQUIPMENT AND MORE

MONEY TO THE DEFENCE OF

OUR GREAT NORTHERN AREAS.

CH

RIS

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The year 2006 marks the 50th an-niversary of international peace-k e e p i n g . W h y d o e s n ’ t e v e r y

Canadian know this fact and how doesthe Canadian government, and its newprime minister, envision the contributionsthis country can now make in this impor-tant arena? As a nation of immigrantswho, generation after generation had toand have to resolve differences of ideas orcultural perspectives, Canadians are in-herent peacekeepers. It is at the core ofour nature and reflected in our Charter,with its call for “peace, order and goodgovernment”. This anniversary is an im-portant opportunity to celebrate Canada’srole in peacekeeping – it is also an oppor-tunity to contribute to the new dynamicsof peacebuilding.

The ideal and idea of an internationalpeacekeeping force, operating under theblue UN flag, was proposed by the then-Canadian secretary of state for external af-fairs, Lester B. Pearson. Later Canada’sprime minister, Mr. Pearson’s innovativeproposal in response to the immediateconflict in the Suez Canal won interna-tional acclaim and led to the first deploy-ment of “blue berets”, under anotherCanadian, General E.L.M. Burns. Despitethe subsequent evolution of peacekeepingto peacebuilding and peacemaking, Cana-dians have consistently and strongly self-identified as “peacekeepers to the world”.

In fact, Canada is no longer a leader interms of commitment of troops and re-sources to UN peacekeeping. As of thisFebruary, Canada is the 32nd highest con-tributor (although this does not include itss ign i f i cant t roop commitments inAfghanistan, under a NATO mandate). InUN operations, Canada is tied in terms ofnumbers with the United States and isdramatically below such nations as Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Brazil, and the Philip-pines. The top contributing nation isBangladesh, with more than 10,000 troops.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan hasrecently approached the White House torequest the deployment of new troopsfrom developed countries to Darfur. Hehas said “It is no longer enough that

wealthy countries send money, whiletroop deployment is (only provided) bydeveloping countries.”

Indeed Darfur is a perfect example ofthe current model. The African Union(AU) has deployed 7,000 largely ill-equipped and under-funded troops.Meanwhile the world has watched ashundreds of thousands have been slaugh-tered. The echoes of “never again’ fadeinto an apathetic silence.

The secretary general has also calledon nations like Canada to step forwardand offer military support in response toa surging violence in Haiti.

It is true and commendable that, whileCanada’s representation among military

units may be low, Canada has con-tributed significantly to strategic peace-support efforts, including rebuilding andre-structuring judicial systems with assis-tance of members of the RCMP, correc-tions officers and judges or managingand overseeing free and fair elections anddeveloping new models of governance incountries emerging from turbulence.

Peacekeeping is not for the faint ofheart. Modern peacekeeping puts soldiersand field workers in harm’s way. Canadi-ans have died and will die in service.Canadians have also generally indicatedthat they support moves to enhance andexpand the use of their widely respectedand highly trained military, recognized bythe maple leaf patch as a symbol of fair-ness and impartiality wherever it goes.

As the country with the best economic

record among G-8 nations, a nation thatenjoys the democratic freedoms Canadi-ans generally take for granted, it is surelyincumbent upon Canada, and in its owninterests, to contribute to the efforts to en-hance global security. It is also time tocontribute to the strategic development ofnew knowledge and models of peace-building.

New knowledge, based on Canadianacademic and community-based research,should be supported and should includean international context. National De-fence’s modest Security and DefenceFund, that encourages young and maturescholars across the country, is a winningand innovative model which should beused to create an additional focus onpeacekeeping and peacebuilding and tostretch Canada’s intellectual contributions.

It is also time for Canada to make a ro-bust commitment to the UN’s fledglingPeace Building Commission (PBC). Thisnew contribution to the UN’s successfulrecord of peace enhancement is a 31-member commission created last Decem-ber. The commission has unfortunatelyalready been hampered by budgetaryconcerns. If Canada and Canadians are tocontinue to “have the UN in their DNA”as Chris Alexander, Canada’s first ambas-sador to a post-Taliban Afghanistan andthe newly appointed senior representa-tive to the secretary general has said, thenCanada must step-up and commit to thisnew initiative. The PBC will benefit fromboth a significant financial contributionfrom the Canadian government and fromits facilitation and support of the devel-opment of its strategy. Canada can offerthe kind of forceful intellectual presencethat Mr. Pearson demonstrated in seizinga chance for peace some 50 years ago. ACanadian brought peacekeeping to theworld. Let Canada continue to carry thistorch in a world still beset by tragedy inplaces like Darfur, Afghanistan, Haiti andthe Congo. The challenges can be met ifCanada has sufficient resolve.

Kathryn White is the executive director of theUnited Nations Association in Canada.



Time to Return to Pearsonian ValuesCanada should use the 50th anniversary of peacekeeping to rejuvenate its contributions and UN commitments,argues Kathryn White

PEACEKEEPING IS NOT FOR THE

FAINT OF HEART. MODERN

PEACEKEEPING PUTS SOLDIERS

AND FIELD WORKERS IN HARM’S

WAY. CANADIANS HAVE DIED

AND WILL DIE IN SERVICE.



Stephen Harper’s victory in the fed-eral election has provided an open-ing for policy makers concerned

about protecting our sovereignty in theCanadian Arctic. That protection is usu-ally taken to mean beefed-up defence ca-pability. This is an important aspect of it,but there is another crucial element thathas nothing to do with improved defencemuscle: The United States completely ig-nores Canadian claims of sovereignty inits Arctic waters, especially in the North-west Passage. Settling this second ele-ment is a prerequisite for defence to beeffective.

In 1982, the United Nations Conven-tion on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

came into effect when Fiji became the firstcountry to ratify it. Since that time, closeto 150 of the approximately 190 countriesof the world have followed, including theEuropean Community, the UK, Russia,Japan, China, Norway, Sweden, Den-mark, Finland, Iceland and Canada. TheUnited States has not. Canada has doneeverything required by UNCLOS to es-tablish and proclaim sovereignty over herwaters north of the Canadian mainland,including those of the Arctic Archipelago.

The United States, because it has notratified UNCLOS, does not recognizeCanada’s sovereignty claims on the basisof the convention. U.S. ships cruise on orbelow the surface of Canada’s Arctic wa-

ters with impunity, without asking leaveof anyone.

Until this issue is resolved, no amountof military defence hardware, software orpersonnel will allow Canada to protect itssovereignty against American incursions.The issue is a political one and will haveto be solved through international lawand diplomacy. Perhaps pressure exertedby the 150 countries of the world thathave already ratified the convention caninfluence the United States to get onboard. Contrary to U.S. AmbassadorDavid Wilkins’ recent statement that mostother countries don’t recognize Canada’sclaim of sovereignty in Northwest Pas-sage waters, 150 countries have ratified

Northwest ImpasseBefore Canada starts building defence capabilities in the Arctic, it must stop the U.S. from sailing its waters withimpunity, argues Gerard Kenney.

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UNCLOS, whose rules Canada followedin establishing her claim. There is little tobe gained in developing a military pres-ence to protect Canadian sovereignty inthe Arctic if the United States continuesviolating it. To think Canada could everface down U.S. military might in the Pas-sage would be the equivalent of dream-ing in technicolour.

Canada, of course, cannot wait on lawand diplomacy before developing its ca-pability to effectively manage an endlessflow of ships sailing through its Arcticwaters, though the issue has been ignoredby successive Canadian governments formany years and the task is now Her-culean. In 1985, Joe Clark, then secretaryof state for external affairs, told Parlia-ment that the government would start“construction of a Polar Class 8 ice-breaker and urgent consideration of othermeans of exercising more effective controlover our Arctic waters.”

That is as far as the good intentionswent. The icebreaker was never built. The“effective control” never came.

It was heartening to read pre-electionnews reports that claimed that if elected,the Conservative Party promised to de-velop a defence capacity in the Arctic.Now that the Conservatives have beenelected, this new government must im-mediately start thinking seriously aboutthe Canadian Arctic.

Attacking the issue Several federal government departmentswould be involved in developing aNorthwest Passage open to commercialmaritime traffic – something which ap-pears to be close to reality. Officials fromacross the federal government’s depart-ments (Environment, Finance, Fisheries,Foreign Affairs, International Trade, In-dustry, Justice, Defence, Natural Re-sources , Transport and Indian andNorthern Affairs, specifically) should allhave a hand in it.

A Canadian Northwest Passage com-mission (or a similar body) must beformed to ensure Canada can cope effec-tively, and soon, with the opening of theNorthwest Passage to international anddomestic ships. Officials from Foreign Af-fairs Canada, International Trade Canada,and Transport Canada, should chair thecommission jointly. It should create a planfor the development of the CanadianNorthwest Passage to suit the country’seconomic, environmental, social and de-fence needs.

Such a commission should also iden-

tify all the issues involved. Here’s achecklist of some priorities:

– Create a history of the exercise of sover-eignty in the Arctic (pre-1880 by theBritish and post-1880 by Canadians) toprepare for an appearance before the In-ternational Court of Justice.

– Develop an ironclad legal case for Cana-dian Arctic sovereignty for presentationto the International Court of Justice at

the appropriate time, if and when re-quired. Canada does have a very goodcase based on UNCLOS.

– Develop a timeline for the beginning ofcommercial maritime traffic in theNorthwest Passage and its growth after-wards.

– Develop a plan for surveillance, moni-toring, control of, and assistance to, thepredicted traffic over a reasonable pe-riod of years.

To make that las t point happen,Canada’s military would have to buy afleet of aircraft, and particularly helicop-ters, to do the job. The Coast Guard willneed powerful icebreakers.

After the hardware, Canada needs tothink about the services it will be calledupon to provide ships for their safe andefficient operation through the NorthwestPassage. This would mean converting theexisting voluntary “vessel traffic report-ing system” for Arctic Canada (com-monly known as NORDREG), whichoperates only part of the year, to a year-round, compulsory system for transitingships to obtain permission to enter Arcticwaters. Such a reporting system shouldwork hand-in-hand with a system for thedetection and monitoring of surface andundersea vessels entering Canadian Arc-tic waters.

Further, anyone managing sea traffic inthe far North should have access to ascrupulously up-to-date electronic file ofdisaster scenarios and the action requiredto respond to them should they occur.

Last but definitely not least, Canadamust think about money. The govern-ment must draw up a schedule of poten-tial yearly revenue from user fees for aNorthwest Passage open to ships; negoti-ate with interested parties to share thecosts; and draft a budget for it all, spreadover a number of years.

Inaction at this time could provoke acatastrophe of monumental proportionsfor which future generations of Canadi-ans could rightly reproach the presentgeneration. Canada risks being split intotwo separate parts, Canada North andCanada South, divided by a body of in-ternational water whose maritime trafficCanada could not fully control andwhose environment it could not protect.

This must not be allowed to happen.The Arctic deserves bold action – now.

Gerard Kenney’s third book on the Arctic tobe published in May 2006 is DangerousPassage: Issues in the Arctic.

CANADA, OF COURSE,

CANNOT WAIT ON LAW AND

DIPLOMACY BEFORE DEVEL-

OPING ITS CAPABILITY TO

EFFECTIVELY MANAGE AN

ENDLESS FLOW OF SHIPS

SAILING THROUGH ITS

ARCTIC WATERS, THOUGH

THE ISSUE HAS BEEN

IGNORED BY SUCCESSIVE

CANADIAN GOVERNMENTS

FOR MANY YEARS AND THE

TASK IS NOW HERCULEAN.

Preparing to patrol: Navy members take part in Ex-ercise Narwhal, a mission designed to conduct sov-ereignty operations in the remote North.

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To the surprise of many, defence is-sues figured prominently in the re-cent federal election. Indeed, in the

closing weeks of the campaign, questionsover the role of the Canadian Forces inguaranteeing Canadian security domi-nated the political debate and may haveplayed a part in the final election out-come. In light of this, it makes sense toexamine what should be Canada’s futureapproach to security and defence.

Historically, Canada has looked prima-rily overseas to guarantee its security. Thepremise has been that “the best defence isa good offence,” that Canada’s securitydepends on confronting threats as faraway from its borders as it can. This ap-proach reflected the nature of the threat atthe t ime. During the Cold War, thebiggest direct threat to Canada was fromintercontinental ballistic missiles, againstwhich there was little Canadians coulddo defensively, so by default they lookedabroad to address threats to Canada. Af-ter the Cold War ended, the predomi-nance of intrastate conflict around theworld supported a continued emphasison looking overseas.

This emphasis on looking abroad wasalso the result of a lingering “fireproofhouse” mentality. Although the advent ofintercontinental flight and missiles hadbegun to shrink Canada’s geographicaladvantage, Canadians still enjoyed a cer-tain degree of safety by virtue of beingseparated from the rest of the world bylarge oceans to the east and west and, no-tably, a frozen and impassable ocean tothe north.

To a certain extent the “best defence isa good offence” viewpoint is still valid.Canada’s security depends in part on en-suring that failed and failing states do notbecome a haven in which terrorists cantake refuge, arm themselves, and fromwhich they can strike Canada or its allies.The imperative is stabilization and recon-struction missions, and sometimes com-bat operations to root out terrorists. Thesenew missions are dangerous and oftenbear little or no resemblance to the tradi-tional peacekeeping missions of the Cold

War period, which were based on theprinciples of consent, impartiality, andthe use of force only in self-defence.

But there are several reasons whyCanada needs to rebalance this approach.

First, today’s threats are such thatCanada is no longer compelled by defaultto look abroad to protect itself. There wasno defence against intercontinental ballis-tic missiles, but there are now technolo-gies to detect a series of threats. Expertscan now detect biological weapons in a

major city, scan shipping containers forweapons of mass destruction, and identifyhigh-risk airline travellers, to give only afew examples. Such developments holdthe potential to shift the enormous task ofmonitoring goods and people enteringCanada into the realm of the “just possi-ble.” Second, while it is attractive to tryand target terrorists abroad to forestall at-tacks at home, these small, scattered cellsof individuals are not vulnerable to mili-tary attack. And the attacks in Madrid andLondon demonstrate that failed states arenot the only places where terrorists live.

A third and related point is that threatsto Canada may already be within Canada,which eliminates the “offensive” option.Government officials have stressed thatthere is a real threat of a terrorist incidenton Canadian soil, perhaps using weaponsof mass destruction.

This final point harks back to the dis-appearing fireproof house. The vastoceans can’t shield Canada from a threatthat could already exist within its bor-ders. It is also likely that changes in thefrozen and impassable Canadian Northwill bring to an end this geographic isola-tion. Climate change and the melting po-lar ice-cap are likely to lead to a growingnumber of challenges to Canadian sover-eignty.

Already, experts predict the NorthwestPassage could be open to commercialtraffic within less than a decade. Evidencealso suggests that U.S. (and perhapsother) submarines travel through Cana-dian-claimed waters without notification,much less permission. Moreover, Canada’sconcerns in the North could go beyondsovereignty and showing a Canadianpresence to actual security concerns.There are competing claims to oil and gasreserves on the ocean floor, and therecould be a terrorist or organized criminalthreat to the expanding diamond trade inthe Northwest Territories.

For all these reasons, Canada needs toplace more emphasis on security and de-fence at home versus abroad. This newapproach should include, among otherthings, vessels to patrol Canada’s coastalwaters, unmanned aircraft and satellitesto monitor the country’s air and sea ap-proaches, forces to respond to the terror-ist use of a weapon of mass destructionon Canadian soil, and ships that can sailthrough and enforce our sovereignty inthe Arctic. Canada’s future security andsovereignty demands it.

Elinor Sloan is an assistant professor of in-ternational relations at Carleton University,and is a former defence analyst with NationalDefence. Her latest book is called Securityand Defence in the Terrorist Era.

Canada’s new defenceFor years, Canada has employed the “best defence is a good offence” theory in keeping its citizens safe. Withthe melting polar ice cap, and the potential for terrorist cells already on Canadian soil, that direction mustchange, writes Elinor Sloan

TODAY’S THREATS ARE

SUCH THAT CANADA IS

NO LONGER COMPELLED

BY DEFAULT TO LOOK

ABROAD TO PROTECT ITSELF.

THERE WAS NO DEFENCE

AGAINST INTERCONTINENTAL

BALLISTIC MISSILES,

BUT THERE ARE NOW

TECHNOLOGIES TO DETECT

A SERIES OF THREATS.

CANADA’S FOREIGN SERVICE|DI SPATCHES


Nicoló Machiavelli cautioned us inthe 16th century not to confusewishes with reality, but that has

not stopped Canada from trying to maxi-mize its influence. In an ideal world,Canada might be the honest broker ofchoice given its strengths – among themits proximity to the sole superpower and its early enthusiasm for peacekeep-ing missions far from home – but on acrowded stage with more than 190 na-tion-states, clarion calls from Ottawa arelost among louder voices. The task is noeasier with a southerly Gulliver who seesother nations as Lilliputians getting inthe way.

In this bleak reality, last April’s Inter-national Policy Statement by Foreign Af-fairs contained an idea whose time mayhave come. Canada’s true strength maywell lie in its multicultural identity. Thelast Ethnic Diversity Survey conducted in2002 reported that “immigrants and theirchildren are adding to the ethno-culturalmake-up of Canada’s population, makingit one of the most ethnically diverse na-tions in the world.” According to thesame survey, developed by StatisticsCanada and the Department of CanadianHeritage, only 46 per cent reported theirorigins to be British, French or “Cana-dian,” while the rest traced their roots toother nations.

If Canada could exploit this identity, itcould get into the good books of China,India and Brazil. A large percentage ofCanada’s immigrants come from two ofthose nations—China and India—thatwill inevitably be great powers in thenear future.

While the policy statement recognizesthe value of ethnic diversity in diplomacyand recommends ways to better utilizethe skills of immigrants in the generaleconomy, it does not take the notion of acultural smorgasbord to the next logicalstep—a multi-ethnic foreign service. For-tunately, bureaucrats at Foreign Affairsdo not take their cues only from the

grand exercises that are conducted withingovernment every decade or so, but havein fact been quietly retooling the foreignservice to be more reflective of the Cana-dian identity. Gisèle Samson-Verreault,the department’s assistant deputy minis-ter responsible for human resources, says“the face of the department has changedsignificantly” over the last few years. Towit, 18 per cent of the department’s newrecruits in 2003 identified themselves asvisible minorities (defined in governmentparlance as being non-Caucasian in raceor non-white in colour).

Further, Ms. Samson-Verreault says,9.4 per cent of applications to the foreignservice in 2003 came from visible-minor-

ity applicants, while another 2.3 per centwere Aboriginal. “It would be weird,” shestressed, “if all our diplomats lookedwhite, anglophone and male.” The rest ofthe federal public service is not as repre-sentative. According to Sharon Bowles,manager (parliamentary affairs) in thecommunications branch of the Public Ser-vice Human Resources ManagementAgency, 10.8 per cent of the 1,187 foreignservice officers were from visible minor-ity groups in 2003-2004, while only 7.8per cent of the 165,976 public servants inthat year came from this designatedgroup. (Census 2001 reported that 12.4per cent of the private industry workforcewere visible minorities.)

The Changing Face of the Foreign ServiceBureaucrats at Foreign Affairs have been quietly retooling the foreign service to be more reflective of the coun-try’s diversity, George Abraham writes

A distinctive diplomat:In 1991 when Arif Lalanijoined the foreignservice, it was still awhite bastion. Eventoday, he remains one of only two Asian-Canadians at thedirector level.

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Speaking to this trend, are two officers– one working in Bejing, the other in Ot-tawa. Jennie Chen, who joined the servicein 2003 and is of Chinese descent, wasposted to Beijing last summer, while ArifLalani, a Uganda-born diplomat of Indianheritage, is director of the South Asia di-vision.

It has not always been this way. In1991, when Mr. Lalani joined the depart-ment, it was still a white bastion. Even today, he remains one of only two Asian-Canadians at the director level, but heagrees that may have more to do withfewer candidates from ethnic back-grounds previously taking an interest indiplomatic careers.

To some, his current posting may seemodd given his cultural roots in the Indiansubcontinent, but that does not botherhim. “I was born in Africa, and have In-dian cultural underpinnings, but I wasraised, and educated in Canada and am aproduct of the Canadian experience.” Itwas only in 2003, as director in the SouthAsia division, that Mr. Lalani first set footin India, although “I speak an Indian lan-guage, Gujarati, with my mother at home,and eat Indian food.”

Mr. Lalani sees his multicultural back-ground as an asset that allies naturallywith modern diplomacy. He finds it easierto break the ice with both Indians and Pak-istanis, although his looks have causedsome consternation on occasion. Hevividly remembers the time in the 1990swhen he was a second secretary at theCanadian embassy in Turkey and ran intoa group of Canadian tourists in a hotellobby. “It took me half an hour to convinceone set of curious and well-intentionedCanadian tourists that I wasn’t a locallyappointed Turkish employee and actuallya Canadian with diplomatic status, repre-senting them in Turkey.”

Earlier in his career, he watched withsome glee as European diplomats inCopenhagen tracked him with their eye-balls. He was on a six-month assignmentto the Danish capital during Denmark’sEuropean Union presidency. “I often got

a second look. I stuck out. They seemedto be wondering which country I repre-sented,” Mr. Lalani recalls.

Ms. Chen says her joining the ranks in2003 is part of an “intellectual evolution”in Canada’s approach to international af-fairs. “The demographics of Canada arechanging and so must our representationabroad, and perhaps most importantly, somust our policy deliberations.” She con-fessed that she was initially reluctant togo to Beijing – “simply to avoid the fuss”– but has since reconciled to the posting.

The career paths of Ms. Chen and Mr.Lalani will be of some comfort to On-tario’s Lieutenant Governor James Bartle-man, who has written extensively abouthis time in the foreign service and made apointed reference to its lack of diversity.He feels that Canada has come some way towards addressing this shortcom-ing. Asked whether ethnic officers bringskills different from their white peers, Mr. Bartleman said, “They can reflectCanada’s new multicultural reality inter-nationally … they can be bridges to coun-tries where they have roots and facilitateCanadian interests.”

Not everybody is impressed, however.Senator Don Oliver, a long-time critic ofinequity in federal government employ-ment, said that while the foreign servicehas diversified its ethnic mix in recentyears, it still remains less-than-reflectiveof Canadian demographics.

The department also appears to be do-ing more to draw out minority communi-ties. According to the assistant deputyminister, the number of minority-groupcandidates has been rising partly due tothe “outreach” program launched by thedepartment through community and eth-nic news media. For the 40 to 60 recruitsevery year, the department receives be-tween 4,000 and 5,000 applications, Ms.Samson-Verreault said, and of those,about 400 identify themselves as belong-ing to a visible minority group.

George Abraham, a Neiman scholar, is a con-tributing editor to Diplomat.

TALKING HERITAGE

Diplomat interviewed three foreignservice workers, who are visibleminorities, about their jobs

NAME: Oussamah TamimTITLE: Trade commissioner POSTED TO: Warsaw JOINED THE FOREIGN SERVICE: 2000

What motivated you to join thediplomatic service? Being multicultural due to birth inMorocco, schooling in the French Lycéesystem, and living in Canada since theage of 17 as a landed immigrant firstand later a citizen, having studiedpolitical science and law, I consideredmyself particularly suited to a careerwhere exposure to different culturesand lifestyles is the norm. I realized thatthe foreign service offered a uniqueopportunity to satisfy my personalinterests of learning more about othercultures, of travelling the world, and offollowing international affairs. At thesame time, it provided me with anopportunity to give back to myadoptive country.

In the context of your culturalbackground, what special strengths doyou think you bring to the job? Is therean anecdote that speaks to thisstrength? As one can expect, languagecapabilities and the ability to relativelyeasily acquire new ones come first tomind. Prior to joining the foreignservice, I was already fully bilingual in

MINORITIES IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE: Women, Aboriginals and people with disabili-ties are all over-represented in Canada's public service while visible minorities fall short.

Workforce Representation Representation

Availability March 31, 2004 Gap

Women 52.2% 53.1% +0.9%

Aboriginal peoples 2.5% 4.1% +1.6%

Persons with disabilities 3.6% 5.7% +2.1%

Members of visible minorities 10.4% 7.8% -2.6%Source: Public Service Commission of Canada

CANADA’S FOREIGN SERVICE|DI SPATCHES


.

terms of official languages, in addition to(knowing) Arabic, Spanish and a fewwords of German. But language is onlythe tip of the cultural iceberg. I believebeing truly aware of how different twocultures can be in terms of social norms,behaviours or business practices, and howeasily miscommunication can occur, is asignificant asset to any person involved incross-cultural activities.

I recently had to explain to a Canadianvisitor to my current posting of Polandthat his referring to Poles as EasternEuropeans would not go over well in apresentation he was supposed to bemaking. Indeed, notwithstanding theWestern historical concept of the “EasternBlock” founded through the Warsaw Pact,Poles have never ceased to considerthemselves as Central Europeans, asopposed to Ukrainians or Russians.

Would you be comfortable dealing withthe land/region of your cultural roots?Why? [A]s much as I would love to, I would notbe comfortable dealing with my countryof origin because I could find myself in aposition of perceived conflict of interestdue to my dual citizenship. However, mycultural roots could be an asset in dealingwith other countries in North Africa, oreven in the Middle-East.

NAME: Sanjeev ChowdhuryTITLE: Consul general POSTED TO: Ho Chi Minh JOINED THE FOREIGN SERVICE: 1995

What motivated you to join thediplomatic service?It was mainly a chance encounter inOttawa with Cameroon’s long-time highcommissioner to Canada, Philemon Yang,in December 1989, while I was a fourth-year undergraduate student in Halifax. Ithink that meeting and him showing mehis world, his life, and being so kind to meand my student colleagues really made animpression on me. And, I thought tomyself, he’s got a neat job and I would liketo get into the diplomatic service one day.

[T]he one thing that always had thegreatest impact on me was theautobiography of Lester B. Pearson. In it,he said, ‘When you are posted as adiplomat overseas, don’t get caught in theexpatriate ghetto. Get out and meet thepeople of the country where you areposted. That’s why you are being sent.’

In the context of your culturalbackground, what special strengths doyou think you bring to the job? Is therean anecdote that speaks to this strength? I certainly feel that my ability to relate notjust to Indians, but to many differentcultures is one of my strong points. Part ofit is because my parents really encouragedus to take the best of Canadian societyand the best of Indian society, and tried tocapture both those communities in ourupbringing.

When I was posted to Mumbai (1997-2000), before I left, many people told meit’s going to be a piece of cake for you –‘you are an Indo-Canadian, you are goingto India, it’s very easy for you to adjustand do very well from day one.’ But it wasa huge cultural shock for me, much to mysurprise… [It] made me realize thatvisiting India [as part of the former primeminister Jean Chrétien’s delegation in1996, and earlier in 1978] and living inIndia were completely different things… Ialways felt there was this unusualfascination with me in the Indian pressand Indian society because I was a brown-skinned Canadian diplomat.

NAME: Jennie Chen TITLE: Third SecretaryPOSTED TO: BejingJOINED THE FOREIGN SERVICE: 2003

What motivated you to join thediplomatic service?[A]s with all children of immigrantfamilies, my parents have their ownspecial story of their arrival in Canada,and it is the story of those choices whichnudged me towards what ended up being

my academic area of interest: history,culture, and the vestiges of colonialismwhich continue to impact our geo-strategic realities.

In the context of your culturalbackground, what special strengths doyou think you bring to the job? [A]n increasingly multicultural foreignservice is part and parcel of an intellectualevolution taking place within the [ForeignAffairs] department and across thecountry as our society demands a morenuanced and strategic approach toforeign relations. The demographics ofCanada are changing and so must ourrepresentation abroad, and perhaps mostimportantly, so must our policydeliberations. I am pleased to be a part ofthis evolution. At the same time, I do notsee myself as a tool of tokenism. I wasborn in Canada, raised in Canada, andeducated in Canada, and I do not seemyself as separate from the ‘mainstream.’

Would you be comfortable dealing withthe land/region of your cultural roots?Why?[In fact, she was posted to Beijing lastsummer.] At first I had mixed feelings. MyChinese roots are very important to me, asare my Canadian ones. I (was) in a waygoing to some place both familiar andalien. Did I want to face the inevitablequestions and cultural challenges fromboth sides? Perhaps a few years ago, Iwouldn’t have wanted to go simply toavoid the fuss, but as I became morecomfortable with myself and accepted theinnate contradictions that make up who Iam, I (was) more than ready to go.

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For decades, Pakistan has sufferedfrom ethnic and political disputes,low levels of education, poor infra-

structure, low foreign direct investment(FDI) and costly confrontations with itsneighbour, India. In 2002, 50 per cent ofgovernment spending went toward debtservice charges. The following year, theU.S. averted disaster when it forgave $1billion in loans, and another half-billionin 2004, followed by a massive aid pack-age, thus reducing Pakistan’s debt servicecharges to a more manageable 27 per centof government expenditures.

Last year’s devastating earthquake, to-gether with the country’s desperate ef-forts to balance U.S. expectations againstdomestic imperatives brought about bynationalistic and fundamentalist concernsof the people, has acutely stressed thegovernment of President Pervez Mushar-raf. Perceptions of “endemic” corruption,and relentless media portrayals of a “law-less” state burdened by terror and a“frontier justice mentality”, have hurtPakistan’s attempts to generate FDI andinvestor confidence.

Nonetheless, Pakistan’s economy hasbeen bolstered by recent macro-economicreforms. During 2004, Pakistan’s GDPgrew by 5.1 per cent and is expected tohover around the same figure in 2005.Supported by growing exports (mostlytextiles and clothing), and remittancesfrom Pakistanis working in the Gulf re-gion, the country’s foreign reserves arehealthy, and levels of inflation, debt andfiscal deficit remain under control.

Diplomat sat down with Pakistani HighCommissioner Shahid Malik to discussthe future.

Gurprit Kindra: The unprecedented naturaldisaster that struck Pakistan has been atremendous drain on your country’s re-sources. Are you satisfied with the assis-tance being provided by wealthiercountries like Canada? Shahid Malik: The catastrophe of last Oc-tober killed 70,000, injured in excess of100,000, and displaced 3.4 million peo-ple. Essential infrastructure like schoolsand hospitals across 28,000 square kilo-metres was completely destroyed. Pak-istan is currently working on a $10-12billion reconstruction program to pro-

vide short-term andlong-term assistanceto people in the re-gion. Pakistan madean appeal for interna-tional assistance andw e a r e g r a t e f u l t ocountries like Canadafor their t imely re-sponse. In addition to

the financial support, the government ofCanada dispatched its DART team forsetting up field hospitals, installing wa-ter purification plants, and providingother forms of emergency assistance tothe affected people. A number of fund-raising events were held across Canadawhere NGOs and ordinary peoplehelped raise over $300,000 for humani-tarian activities in the region.

GK: Are you confident that the moniesraised for the needy, will not get divertedor somehow wasted?SM: (The) Pakistan government has set upThe Federal Relief Commission and TheRehabilitation and Relief Agency to over-see the relief effort. These are independ-ent agenc ies that work wi th o therinternational relief agencies to disburseaid in a timely and efficient manner.There is minimal red tape. Things are cer-tainly moving along very well.

GK: While the subcontinent is starving fornatural gas, Pakistan holds vast suppliesof it. What prevents your country frombecoming a major supplier of natural gasin the region?SM: Even though one-third of our energyneed is met by domestic natural gas, Pak-istan remains an energy-deficient country.Industrial consumption of gas continuesto grow, and therefore, there is no imme-diate prospect of gas exports.

GK: But Pakistan has the potential to pro-duce a lot more. SM: Yes, Pakistan has the capacity to pro-duce more and we hope that our outputwill continue to increase. If Pakistan didnot have these reserves, the situationwould be dire indeed. With oil prices sky-rocketing, Pakistan is lucky to have thisbuffer. For example, compared to India’sannual expenditures of over $27 billion

on imported oil, Pakistan spends only $3to $4 billion.

GK: Speaking of India, the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline is good newsfor that country as well as Pakistan. Is Pakistan satisfied with the pace ofprogress in this area?SM: The proposed pipeline originates

from the Paras oilfields in Iran and is certainly good news for both India andPakistan. All three countries are currentlyengaged in extensive discussions and con-sultations to finalize the modalities of thepipeline. By mid-2007, all studies are ex-pected to be completed, and by 2010 thepipeline should to be operational. In spiteof the relatively long gestation period, weare satisfied with the pace of negotiations.

GK: Your government focuses on eco-nomic development and poverty allevia-tion. However, current developments inthe World Trade Organization (WTO) in-dicate that many developing countries in-cluding Pakistan could soon face punitivetariffs if certain environmental protectiontargets are not met. From the perspectiveof Pakistan, is there a trade-off betweeneconomic development and environmen-tal protection?SM: Pakistan is conscious of its responsi-bilities with regards to environmentalprotection. The Environmental ProtectionAct (of Pakistan) enacted in 1997, ensuresthat our business and industry operateswithin a well-defined framework. We arefully committed to compliance with inter-national treaties; there should be no con-cern on that account.

GK: But the WTO feels differently.SM: We live on the same planet and assuch have an obligation towards othersto keep its environment “friendly”. Pak-istan’s National Environment Plan isspecifically concerned about clean air,clean water, eco-systems managementand compliance with internationalnorms. We will take steps to address allissues that have been raised by the inter-national agencies like the WTO.

GK: Trade between Canada and Pakistanis meager and for the most part, confinedto traditional items like clothing and tex-

Hope on the heels of catastrophe

DI SPATCHES|TRADE WINDS


GURPRIT S.KINDRA


TRADE WINDS|DI SPATCHES

tiles and lentils and pulses. How do youhope to invigorate bilateral trade betweenthe two countries? SM: I am glad you raised this question be-cause the matter of bilateral trade is closeto my heart. The current level of trade($600 million) between the two countriesis small and could be vastly improved.Last year, Export 2005 took place inKarachi, and as a result of that event, anumber of trade delegations visitedCanada. I have also tried to diversify ourexports to Canada into non-traditional ar-eas like gem stones, automobile parts,footwear, and handicrafts. Pakistan-Canada Trade Council (based in Toronto)has been very active in promoting trade

between the two countries. Similarly, Export 2006, scheduled for April, is ex-pected to draw a large number of Cana-dian businesspeople.

GK: In spite of all these efforts, why is thelevel of trade so poor? Do you see anybarriers to trade between the two coun-tries?SM: Marketing is poorly done and busi-ness communities on both sides need todialogue and interact more frequently.There is a serious lack of information onboth sides. Mining, high technology andthe oil sectors of Canada are starting to

take note of the potential for trade withPakistan. So, I think we are moving in theright direction.

GK: Is Pakistan’s involvement with theUnited States’ “war-on-terror,” a signifi-cant distraction from the country’s coremission: economic and social develop-ment? SM: Pakistan joined the internationalcoalition against terrorism because we be-lieve in peace, moderation and tolerance.Being a moderate Islamic country, wehave a sobering influence in the region.But we are also paying a heavy price forour attempts at curbing extremism andterrorism in our part of the world. Twice,

our president has been targeted for assas-sination and an attempt was also madeon the prime minister ’s life. This doesnot, however, deter us from attending tothe economic and social agenda of thegovernment.

While on the subject of terrorism, Iwould like to refer to the policy of “en-lightened moderation”, also highlightedby President Musharraf during his visit toOttawa in October 2003. It states the clashbetween Western values and the Islamicsystem can be avoided by following atwo-pronged approach. On the one handMuslims must assume their responsibility

in avoiding all forms of extremism andembrace science and technology, highereducation and human resource develop-ment. On the other, the international com-munity should eschew all attempts toequate terrorism with Islam and makeconcerted efforts to promote economicdevelopment in Muslim countries.

GK: The current storm of protest in the Is-lamic world over a Danish newspaper’sdepiction of Prophet Mohammad is cer-tainly indicative of the ever-wideningchasm between the two cultures. What doyou think? SM: The publication of the derogatoryand blasphemous sketches featuring theHoly Prophet in the Danish Newspaper,and the recent reprinting in other Euro-pean countries, has caused grievous andprofound hurt to the sentiments of Mus-lims all over the world. Such actions jeop-ardize our common endeavours forenhancing understanding and coopera-tion between cultures and encourage sin-ister agendas for clash of civilizations. Wereject the false pretext of freedom of pressfor publishing these caricatures since free-dom of expression does not mean absenceof any values, ethics or laws, but rather –amongst other things – protection and re-spect of the rights of individuals as wellas their religious and social values.

GK: Are you satisfied with what you haveaccomplished during your tenure in Ottawa?SM: While my tenure continues in Ot-tawa, I have been able to create an aware-ness of the importance and relevance ofPakistan both in the political and the eco-nomic field. One outcome of this efforthas resulted in Pakistan’s inclusion as oneof Canada’s 25 development partners.Also, in a Government of Canada docu-ment, Opening Doors to the World – 2004,Pakistan was recognized as a countrymoving in the right economic directionand the president was complimented forimplementing a “comprehensive agendaof macroeconomic stabilization and eco-nomic and governance reforms”. Also,since my arrival in Ottawa, there hasbeen an upsurge in the level of bilateralcontacts. I am happy with these accom-plishments.

Dr. Gurprit Kindra is an international marketing consultant and a professor of man-agement at the University of Ottawa. [email protected] to reachhim.

Not giving up: Pakistani High Commissioner Shahid Malik says his country can turn things around, in spiteof crippling debt and low foreign investment and the aftermath of last year’s devastating earthquake.

DY

AN

NE

WIL

SON

Having elected Stephen Harper asprime minister, is it reasonable tosurmise that Canadians have

achieved a level of comfort with his per-sona? Not true. Based on informationgleaned from three books that deal withthe rise of Mr. Harper and the rebound ofthe Conservatives, it is clear that his isvery much an apprenticeship.

Stephen Harper and the Future of Canada,McClelland & Stewart, 418 pages, $34.99

William Johnson has become the go-to person in Ottawa largely by default.Although his book suffers from a lack ofobjectivity and offers a rather rosy as-sessment of the PM-to-be (the book waspublished in 2005), it has provided theonly authoritative account there is. De-scribing his subject as a “convictionpolitician,” the author makes this sweep-ing assessment: “On the big-picture is-sues that arose during his career, therecord shows that Harper was consis-tently right when almost all around himwere wrong.”

After 400 pages of writing in the samevein, Mr. Johnson deals with Mr. Harper’sAchilles heel almost as a footnote. Heidentifies an “excess of partisanship” and“a touch of paranoia with respect to thenews media” as weaknesses, but saves the

most damning for the book’s penultimateparagraph: “He has placed unnecessaryobstacles in the way of [ordinary Canadi-ans] making an informed evaluation ofthis man who asks them to make himprime minister.” One wonders why suchsubstantial warts would not be discussedand rationalized in greater detail in anotherwise very readable book.

The Pilgrimage of Stephen Harper, ECWPress, 221 pages, $32.95

Unlike Mr. Johnson, author LloydMackey appears to have had some accessto Mr. Harper ’s entourage and family,and yet his book can only be described ashalf-baked. Written in the days leadingup to the last federal election, there’s anobvious effort to cash in on the rising dis-affection for the Liberals and delve intothe moral and ethical suasions of awould-be prime minister. Mr. Mackeymay have been privy to more than he waswilling to write, particularly with regardto Mr. Harper’s faith and how that mayinfluence his approach to the issues of theday.

The book, though, performs yeomanservice by spending some time discussingMr. Harper’s 100,000-word Masters thesiscompleted in 1991, The Political BusinessCycle and Fiscal Policy in Canada. Here is

an astute observation from that thesis:“Policymakers are motivated by politicalgoals, in particular, electoral goals, ratherthan the social optima assumed by tradi-tional macroeconomic policy prescrip-tions.” Not as lucid as Galbraith, butperhaps foreshadowing a policy-before-politics mindset.

Democracy Challenged: How to End One-Party Rule in Canada, Véhicule Press, 203pages, $18.95

Published in 2002 at a particularlybleak moment for the Conservativemovement, William Heward Grafftey’sbook makes only a solitary mention of theHarper name. It’s in the context of theCanadian Alliance being a one-trick ponydevoted to Western alienation underHarper’s stewardship, but unable to offera credible alternative to the Liberal jug-gernaut. But, Mr. Grafftey, a seven-timeProgressive Conservative MP fromQuébec, does predict that any revival ofTory fortunes will happen as a result of anew dynamic between the West and hishome province.

Mr. Grafftey offers interesting insightsinto the leadership styles of both JohnDiefenbaker and Joe Clark. For instance,while discussing Mr. Diefenbaker’s reign,he offers this instructive sentence for Mr.

DELIGHTS|BOOKS


Apprentice Harperby George Abraham

Harper: “The lesson is not to take on po-litical battles with the provinces – theywin every time.” The author had no timefor Brian Mulroney, whose “elitism” and“extravagant lifestyle” he found unac-ceptable. His misplaced prognosis (in2002) that the PC party “can form thenext government” shows the extent towhich Mr. Harper has been able to re-shape the Conservative landscape in hisown image in three short years.

* * *The two recent explorations of the primeminister, albeit written well before thelast federal election, are rather one-sided,suffering as they do from a lack of accessto the man they are writing about. Yet,they fall far short of offering readers aninsight into what he might do in office.For somebody who has been in public lifefor almost two decades, Mr. Harper has

either had good minders or been able tokeep his elbows up.

If his early ambition was to representCanada as a diplomat, we have little to goon when it comes to divining the primeminister’s world view. He did, however,say in a Dec. 14, 2004, speech to the Cana-dian Club in Ottawa: “For Conservatives,the defining element of our approach toforeign policy is to better advance the na-tional interest, including the security ofCanadian territory; the economic pros-perity of the Canadian people; and thevalues of democracy, freedom and com-passion that define the Canadian nation.”

Icebreakers in the far North have cometo define the new government’s muscularapproach to defence, but think back to the1972 campaign when another Conserva-tive would-be prime minister, RobertStanfield, declared “unqualified Cana-dian sovereignty over the waters of theArctic.” So, what’s new?


BOOKS|DELIGHTS

THE TWO RECENT

EXPLORATIONS OF THE PRIME

MINISTER, ALBEIT WRITTEN

WELL BEFORE THE LAST

FEDERAL ELECTION, ARE

RATHER ONE-SIDED, SUFFERING

AS THEY DO FROM A LACK OF

ACCESS TO THE MAN THEY ARE

WRITING ABOUT.

28

DELIGHTS|ENTERTAINING

The last issue of Diplomat markedmy first anniversary writing forthis publication. As some readers

know, I am married to a former Cana-dian foreign service officer and enjoyedan exciting and rewarding life being adiplomat’s spouse and doing the enter-taining that goes with it. But during ourlast posting abroad – my husbandLarry’s second assignment as ambassa-dor – my own career accidentally tookroot.

It all began on the day that markedLarry’s 25th year of government service.We were sitting by our pool in Jakarta,savouring a rare private dinner alone. Welooked back in time, remembering places,family, friends, experiences and whatthey all meant. Then Larry said: “My ca-reer will come and go, but people willforever remember your entertaining. Youhave been asked for decades to recordyour recipes – now is the time to do it.”He was absolutely correct.

I always cooked instinctively andrarely wrote out my recipes, but that didnot intimidate me. Fortunately, I also hadhandwritten menus of what I had servedguests during our two previous posts,Kuwait and Seoul. So, while in Singaporefor surgery, I decided to call Shirley Hew,the vice-president of Times Editions, thelargest publishing house in Asia at thattime.

I convinced Ms. Hew to come to myhotel for coffee that afternoon, the day be-fore my return flight to Jakarta. For twohours, I explained who I was, as well asmy passion for developing my ownrecipes and for presenting them with atouch of style. Within weeks, she showedup in Jakarta to spend a weekend withLarry and I, and also to verify my culi-nary talents and entertaining skills.

She was impressed and within eightmonths, the manuscript was completed,accepted and approved. Then a fax ar-rived requesting the inclusion of samplemenus. This entailed a significant re-writeof one-third of the text plus major adjust-ments to the photos. Complex full-roomphotos had to be added to the more stan-dard close-up shots of individual plates.Three days before the photo team arrivedf ro m S i n g a p o re , o u r f a x m a c h i n esqueezed out another request. “Please

procure a wide varietyo f d i f f e re n t c h i n a ,stemware and unusedsilverware.” Uh oh.

C a l l s t o g e n e r a lmanagers of severalf i n e h o t e l s p ro v e dfruitful: I was allowedto borrow anything,including one-of-a-

kind plates valued at more than $500. Atthat point, the critical task was to re-platemy 150 recipes on the hotel items alongwith those from my own personal collec-tion for 100 colour photos. We had hun-

dreds of plates strewn over tabletops,sofas, beds and floors stretching from thedining room to the bedroom.

We transformed one bedroom into aphoto studio for close-up shots. With dig-ital photography not yet on the scene, thephotographer would first produce a Po-laroid image and then take a series ofphotos later developed in Singapore.

All 100 photos in the book were takenin two five-day periods. I did the culinarypreparation and food styling while Larry

took two weeks’ holidays and assumedthe role of supervisor.

Three and a half months later, From theAmbassador ’s Table was launched inJakarta. The event featured recipes fromthe book and attracted eight Indonesiancabinet ministers. A second printing ofthe book came out three months later andthen a third soon after. This one wasspecifically for the Canadian market.

For an easy appetizer, I invite you totry my Avocado à la Russe. With qualityavocados available all year round, I prob-ably make a version of this quick and in-expensive recipe at least once every 10days. Be sure to have it with the requiredglass of freezer-cold vodka.

Margaret Dickenson is author of the award-winning cookbook, From the Ambassador’sTable and creator/host of Margaret’s Enter-taining Minutes, seen daily on Rogers Cable(www.margaretssenseofoccasion.com).

AVOCADO À LA RUSSEMakes 4 servings

6 oz (175 g) peeled cooked shrimp*,medium size3 tbsp (45 mL) vinaigrette, a mustard herbvariety2 large avocados, well ripened3 to 4 tbsp (45 to 60 mL) Tarragon Hol-landaise Mayonnaise (recipe attached)1/3 cup (80 mL) sour cream

How I became an author

MARCH—APRIL 2006

MARGARETDICKENSON

LAR

RY

DIC

KEN

SON

THEN LARRY SAID:

“MY CAREER WILL COME

AND GO, BUT PEOPLE

WILL FOREVER REMEMBER

YOUR ENTERTAINING.

YOU HAVE BEEN ASKED

FOR DECADES TO RECORD

YOUR RECIPES – NOW IS

THE TIME TO DO IT.”

Garnish

4 clusters of fresh herbs (e.g., basil, dill)

1. Bathe shrimp in vinaigrette and toss.If possible, allow shrimp to marinatefor at least 15 minutes, tossing occa-sionally.

2. Meanwhile, cut avocados in halflengthwise and remove stones. Arrangeavocado halves cut-side up; if necessary,trim undersides so the halves rest in alevel and stable position.

3. Spread Hollandaise Mayonnaise evenlyover cut surfaces of avocado halves (cen-tral depressions included). Fill depres-sions with sour cream.**

4. Just before serving, crown sour creamwith shrimp and poke a cluster of freshherbs into the stem-end of each filled avo-cado half.

* Option: replace shrimp with 4 oz or 1cup (115 g or 250 mL) flaked cooked crab-meat (or crab-flavoured fish flakes)tossed with a pinch of hot chili powderand herb vinaigrette.

** Avocado halves may be prepared tothis stage several hours in advance.Cover with a “tent” of wax paper and re-frigerate.

TARRAGON HOLLANDAISEMAYONNAISE

Makes 1 cup (250 mL)

For a quick and versatile alternative to“Hollandaise Sauce” try this amazingrecipe. It not only takes all the work outof preparing Eggs Benedict but it can adda touch of pizzazz to cooked and rawvegetables as well as savoury crêpes andpastry dishes.

2 tsp (10 mL) sandwich mustard (such asFrench’s)1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise1/3 tsp (2 mL) dried tarragon leaves (op-tional)

1. Whisk ingredients together.

2. Store the Tarragon Hollandaise Mayon-naise refrigerated for months in an air-tight plastic container/glass jar or in ahandy plastic squeeze bottle. (Never heator freeze this product.)


ENTERTAINING|DELIGHTS


OUTSIDE THE GUIDE|DELIGHTS

One of the strangest mysteries in ar-chaeology exists in the DiquisDelta, located at the South Pacific

of Costa Rica. For more than 60 years, ex-plorers have found hundreds of granitestone spheres, ranging from a few cen-timetres to more than two meters in di-ameter. Visitors can see the spheres, nowon display in various places across thecountry.

Theories and stories about the origin ofthese unique stones abound. One studysays they are monolithic sculptures, madeby the ancestors of native peoples be-tween 200 BC and the Spanish conquest.Another declares the stones were made

by nature, as solidified “drops” from vol-canic eruptions. A third suggests they are12,000-year-old relics from an ancient andtechnically advanced sea-going culture.Almost all the stones are made of gran-odiorite (granite), a hard, igneous stonefound in the foothills of the nearby Tala-manca range.

Another mystery not solved is howwhoever made the stones, had such a ex-quisite workmanship. The geometric per-fection rendered in granite is remarkablefor any ancient culture. The best spheresare perhaps the finest examples of preci-sion stone-carving in the ancient worldwhere the maximum circumference errorin a sphere two meters in diameter is only1.3 cm, or 0.2 per cent.

Curiously, no one has ever found anunfinished sphere. Like the monoliths ofthe Old World, the Costa Rican quarrywas more than 80 kilometres away fromthe final resting place of these mysteries.Even more intriguing is the fact thatmany are on tiny Caño Island, locatedsome 20 kilometres off shore.

Their uses? Also a mystery. Many werefound in formation, including straightand curved lines, as well as triangles and

parallelograms. One group of four ballswas facing magnetic north, leading tospeculation they may have been arrangedby people familiar with the use of mag-netic compasses or astronomical align-ments. Unfortunately, all but a few of

these formations were destroyed whenthe balls were moved from their originallocation in the 1940s.

Today, some unique spheres decoratebuildings in Costa Rica such as the Leg-islative Assembly building and the Na-tional Museum in San José. But for thebest viewing, take a tour to Caño Islanddeparting from Corcovado National Parkwhere you can appreciate the spheres onsite and also take in a little snorkelling,scuba diving, sport fishing while specu-lating on the origins of the spheres.

Carlos Miranda is the ambassador of CostaRica and dean of the diplomatic corps.

Editor’s Note: Outside the Guide is a regu-lar travel feature where diplomats write about their favourite unusual (and not tradi-tionally touristy) places to visit in their owncountries.

Spooky spheres: Costa Rica’s spheres on Cano Is-land have stumped scientists for centuries.

The secret of the spheresBy Carlos Miranda

THE BEST SPHERES ARE PERHAPS THE

FINEST EXAMPLES OF PRECISION STONE

CARVING IN THE ANCIENT WORLD WITH

THE MAXIMUM CIRCUMFERENCE ERROR

IN A SPHERE TWO METERS IN DIAMETER

IS ONLY 1.3 CM, OR 0.2 PER CENT.

STAR-Y NIGHT An evening of appreciation and recognition

May 10, 2006at the Rideau Club in Ottawa

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

S TA R -Y N I G H T A W A R D S C A L L F O R N O M I N A T I O N S

Do you know a locally engaged staff memberat an embassy or high commission whodeserves recognition? Nominate them today!

Star-y Night awards recognizes thecontributions and efforts of individualsworking at diplomatic missions who havegone beyond the call of duty. Their effortshave resulted in a positive outcome for theirdiplomatic mission and their community.

Awards highlighting the efforts andachievements of locally engaged staff atdiplomatic missions in Ottawa will bepresented at the Star-y Night reception on

May 10, 2006. Awards will be presented infour categories: administrative staff, drivers,hospitality/chefs and 'other'.

The winning nominees will be recognizedand awarded with a prize at the Star-y Nightreception. Names of nominators submitting anomination will be entered in a draw forprizes to be presented at the reception.

Deadline for nominations: noon, Monday,April 24, 2006.

For more information and to download

the nomination form please visit

www.diplomatonline.com or phone 789-6890.

Leena RaySales Representativewww.yourhousekey.ca

★ ★

HAVING NOTHING TO PROVE IS EVERYTHING.THE EVOLUTION OF AN ICON.

2007S.CA

INTRODUCING THE NEW-GENERATION SCLASS

Star Motors of Ottawa, 400 W. Hunt Club Rd., 737- STAR (7827), www.starmotors.ca

© 2006 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.

SECOND ANNUAL

Recently, I had dinner at my restau-rant with my wife and newbornson on a Sunday night. As is my

tradition, I usually choose my maincourse, then a bottle of wine to go withit, and then match the appetizer to thewine. Choosing a wine from a wine listthat one knows intimately is a curiousthing. I usually return to old favorites:Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc,Gewurztraminer, and Gruner Veltliner.All offer the “aromatic” characteristics Ihave come to love. I can’t ever rememberordering a Chardonnay in a restaurantbefore, let alone my restaurant, eventhough I have many on the list. But onthis occasion, I found myself bored withmy old favorites and wanted somethingnew. Chardonnay it was.

There is almost a kind of a secrethandshake for wine insiders that saysyou don’t drink Chardonnay and usu-ally pooh-pooh it to one another outsideof the sensitive ears of certain Chardon-nay-loving guests. But there is some-thing else that is usually never talkedabout in the wine aficionado set: Most ofus came to love wine through Chardon-nay. I remember my first one. It was theKendall-Jackson Chardonnay from Cali-fornia. Not Napa, not Sonoma, not evenSanta Maria Valley or Santa Barbara. JustCalifornia. This blended Chardonnaywas the best-selling restaurant wine inNorth America for many years. It wasloaded with toasty oak, tropical fruit andwas fun and easy to drink. I think it cost$12 per bottle.

Our wine instructor at the time gave usthe secret behind Kendall-Jackson’s suc-cess: Riesling. The vintners blended 25per cent Riesling into their Chardonnayto give it a fruitier, more tropical flavour.Although new wine drinkers all talkedabout liking “dry” wines (therefore moresophisticated than the sweet wines oftheir youth), they really liked wines withsome residual sugar, or the appearance ofsweetness, while still being able to claima more refined palate because they aredrinking Chardonnay rather than BlueNun or the like. Chardonnay – evenwhen dry – can often reveal flavours andaromas that one associates more withdessert, such as vanilla, toast, nuts, creamand caramel. It has also been dubbed“The Winemaker’s Grape” because thereare so many ways for a winemaker to in-

fluence the taste ofthe final product, aso p p o s e d t o o t h e rgrapes that are morea ref lect ion of the terroir that they aregrown in. Because ofthese influences andmarket-driven plant-ing, a glut of ubiquitous,

bargain Chardonnays appeared in liquorstores around the world in the early 90sand the wine intelligentsia dubbed it averboten grape starting the ABC trend(Anything But Chardonnay).

As with all trends, I think this one iscoming to an end. When my chef recentlyput a Lobster Bisque on our tasting menu,I tried every wine I was offering by theglass to see what would go best with it. Iwas shocked that a Chardonnay (whichwas languishing in last place in terms ofsales) felt so perfect with this roasted, richand satisfying dish. I had never paired aChardonnay on our tasting menu. But tomy surprise, almost everyone who wasgiven a glass of Chardonnay with thebisque, was open to it and agreed theywent well together.

The wine I ordered for my soft-shellcrab main course was Peninsula Ridge’s“Vintner’s Reserve” 2003 from legendarywinemaker Jean-Pierre Colas. It is my fa-vorite Chardonnay produced in Niagara.The complex layers of hazelnuts, mineralsand tree fruit found in the Peninsula Ridgewere balanced by subtle toasty oak andcrisp acidity and went beautifully with thebriny richness of the crab and smokyhomemade bacon. But there are many oth-ers from Cave Spring, Malivoire, andHenry of Pelham (all Niagara) along withwell-balanced California examples such asSt. Francis, Ramey and Waterstone, not tomention all of the great White Burgundiesneed more of our attention. There are stillmore bad Chardonnays out there than just about any other grape, but I believethat it is time to take another look at thegreat examples of this grape and put themback into our Rolodex as go-to wines that deserve to fill more of our glassesmore often.

Cheers!

Stephen Beckta is owner and sommelier ofBeckta dining & wine (www.beckta.com)

WINE|DELIGHTS


Let’s reverse the Chardonnay snobbery

STEPHEN BECKTA

PHO

TO:

PAU

L C

OU

VR

ETTE

Plenty of interesting art adorns thewalls of the Australian High Com-mission, but perhaps the most inter-

es t ing pieces are the works by thecountry’s Aboriginal artists, many ofwhich aren’t signed.

Some boast large geometric patterns;others have simple, recognizable figuressuch as kangaroos and boomerangs. Thelargest piece in the high commissioner’soffice is traditional in design but itspointillist style lends a modern edge.

“It’s typical of the designs drawn inthe sands of the desert,” says AustralianHigh Commissioner Bill Fisher, while sit-ting in his World Exchange Plaza office.“The artists used colours one could findthere.

“(On) a continent about the size ofCanada, the art styles vary between re-gions,” he adds. “So if you’re working in

the middle of the desert, your style willbe different than if you’re working in thetropics in a rainforest.”

The piece in his office is a design fromthe central desert.

“There’s not much to work on in thedesert – there’s not much in the way oftrees or wood, so what are you going todo your art on? You’ll draw patterns inthe sand and on the mud after it rains. Ifyou are working in the tropical areas oralong the coast, there is a multitude ofbark or wood or you can carve and paintor strip off bark and paint it.”

To illustrate his point, the high com-mission has a lovely piece of bark paint-ing, the most famous of all the styles ofAboriginal art from Australia.

The collection comes from the Aus-tralian Art Bank, a lending institutionsimilar to Canada’s Art Bank.

“We get to choose what we want andthis piece was chosen by my predeces-sor,” he says.

A fascination with Australia’s uniqueAboriginal civilization – cut off from mostof the rest of mankind for thousands ofyears – has led to an explosion of interestfrom the international art market. Whenhe was posted to France as ambassador,Mr. Fisher saw prices reach five or six fig-ures.

International attention and high priceshave changed the Aboriginal art sceneand one can now find many expensivelandscapes painted in the European tradi-tion with a clear Aboriginal perspective,Mr. Fisher says, sighting the work of Al-bert Namatjira, whose work best ex-pressed the outback during the 1950s.

“He was an artist in the Western sense,”he says.

Also hanging in his office is a delight-ful naïf painting of a house and a hill dot-ted with trees.

“This is typically Australian,” he said.“I have always tried to pick pieces thatare demonstrably Australian.”

Since he arrived last year, the ambassa-dor has been learning about Canadianart. He recently returned from a visit tothe McMichael Gallery where he sawGroup of Seven works.

“There is so much First Nation’s artand modern Canadian art here,” he said.“Canadians are responsive to our artscene because you have such a parallelexperience with indigenous art and thewider experience of the artwork of Cana-dian peoples from other continents.”

Margo Roston is Diplomat’s culture editor.

DELIGHTS|ART OF DIPLOMACY


Aboriginal ArcadiaBy Margo Roston

Like dots in the dirt: Australian High Commissioner Bill Fisher likens an Aboriginal painting in his office towork Aboriginals in the desert paint in the sand.

DY

AN

NE

WIL

SON

“THERE’S NOT MUCH TO WORK

ON IN THE DESSERT – THERE’S

NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF

TREES OR WOOD, SO WHAT ARE

YOU GOING TO DO YOUR ART

ON? YOU’LL DRAW PATTERNS IN

THE SAND AND ON THE MUD

AFTER IT RAINS.

BCS ad to come


DELIGHTS|ENVOY’S ALBUM

THIS PAGE 1. Nicole Steyne, Christy Cox, chief of staff for U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins and Sharon

Redinger, wife of Jeff Redinger with the U.S. embassy, get into the spirit of things at a fundraiser for

Fern Hill School, held at the Officer’s Mess on Somerset Street Feb. 18. • 2. Gayle Evans, wife of British

Deputy High Commissioner Julian Evans, holds a handmade goblet which was being auctioned off at

the Fern Hill event. • 3. Flora Parris-Mills, second secretary at the Trinidad and Tobago High Commis-

sion, enjoys her farewell party, hosted by High Commissioner Arnold Piggott Feb. 11. Ms. Parris-Mills

is being posted to Nigeria. Photo: Dyanne Wilson • 4. Lola Patricia Rodney Evering, deputy high com-

missioner for Jamaica, feels the music at Ms. Parris-Mills’ farewell party. Photo: Dyanne Wilson • 5.

Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner Arnold Piggott hosted the rotating monthly Commonwealth

luncheon at the Rideau Club Feb. 16. Photo: Dyanne Wilson • 6. Bahamas High Commissioner Philip

Smith at the Commonwealth luncheon. Photo: Dyanne Wilson • 7. Bangledeshi High Commissioner

Rafiq Khan has a laugh at the Commonwealth luncheon. Photo: Dyanne Wilson

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ENVOY’S ALBUM|DELIGHTS


THIS PAGE 1. Polish Ambassador Piotr Ogrodzinski offered Gov. Gen. Michäelle Jean a private tour of

the Solidarity exhibition, Road s To Freedom, held at Old City Hall Jan. 26-Feb. 10. • 2. Mr. Ogrodzinski

and Ms. Jean. Photos: Pascal Quillé. • 3. The Canadian Federation of University Women Diplomatic

Hospitality Group’s first snowshoeing session of the season took place at the home of Eva Hammond

in January. Left to right: Mayumi Shepherd of Canada; Naomi Tarahara of Japan; Lylia Perez, wife of

Venezuelan Ambassador Jesus Perez; Heidi Moeller of Germany; and Dianne Hartling of Canada. • 4.

On the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran, charge d’affaires Abbas As-

semi (right) hosted a reception Feb. 14 at the embassy’s residence. He is shown here with Ghalich

Khani (left) and Haig Sarafian, deputy chief of protocol. • 5. Diplomats attended a Ballet Jorgen per-

formance of Cinderella Feb. 23 at Centrepointe Theatre. Shown here: Czech Ambassador Pavel Vosalik

(left), Polish Ambassador Piotr Ogrodzinski (right) and his wife, Joanna Kawalerowicz-Ogrodzinska.

Photo: Giovanni • 6. Brunei Darussalam High Commissioner Magdalene Teo hosted a national day re-

ception at the Westin Feb. 27. She is shown here with Mexican Ambassador Maria Teresa Garcia

Segovia de Madero. • 7. Ms. Teo with Brazilian Ambassador Valdemar Caneiro Leao and his wife

Anna. Photos: Dyanne Wilson

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One might say that weather formsthe Canadian psyche as much ashockey and the maple leaf. It oc-

cupies our thoughts daily, particularly inwinter. This year, the weather has occu-pied Canadians’ thoughts as much asusual, as we experience yet another win-ter of anomalies, with extreme wet on thewest coast , extreme dry across theprairies, and wacky weather throughoutthe east.

In Canada, weather is part of our com-munity. It begins conversations and im-pels us to contact far-away relativesfacing severe conditions. Like our often-fractious politics, we curse and praise the

weather with equal vehemence. Whilewinter weather is inconvenient, extremeweather is hardly unusual. Annual freez-ing rain averages range from the Prairies’20-35 hours to 50-70 hours in the OttawaValley and southern Quebec. Even Victo-ria averages a few hours of freezing rainper year, but the champ is St. John’s,Newfoundland with 150 hours. The 20thcentury’s worst ice storm hit Ontario andQuebec Jan. 4-10, 1998, causing an esti-mated $1 billion in damage.

Though we may get our long johns ina bunch over the fact that some peoplethink of Canada only as a frozen land-scape, we must concede our frosty repu-tation. Canada has the world’s lowestaverage daily temperature, -5.6 C. NorthAmerica’s coldest recorded temperature,in 1947 in Snag, Yukon, was a bone-chilling -63 C, so cold that an exhaledbreath made a hissing sound as it froze.Despite Canada’s nippy statistics, we do not hold world records for all cold

extremes. Ottawais only the world’ssecond-coldest na-tional capital, afterUlaanbaatar, Mon-golia.

Winter brings blizzards, the worst ofwhich in Canadian railway history oc-curred Jan. 30 to Feb. 8, 1947, when 10days of blowing snow buried towns andtrains from Calgary to Winnipeg. SomeSaskatchewan roads and rail lines re-mained impassable until spring. Childrenstepped over power lines on their way toschool and people dug tunnels to theirouthouses.

Our weather extremes are not re-stricted to winter. Canada’s longest,deadliest heat wave, July 5-17, 1936, sawtemperatures top 44 C in Manitoba andOntario. It killed 1,180 people, twistedsteel rail lines and bridge girders, buckledsidewalks, wilted crops, and baked fruiton trees. The hottest day on record was atMidale and Yellowgrass, Sask. July 5,

1937, when the temperature reached ascorching 45 C.

Many of our significant weather eventshave happened in February. That month’sweather superlatives include a deadlysnowstorm in St. John’s in 1959; a 1961 icestorm that left parts of Montreal withoutpower for a week; a 1979 blizzard that iso-lated Iqaluit, Nunavut for 10 days; a 1982blizzard that marooned PEI for a week;the warmest Winter Olympics — 1988, inCalgary — when 18.1 C on Feb. 26 wasjust a tad below Miami’s 19.4 C; and thegreatest single-day snowfall of 145 cm atTahtsa Lake, B.C. on Feb. 11, 1999.

In his book Watership Down, RichardAdams said, “Many human beings saythat they enjoy the winter, but what theyreally enjoy is feeling proof against it.” In-deed, our Canadian hardiness is proofagainst our often-harsh climate.

Laura Neilson Bonikowsky is associate editorof The Canadian Encyclopedia. Seewww.histori.ca for more.


DELIGHTS|CANADIANA

Talking weather – Canada’s national passtimeBy Laura Neilson Bonikowsky

DESPITE CANADA’S NIPPY

STATISTICS, WE DO NOT HOLD

WORLD RECORDS FOR ALL COLD

EXTREMES. OTTAWA IS ONLY

THE WORLD’S SECOND-COLDEST

NATIONAL CAPITAL, AFTER

ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA.


AFGHANISTANHis Ex. Omar SamadEmbassy of Afghanistan246 Queen Street, Suite 400Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E4TEL 563-4223 FAX [email protected]

ALBANIAHis Ex. Adhurim ResuliEmbassy of the Republic of Albania130 Albert Street, Suite 302Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-4114 FAX [email protected]

ALGERIAHis Ex. Smail BenemaraEmbassy of the People’s DemocraticRepublic of Algeria500 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6N2TEL 789-8505 FAX [email protected]

ANGOLAHis Ex. Miguel Maria N. PunaEmbassy of the Republic of Angola189 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6P1TEL 234-1152 FAX [email protected]

ARGENTINAHis Ex. Arturo BothamleyEmbassy of the Argentine Republic81 Metcalfe Street 7th FloorOttawa, Ontario K1P 6K7TEL 236-2351 FAX 235-2659embargentina@argentina-canada.netwww.argentina-canada.net

ARMENIAHis Ex. Ara PapianEmbassy of the Republic of Armenia7 Delaware AvenueOttawa, Ontario K2P 0Z2TEL 234-3710 FAX [email protected]

AUSTRALIAHis Ex. William Fisher Australian High Commission50 O’Connor, Suite 710 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL 236-0841 FAX 236-4376

AUSTRIAHis Ex. Otto DitzEmbassy of the Republic of Austria445 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6M7TEL 789-1444 FAX [email protected]

AZERBAIJANHis Ex. Fakhraddin GurbanovEmbassy of the Republic ofAzerbaijan275 Slater Street, Suite 904-COttawa, Ontario K1P 5H9TEL 288-0497 FAX 230-8089

BAHAMASHis Ex. Philip P. SmithHigh Commission for TheCommonwealth of The Bahamas50 O’Connor Street, Suite 1313Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL. 232-1724 FAX [email protected]

BANGLADESHHis Ex. Rafiq Ahmed KhanHigh Commission for the People’sRepublic of Bangladesh275 Bank Street, Suite 302Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2L6TEL 236-0138 FAX [email protected]

BARBADOSHis Ex. Glyne Samuel MurrayHigh Commission for Barbados130 Albert Street, Suite 1204Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-9517 FAX [email protected]

BELARUSHer Ex. Nina MazaiEmbassy of the Republic of Belarus130 Albert Street, Suite 600Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 233-9994 FAX [email protected]

BELGIUMHis Ex. Daniel LeroyEmbassy of Belgium360 Albert Street, Suite 820Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7TEL 236-7267 FAX [email protected]/ottawa

BENINHis Ex. Francis LokoEmbassy of the Republic of Benin58 Glebe AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 2C3TEL 233-4429 FAX [email protected]

BOLIVIAHis Ex. Dr. Carlos Carrasco Embassy of the Republic of Bolivia130 Albert Street, Suite 416Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-5730 FAX [email protected]

BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINAHis Ex. Milenko MisicEmbassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina130 Albert Street, Suite 805Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL 236-0028 FAX [email protected]

BRAZILHis Ex. Valdemar Carneiro LeäoEmbassy of the Federative Republicof Brazil450 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6M8TEL 237-1090 FAX [email protected]

BRUNEI DARUSSALAMHer Ex. Magdalene Chee Siong TeoHigh Commission for BruneiDarussalam395 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6R4TEL 234-5656 FAX [email protected]

BULGARIAMr. Dimiter DimitrovChargé d’Affaires Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria325 Stewart StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6K5TEL 789-3215 FAX 789-3524

BURKINA FASOHer Ex. Juliette BonkoungouEmbassy of Burkina Faso48 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL 238-4796 FAX [email protected]

BURUNDIHer Ex. Epiphanie K. NtamwanaEmbassy of the Republic of Burundi325 Dalhousie Street, Suite 815Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7G2TEL 789-0414 FAX [email protected]://ambabucanada.le-site.info

CAMEROONMr. Martin MpanaActing High CommissionerHigh Commission for the Republicof Cameroon170 Clemow AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 2B4TEL 236-1522 FAX 236-3885

CHILEHis Ex. José Miguel Cruz Sánchez Embassy of the Republic of Chile50 O’Connor Street, Suite 1413Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL 235-9940 FAX [email protected]

www.chile.caCHINAHis Ex. Lu Shumin Embassy of the People’s Republic ofChina515 St. Patrick StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 5H3TEL. 789-3434 FAX 789-1412www.chinaembassycanada.org

COLOMBIAHis Ex. Jaime Giron DuarteEmbassy of the Republic ofColombia360 Albert Street, Suite 1002Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7TEL 230-3760 FAX [email protected]

CONGO (ZAIRE)Ms. Louise Nzanga RamazaniChargé d’Affaires18 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J3TEL 230-6391 FAX 230-1945

COSTA RICAHis Ex. Carlos MirandaEmbassy of the Republic of Costa Rica325 Dalhousie Street, Suite 407Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7G2TEL. 562-2855 FAX [email protected]

CÔTE D’IVOIREHer Ex. Dienebou KabaEmbassy of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire9 Marlborough AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8E6TEL. 236-9919 FAX [email protected]

CROATIAHer Ex. Vesela Mrden KoracEmbassy of the Republic of Croatia229 Chapel StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 7Y6TEL. 562-7820 FAX [email protected]

CUBAHis Ex. Ernesto Antonio Senti Embassy of the Republic of Cuba388 Main StreetOttawa, Ontario K1S 1E3TEL. 563-0141 FAX [email protected]

CZECH REPUBLICHis Ex. Pavel VosalikEmbassy of the Czech Republic251 Cooper StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 0G2

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| EMBASSIES | HIGH COMMISSIONS | OTHER INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES


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TEL. 562-3875 FAX [email protected]

DENMARKHis Ex. Poul Erik Dam KristensenRoyal Danish Embassy47 Clarence Street, Suite 450Ottawa, Ontario K1N 9K1TEL. 562-1811 FAX [email protected]

DOMINICAN REPUBLICHis Ex. Eduardo J. Tejera CurbeloEmbassy of the Dominican Republic130 Albert Street, Suite 418Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 569-9893 FAX 569-8673www.drembassy.org

ECUADOREmbassy of the Republic of Ecuador50 O’Connor Street, Suite 316Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL. 563-4286 FAX 235-5776

EGYPTHis Ex. Mahmoud F. El-SaeedEmbassy of the Arab Republic ofEgypt454 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6R3TEL. 234-4931 FAX [email protected]

ERITREAMs. Nura Mohammed OmerOffice of the Embassy of Eritrea inOttawaConsul75 Albert Street, Suite 610Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7TEL. 234-3989 FAX 234-6213

EL SALVADORHis Ex. Mauricio Rosales RiveraEmbassy of the Republic of ElSalvador209 Kent Street Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1Z8TEL. 238-2939 FAX [email protected]

ESTONIAMr. Argo KüünemäeChargé d’AffairesEmbassy of the Republic of Estonia 260 Dalhousie Street, Suite 210Ottawa, Ontario K1N 7E4TEL. 789-4222 FAX [email protected]

ETHIOPIAHis Ex. Berhanu DibabaEmbassy of the Federal DemocraticRepublic of Ethiopia 151 Slater Street, Suite 210Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5P2TEL. 235-6637 FAX [email protected]

EUROPEAN UNIONHis Ex. Eric HayesDelegation of the EuropeanCommission to Canada 45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1900Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4TEL. 238-6464 FAX [email protected]. OF MACEDONIA

His Ex. Sasko NasevEmbassy of the Former YugoslavRepublic of Macedonia130 Albert Street, Suite 1006Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 234-3882 FAX 233-1852

FINLANDHis Ex. Pasi Mikael PatokallioEmbassy of the Republic of Finland55 Metcalfe Street, Suite 850Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L5TEL. 288-2233 FAX [email protected]

FRANCEHis Ex. Daniel JouanneauEmbassy of France42 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1M 2C9TEL. 789-1795 FAX 562-3704www.ambafrance-ca.org

GABONHis Ex. Joseph Obian NdoutoumeEmbassy of the Gabonese Republic4 Range Road, P.O. Box 368Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8J5TEL. 232-5301 FAX [email protected]

GERMANYEmbassy of the Federal Republic ofGermany1 Waverley StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 0T8TEL. 232-1101 FAX [email protected]

GHANAHis Ex. Samuel A. Odoi-SykesHigh Commission for the Republicof Ghana1 Clemow AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 2A9TEL. 236-0871 FAX [email protected]

GREECEHis Ex. Yannis MourikisEmbassy of the Hellenic Republic80 MacLaren Street, Suite 76Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0K6TEL. 238-6271 FAX [email protected]

GUATEMALAHis Ex. Carlos Jiménez LiconaEmbassy of the Republic ofGuatemala130 Albert Street, Suite 1010Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 233-7237 FAX [email protected]

GUINEAHis Ex. Aly DianéEmbassy of the Republic of Guinea483 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6N1TEL. 789-8444 FAX [email protected]

GUYANAHis Ex. Rajnarine SinghHigh Commission for the Republicof Guyana151 Slater Street, Suite 309Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 235-7249 FAX 235-1447

HAITIHis Ex. Robert TippenhauerEmbassy of the Republic of Haiti130 Albert Street, Suite 1409Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5P2TEL. 238-1628 FAX [email protected]

HOLY SEEHis Ex. The Most Rev. Luigi VenturaApostolic Nunciature724 Manor AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1M 0E3TEL. 746-4914 FAX 746-4786

HONDURASEmbassy of the Republic ofHonduras151 Slater Street, Suite 805Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 233-8900 FAX 232-0193

HUNGARYHis Ex. Dénes TomajEmbassy of the Republic ofHungary299 Waverley StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 0V9TEL. 230-2717 FAX 230-7560www.docuweb.ca/Hungary

ICELANDHis Ex. Marcus Örn AntonssonEmbassy of Iceland360 Albert Street, Suite 710Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7TEL. 482-1944 FAX [email protected]

INDIAHer Ex. Shyamala B. CowsikHigh Commission for the Republicof India10 Springfield RoadOttawa, Ontario K1M 1C9TEL. 744-3751 FAX [email protected]

INDONESIAHis Ex. Djoko HardonoEmbassy of the Republic ofIndonesia 55 Parkdale AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1Y 1E5TEL. 724-1100 FAX [email protected]

IRANMr. Abbas AssemiChargé d’AffairesEmbassy of the Islamic Republic ofIran245 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 2K2TEL. 235-4725 FAX [email protected]

IRAQHis Ex. Howar M. ZiadEmbassy of the Republic of Iraq 215 McLeod StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 0Z8TEL. 236-9177 FAX [email protected]

IRELANDHis Ex. Martin BurkeEmbassy of Ireland130 Albert Street, Suite 1105Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 233-6281 FAX [email protected]

ISRAELHis Ex. Alan BakerEmbassy of Israel50 O’Connor Street, Suite 1005Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L2TEL. 567-6450 FAX [email protected]

ITALYHis Ex. Gabriele SardoEmbassy of the Italian Republic275 Slater Street, 21st FloorOttawa, Ontario K1P 5H9TEL. 232-2401 FAX [email protected]

JAMAICAHis Ex. Carl O’Neal MarshallJamaican High Commission275 Slater Street, Suite 800Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H9TEL. 233-9311 FAX [email protected]

JAPANHis Ex. Sadaaki NumataEmbassy of Japan 255 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1N 9E6TEL. 241-8541 FAX [email protected]

JORDANHis Ex. Nabil Ali BartoEmbassy of the Hashemite Kingdomof Jordan100 Bronson Avenue, Suite 701Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6G8TEL. 238-8090 FAX 232-3341

KENYAHis Ex. Peter Nicholas Rateng O.OgegoHigh Commission for the Republicof Kenya415 Laurier Avenue EastOttawa, Ontario K1N 6R4TEL. 563-1773 FAX [email protected]

KOREA, REPUBLICHis Ex. Sung-joon YimEmbassy of the Republic of Korea150 Boteler StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 5A6TEL. 244-5010 FAX 244-5034www.emb-korea.ottawa.on.ca

KUWAITHis Ex. Musaed Rashed Al HaroonEmbassy of the State of Kuwait

333 Sussex Drive Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 1J9 TEL. 780-9999 FAX 780-9905

LATVIAHis Ex. Atis SjanitsEmbassy of the Republic of Latvia350 Sparks Street, Suite 1200Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G8TEL. 238-6014 FAX [email protected]



www.ottawa.mfa.gov.lv

LEBANONHis Ex. Raymond BaakliniEmbassy of Lebanon640 Lyon StreetOttawa, Ontario K1S 3Z5TEL. 236-5825 FAX [email protected]

LIBYAHis Ex. Ahmed Ali JarrudEmbassy of the Great SocialistPeople’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 81 Metcalfe Street, Suite 1000Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6K7TEL. 230-0919 FAX [email protected]

LITHUANIAHer Ex. Siguté JakstonytéEmbassy of the Republic ofLithuania130 Albert Street, Suite 204Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 567-5458 FAX 567-5315

MADAGASCARHis Ex. Rakotoarisoa Florent Embassy of the Republic ofMadagascar200 Catherine Street, Suite 510Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2K9 Tel. 567-0505 Fax [email protected]

MALAWIHis Ex. Kennedy Amos MalisitaHigh Commission for the Republicof Malawi7 Clemow AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 2A9TEL. 236-8931 FAX 236-1054

MALAYSIAHis Ex. Dennis IgnatiusHigh Commission for Malaysia60 Boteler StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8Y7TEL. 241-5182 FAX [email protected]

MALIHis Ex. Mamadou BandiougouDiawaraEmbassy of the Republic of Mali50 Goulburn AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8C8TEL. 232-1501 FAX [email protected]

MAURITANIAHis Ex. Mahfoud Ben DeddachEmbassy of the Islamic Republic ofMauritania121 Sherwood DriveOttawa, Ontario K1Y 3V1TEL. 237-3283 FAX 237-3287

MEXICOHer Ex. Maria Teresa Garcia deMaderoEmbassy of the United MexicanStates45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1000Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4TEL. 233-8988 FAX [email protected]

MONGOLIAHis Ex. Dugerjav GotovEmbassy of Mongolia151 Slater Street, Suite 503Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 569-3830 FAX [email protected]

MOROCCOHis Ex. Mohamed TangiEmbassy of the Kingdom ofMorocco38 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL. 236-7391 FAX 236-6164

MYANMARMr. Maung Maung Minister & Chargé d'Affaires, a.i.Embassy of the Union of Myanmar85 Range Road, Suite 902Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8J6TEL. 232-9990 FAX [email protected]

NETHERLANDSHis Ex. Karel P.M. deBeerEmbassy of the Kingdom of theNetherlands350 Albert Street, Suite 2020Ottawa, Ontario K1R 1A4TEL. 237-5030 FAX [email protected]

NEW ZEALANDHis Ex. Graham KellyNew Zealand High Commission99 Bank Street, Suite 727Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6G3TEL. 238-5991 FAX [email protected]/home.cfm?c=38

NIGERHer Ex. Nana Aicha FoumakoyeEmbassy of the Republic of theNiger38 Blackburn AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8A3TEL. 232-4291 FAX 230-9808

NIGERIAHis Ex. Olufemi Oyewale GeorgeHigh Commission for the FederalRepublic of Nigeria295 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, Ontario K2P 1R9Tel. 236-0521 Fax 236-0529

NORWAYHis Ex. Tor Berntin NaessEmbassy of the Kingdom of Norway90 Sparks Street, Suite 532Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5B4TEL. 238-6571 FAX [email protected]

O/OF EASTERN CARIBBEANSTATESHer Ex. Lorraine B. WilliamsHigh Commission for the Countriesof the Organization of EasternCaribbean States130 Albert Street, Suite 700Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 236-8952 FAX [email protected]/ottawa/index.html

PAKISTAN His Ex. Shahid Malik High Commission for the IslamicRepublic of Pakistan

10 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J3TEL. 238-7881 FAX [email protected]

PANAMAHer Ex. Romy Vásquez de GonzálezEmbassy of the Republic of Panama130 Albert Street, Suite 300Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 236-7177 FAX [email protected]

PARAGUAYHis Ex. Juan E. Aguirre MartinezEmbassy of the Republic ofParaguay151 Slater Street, Suite 501Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 567-1283 FAX [email protected]

PERUHis Ex. Guillermo RussoEmbassy of the Republic of Peru130 Albert Street, Suite 1901Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 238-1777 FAX [email protected]

PHILIPPINESHis Ex. Francisco L. BenedictoEmbassy of the Republic of thePhilippines130 Albert Street, Suite 606Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 233-1121 FAX [email protected]

POLANDHis Ex. Piotr OgrodzinskiEmbassy of the Republic of Poland443 Daly AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 6H3TEL. 789-0468 FAX [email protected]

PORTUGALHis Ex. Joao Pedro Silveira CarvalhoEmbassy of Portugal645 Island Park DriveOttawa, Ontario K1Y 0B8TEL. 729-0883 FAX 729-4236embportugal@embportugal/ottawa.org

ROMANIAHer Ex. Elena Sava StefoiEmbassy of Romania655 Rideau StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6A3TEL. 789-3709 FAX [email protected]/~romania

RUSSIAHis Ex. Georgiy MamedovEmbassy of the Russian Federation285 Charlotte StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8L5TEL. 235-4341 FAX [email protected]

RWANDAHis Ex. Eugene MunyakayanzaEmbassy of the Rwandese Republic153 Gilmour Street Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0N8 Tel. 569-5424 Fax 569-5421 [email protected]

SAUDI ARABIARoyal Embassy of Saudi Arabia201 Sussex DriveOttawa, ON K1N 1K6TEL 237-4105 FAX 562-2720

SENEGALHis Ex. M. Amadou DialloEmbassy of the Republic of Senegal57 Marlborough AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8E8TEL. 238-6392 FAX [email protected]

SERBIA & MONTENEGROHis Ex. Perko VukoticEmbassy of Serbia and Montenegro17 Blackburn AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8A2TEL. 233-6289 FAX [email protected]

SLOVAKIAHis Ex. Stanislav OpielaEmbassy of the Slovak Republic50 Rideau TerraceOttawa, Ontario K1M 2A1TEL. 749-4442 FAX [email protected]

SLOVENIAEmbassy of the Republic of Slovenia150 Metcalfe Street, Suite 2101Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1P1TEL. 565-5781 FAX [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICAHer Ex. Theresa Mary SolomonHigh Commission for the Republicof South Africa15 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1M 1M8TEL. 744-0330 FAX [email protected]

SPAINHis Ex. Mariano Alonso-BurónEmbassy of the Kingdom of Spain74 Stanley AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1M 1P4TEL. 747-2252 FAX [email protected]

SRI LANKAMr. A.J. PathirajaActing High CommissionerHigh Commission for theDemocratic Socialist Republic of SriLanka333 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1204Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1C1TEL. 233-8449 FAX 238-8448www.srilankahcottawa.org

SUDANHer Ex. Dr. Faiza Hassan TahaArmousaEmbassy of the Republic of theSudan354 Stewart StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6K8TEL. 235-4000 FAX 235-6880

SWEDENHer Ex. Ingrid Maria IremarkEmbassy of Sweden377 Dalhousie StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 9N8

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TEL. 244-8200 FAX [email protected]

SWITZERLANDHis Ex. Anton ThalmannEmbassy of Switzerland5 Marlborough AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1N 8E6TEL. 235-1837 FAX [email protected]

SYRIAHis Ex. Jamil Haidar SakrEmbassy of the Syrian ArabRepublic151 Slater Street, Suite 1000Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5H3TEL. 569-5556 FAX 569-3800www.syrianembassy.ca

TAIPEI Economic & Cultural officeDr. Thomas Chen, Representative45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1960Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4TEL. 231-5080 FAX [email protected]

TANZANIAHis Ex. Ombeni Y. SefueHigh Commission for the UnitedRepublic of Tanzania50 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL. 232-1509 FAX [email protected]

THAILANDHis Ex. Snanchart DevahastinThe Royal Thai Embassy 180 Island Park DriveOttawa, Ontario K1Y 0A2TEL. 722-4444 FAX [email protected]

TOGOHis Ex. Bawoumondom AmeleteEmbassy of the Togolese Republic12 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J3TEL. 238-5916 FAX 235-6425

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGOHis Ex. Arnold PiggottHigh Commission for the Republicof Trinidad and Tobago200 First Avenue, Third LevelOttawa, Ontario K1S 2G6TEL. 232-2418 FAX [email protected]

TUNISIAHis Ex. Hetira AbdessalemEmbassy of the Republic of Tunisia515 O’Connor StreetOttawa, Ontario K1S 3P8TEL. 237-0330 FAX [email protected]

TURKEYHis Ex. Aydemir ErmanEmbassy of the Republic of Turkey197 Wurtemburg StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8L9TEL. 789-4044 FAX [email protected]

UGANDAHer Ex. Cissy Helen TaliwakuHigh Commission for the Republicof Uganda231 Cobourg StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J2

TEL. 789-7797 FAX 789-8909www.ugandahighcommission.ca

UKRAINEHis Ex. Mykola MaimeskulEmbassy of Ukraine310 Somerset Street, West,Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0J9Tel. 230-2961 Fax 230-2400www.ukremb.ca

UNITED ARAB EMIRATESHis Ex. Hassan Al-SuwaidiEmbassy of the United ArabEmiratesWorld Exchange Plaza45 O’Connor Street, Suite 1800Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1A4TEL. 565-7272 FAX [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOMHis Ex. David ReddawayBritish High Commission80 Elgin StreetOttawa, Ontario K1P 5K7TEL. 237-1530 FAX 237-7980www.britainincanada.org

UNITED STATES OF AMERICAHis Ex. David WilkinsEmbassy of the United States ofAmerica490 Sussex DriveOttawa, Ontario K1N 1G8TEL. 238-5335 FAX 688-3100www.usembassycanada.gov

URUGUAYHis Ex. Alväro M. MoerzingerEmbassy of the Eastern Republic ofUruguay130 Albert Street, Suite 1905Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4TEL. 234-2727 FAX 233-4670

VENEZUELAHis Ex. Jesús Arnaldo PérezEmbassy of the Bolivarian Republicof Venezuela32 Range RoadOttawa, Ontario K1N 8J4TEL. 235-5151 FAX 235-3205www.misionvenezuela.org

VIETNAMHer Ex. Hoi Thi NguyenEmbassy of the Socialist Republic ofVietnam470 Wilbrod StreetOttawa, Ontario K1N 6M8TEL. 236-0772 FAX 236-2704

YEMENHis Ex. Dr. Abdulla AbdulwaliNasherEmbassy of the Republic of Yemen54 Chamberlain AvenueOttawa, Ontario K1S 1V9TEL. 729-6627 FAX 729-8915www.yemenincanada.ca

ZIMBABWEHer Ex. Florence Zano ChideyaEmbassy of the Republic ofZimbabwe332 Somerset Street WestOttawa, Ontario K2P 0J9TEL. 237-4388 FAX 563-8269

MARCH—APRIL 200642 | EMBASSIES | HIGH COMMISSIONS | OTHER INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

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ACCOMMODATION Four Points Sheraton (613) 238-1500

Les Suites Hotel(613) 232-2000

Riverside Gate(613) 737-9850

Sheraton Ottawa (613) 238-1500

Timburwall(613) 238-4551

The Westin Ottawa (613) 560-7000

APPLIANCES 220 Volt Depot (613) 746-4777

AUTOMOBILES Elite BMW(613) 749-7700

Ogilvie Motors(613) 745-9000

St-Laurent Volvo (613) 749-VOLVO

Star Motors (613) 737-7827

DENTIST Associated Dental Care (613) 737-4944

DINING Daly’s (The Westin) (613) 560-7333

The Carleton Grill(613) 238-1500 x 6607

Signatures (613) 236-2499

DRY CLEANERSHillary’s (613) 733-3070

ELECTRONICS Overseas Electronics (613) 235-4414

ESTHETICS Dr. Beaupré’s Vein Clinic (613) 722-0101

FOREIGN EXCHANGE Accu-Rate (613) 596-5505

FUNERALDIRECTORS Hulse, Playfair & McGarry (613) 233-1143

FURNITUREPrestige Furniture(613) 229-4245

HEALTH AND BEAUTY Feelbest.com(613) 234-4643 ext. 230 1-888-689-9890

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYNeolore Networks (613) 594-9199

LEGAL SERVICESAlicia Natividad (613) 566-7045

MEDICALDr. Beaupré’s Vein Clinic (613) 722-0101

MOVERS Ability Movers (613) 830-7090 1-800-267-1699

PHOTOGRAPHY Jana Chytilova (613) 447-8323

Dyanne Wilson (613) 274-7029

PRIVATE SCHOOLSBishops College School(819) 566-0227

REAL ESTATE Leena Ray(613) 236-9551

SEAFOOD Lapointe’s(613) 789-6221

TRAVEL AGENCY Accu-Rate Travel (613) 596-5505

UNIVERSITIES University of Ottawa (613) 562-5700 1-877-868-8292

Ottawa DiplomaticAssociation Contacts

H.E. dr. Carlos Antonio Carrasco, Ambassador of BoliviaPresident Tel: 236 5730,[email protected]

Anja Jeffrey, Counsellor, RoyalDanish EmbassyFirst Vice President Tel: 562-1811, [email protected]

Ioannis Petsilas, Press Counsellor,Embassy of Greece Second Vice PresidentTel: 232 6796, [email protected]

Maha Hamdy, First Secretary,Embassy of Egypt Secretary GeneralTel: 234 4931, [email protected]

Website: www.ottawadiplomats.org

Diplomat Magazine Contacts

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The media shorthand for the newConservative government’s foreignpolicy is that it will be friendlier to

Washington and more in line with theBush administration’s view of the world.

But shorthand, by definition, leavesout the detail. And when it comes to de-ciphering the foreign policy direction forPrime Minister Stephen Harper and histeam, as yet we haven’t nearly enoughdetail to reach firm conclusions.

First, there is circumstance. This fragileConservative minority will have limitedroom to manoeuvre when it comes to re-shaping Canada’s place in the world. Mr.Harper said as much in his victory speechon election night when he told the interna-tional community that Canadians had cho-sen a new government, not new values.

And what is clear from polling data isthat while the Tories won because of a de-sire for change, this government has nobroad support for any particular policymandate, except to operate ethically.

Second, there is politics. There is everyindication the broad Conservative strat-egy for longevity is to cling to the centreand try to build a majority – with occa-sional nods to its constituency on theright – emulating in some respects the na-tional, centrist coalition of the Mulroneyera. That doesn’t suggest radical change.

On the campaign trail, Mr. Harpermostly avoided foreign policy issues. TheConservative policy platform said little be-yond platitudes. The only detailed pledgesinvolved plans to bolster the military andCanada’s national security apparatus. Ex-pect movement on that front.

Since taking office, Mr. Harper hasmade a favourable impression on the in-siders who help shape Canada’s foreignpolicy. He’s conceded his own lack of ex-perience in this area, signalling his gov-ernment will be open to expert advicefrom the public service and career diplo-mats . And unlike Paul Mart in, Mr.Harper is expected to let the Foreign Af-fairs department play a decisive role informulating and implementing policy.

Indeed, one of Mr. Harper ’s firstmoves – replacing political appointee Al-lan Rock with career diplomat John Mc-

Nee as Canada’s am-bassador to the UnitedNations – sends an-other reassuring signalto the foreign service.

There is every indi-c a t i o n o n e o f M r.Harper’s personal pri-orities is projectingC a n a d i a n v a l u e s

abroad through renewed efforts to pro-mote democracy, playing to some Cana-dian strengths. Geographically, there islikely to be special attention to Haiti, Su-dan and Afghanistan, where the view isthat Canada can make a difference.

Mr. Harper has also shown he will de-vote considerable attention to fosteringCanada-U.S. relations. Some observerscontend that when trying to discern thefuture direction of Canadian foreign pol-icy the man to watch is Derek Burney,who headed Mr. Harper ’s transitionteam. The former chief of staff to BrianMulroney was also a career diplomatwho played a decisive role in the freetrade talks, and was Canada’s ambassa-dor to Washington. His memoir empha-sizes the primacy of relations with theU.S. in Canadian foreign policy.

Mr. Harper harkened back to the Mul-roney era with the appointment of stalwartMichael Wilson as Canada’s ambassador toWashington. Mr. Wilson is capable, con-nected and monochromatic. He’s almostguaranteed to keep relations on an evenkeel and to avoid public controversy.

For some, Mr. Harper presents Canadawith an opportunity to replicate whatworked for Mr. Mulroney. Canada hadunsurpassed access to power brokers inWashington, but was able to balance thatcloseness with some policy distance onsuch f i les as Cuba, Nicaragua andapartheid. As a result, other players re-garded Canada as a country with influ-ence in Washington and the U.S. treatedCanada as a competent partner.

Around the cabinet table, Mr. Harper’sforeign policy team is something of ablank canvas. Foreign Affairs Minister Pe-ter MacKay is a former crown attorneyturned career politician who brings no ex-

pert background or profound views tothe portfolio. This is not a slight againstMr. MacKay, an amiable, capable politi-cian who will likely rise to the challenge.He is quick on his feet, an effective com-municator and brims with genuine, Cana-dian decency. And like Mr. Harper, hecomes to the job without an agenda andis inclined to take advice. This probablybodes well for the career diplomats whohave at times endured the tenure of oneforeign affairs minister or another, ratherthan contributing much to it.

Only a few major foreign policy issuesemerged from the rhetorical tea leaves ofthe election campaign. Mr. Harper sug-gested his government will not be boundby the Kyoto protocol. How this issueplays out will be significant. To be fair,the Liberals pledged to support Kyoto,then did little to implement its require-ments. Nonetheless, a formal break withKyoto would be a rare Canadian with-drawal from an international agreement –and a clear alignment with the Bush ad-ministration.

That said, Mr. Harper has alreadymade clear we will not send troops toIraq. He hinted Canada would revisit itsdecision not to formally participate in themissile defence system. Stay tuned.Surely if the Bush administration wantsthe Mr. Harper government to be an ef-fective partner, it will not push the enve-lope on an issue that would brand Mr.Harper as a Bush lackey.

Otherwise, there have been few cluesso far about future foreign policy direc-tion. In early February, Mr. Harperdropped in on a training seminar forCanadians headed to monitor Haiti’s con-tentious presidential elections. He toldthe group that while Canada is no super-power, it can influence the world throughits values. He said he wants to championfreedom, democracy, and the rule of law,human rights and compassion for the lessfortunate as core Canadian values.Sounds pretty middle of the road to me.

Allan Thompson is an assistant professor ofjournalism at Carleton University. He writesa weekly column for the Toronto Star.

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