Buenas tardes, Señor Liebnitz
It was a beautiful evening in Boca Grande, capital of the small yet unimportant state of Escorial. Warm breezes ruffled the palms in the Embassy gardens as the reception got underway. The orchestra played a gentle medley by Stomping Tom Connors and…
As Far As Ever the Puffin Flew
Puffins are interesting birds. They are the provincial birds of Newfoundland and Labrador. Their beauty attracts tourists from Europe and Japan every summer. Their impact on the tourism industry exceeds that of whale watching. Every outport is home to puffins who each…
Direct Intervention: Canada-France Relations 1967-1974
It is not every day that one of your predecessors publishes a book about his professional activities in the post you currently occupy. Eldon (Pat) Black’s book Direct Intervention: Canada-France Relations 1967-1974 is a fascinating read. It brings back a lot of…
The Top Hat
In the early 1950s, when I was a third secretary in Berne on my first post, formal dealings with the Swiss were infrequent at my junior level. But, every New Year’s Day, I had to accompany the head of post – in…
Camel Trekking in Arabia
It’s 5:30 am when the bray of a donkey greets the new day. As the sun peeks above the horizon, other donkeys, roosters and dogs join the chorus. Unable to sleep, I open the tent and watch the morning light unveil the…
Roman Lishchynski
All of us were shocked to hear of the tragic accident which took a colleague and friend from us. For my spouse Lena and I, the news was particularly sad. We had worked with Roman in Kyiv and became very good friends.…
Richard Marcus Tait
A memorial service for Richard was held in Ottawa at St. Barnabas Anglican Church on December 20, 1997. Tom d’Aquino, a close friend, gave the following eulogy:
Excerpts from Ice in Dark Water and The Older Graces
IN THE HEART of Montréal, wedge in the swift river, hedged by rapids, Julienne
Jody Williams
Jody Williams: I have been asked to focus on what is so different about the Ottawa process. I think you have an understanding overall of what is different about it but I will give my view from the NGO perspective.
Under the Dreaming Spires…
In 1995, at age 41, I returned to university to write about decision-making in the UN Security Council and, I hoped, to earn a doctorate. I had been teaching international relations in North American universities, in parallel with my diplomatic day job,…
