The Ghosts of Afghanistan
Southern Afghans call it “The American War”. In July, it ended not with a bang but with a whimper, when the Taliban took Kandahar and the district of Panjwayi, where Canadian troops had fought so hard in 2006 and afterward. On August 15, the insurgents arrived in Kabul and entered the Presidential Palace unchallenged, a […]
Survivor’s Guilt
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban seized control of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, and assumed control of the country after a blistering takeover. For many Canadians, the events in Afghanistan are distant and ephemeral. However, for members of the Afghan diaspora that call Canada home, the events of the past few months are far more tangible. According to […]
The Golden Years of Education Marketing: 1995–2000
Can you imagine that on the same day in different locations, former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, former Minister of International Trade Sergio Marchi and former Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy each were scheduled to give addresses on the importance of international education…
Le vent de l’est
The fall of the Berlin Wall inspired freedom and hope in many African nations. Cameroon, Chad, and the Central African Republic all experienced changes which reflected the spirit of events occurring in central Europe. The tenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was predominantly a European celebration – understandably so since it and other […]
Interesting Times for Canada’s Foreign Service
THE LAST TIME I WROTE to bout de papier readers, much of the world was in the middle of a third wave, but vaccine administration was ramping up, and even Bill Gates was predicting that the world would be back to normal…
Looking Back and Looking Ahead
I don’t know quite how it happened that I have come to be the Editor-in-Chief of bout de papier replacing my friend Dan Livermore. But I have and I am and now I have to get on with it.
