bout de papier, Vol. 30, No. 4 (2019), pp. 4–5
IL SEMBLE QUE 2019 SERA une année d’enjeux importants, non seulement pour le service extérieur, mais pour le monde entier : l’avenir des institutions de l’ordre international, de la démocratie, de la dignité et des droits de l’homme que de nombreuses sociétés considéraient comme sûres ou acquises sont maintenant sur la table. Mais, comme toute crise, celle-ci apporte à la fois danger et opportunité.
Like it or not, we are about to see whether or not the forces eroding democratic principles are sustained and organized, and whether we possess the agility and creativity to resist them. It has been eight years since the Arab Spring protests shook the Middle East and beyond, and the international mood has shifted from expansiveness to withdrawal, taking some domestic populations with it.
However, 2018 also saw feminism emerge as a global force for change, and cities cooperating to allow their citizens to challenge national governments on issues such as climate change and immigration. And, while the emergence of the “platform economy” characterized by Uber and AirBnB causes concern in previously established industries, it also offers opportunities for entrepreneurs to bypass entrenched economic, and sometimes political, power. Establishments of all political and economic stripes are facing challenges from those who are not content simply with preserving the positive aspects of an old order, but instead seek fundamental, even transformational, change.
Les puissances progressistes comme le Canada devront lutter contre l’isolationnisme, les approches intransigeantes, les défis budgétaires et les intérêts personnels à court terme si nous voulons que nos sociétés diverses et ouvertes prospèrent. Le Canada a besoin d’un service extérieur robuste et résilient capable de travailler à divers niveaux, depuis les organisations multilatérales jusqu’aux négociations bilatérales avec les grandes puissances et les courtiers en puissance non officiels, en passant par les débats publics, universitaires et de plus en plus « virtuels » sur des visions distinctes d’ordre international et social.
Canada’s Foreign Service officers are well aware that these efforts can have personal as well as political implications. The arrest and detention of one of our former colleagues, against the backdrop of China— US tension, is one example. Another is the ongoing mystery behind the Havana Syndrome, which continues to affect a number of our members and their families. Although these risks are not new, the growing number of high-security missions, and the erosion of shared respect for and understanding of diplomatic and legal norms, is bringing them into sharper relief. In our last Triennial Survey, large numbers of our members reported experiencing physical and psychological stress, stemming from factors including overwork, environmental issues, lack of access to health care, and psychological harassment.
These “conditions of service” issues become more complicated as many of them fall outside the sphere of traditional collective bargaining, contracts, and traditional “hard” labour recourse mechanisms. Many of them, such as security issues and difficulty accessing health and educational resources, can affect our spouses and family as much, and sometimes even more, than FS employees themselves. Obtaining appropriate attention and resources in these kinds of circumstances can involve asking a cautious bureaucracy to take risks, spend money, and consider innovative solutions. It is as much an exercise in persuasion as in negotiation or bargaining.
L’APASE prend des mesures pour accroître sa capacité de défendre la santé du service extérieur dans son ensemble. En octobre dernier, l’Assemblée générale annuelle (AGA) a approuvé le financement, à même les ressources existantes, d’un poste de président rémunéré. Il s’agit d’un projet pilote d’une durée envisagée de deux ans. Le fait de permettre au président de travailler a temps plein avec le directeur général pour la première fois en 53 ans d’existence de l’APASE nous permettra de compléter les gains importants réalisés sur le plan des relations de travail de l’Association par de nouvelles ressources pour le côté professionnel.
The Full Time Presidency Pilot (FTPP) began on 4 February, when I started leave without pay from GAC. As your full-time President, my mandate and core functions will remain as they have always been, with a particular emphasis on advocacy, outreach, and media relations. (Members can find the full Terms of Reference on the wiki at myPAFSO.) My main deliverables will be a Strategic Review, which will be presented to the October 2019 AGM and — subject to approval of the second Strategic Plan for October 2020. In the lead-up to the 2020 AGM, the Executive Committee (ExCom) will present recommendations to the membership on whether or not PAFSO should make the full-time presidency a permanent part of its governance structure.
Luckily, we have a very dedicated ExCom, including full slate of representatives from all four streams and two remote members. At our November ExCom retreat, the group identified three operational priorities, in addition to collective bargaining, for the coming year. These were Professional Development, which encompasses events as well as questions of professional recognition, training, and opportunities; Member Engagement, which will focus on increasing awareness and participation; and Governance, which includes the Strategic Review as well as structural issues such as negotiating the first contract with the new PAFSO staff union and ensuring that ExCom Is exercising its fiduciary duty to members.
Je suis convaincue que le service extérieur professionnel du Canada est a la hauteur du défi de 2019 et qu’on sera encore plus fort d’ici 2020.
Originally published in / Publié à l’origine dans bout de papier, Vol. 30, No. 4 (2019), pp. 4–5. Read the rest of this issue / Lire le reste de ce numéro →
