bout de papier, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2010) — Spring 2010 // Printemps 2010, p. 4
bout de papier est la publication de prestige de l’APASE et l’une des activités les plus visibles de l’Association. C’est donc avec plaisir que j’ai accepté l’invitation, à titre de président de l’’APASE, de renouer avec la tradition de rédiger une rubrique pour notre revue.
As our collective agreement remains valid until June 30, 2011, and we face a wage freeze for the next couple of years, some might argue that PAFSO has little role to play just now. I disagree. This 1s an excellent moment to begin addressing some of the important non-monetary issues facing all of us as practitioners of the world’s second-oldest profession, issues of parity, respect and demonstrating our worth to Canadians.
to the contrary today’s cha diverse skill set but alsc
On entend beaucoup parler du retard perçu des membres du service extérieur par rapport à d’autres entités, notamment les militaires; pourtant les agents du service extérieur servent aux côtés de leurs collègues militaires dans des missions dangereuses en Afghanistan et ailleurs. Il nous faut prendre conscience que notre profession fait face à de nouveaux défis et qu’une adaptation continue s’impose.
Yet, as someone who has served in both Kandahar and Kabul, I have found that it was my traditional diplomatic skills that served me best, even in those tough environments. The generals I advised did not need another military officer — even one in civilian clothes — beside them. Instead, they craved input from someone who could develop a rapport with civilian organizations that did not interact easily with the military, who looked at issues through a political/diplomatic lens, and who knew how to put both village elders and government representatives at ease. It certainly helped that I was willing to wear body armour and ride in a LAV without complaining (much), but that was not the most important thing.
It has become fashionable to dismiss traditional diplomacy as something that takes place over canapés at garden parties. However, I believe that we do ourselves and our country a disservice when we downplay our customary role and time-honoured expertise. States are still the basic unit of international relations, and state representatives remain the key final decision makers when it comes to foreign policy. The business of diplomacy might be done less and less at receptions and closed conferences, and more and more in village shuras and over the Internet, but the basic skills involved are not all that different. Diplomacy is not an anachronism; to the contrary today’s challenges require not just our diverse skill set but also the resilience to use it. This flexibility and adaptability allows the traditional diplomat to an anachronism;
lenges require not just our the resilience to use it.
function in situations both glamorous and gritty — and everywhere in-between.
Bien que la communauté du service extérieur ait connu des succès considérables pendant la dernière décennie en ce qui concerne l’écart entre notre traitement salariale et celui de groupes professionnels comparables, il nous reste du chemin à faire. Un moyen d’assurer le respect que nous méritons serait de mettre en valeur auprès du publique canadien notre contribution et nos talents. Chaque nouveau bout de papier qui sort sert donc à souligner la portée complexe de notre profession, ce qui inclue certaines dimensions qui profiteraient certes d’approfondissement et d’autres qui auraient besoin d’un renouveau bien réfléchi.
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Originally published in / Publié à l’origine dans bout de papier, Vol. 25, No. 1 (2010) — Spring 2010 // Printemps 2010, p. 4. Read the rest of this issue / Lire le reste de ce numéro →
