bout de papier, Vol. 31, No. 2 (2021), p. 2
IN DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR, much to my surprise, I was asked to become editor-in-chief of bout de papier. My appointment came more than 30 years after my first term as editor of bout, which was then a publication in its infancy, newly emerged in a magazine format. My job now, as Pam Isfeld, PAFSO’s President, so kindly explained to me, was to “re-boot” bout as a magazine fit for 2021, with new content and a system for a thorough look at its purpose in a new and tougher world of digital communications. Then I could quit again.
bout de papier is the magazine of the Canadian foreign service, and the service of today is much different than the one I left years ago. The enthusiasm, work ethic, skill sets and dedication haven’t changed. If anything, they are in greater abundance now than ever before. The Canadian foreign service of today is also far more diverse in every respect than it was in my day, and much more a reflection of Canada’s true nature.
Ce qui a changé au fil du temps, c’est le monde dans lequel le service extérieur canadien évolue. Le réseau diplomatique du Canada est plus vaste, et les postes souvent plus exigeants, dangereux et compliqués. Les diplomates travaillent dans un monde globalisé où la communication instantanée est à la fois une bénédiction et une malédiction. C’est aussi un lieu de travail ou les pressions se sont amplifiées, où les défis dans de nombreux postes et capitales se sont accrus, mais où les structures de soutien et les lignes d’autorité claires se sont atrophiées ou encore se sont sérieusement détériorées.
A few harsh realities about being a Canadian foreign service officer have become even more evident to me since assuming this job. I had already known that the foreign service was not well appreciated among the senior ranks of the Canadian public service. Regrettably, my generation of the foreign service bequeathed to its successors waning public support and lack of understanding for what diplomats do.
Qui vient a la défense du service extérieur lorsque les budgets sont réduits ou de nouvelles réductions de services sont proposées? Qui défend la nécessité d’une expression compétente et dynamique a l’étranger des intérêts et des valeurs canadiennes? Le service extérieur est souvent le seul à plaider en faveur d’une politique étrangère dynamique pour le Canada à un moment où le monde est confronté à une myriade de défis complexes.
We”ve traditionally done well in terms of performance. Canadian missions abroad have assisted Canadians amidst pandemics and natural disasters. The Canadian foreign service, at home and abroad, defended the most basic Canadian interests during the chaotic Trump presidency. For decades, we’ve been at the forefront of efforts to build a rules-based international order, at the United Nations and elsewhere. Those successes are important. They amount to a long track record of delivering the goods for a succession of governments, of differing political stripes, under the toughest of pressures.
At a difficult time for many foreign services, it is fitting that bout de papier support both PAFSO and the government in shaping the diplomatic tools for the years ahead. We can assist in providing a clear rationale for an enhanced international public affairs capability, as well as the restoration of an international cultural relations program. It’s also time for the Canadian foreign service to identify its own needs for the years ahead, like better training and development programs, improved foreign language training, updated human resource management practices, and the setting of clear priorities and lines of authority.
Pour être efficaces, nous devrons être présents, visibles et disponibles. Le service extérieur du Canada doit réfléchir à ce qui en a fait un interlocuteur précieux pour les personnes qui s’intéressent a la politique étrangère et aux affaires internationales dans la société civile canadienne, ainsi que pour le reste de la société canadienne. Beaucoup de vieux liens, maintenant rompus ou effilochés, doivent être rétablis, que ce soit avec la société civile, avec le monde universitaire et même avec les gouvernements provinciaux et municipaux.
Let’s give the Canadian foreign service a motto that resonates with our membership and the public: “Service to Canadians at home and abroad.” It’s simple. It states our mandate and reach. And it embraces the open-ended challenges that lie ahead. And let’s do better at informing Canadians about what we do and how we do it. That multi-faceted, flexible, dynamic foreign service, deployed in various locations around the world, is what we need to present to the wider public.
bout de papier will do its part to address some of the dilemmas and problems of the foreign service of today, as well as in offering views on the foreign service of tomorrow. To do that, we need your views. We invite greater participation in contributing to bout and broadening its range and depth. Let us know the subjects you want us to tackle. Let us know about your work and its challenges. Let a “rebooted” bout de papier speak for the Canadian foreign service and its willingness to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, in the service of Canadians.
Originally published in / Publié à l’origine dans bout de papier, Vol. 31, No. 2 (2021), p. 2. Read the rest of this issue / Lire le reste de ce numéro →
