bout de papier, Vol. 25, No. 4 (2011) — Winter/Spring 2011 // Hiver/Printemps 2011, p. 3
“May you live in interesting times” goes the old Chinese curse, but few diplomats who love their profession would want it otherwise! These are very interesting times, and where they lead is uncertain.
In this issue Michel de Salaberry gives us an eyewitness view of the revolution in Egypt. Our former Ambassador there, he would not have predicted such extraordinary developments… and it is not clear that many others could have done so either. Even the organizers of the protests in Cairo did not see the revolution coming, however ardently they may have wished for it.
The revolution stands in stark contrast with attempts at profound political change in the past. Prague 1968 was proof enough of that — the flowering of reformed communism, one with a human face, was soon crushed by Soviet forces. Czechoslovakia and its neighbours returned to a Stalinist deep freeze for almost two decades. A three-part feature in this issue, as well as some sleuthing in the archives, explores that failed revolution and how Canada met such adversity with intelligent compassion.
In recent years other trends have emerged that have changed the underlying geology of our political world. Globalization and the “information revolution” are the obvious ones. Perceptive diplomats should have seen the current paradigm shift coming, perhaps a few did. The biggest hint was the election of President Obama: a mixed-race and centrist politician wins resoundingly at the polls in a country with a difficult race history and sharply polarized politics. A key reason for his success was his astute use of social media to capture the imagination of disaffected youth and idealists of all ages. He harnessed a new paradigm in politics.
As we now know, that trend was by no means restricted to the U.S. Calgary elected what some Canadians might have seen as the most improbable of mayors — an Ismaili immigrant. Today, the city seems entirely comfortable with its choice. In the Middle East a whole generation has revolted against past abuses and refuses to be treated as subjects of authoritarian and often capricious leaders rather than as citizens with inalienable rights. In Canada, where your vote counts and actually is counted, such transitions seem much less dramatic. However, the process of political change here and there may not be so very different. In both places the political landscape is evolving thanks to the empowerment of a younger generation through new technology, one determined to see social change to match.
Of course, profound changes in still great hopes but also engender fear, notably in the Middle East. Can a revolution begun by reformers be suborned by militants to become even more oppressive than the regimes overthrown? Lenin exploited the Mensheviks to install a government that crushed its people for generations, as well as Russia’s neighbours. Bob Rae, in an interview in this issue, makes it clear that democracy cannot be “exported”, but helping to secure it where it emerges may be essential to our collective peace and prosperity. Perhaps nowhere is that more important than in the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia — where Sheila Fruman, again in this issue, offers a solid example of how we can (and have) made a difference.
Is it time we did? Paul Heinbecker’s new book, Getting Back Into the Game, reviewed in this issue, calls for Canadians to re-engage internationally. He exhorts Canada to re-invigorate its flagging diplomacy and re-assert its place and temporizing voice in the world. It seems clear that we have everything to gain by helping to secure the democratic reforms of our “interesting times”, and much to lose if we don’t (thereby creating new political space for extremists). Many will argue that our current military support for better government in Libya is a solid step in the right direction. However, even more work may lay ahead in helping construct responsible and democratic civilian governments to replace the despots now being displaced.
The most interesting times for Canadian diplomacy, military and civilian, may be when we roll up our sleeves together to help meet the wide spectrum of challenges rebuilding the Middle East and regions beyond may present. They should also prove to be the most exciting times for diplomats committed to building a better world.
Erratum: David Malone wishes to alert readers that his article “Canada’s Diplomatic Spouses’, which appeared in the last issue, should have credited Janet Burns-Walker with so successfully re-decorating the Official Residence in New Delhi in the 1990s — apologies to all!
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 25, No. 4 (2011) — Winter/Spring 2011 // Hiver/Printemps 2011, p. 3. Read the rest of this issue →
