When I wrote my last message to the readers of bout de papier, I anticipated that 2024 would be a complex and unpredictable year. Many months later that seems to have been an understatement. While the war in Ukraine was still ongoing as was the conflict in Gaza, I could not have anticipated the twists and turns in the United States during this critical election year. All these events have had an impact on the work of Foreign Service Officers, particularly, but not exclusively those posted abroad.
In this issue we have a mix of features covering issues and events. From a historical perspective we have a piece by John Halstead, a distinguished Foreign Service Officer who served on a number of occasions as a Head of Mission, most notably to the then Federal Republic of Germany from 1975 to 1980 and then as Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council (NATO) from 1980 to 1982. His piece on the 40th anniversary of NATO makes gripping reading. For those of us who are the children of immigrants, as I am, Ken Neufeld’s reminiscences of being the odd child and teenager in his high school will resonate. We also have a piece from PAFSO President Pamela Isfeld providing an update on issues related to MSH International and the Public Service Health Care Plan.
Derek Burney has penned a tribute to Brian Mulroney. Not an obituary but written from the perspective of the former Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, a tribute to the Foreign Service and the many Foreign Service Officers (yes, names are included) for whom he had a high regard. We also include an excerpt from a recently published book, Supervising a Peace That Never Was, on the International Control Commission in what was then called Indochina, a tour of duty fulfilled by many new entrants to the Foreign Service in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
Turning to the world of today’s Foreign Service we have a piece by Kate MacKenzie on diplomatic partners and the challenges of managing a rotational lifestyle when one of the partners is not a member of the foreign service. Holly Jacobs has penned a very moving piece, “Trans/Mission” on her very personal experience transitioning, set in part in our Embassy in Washington, DC.
Over the summer we were able to hire a wonderful student, Karyss Hancock-Hore, to digitize the inventory of issues of bout de papier dating back to the 1970s. Karyss, with a fresh set of eyes on all the back issues, has written a feature article on what struck her most as an undergraduate student with an interest in international affairs.
On issues of policy, the deputy editor-in-chief of bout, Zal Karkaria, has written an opinion piece, making a convincing case that there should be more cross-pollination, through assignments and interchanges, between Foreign Service Officers working for IRCC and those in the four streams housed at Global Affairs Canada.
Rounding out the issue we have an “exit interview” with Robin Wettlaufer, who has not left the Foreign Service, but has left PAFSO, having been promoted to the EX ranks. And a book review on the very timely issue of global human smuggling by Zal Karkaria, whose career with IRCC has given him a wealth of insight into this subject, which is growing and expanding globally.
Our inimitable food columnist, Lisa Bitto, has turned her mind to the ultimate comfort food for many of us, namely a hot, well-made pizza. In addition to providing a culinary history, she also provides a recipe for pizza dough you can make at home, probably no matter where you happen to be at this time. And A Aalto has done it again – a complex puzzle full of more twists and turns than you can count.
If I may finish with a plea. We are always looking for contributions from readers. Pieces from serving Foreign Service Officers, their partners, their adolescent dependents – all are welcome and, indeed, needed. We are trying to ensure that bout reaches not only the members of the Foreign Service community but that it is read – or at least glanced at – by senior officials including parliamentarians as part of ongoing and continuous advocacy on behalf of Canada’s foreign service. Happy reading and please do not hesitate to send suggestions and comments to [email protected]. Thank you!
