bout de papier, September 1983 // Septembre 1983, p. 2
This is the second edition of the expanded PAFSO Newsletter introduced for the first time last June. The reaction to our first edition has been positive and we intend to continue along similar lines with future issues of the bout de papier.
Before explaining the details of our book prize let me say that PAFSO owes a great deal to the unstinting and indefatigable efforts of Lucie Edwards who was entirely responsible for producing and editing our first expanded edition. She also negotiated and purchased on PAFSO’s behalf the services of MIDA Productions the publisher of the current edition. We must also thank her husband, Tom Roach, whose photography illustrated the first publication. Lucie will be attending Harvard University on study leave this Fall. Although we are pleased that she will have a great opportunity for further professional growth, the bout de papier will lose her services as Communications Co-ordinator. Nevertheless, Lucie has promised to keep in touch regularly and we look forward to her contributions from the halls of the Ivory Tower.
Now that we have been given such a good start we want to encourage and perhaps even “bribe” our members to contribute to the bout de papier. This Newsletter, after all, should represent a collective effort.
The themes you choose are entirely up to you. But, of course, they must be of general interest to our Foreign Service Community, be written in either French or English, and must be at least 750 words in length. The bout de papier would welcome “Letter from the Capitals”, sociological human interest commentaries à la The New Yorker Magazine, articles on unique responses and adaptations to life in your city or embassy, explorations of or treatises on foreign policy themes of burning interest to you, interesting hobbies you have been pursuing in your part of the world. These are only a few suggestions. For your efforts the bout de papier is offering a $50.00 book prize to the best submission per edition either in the form of a book token redeemable at a major book store in Ottawa, or if you are overseas you will be able to choose from a list of ten books, PAFSO will make the purchase on your behalf and mail the prize to you. Send us your crossword puzzles with international related clues, your humourous cartoons, and requests for consumer research on subjects of interest to you. I should add that due to austerity we must limit the award to the substantive contributions.
To complement the activities of the Professional Committee, the bout de papier intends to introduce regular feature interviews beginning with the November edition. Each edition will highlight one main foreign policy theme. For example, the November edition will address aid policy questions in a two-page interview with Mr. Bernard Wood of the North/South Institute. We thought the choice of this theme could form part of our welcome to the Aid Stream. Rick Belliveau has kindly consented to co-ordinate the interview feature page for each edition.
Thanks to Denyse Goulet, members overseas and those of you who are late risers and have not been able to attend the weekly 8:30 Professional Committee breakfast meetings with eminent guest speakers, will now have an opportunity to read about the fresh, informative and interesting ideas being proposed at these meetings. Other Professional Committee activities will also be reported at length so that the benefits currently enjoyed by those of us in Ottawa will be shared by those of you in far flung corners of the world. The new Newsletter will continue to report on the collective bargaining activities, (now almost moribund due to the 6 and 5 policy) new changes to the FSDs, as well as any issues related to Personnel Management in the Executive Director’s Notes column.
Our expanded Newsletter will only be successful if more of you come forward, bringing your talents: writing, co-ordinating etc., and we are always looking for new ideas for articles. Although PAFSO has been able to purchase the services of MIDA Productions and a technical production co-ordinator, Glen Lisle, we still need researchers for interviews, advisors, editorial assistants and writers. Some of you responded to Lucie Edwards’ request for information on the kinds of services of interest to you.
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Originally published in bout de papier, September 1983 // Septembre 1983, p. 2. Read the rest of this issue →
