‘In such a dire situation,’ says Chargé d’Affaires Kambiz Sheikh-Hassani, ‘cool heads should prevail’ By Donna Jacobs Iran has provoked widespread international concern over its controversial pursuit of nuclear power and its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. It is also criticized for its unjust imprisonment and execution of its citizens, including children, as well [...]
The revolutions of the Arab Spring have been called “leaderless revolutions” because they were populist uprisings without clear leadership. There is no equivalent to a Bourguiba, Ataturk, Sukarno, Nkrumah, Nyerere, Ho Chi Minh, Gandhi, Houphouet-Boigny or Mandela in the ranks of the protesters in Tahrir Square, or in other Arab capitals, who can rally [...]
Vladimir Putin began a Feb. 8 op-ed in The Washington Post with the following statement: “True democracy is not created overnight. Society must be ready for democratic mechanisms. The majority of the population must feel they are citizens and be ready to devote attention, time, and effort to participating in the process of government.” The [...]
Camp Ashraf was created in an Iraqi desert by several thousand Iranians, who in 1980 fled from the terror unleashed on them across Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini. Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), founded in the 1960s by leftist university students, they had actively opposed the regimes of the shah and the [...]
Scotland will hold a referendum in 2014 on independence as mandated by the Scottish National Party in its 2011 election platform. This is an edited transcript of the arguments for independence as articulated by the SNP. Size matters Some have suggested Scotland’s too small to be independent. Not so. The size or population of a [...]
Andrew Scheer is Canada’s youngest-ever speaker of the House. For a kid who grew up in Ottawa and skipped classes at Immaculata High School (formerly on Bronson Avenue) to watch Question Period on Parliament Hill, it almost seems like destiny. But for the member for Regina Qu’Appelle (his wife is from Saskatchewan), life is [...]
The Ottawa Diplomatic Association’s annual ski day is a win-win. Diplomats have a chance to enjoy a pleasant afternoon on the slopes with fellow diplomats and their families, and the event raises funds for a good cause in Ottawa. As it did last year, the ODA will once again donate the proceeds from Ski Day [...]
On July 6, 2005, at Raffles City in Singapore, the International Olympic Committee announced that London had won the bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The competition had been strong, including bids from Madrid, Moscow, New York and Paris. There was jubilation in London and across the United Kingdom. One of the world’s most dynamic, [...]
The Egyptian embassy residence is a treat for the eye. But it’s tucked away up a lane off Acacia Avenue so it’s a treat that casual passers-by might well miss. Attractive wrought-iron gates lead up the long driveway to the front entrance of a house built in 1913 by Allan Keefer, the architect for Stornoway [...]
Cairns: Days 1-6 As a natural spectacle, North Queensland is comparable to the Rockies in Canada or Death Valley in the U.S. It offers, in other words, a unique experience. On my 14-day tour, I made sure to visit Cairns and Port Douglas before heading south to Sydney. Cairns (pronounced ‘cannes’) has the towel and [...]
The Conservative government champions religious freedom as a “bedrock” freedom: “Societies that protect religious freedom are more likely to protect all other fundamental freedoms,” Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says. “They are typically more stable and more prosperous societies.” In the small ante-room to John Baird’s parliamentary office, you have to consciously avoid knocking over the official [...]
Our globalized world is unraveling. This is not the end of globalization, but it is something we have seen before. It is called retrenchment. It is a phenomenon characterized by declining levels of interdependence in global trade and investment, beggar-thy-neighbour policies as states (especially new entrants in the global economy) look out for their own interests and don’t play by [...]
My South Africa is the white man in his ML500 stopping to tow to a nearby petrol station the broken-down car of a young black mother and child stuck in traffic. It is the successful accountant who works for a global conglomerate and returns to Langa, the township he grew up in, to run Saturday [...]
Cars slow down at the busy intersection in the heart of Rockcliffe and people stop and stare. The object of their attention is the newly-renovated Irish embassy. Once a modest but stately home, it’s been renovated into a stunning 12,000-square-foot stone and brick behemoth. The residence has had quite a journey to get where it [...]
Over the past decade, food and wine have become a serious part of many people’s lifestyle. Just take note of the number of new restaurants popping up, the myriad TV cooking shows and the expansion of high-end kitchen accessory and gourmet stores. With all these resources and sources of inspiration, entertaining at home may [...]
The clock in London’s Trafalgar Square is counting down the hours until the British capital hosts the world’s biggest sporting event (July 27–Aug. 12). You can check out British High Commissioner Andrew Pocock’s report on “the Austerity Games” on page 34. Here at Diplomat, though, we’re doing a count of a different sort. In anticipation [...]
The revolutions of the Arab Spring have been called “leaderless revolutions” because they were populist uprisings without clear leadership. There is no equivalent to a Bourguiba, Ataturk, Sukarno, Nkrumah, Nyerere, Ho Chi Minh, Gandhi, Houphouet-Boigny or Mandela in the ranks of the protesters in Tahrir Square, or in other Arab capitals, who can rally [...]
Vladimir Putin began a Feb. 8 op-ed in The Washington Post with the following statement: “True democracy is not created overnight. Society must be ready for democratic mechanisms. The majority of the population must feel they are citizens and be ready to devote attention, time, and effort to participating in the process of government.” The [...]
Camp Ashraf was created in an Iraqi desert by several thousand Iranians, who in 1980 fled from the terror unleashed on them across Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini. Supporters of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), founded in the 1960s by leftist university students, they had actively opposed the regimes of the shah and the [...]
‘In such a dire situation,’ says Chargé d’Affaires Kambiz Sheikh-Hassani, ‘cool heads should prevail’ By Donna Jacobs Iran has provoked widespread international concern over its controversial pursuit of nuclear power and its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons. It is also criticized for its unjust imprisonment and execution of its citizens, including children, as well [...]
The virulent, the violent and the vociferous: the Top 10 most political sporting events of modern times By Wolfgang Depner When athletes from around the world descend upon London this summer for the XXX Olympiad — July 27 to August 12 — audiences will likely hear their fair share about the ideals of cross-cultural [...]
Operation Attention — that’s us! Over here! Canada’s involvement in Afghanistan did not end with the conclusion of combat operations in the fall of 2011 — although much of the Canadian population thinks otherwise. It is not surprising really. Canadians are tired of their troops being in combat and calling them “mentors” is an easy [...]
Why NATO, however ambiguous its role, is here to stay By David G. Haglund Alliances represent the most long-lived form of institutionalized security and defence cooperation that contemporary international states have ever known. In fact, they are even older than these states themselves — which, as a system of government, likely date back to 1648, [...]
Writer/activists are coming back into fashion. It’s time to revisit their French ancestors. When I was about 15, I stumbled on a book no one else seemed to have checked out of the public library in decades: Emile Zola, Novelist and Reformer: An Account of his Life and Work. It was published in 1904, [...]
By Laura Neilson Bonikowsky I have ascertained by a Route hitherto unknown but to some Indian Hunters, that there is an easy Portage between York and the Waters which fall into Lake Huron of not more than thirty miles in extent…. and hope to compleat (sic) the Military Street or Road the ensuing Autumn.” ~ [...]
A country’s culture rests in a composite — language, dress, music, dance, architecture and traditions. A country’s character reveals itself also through its food, what was, and is, cultivated in various regions, coupled with methods of food preparation and preservation. My next series of articles will explore the national cuisine of various countries through [...]
The Egyptian embassy residence is a treat for the eye. But it’s tucked away up a lane off Acacia Avenue so it’s a treat that casual passers-by might well miss. Attractive wrought-iron gates lead up the long driveway to the front entrance of a house built in 1913 by Allan Keefer, the architect for Stornoway [...]
New heads of mission Louise Hand High Commissioner for Australia Ms Hand is a senior career diplomat with foreign affairs. Prior to her appointment to Canada, she was ambassador for climate change from 2009 until 2011. Previously, she served overseas as minister and deputy head of mission in Indonesia (2005 to 2009), ambassador to Cambodia [...]
New heads of mission Agostinho Tavares da Silva Neto Ambassador of Angola Mr. Tavares da Silva Neto joined Angola’s foreign ministry in 1977 after completing studies at the Karl Marx Institute in Luanda. Much later, he would also complete a degree in international relations at the University of Brasilia. But before that, he held several [...]
Recent Comments