Diplomat
Diplomat's Latest Posts
Brazil offers Canada a partnership beyond economics
Strengthening the economic ties between Brazil and Canada stands out among the objectives of every Brazilian ambassador in Ottawa. Trade flows and investments have traditionally sustained bilateral relations. But recent figures show that much more can be achieved. In 2010, trade was still limited, especially when seen in the context of both countries’ commercial transactions […]
Investment opportunities abound in Azerbaijan
In a recent article about Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, New York Times travel writer Kathleen Kingsbury lauds its “magnificent European-style Beaux-Arts mansions, built by the city’s first oil barons a century ago,” which, she says, sit next to the newly-constructed “Guggenheim Bilbao-style Museum of Modern Art” and dozens of new hotels, futuristic malls and arcades. This […]
U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson lends a hand
He wore an old black turtleneck, jeans, black knee guards and sneakers. It was a far cry from his usual suit-and-tie work attire but, for U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson, it was a more sensible outfit for the job at hand — to help retrofit a Habitat for Humanity home for an Ottawa family in need. […]
The world’s newest country needs help
The world’s newest nation, South Sudan, was born on July 9 to become the world’s 193rd country after its people nearly unanimously chose independence from the war-torn nation of Sudan. South Sudan’s population, mostly black, Christian and indigenous tribes people, has been at war — largely regarded as genocidal — with the mostly Muslim north […]
How a 50-cent donation has helped 10,000 children and built 26 classrooms in Nicaragua
It’s spring and the road to Monte Olivo in northwest Nicaragua is washed away with heavy rains. According to our director of operations, we cannot get through, even with 4X4s, to reach the construction site. Three members of the SchoolBOX construction team, stationed at the site, continue to advance with the four-classroom school building project. […]
Gaining influence: Military role puts Canada back on the map
Richard Cohen was born in Montreal and attended the Royal Military College in Kingston before enlisting in the Canadian army. Seven years later, he left Canada to join the British army where he felt he’d find more action and where he did find more action — enough to keep him there for 21 years, including […]
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah seeks ‘a new, modern society’
As an avid and loyal reader of Diplomat & International Canada, I was surprised to see a photo of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia included in “The Dirty Dozen” on the cover of your Summer 2011 issue. After reading what seemed to be an amateurish item about Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, I thought either the […]
Roy MacLaren: Memoir of a formidable man
There are times in The Fundamental Things Apply (McGill-Queen’s University Press, $39.95), Roy MacLaren’s memoir of his life in diplomacy, business and politics, when one is reminded of the Lanny Budd cycle by Upton Sinclair. This is a sequence of 11 novels in which the character Budd, an American diplomat, seems to bump into all […]
Assessing Canada’s vulnerability
In war and peace, the support and confidence of allies can be decisive for a country’s survival and prosperity. Canada’s profound reliance on its trade, defence and other ties to the United States means that Canadians have a crucial interest in keeping borders and diplomatic, military and intelligence channels open with their neighbour. This access […]
Recent Comments