Diplomatica
An ambassadorial tour of Spain
By Carlos Gómez-Múgica Ambassador of Spain To write about my country is something that I love, especially to invite readers to visit Spain and to see it from a different perspective. Tourists, on their first visit especially, express amazement at Spain’s diversity. Not by chance has Spain been labelled a mosaic of history and cultures. […]
Canada’s principled move in Iran
John Baird’s surprise decision to pull the plug on diplomatic relations with Iran is one that was long overdue. But it is a principled decision against a pariah regime that sends the simple message: Enough is enough. The fact that Baird made the announcement on his way to Vladivostok just before the APEC summit struck […]
Internet wars
By Fen Osler Hampson and Gordon S. Smith At the end of the year, the nations of the world will convene at the Gulf port city of Dubai to renegotiate key provisions of the International Telecommunications Regulations (ITR), a UN treaty that governs the use of the airwaves, but not the internet. It is already […]
A reflection on responsibility: What does Syria mean for R2P?
By Lloyd Axworthy and Allan Rock The world has watched in frustration as the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad of Syria has turned its weapons against its own citizens to suppress an insurgency and cling to power. The shocking estimates of civilian casualties (some as high as 20,000) don’t measure the untold misery of the […]
Canadians confront a global issue
By Liz Ballantyne-Jackson It’s a little known problem in the west, but exposure to smoke from cooking fires kills approximately two million people worldwide every year. Globally, nearly three billion people use polluting, inefficient stoves or open flames to cook their food. This results in deforestation, carbon emissions and numerous health issues. Breathing in the […]
Surviving cancer and living a football dream
Fareed Ali was 17 years old when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. One of the bright spots in his intensive treatment plan, which included eight months of chemotherapy and four lumbar punctures (spinal taps), was an offer from the Children’s Wish Foundation. They asked him to dream big and he did — the avid […]
Israel and Canada: Partners in Innovation
As policymakers search for ways to foster more innovative economies, many are turning to Israel for answers. Over the course of my tenure as ambassador, the embassy has made it a priority to present Israel to Canada as a partner in innovation. With a population of 7.8 million and a territory two-thirds the size of […]
Flora MacDonald: On war, foreign policy and Afghanistan
Flora MacDonald has been to Afghanistan 12 times. Not every woman her age — she’s 86 — can say the same. But then Ms MacDonald’s whole life has been about firsts. She was the first woman to mount a serious campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada (no women had run for […]
Trinidad and Tobago: The Caribbean’s economic leader
By Philip A. Buxo Trinidad and Tobago is open for business. Not only is our twin island democratic republic located at the crossroads of the Americas, but we also have access to regional and international markets through multiple trade agreements. Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) is not just the leading Caribbean producer of hydrocarbons, it’s also […]
Egypt is primed and ready for business
By Wael Aboul Magd In 2014, Egypt and Canada will mark 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. During that time, our bilateral relationship has been founded on mutual interest in peace and stability in the Middle East, trade and development and cultural diversity. The latter is partly the function of a vibrant Egyptian-Canadian […]
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