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The persecuted
RELIGIOUS MINORITIES OF ALL KINDS ARE PERSECUTED AND
ABUSED BY THEIR GOVERNMENTS AND FELLOW CITIZENS

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CANADA-CHINA RELATIONS:
FORMER AMBASSADOR
CALLS FOR A MAJOR RESET
AND
AFGHANISTAN’S GRIM FUTURE:
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Hope — and hopelessness — in Africa

Global impact of the residential schools tragedy
Books: On diplomacy and sovereignty
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The World in Canada
Volume 32, Number 4

PUBLISHER
Table of
Donna Jacobs
CONTENTS
PUBLISHER IN MEMORIAM
Neil Reynolds
EDITOR
Jennifer Campbell
ART DIRECTOR
Paul Cavanaugh DIPLOMATICA|
BOOKS COLUMNIST Cartoons from around the world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Christina Spencer Fen Hampson on upcoming global summits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
FOOD COLUMNIST
Questions Asked with the WHO’s Bruce Aylward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Margaret Dickenson Notes from the Field: Community Forests International’s work . . . . . 26
Good Deeds: Helping Afghan refugees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
ARTS COLUMNIST
Peter Simpson Trade Winds with Brazil, Estonia and Mongolia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Trade: The Pacific Alliance celebrates 10 years of co-operation . . . . . . 32
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ülle Baum
Diplomatic Agenda: UAE's sustainability goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Monica Allaby DISPATCHES|
Fahad Saeed M. A. Alraqbani When state and society attack people for their faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Laura Neilson Bonikowsky
Tristan Bragaglia-Murdock Afghanistan: The end of a war and a perilous future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Raul Eduardo Fernandez Daza Africa’s schisms and what can be done . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Wolfgang Depner
Juan Jose Ignacio Gomez Camacho
What Canada must do vis-à-vis China . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Fen Hampson Residential school revelations and the hard search for truth . . . . . . . . 64
Patrick Langston CODE promises every girl the right to read . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Jorge Alberto Julian Londono de la Cuesta
Pedro Henrique Lopes Borio
Toomas Lukk
Roberto Rafael Max Rodriguez Arnilla
Robert I. Rotberg
DELIGHTS|
Guy Saint-Jacques Books on diplomacy, sovereignty and pandemics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
J. Paul de B. Taillon Art: What's in store for Ottawa galleries this autumn and winter . . . 76
Ariunbold Yadmaa
Food: Three recipes for entertaining or treating yourself . . . . . . . . . . . 81
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Wine: Why corks may or may not matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Mike Beedell Envoy's Album: Photos from diplomatic events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Larry and Margaret Dickenson
Ashley Fraser Photo finish: The greater snow goose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Jessie Reynolds O’Neil DIGNITARIES|
New arrivals in the diplomatic corps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
WEBMASTER
Gilles Laberge, www.redrocket.ca
OFFICE LIAISON
Sharleen Tattersfield DIPLOMATIC LISTINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
Contact Donna Jacobs, [email protected],
(613) 794-7654.
DIPLOMAT & INTERNATIONAL CANADA
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SUBMISSIONS: Diplomat & International Patrick Langston on winter adventures around Ottawa . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Canada welcomes submissions. Email editor@
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THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE ARTICLES ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS.

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D I P L O M AT I C A| EDITOR’S NOTE
Robert I. Rotberg writes about Hakainde

Hichilema’s Zambian election win and CONTRIBUTORS
how it represents ”a rare triumph of popu-
lar democracy in an Africa increasingly Col. J. Paul B. de Taillon
fraught with vicious ethnic disputes and
intranational rivalries.” He also writes
about other African countries, such as
Jennifer Ethiopia, which is in danger of separating
Campbell
into ethnic sections, the Central African
Republic and Nigeria. Still in Dispatches,
When faith comes at a cost Clair Bolton of CODE tells how hunger
to learn is propelling older girls in Liberia
to attend school with primary students to
T
he Pew Research Centre has shown gain the education that war and discrimi- J . Paul de B . Taillon served in the
that the suppression of religious nation against females have denied them. Canadian intelligence community for
minorities is on the increase. It’s a Up front, columnist Fen Hampson 30 years and also served as an army
subject that is reported on sporadically, discusses the issues that will arise at fall reserve colonel . From 2006-2014, he
when major incidents happen. But what summits and Canada’s election, which was the strategic and counterinsur-
about the systemic, constant persecution was supposed to indicate how the Liberals gency adviser to the commander
of citizens simply for what they believe. steered Canada through COVID but was of the Canadian Army . He has op-
Diplomat looked into it and, drawing on overtaken by the way Canada would deal erational experience with Ameri-
the Pew research, and that of several with refugees who worked with Canadian can, Canadian and British Special
other governmental and non-governmen- forces when they were in Afghanistan as Operations Forces, and has served
tal groups, came up with a Top 10 list of that country fell to the Taliban. in Great Britain, the United States,
some of the worst-offending countries. Also in Diplomatica, I (virtually) sat Oman, Bosnia, Kosovo, Ukraine and
Writer Wolfgang Depner discovered down with World Health Organization Afghanistan . Taillon holds a PhD
a few consistencies among the countries senior adviser Bruce Aylward, who runs from the London School of Econom-
in question. Religious persecution occurs the ACT-Accelerator program. COVAX, ics and Political Science and a mas-
under authoritarian rule, whether that be the global vaccine equity program, falls ter’s in strategic studies (U .S . Army
secular or theocratic. He also discovered within his purview and Aylward spoke War College) . He has taught at the
that Asia is becoming increasingly hostile frankly about the importance of vaccine Royal Military College of Canada,
for religious minorities, Christians and equity and how national leaders must is an adjunct fellow at Joint Special
others. Finally, he found that Christians make it a priority and encourage others to Operations University in Tampa and
are being driven out of the Middle East. do so, too. With many high-income coun- has taught at the U .S . Naval Post
Also in Dispatches, J. Paul de B. Taillon tries reporting 40 per cent of their popula- Graduate School in Monterey and the
tackles the subject of Afghanistan. The tions fully vaccinated and Africa reporting NATO Special Operations School in
retired colonel has plenty of experience in only 2 per cent, Aylward points out that Chievres, Belgium .
war zones and discusses what the future vaccinating the world is morally and eco-
holds for the beleaguered country after 20 nomically the right thing to do. Claire Bolton
years of war and the hurried withdrawal In Delights, Christina Spencer shares
of foreign troops in August. background on books about diplomacy,
Taillon refers to it as a war “marred by sovereignty and pandemics, while food
unclear strategic goals after the initially writer Margaret Dickenson offers up three
successful United States invasion of the Is- elegant recipes for entertaining or just
lamic Republic of Afghanistan in response treating those in your family bubble. Arts
to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.” columnist Peter Simpson surveys the lat-
He acknowledges that the exact date for est from the Ottawa art scene and Patrick
a Taliban takeover would have been dif- Langston continues his ongoing series of
ficult to ascertain, but that it was clear the imaginative suggestions for getting out Claire Wanjiru Bolton joined CODE
Taliban would eventually fill the tactical and seeing things in spite of the pandemic. in 2012 and is currently a program
vacuum left by the Afghan/U.S. military. manager. Working with local partner
Also in Dispatches, Africa columnist Jennifer Campbell is editor of Diplomat. organizations in Liberia and Ghana,
Bolton is on a mission to help teach-
ers effectively engage classrooms of
young readers and learners. Born
O U R T EM PORA RY FOR MAT and raised in Kenya, she moved to
Canada a decade ago to earn her
Diplomat is currently publishing online only, master ’s in globalization and in-
but this PDF version of the magazine has a ternational development from the
neat feature that print can't offer: The ads are University of Ottawa. She is a proud
"live," which means a click of the finger takes mom of two toddler boys and wife
you right to the advertiser's website. Try it out. to Fidele.

D I P L O M AT I C A| CARTOONS
Political commentary from around the world
The gift of chaos by Luojie, China Daily, China
Google Caves in Russia by Bob Englehart, PoliticalCartoons.com Human Rights in the Arab World by Emad Hajjaj, Alaraby Aljadeed
newspaper, London

CARTOONS |DI PLO M AT I CA
Canadian example by Rivers, CagleCartoons.com
Taliban & Women by Bart van Leeuwen, PoliticalCartoons.com Pandora Papers by Peter Kuper, PoliticalCartoons.com
More vaccines by Patrick Chappatte, NZZ am Sonntag, Switzerland Diplomatic lust by Manny Francisco, The Manila Times, Philippines

D I P L O M AT I C A| CARTOONS COURTESY OF CAGLECARTOONS.COM
Canada election 2021 by Paresh Nath, U.T. Independent, India
Bad air by Gatis Sluka, Latvijas Avize, Latvia

Chinese crackdown by Paresh Nath, U.T. Independent, India
Remarkable offspring by Joep Bertrams, The Netherlands 30th Anniversary of Independence of Ukraine by Vladimir Kazanevsky,
Ukraine, PoliticalCartoons.com

D I P L O M AT I C A| CARTOONS
China real estate market cracking by Dave Granlund, Fuel Shortage UK by Bart van Leeuwen, PoliticalCartoons.com
PoliticalCartoons.com
Haitian migration hopscotch by Monte Wolverton, Battle Ground, French colonial history by Emad Hajjaj, Alaraby Aljadeed newspaper,
Washington State London
Alexander Lukatanko by Bart van Leeuwen, PoliticalCartoons.com Indo Pacific Quad Summit by Marian Kamensky, Austria

Twentieth year of 9/11 by Paresh Nath, U.T. Independent, India
AUKUS submarines by Bart van Leeuwen, PoliticalCartoons.com

D I P L O M AT I C A| SUMMITS
Fall summits will shape Canada’s global goals
At his virtual Leaders' Summit on Climate Change, U.S. President Joe Biden said his administration would halve U.S. greenhouse gas
emissions from 2005 levels by 2030, with a goal of making the U.S. economy carbon-neutral by 2050. It's summit seaon again and two major
events will test Canadian leaders' ability to define key foreign priorities.
and stewardship of the economy. Instead, the headlines, especially if, as is certain,
it was quickly overshadowed by the un- the humanitarian and refugee crisis wors-
folding tragedy in Afghanistan and ques- ens under Taliban rule. Canada’s new
tions about the government’s competence government will be under pressure to
and failure to properly plan for the evacu- secure the safe passage of Canadians and
ation of its citizens and those Afghans others who were left behind after the Aug.
who had worked alongside Canadian 31 deadline for U.S. withdrawal expired
Fen forces. As former British prime minister and international airlift operations were
Hampson
Harold MacMillan once said when asked suspended.
what could throw a government off The foreign policy challenge doesn’t
T
he fall of the Western-backed Af- course, “Events, dear boy, events.” That stop there. Two major summits of global
ghan government to the Taliban just adage also clearly applies to elections. leaders in the fall will test the new govern-
as the Canadian election writ was Although the Liberal government’s han- ment’s ability to define clearly some of its
G20 SUMMIT ITALIA 2021
drawn showed, yet again, that the best- dling of the Afghanistan file was itself not key foreign and economic policy priorities.
laid plans, to riff on Robert Burns, “go oft a ballot issue, it reinforced the question in
awry.” the minds of many voters about why the G20
The Sept. 20 election was supposed to election was being held when the country The first international junket is to the G20
be a referendum on the Liberal govern- and the world were in crisis. leaders’ meeting on Oct. 30-31 in Rome.
ment’s handling of the COVID pandemic Afghanistan will not disappear from The summit will focus on the global

SUMMITS |DI PLOM AT I CA
economy and post-pandemic economic re-

covery. In addition, poverty and inequal-
ity, which have been exacerbated by the
pandemic, and climate change, in a year
where many parts of the world have expe-
rienced serious drought, destructive and
uncontrollable wildfires and/or flood-
ing, will be on the agenda. Canada’s new
government will be expected to showcase
its own plans for economic recovery and
how they dovetail with those of other G20
countries.
Unprecedented levels of government
spending and the “easy” monetary poli-
cies of many central banks have contrib-
uted to rising inflation in many countries,
including Canada. Monetary policy will
almost certainly be a major topic of dis-
cussion. A prime minister who doesn’t
“think about monetary policy” — as Justin
Trudeau boasted during the campaign
— will have to show that he does. With
inflation now approaching 4 per cent in
Canada (well outside the Bank of Cana-
da’s 3 per cent control range) and 5 and 3
per cent in the United States and Europe
respectively, the impact on consumers and
their savings is becoming something of a
hot political potato. Central banks every-
where are coming under mounting pres- In a year where many parts of the world have experienced serious drought and destructive
sure to wind back their monetary stimulus and uncontrollable wildfires, climate change will also be on this year’s G20 agenda. Shown
policies. here are wildfires raging in British Columbia last summer.
If the U.S. starts to raise interest rates
to curb inflation, there will almost cer- year so that a “synthesis report” can be emissions only account for 1.5 per cent of
tainly be “significant capital outflows issued at the conference. The UN’s Inter- the global total. (The comparatively high
from emerging and developing countries” governmental Panel on Climate Change figure on a per capita basis is explained by
as the International Monetary Fund has has urged countries to do more, arguing Canada’s role as a producer of oil and gas.
warned. This will hurt economic recovery that by the end of the third decade of this Road transportation is another key source
in poorer countries. Most don’t have ac- century, countries will have to reduce their of emissions because of the country’s ge-
cess to COVID vaccines and are experi- emissions by at least 45 per cent compared ography.)
encing chronic food shortages, job losses, to 2010 levels if there is to be any hope of It will be important for Canadian of-
rising poverty and homelessness because forestalling climate catastrophe. ficials at Glasgow, in concert with others,
of COVID. Canada has an important role While forest fires ravaged much of Brit- to hold the world’s major carbon emitters
in providing aid to these countries while ish Columbia and Northwestern Ontario, — China, India and the United States — to
supporting the delivery of vaccines, health and droughts took their toll on Western account by demanding precise commit-
tools and concessional financing. Canadi- farmers, the Liberals pledged during the ments and concrete plans of action. In
ans will be looking to their government to election that they would reduce green- 2019, China accounted for almost 30 per
step up to the plate. house gas emissions by up to 45 per cent, cent of global GHG emissions. The United
Almost immediately after the G20 going well beyond the government’s ear- States and India accounted for 11 per cent
meeting, world leaders will head to lier pledge at the 2015 Paris climate con- and 6.6 per cent respectively.
Glasgow, Scotland, where the COP 26 ference. Under their plan, carbon would Although China touts the fact that it
UN Climate Change Conference, hosted have to be priced at $170 a ton by 2030, is making major investments in renew-
by Britain in partnership with Italy, takes meaning that carbon taxes would rise at able energy sources such as solar and
place. The conference was originally $15 per annum. The Conservatives’ plan hydroelectric power, it is also boosting its
scheduled to be held in 2020, but meet- proposed to return carbon levies, which reliance on coal by continuing to construct
ing plans were derailed by COVID. The would be at a lower 30 per cent rate, to hundreds of coal-fired electricity plants
NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY
two-week conference is supposed to be consumers to be used for the purchase while also funding infrastructure projects
more than the usual gabfest, but will also of “green” products such as bicycles, in more than 70 countries that will soon
give countries a chance to showcase their electric cars and solar panels, instead of account for more than half of all new
individual concrete plans to reduce green- the redeemable tax credit proposed by carbon emissions, according to the World
house gas emissions. COP countries (110 the Liberals.Whatever Canada eventu- Economic Forum.
in all) had to submit their national plans ally does, the reality is that it can’t solve At his “Leaders’ Summit on Climate”
to address climate change by July 31 this climate change on its own. Canada’s GHG earlier this year, U.S. President Joe Biden

D I P L O M AT I C A| SUMMITS
said his administration would halve U.S.

greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels
by 2030, with the long-term goal of mak-
ing the U.S. economy carbon neutral by
2050. However, it is not clear how he is
going to do this because he was forced,
by stiff opposition within his own party,
to abandon his pre-election commitment
to levy a carbon tax. Democrats feared
a carbon tax would penalize poor and
lower-income Americans. The Biden
administration will now focus instead
on promoting government investment
in green technologies and infrastructure,
along with regulatory changes. Main-
stream climate economists consider this
approach to be much less effective than a
straight carbon tax.
As it moves forward on climate change
policies, one of the government’s central
challenges will be to ensure that Canada
doesn’t get out of sync with its major
trading partner, the United States. Oth-
erwise, new regulations will undercut a
basic element of Canada’s economic com-
Italy and the European Union co-hosted the G20 Global Health Summit in the leadup to the G20 in petitiveness. As Alberta economist Jack
Rome in October. Shown here are Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and EU Commission President Mintz cautions, “It would make sense for
Ursula von der Leyen. This year's G20 will focus on post-pandemic economic recovery. Canada to have a carbon policy consis-
tent with its major trading partners, most
obviously the United States…If Canada
decides to go alone in stopping oil and
gas developments…resources provinces
will get badly hurt and so will Canada as
a whole.”

APEC
There will be no need for the prime minis-
ter and his senior officials to make the ex-
hausting flight across the Pacific to attend
the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting
in New Zealand the week of Nov. 8. The
summit’s host decided to make the gather-
ing a virtual one a long time ago because
of fears that the arrival of thousands of
officials, journalists and other APEC strap-
hangers would spike a major outbreak of
COVID.
Despite being a virtual summit, it will
nonetheless put a spotlight on Canada’s
policies towards the region. Under the
previous Liberal government, Global
EUROPA EUROPEAN COMMISSION / ROB LOFTIS
Affairs Canada struggled for months, if

not years, to craft a cabinet document
outlining a new strategy towards the
Indo-Pacific. The document was blessed
by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet
earlier this year, though its contents were
not made public.
Canada’s China policy has been in the
deep freeze for several years as a direct re-
Although China touts the fact that it is making major investments in renewable energy, it is also
sult of the imprisonment of Michael Kovrig
boosting its reliance on coal by continuing to construct hundreds of coal-fired electricity plants.
and Michael Spavor — the “Two Mi-
Shown here is a coal shipment headed to China.
chaels” as they are known — in retaliation

SUMMITS |DI PLOM AT I CA
for Canada’s arrest of senior Huawei exec-

utive Meng Wanzhou at the request of U.S.
authorities who wanted to put her on trial
in the United States. Although the United
States and China are in a new Cold War, it
is quite different from the Cold War of the
last century.
China’s imperial ambitions appear to
be limited — at least for now — to gain-
ing control over Hong Kong, Taiwan and
the South China Sea. Political ideology
(Marxism-Leninism-Maoism) has taken
a back seat in China’s ambitious Belt and
Road initiative, which is driven more by
its desire to expand its economic link-
ages and project strategic influence than
promoting its own authoritarian system
of governance. In fact, China’s popular-
ity with developing nations is based on
the fact that its aid and investments come
with few strings attached, unlike Western
democracies whose aid is tied to the pro-
motion of liberal values and democracy.
What is also different about this new
Cold War is that although the United
States and China are military rivals and Shown here is the informal leaders’ retreat, hosted by New Zealand in July. The APEC Economic
economic competitors, they are also each Leaders’ Meeting will take place virtually, the week of Nov. 8.
other’s most important, though uneven,
trading partners. As Bloomberg News
reported, “China and the U.S. are shipping stimulate its demand for commodities
goods to each at the briskest pace in years, that are Canadian strengths — canola
making the world’s largest bilateral trade oil, pork, wheat, potash, etc., and energy
relationship look as if the protracted tar- resources such as liquefied natural gas,
iff war and pandemic never happened.” oil and uranium. Sitting as it does at the
The U.S. trade deficit, despite former centre of many of the world’s key supply
President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his chains, China, as Bloomberg reports, will
table thumping over Hong Kong, Taiwan, “drive global economic growth as the
Chinese cyber-attacks and human rights, world recovers from a pandemic that’s
hasn’t put a dent in the trillions worth of killed [4.5] million people... and contribute
goods that the U.S. buys from China. In more than one-fifth of the total increase in
2020, U.S. exports to China were US $125.5 the world’s gross domestic product in the
billion whereas imports from China were [next] five years.”
US $434.7 billion. China is Canada’s second biggest ex-
At the APEC Summit, Canada has a port market and there is ample room for
major opportunity to showcase its plans further growth. However, the government
to boost trade, investment and people- will have to move deftly to repair relations
to-people ties with Southeast Asia’s fast- now that it has secured the release of the
est growing economies, which include Two Michaels. A proper strategic rethink
Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singa- of Canada’s bilateral relationship with
pore. Free-trade talks with India (which China should be based on accommodat-
have proven difficult because India is a ing mutual economic interests without
limited market economy and is still en- compromising fundamental differences on
cumbered by rigid labour laws, excessive values or genuine security concerns.
bureaucracy and protectionism) must This is a tall order for any government
continue. But if there is to be any pros- at the best of times. But in the COVID-
CHINESE NEWS SERVICE / APEC
pect of reaching a deal, there will have to racked world we are living in now, the
be top-level political engagement on the Canada’s China policy has been in the deep government cannot afford to drag its feet
freeze as a direct result of the imprisonment of
file.The government also needs a proper or stick with the status quo.
Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor — the “Two
China strategy. Canada can’t ignore the
Michaels” as they are known — in retaliation
Chinese market, which, within a decade, for Canada’s arrest of senior Huawei executive Fen Osler Hampson is Chancellor’s
will surpass the United States’ in size Meng Wanzhou, shown here, at the request of Professor at Carleton University and
alone. China’s strong growth prospects U.S. authorities who wanted to put her on trial co-author of Diplomacy and the Future of
and its rapidly budding middle class will in the U.S. All three were recently released. World Order.

D I P L O M AT I C A| QUESTIONS A SKED
Bruce Aylward, head of the WHO’s ACT Accelerator program

‘These are always hard times. This
is a Churchillian moment we're
looking for here’
Epidemiologist Bruce Aylward is the arms.] We’re looking forward to continu-

senior adviser on organizational change ing to work with Canada to get everyone
to the WHO’s director general. He’s also else vaccinated. That same sort of ambi-
a Canadian from Newfoundland, and tion they have for the people of Canada,
has spent his career in public health, we need that everywhere else, too, to get
much of it at the WHO, where he’s people vaccinated.
held various positions, including Today, we’re just over 30 per cent of
special representative of the direc- the world’s population vaccinated. Over
tor general for the Ebola response. 40 per cent of the world’s population has
He also led the WHO’s global one dose. It’s just extraordinary less than
response to Zika virus. In February a year after the vaccine was invented. In
2020, WHO director general Tedros Africa, those numbers are 2 per cent and
Adhanom asked him to lead the 4 per cent and that’s what we need to
WHO-China Joint Mission on change and we need Canada’s help mas-
Coronavirus Disease. In the midst sively on that.
of the fourth wave, he spoke with COVAX works. I keep telling people
Diplomat editor Jennifer Campbell. we have a fantastic vehicle. We can get
vaccines anywhere as rapidly as possible.
Diplomat magazine: Canada We have no-fault compensation for 92
was the only G7 country slated countries, on-the-ground assistance in
to draw from COVAX’s vaccine 150 countries, a footprint for UNICEF and
supply in the program’s first allot- the WHO. The machinery all works and
ment. Were you disappointed in it’s unprecedented — there’s never been
Canada when it accessed COVAX anything like it before. But, not every-
vaccines? body wants to play ball and countries like
Bruce Aylward: Every leader is going Canada and the G7 have to, first and fore-
to do what they deem most important to most, make sure manufacturers prioritize
protect the populations of their countries. COVAX. That’s the bottom line.
They are elected by the people of their
countries, they put mechanisms in place DM: What was the COVAX policy that
to take care of their health first and then allowed Canada to tap those vaccines
broader populations subsequently. It’s that were supposed to be for poorer
[not] my position to judge why and what countries?
leaders will do in that position, especially BA: COVAX is a pretty unique construct
knowing the Canadian government, with and remember, this is the first time in his-
its incredibly deep and sincere commit- tory where you’ve tried to do something
ment to multilateral action and to helping where you’ve brought together high-
the vulnerable. They’ve been fantastic income, low-income, middle-income
champions of that. If there’s a situation countries into a single mechanism to pool
in which they do something not to run procurement. When we set up COVAX,
directly in line with that, at a certain point, there was no vaccine.
you have to say the leaders are doing At that point, we were trying to reduce
what they deem they were elected to do risk for everyone, pool procurement, opti-
for their people. mize prices and supply and that requires
We also have to look forward. Our goal high-, upper- and low-income countries
is to get 40 per cent of the world vacci- to all be part of it. When we started CO-
WHO/CHRISTOPHER BLACK
nated by the end of this year and then 70 VAX, we had the participation of the AMC
per cent by the end of next year. We’re go- countries [92 low- and middle-income
ing to need everyone working together to countries] that will get donated doses, but
get to those [goals] and Canada has been we also needed the participation of the
a fantastic partner in getting us this far — other countries, which have to buy doses.
getting COVAX set up and vaccines [in With their downpayments and optioning

QUESTIONS A SKED |DI PLOM AT I CA
of doses, that provides a [framework] BA: It’s a great question. Of course, we the Delta virus, which is roaring through
that you can use to help set the deals with all say our older populations and health- populations and we are going to continue
manufacturers that will help benefit the care workers should be prioritized, which to see a march of this virus becoming
entire facility. is really a moral argument to a certain more transmissible. When I trained, half
What we do is work with high-income degree. But we also have leading econo- of my epidemiology course didn’t know
and middle-income countries as self- mists [speaking.] [British economist] what an R-naught [which measures the
financing participants, so, under the Lord Jim O’Neill, whom I’ve worked transmissibility of a disease] was. Now
legal terms and conditions and because with a lot on the economics of this, spoke half the world does.
they’re spending taxpayer money, they at a meeting of G20 finance ministers The R-naught of the Delta is five, which
had to have a guarantee that they would and said ‘Folks, this is the economic no- means this thing is moving twice as fast,
be eligible for vaccines just like all other brainer of our time’ — just the return on at least. You look at what is the right thing
countries. Otherwise, you could end up investment to finance this thing and to to do, what economically makes sense,
in a situation where they all come in, but equitably distribute the vaccines. We’re because your economies are crushed in
then decide that they want to serve these in an interconnected economy. Our sup- this whole thing, and then from a security
countries, or those countries.
Way back in the beginning, there had
to be protections for all countries to be
able to access vaccines and that’s why. The
whole world was vulnerable because no-
body had seen this virus before. The threat
was in every single country. The threat
was rapidly becoming omnipresent. Ev-
eryone was at risk, so what we worked on
was how to roll things out, which meant
proportional distribution to everyone who
was part of [COVAX.] What we didn’t
expect when we set up COVAX — there
were some countries that had bilateral
deals going into it and we kind of grand-
fathered those in — was the proliferation
of bilateral deals subsequently. It’s not just
high-income countries, because manu-
facturers have chosen not to prioritize
COVAX and they’ve continued to do bi-
lateral deals with everyone else at a higher
price and all sorts of other conditions, and
frankly have not been [acting] in the best
interests of the global population. I get re-
ally frank about this these days. It’ll prob-
ably be the last job I ever have.
That’s the great thing about work-
ing for someone like Tedros [Adhanom, Bruce Aylward (centre), visits Sierra Leone when he was assistant director general of the World
director general of the WHO.] He is all Health Organization (WHO) in charge of the operational response on Ebola. He's shown with Ismail
about equity. He’s the moral compass on Ould Cheikh, special representative to the UN secretary general.
that piece of the response. This man just
never loses sight of the fact that a person ply chains, our markets — everything is perspective, what makes sense. And this
anywhere has to have the same degree, interconnected and there’s been some re- ticks every single box. This means lead-
same rules of the game across the board. ally good economic research that’s come ers standing up and explaining it to their
That’s why he’s looking at [whether] we out. Look at the IMF’s recent report that populations and explaining it to other
need a treaty or an international treaty says there will be $9 trillion in forgone leaders. These are always hard times. This
and [whether] we need to make it bind- economic growth if we don’t vaccinate is a Churchillian moment we’re looking
ing, because this doesn’t work. We put the equitably around the world and that [the] for here. When we had the banks fail and
best possible mechanism in place, every- $9 trillion forgone is in high-income and then we had the giant financial stimuli
one agrees it’s the right thing, but no one upper-middle-income countries across that got us out of that crisis, it was because
wants to play ball. As a result, there are the board, so you have the economic ar- [then-British prime minister] Gordon
hundreds of billions of dollars in profit. gument. Brown stood up and said ‘This is what we
We didn’t listen to the moral argument, have to do.’ It was unpopular and incred-
DM: How does a country balance the we didn’t listen to the economic argument ibly expensive, but it got us out of the
health of its citizens and faltering jobs/ so then the virus started to tell us: ‘Look, worst financial crisis we’d faced since the
economy with the needs of countries al- if you don’t get this under control every- Depression.
ready disadvantaged financially and with where, I am going to evolve, I am going to This is how you control this pandemic.
UN PHOTO
COVID overwhelming their poor health- mutate and everything you’re doing is go- It comes back to ‘What have we learned?’
care systems? ing to be for naught.’ So here we are with You need a set of rules for the game to

D I P L O M AT I C A| QUESTIONS A SKED
laws that tell us even which side of the

road to drive on. It’s to help us be a better
person.
DM: Do you have suggestions for how the
WHO could have done a better job in the
early months of the pandemic?
BA: That’s an easy question for me. These
are the things you go back and look at
when the fire is out and ask what you
need to do differently. I have one advan-
tage in that I wasn’t running this crisis.
I had moved from 30 years in infectious
disease hazards and humanitarian emer-
gencies to helping our director general
run the transformation of the WHO.
When I was asked to go out to China in
early February 2020 and I was trying to
understand what was going on and get
myself up to speed, I read some of the
early WHO outbreak newsletters. They
were fantastic. They were out warning
the world about this thing. I remember
reading the early material and the refer-
encing of precautions for severe respira-
tory infection. Even though they didn’t
The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator is a partnership of governments, health know yet if it was human-to-human
organizations, scientists, businesses, civil society and philanthropists, established in April 2020 to transmission, they were taking a no-
speed up an end to the COVID-19 pandemic by accelerating the development, equitable allocation regrets approach to advising the world.
and scaled-up delivery of vaccines, tests and treatments to reduce mortality and severe disease. The big question was ‘Would the world
listen?’
On our side, I think it’s [a case of] how
do we amplify our early concerns, because
we’re telling the world stuff it doesn’t
want to hear. Nobody wants to hear that
this is a risky pathogen, this is something
you’ve got to take seriously.
When I came out of China in February
2020, we had just four big recommenda-
tions and they were really straightfor-
ward. And were they followed? No. I
think the real question is going to be how
do you really amplify these early alarms
and get them taken seriously?
But I think you’re still talking to us
in the heat of the battle, so you’re never
going to get the thoughtful looking back
that we will have with the benefit of time.
People forget that every time we run a
crisis, we have an after-action review that
goes back and looks at what we could
have done differently every step of the
way. And they’re really hard-hitting about
what we could have done better. But you
don’t do it in the heat of battle.
DM: What most impressed you about the

To date, the ACT-Accelerator has received commitments of US $18.1 billion. Of that figure, US $12.5 co-operation you saw during the pan-
billion has flowed to the COVAX pillar. Canada has committed US $552 million to COVAX and also demic?
pledged to share 40,700,000 vaccine doses with COVAX. BA: From the individual level to the
UNICEF ETHIOPIA
community level where I live, to the

make it easier for people to be the people of this. Everyone finds it difficult to make inner-state and the international level, I
they want to be. Everyone wants to help the hard decisions. But guess what? That’s saw greatness and goodness across the
the vulnerable. Everyone wants to get out why you have international treaties and board at every single level. Think about

QUESTIONS A SKED |DI PLOM AT I CA
the small things. I live in a part of the doses. In the Americas, 40 per cent are donations are great, but we really need
world where people were clapping in the vaccinated with two doses; in the western countries to step out of the queue and take
evening for health-care workers. These Pacific, it’s 40 per cent; in Europe, 40 per a place at the back. It’s as simple as that.
were beautiful gestures. When I came cent. In Africa, it’s 2 per cent. How is that Today, manufacturers are shipping doses
out of China, I was working with various possible without a certain amount of in- to high-income countries and they’re say-
different countries, so keen to understand tent, if you’ve got COVAX that solves that ing they can’t ship to [COVAX] because
what each other were learning. At the problem? they have to service those high-income
WHO, one of our greatest assets is our You’ve got all these people who say countries first. Then the high-income
ability to convene. One of the things clos- they want to be successful — manufac- country says they have too many doses
est to me was the ACT Accelerator, which turers, high-income countries, producing so they’ll donate to COVAX. In the mean-
I run. This is an extraordinary type of co- countries. How can Africa have 2 per cent? time, imagine the transaction costs and
operation and collaboration. Clearly the words aren’t being matched the time. So we get them late, they have
We’ve taken 10 leading agencies — by the action. We’ve got to come forward expiry dates, we send them to the Congo.
such as WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, with rules as we go forward. People have They can’t use them. And the world com-
GAVI, UNIFUND, Gates Foundation —
and we said we’re going to need a massive
war effort. We’ve had these 10 agencies
repurpose to try to advance these agendas
and create new institutions like COVAX
out of thin air. Those things have been
inspiring. There are little things I see:
With these agencies, they’re running big
multilateral operations, but every Thurs-
day evening, 6:30 and 8 p.m., they’re on
a Zoom call with me, looking at what are
the crucial issues we need to be cracking
on for next week. This is a year and a half
of this.
What’s impressed me? The degree of
collaboration, openness, co-operation and
[the willingness] to share ideas and work
toward really novel solutions.
DM: What most disappointed you?

BA: I don’t know if disappoint is the right
word because I don’t really [get] disap-
pointed. What’s impressed me in a differ-
ent way is how hard it is to solve equity.
It comes in when you have scarcity of
resources. Every political leader wants
to do right on all fronts. Manufacturers
want their vaccines used all over the
world. They all say this, but it’s really COVAX is one of the ACT Accelerator’s four pillars. The other three are tests, treatments and health
hard to achieve. I’m super impressed — systems.
call it disappointed — with how hard it
is to solve the problem, despite the fact said money was part of the problem and plains because Congo can’t use the doses
that it morally, economically and from a that we were late getting contracts in [in the three-week period before they
health security perspective made sense. place with manufacturers. But you can’t expire.]
If that’s all so hard, you need new rules sign a contract until you have the money.
of the game to make it easier for people. And guess who signed contracts before DM: The New York Times recently reported
It’s like wanting to be a good citizen. We we got the money we had to raise from that ‘COVAX stands half a billion doses
have a bunch of laws that make it easier: those same countries? But that’s not the short of its goal and that poor countries
you can’t murder people, you have to whole issue because the reality is that a lot are dangerously unprotected as the Delta
pay your taxes, drive on the right side of those 6 billion doses were bought and variant runs rampant, which is just the
of the road… we’re going to need that sold long after we had contracts in place scenario that COVAX was created to pre-
for a pandemic. That’s why [Adhanom] for COVAX. So the question has to go back vent.’ Can you comment on that?
keeps coming back to this idea of a treaty. to the manufacturers: Why is it so hard BA: Last week, on Monday, Airfinity came
I’ve been most impressed in the wrong for you to serve COVAX? What is it that out with a report that said it estimates
way by how hard people have found it scares you so much about a multilateral that high-income countries — G7-plus
UNICEF ETHIOPIA
to share. mechanism that makes sure everybody — will have 1.3 billion doses more than
These are life-saving interventions nine gets what they need. they need to vaccinate their popula-
months after they first went into a human. That’s why governments are so impor- tions this year, including booster shots.
Nine months later, we’ve used six billion tant, why Canada is so important. The So, they said 400 million they’d donate

D I P L O M AT I C A| QUESTIONS ASKED
summit. What are your hopes for out-

comes from that?
BA: The summit’s fantastic. You’ve got
one of the most powerful countries in the
world standing up and saying we are get-
ting behind the WHO’s target that 70 per
cent of the population should be vacci-
nated by the middle of next year to get us
out of this crisis. [Except] we don’t want
to wait until the middle of next year. It’s
great that such an important country
that’s been so successful in the develop-
ment of vaccines and really scaling [up]
their manufacturing is now going to say
‘We’re buying into that goal, plus get-
ting testing rates up where they need to
be and getting oxygen up and we want
the world to get behind those goals and
agree as we go forward to work with us
on those commitments.’ This is the kind
of leadership we so welcome.
We have the ACT Accelerator and
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earned some criticism early on when he announced Canada would be WHO’s big targets for the world — what
taking vaccines from the COVAX program to vaccinate its own people. But Canada has since made we want to see in terms of vaccination and
up for that transgression and is now among the top donors to COVAX. testing and oxygen is to get to a fair and
equitable world where everybody’s got a
shot. You can’t be penalized because you
were born in a country that can’t access
the vaccines because of its financial, politi-
cal or other reality. That’s what we’re try-
ing to solve for. That’s what the WHO is
all about. It’s not just because it’s the right
thing to do, it’s also how you solve a pub-
lic health problem. The U.S. will amplify
those calls and get countries to make those
commitments.
Regarding the manufacturers, we’re
going to have to work with them. We’ll
have to say ‘to get the additional nearly
two billion doses we need for low-income
countries, we’re going to need this much
from each one of you guys.’ They’re going
to come back and say, ‘We can’t give that
to you because of this contract here, or
here or here.’ Then we’ll need countries to
say ‘We’re willing to give up or swap our
position in the queue so we can help the
world catch up.’
Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization, always has vaccine equity at The world is making 1.5 billion doses of
the top of his agenda, says his colleague, Bruce Aylward. vaccine a month now so [we need] all the
places with a lot of vaccinations [to] step
to COVAX — what about the rest? On out and says because the manufacturers out of line for five weeks and let the rest of
Tuesday, the International Federation can’t meet their commitments, we have the world catch up. The summit is just the
of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & As- to downgrade what we can ship by 500 start. It will lay the groundwork.
sociations came out with an article that million doses, or 25 per cent of our port- This is why Canada is so important. It’s
said this was a great triumph of science folio. That’s the world we’re living in part of the G7, G20, the World Health As-
with all these vaccines and ‘We have right now. sembly. These big forums have to be used
great coverage in all these countries. Now Who can solve this? Political leaders. to bring together the political leadership
we need to look at equity.’ Sorry — you They run the countries that buy the vac- to say ‘How are we doing?’ We can bring
PMO / UN PHOTO
don’t look at equity after you’ve vaccines that the manufacturers depend on, them together, but that accountability is
cinated the rich people. What they said so it’s got to be a collaborative effort. something we’ll need from these guys.
was that there’s enough to vaccinate the Biden has such an incredibly powerful
world. On Wednesday, COVAX comes DM: And that brings us to the Biden virus podium.

QUESTIONS ASKED |DI PLOM AT I CA
DM: Anything you want to add? work with so many different parts of [the it went forward. It was an extraordinary
BA: This is just such a giant issue. I’ve country] and an international team, in the opportunity. [We saw] what China was
been in this for 30-plus years, in dis- middle of this massive crisis they were doing. This [may have been] a respiratory
ease eradication — polio, Zika, or the trying to manage and working with the pathogen and they were using contact
Ebola outbreak in West Africa. I’ve been China CDC, the Chinese physicians who tracing, [which usually doesn’t work,]
through a lot of these and I have to say were dealing with this first-hand — I got but they were making it work. The most
I’m still stunned by what a triumph on great insights into this country. Last time amazing thing that struck me was the per-
the one hand that we have vaccines and I’d been there was 20 years before and spective of individuals. [The Chinese] like
the international effort on that, but the China has changed. to engage as much as they can and the in-
challenge of sharing scarce life-saving It was such an honour to lead a team credible personal sense of responsibility in
vaccines [stuns me, too.] If we could of 26 and 27 people, which was half Asia and China was just stunning. It was
get just 10 per cent of the population in from Chinese institutions and half from very difficult, but at the end of the day,
Africa covered, you would be covering international institutions. The insights, the mission was a success. We understood
everyone over the age of 60 because of the brains and experience — it was fan- as much as anyone could about what was
the demographic. [In May] when [Tedros tastic. We said, ‘We need to go to this working; we also understood what was
Adhanom] sent out his target of 10 per area, to see a rural area, we need to see a not understood as well. You spend your
cent coverage by the end of September, densely populated area and we need to lifetime in this business preparing for
everyone said ‘That’s not ambitious go to Wuhan to see what it’s like at the those missions.
enough.’ I said, ‘Tedros, that’s going to be epicentre of this.’ And China — at that [Final comment]: Canada has been a
a massive lift.’ And today we’re at 2 per time and I’m not saying it in the current very important contributor to the ACT
cent in Africa. This is why the summit context — worked really hard with us to Accelerator and COVAX. It was a great
is so important and why we need world understand for China and then help the champion right from the very beginning,
leaders out there. world understand what this virus was, but also Canada put its money where
what they were doing in response, was it its mouth is. Canada is one of the high-
DM: One more question, tell me about making any difference, what do we have est per cent fair-share donors. It’s one of
leading the WHO-China joint mission on to do next? We had three or four big ques- four or five countries — up there with
coronavirus disease. tions we had to answer. It was incredibly Germany, Norway and Saudi Arabia — in
BA: It was fantastic, absolutely incredible. hard, because you’re trying to solve hard going that extra mile. We talked about
Always, when you go into a situation problems with something very new, with why Canada didn’t do this or that, but
like this, you’re trying to understand an very few anchor points, and then to distil we wouldn’t be where we are without
outbreak. With China, the opportunity to all of what we saw to help the world as Canada. D
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DIPLO AD_SEPT 2021_v2.indd 25
21-09-21 8:05 PM
D I P L O M AT I C A| NOTES FROM THE FIELD
Rural Zanzibar’s climate change lessons for the world

By Monica Allaby
E
arlier this month, the Intergovern-
mental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) released its latest report on
climate change and UN Secretary General
António Guterres called it a “code red for
humanity.”
What gives our team at Community
Forests International hope is that we
all know the causes of this crisis — and
we also know the solutions. Too often,
complex global challenges lack this same
level of clarity. More important though,
the small island communities we have the
privilege of working alongside are adapt-
ing and responding to this crisis despite
challenges that most of us in Canada can’t
even really imagine. We have witnessed
these efforts first-hand through our work
in Zanzibar, Tanzania, over the past de-
cade.
In 2006, Mbarouk Mussa Omar — a Mbarouk Mussa Omar, executive director of Community Forests Pemba, visits a community-owned-
community leader and climate activist on and-operated tree nursery.
Pemba Island, Zanzibar — befriended Jeff
Schnurr, a young Canadian tree-planter programming in Eastern Canada in 2010. results of our most successful climate-
who was travelling in the region. Mussa While the regions we work in are home adaptation efforts, the European Union
Omar had a vision to bring back Pemba to unique ecosystems, cultures and chal- awarded our organization a new four-year
Island’s lost forests, and Schnurr was lenges, we have learned that the most contract to deliver our greatest programs
inspired to help him any way he could. successful solutions to the climate crisis to more people and communities in the
Local community groups quickly stepped benefit ecosystems and the people directly region.
up to get involved and establish tree nurs- connected to them. Applying lessons from This initiative is now allowing Com-
eries, and when the next tree-planting sea- Zanzibar back here at home has enabled munity Forests Pemba to team up with
son arrived in Canada, a growing team of Community Forests International to build new partners, such as the Tanzania Media
young Canadians helped to raise money one of Canada’s first forest carbon proj- Women’s Association and the People’s De-
to support their efforts in tree planting ects, and to create new ways of working velopment Forum to expand our climate-
camps across the country. Community with forests to generate community and smart agriculture and forestry projects,
Forests International and our local partner climate benefits. while empowering women and youth to
organization, Community Forests Pemba, Today, the Community Forest network earn a living as they strengthen the health
emerged from these simple acts of solidar- is growing. We recently expanded to Mo- of their environment.
ity. zambique and continue to scale up our The innovations that our work has
Our work was built on mutual respect, climate action activities across Zanzibar, generated are increasingly needed around
trust and friendship, which remain the with a second local office and doubling the world today. Our partners in Zanzibar
foundation of the partnership to this of our team size there. Working alongside have taught us that sustainable change is ZACH MELANSON FOR COMMUNITY FORESTS INTERNATIONAL
day. Our two organizations work closely colleagues at Community Forests Pemba, community-led change, and that fostering
together on community-led projects that our efforts have now directly benefited 7 strong relationships between people and
range from agroforestry and tree-planting, per cent of the island’s population and in- forests is critical to ensuring a climate-
to ethical trade and women’s economic creased income for more than 80 per cent secure future. The IPCC made it clear
empowerment. While Community Forests of the people we support. that we need to act fast. Communities in
Pemba oversees programs and a team of In early 2020, as the profound chal- Zanzibar have proven it’s possible to work
expert field staff, Community Forests In- lenges of a global pandemic and ac- with nature — even on small islands, in
ternational helps secure the resources that celerating climate change combined in one of the most climate-vulnerable regions
allow their work to grow. To date, we have challenging ways, with political turmoil in of the world.
directly helped upwards of 58,000 people Tanzania and Zanzibar, we were reminded
in more than 50 communities. that building food and income security for Monica Allaby is the communications
The success of our work in Zanzibar greater climate resilience also helps build adviser for Community Forests Interna-
inspired Community Forests Interna- community strength and resilience against tional, which is headquartered in Sack-
tional to establish an office and introduce any crisis that may arise. Inspired by the ville, N.B.

GOOD DEEDS |DI PLOM AT I CA
Filling an acute need for arriving Afghan refugees
W
hen Sarah Harvey heard that
Afghan refugees, fleeing the
now Taliban-run state, were
coming to Canada, her mind immedi-
ately turned to her friend Arian Ahmadi.
Harvey is the head of the Heads of Mis-
sion Spouses Association (HOMSA) and
Ahmadi is a member of its steering com-
mittee and wife of Afghan Ambassador
Hassan Soroosh.
“We’ve all been very conscious of what
life is like for her now,” Harvey says of
Ahmadi, who was born in Canada to
Afghan parents. “She’s been in contact
with the local Afghan community and
discovered they need all kinds of supplies
because the refugees are arriving.”
Harvey knew that in addition to collect-
ing used clothing for refugees arriving just
as Canadian winter nears, the volunteers
would need a place to store the goods.
“We have a very large basement and
I offered it to them,” Harvey says. “They
The Afghan-Canadian Support Network is working towards a better future for our newcomers
said ‘yes, please.’ My basement looks like
through resettlement programs. From left to right (front row): Zahira Sarwar, Allaha Balouch,
a department store and I have the real Tamana Shekib and Malala Mehraban. Back row from left, Bassel Kaddoura, Mina Nazir, Barin Habibi
pleasure of working with 12 local Afghan and Naheed Housany.
Canadians, some of whom were refugees
themselves. They come to my house to
sort and then to distribute to the families
in the hotels.”
Harvey figured it was a simple way
she could help out. As she puts it: “It’s not
everyone who lives in a large residence.”
Asked if she had to go through any official
New Zealand channels to get the okay to
offer the space, she said “the official chan-
nel is my husband — he said yes.”
As a founding member of the Afghan
Canadian Support Network, Ahmadi
was pleased to be able to link the Ottawa
Afghan community with the city’s dip-
lomatic corps — especially when people
such as Harvey stepped up to help.
Harvey doesn’t usually work in the Sarah Harvey, centre, and her friend, Sue Carlton, right, prepared a meal for the members of the
basement alongside the volunteers because Afghan-Canadian Support Network, who are working in the basement of the residence she shares
they tend to speak an Afghan languate with her husband, New Zealand High Commissioner Martin Harvey, left.
among themselves and she doesn’t want
to slow them down by requiring them to them and hear their stories.” most acutely, winter coats to fit men and
speak English. Instead she supports them One woman, for example, arrived in teenage boys. It is also looking for space
in other ways. For example, one night in Sherbrooke, Que., as a refugee and now such as rental properties and a warehouse
early October, knowing they were coming has the distinction of speaking Farsi, to store donated goods until they can be
to her home straight from their day jobs, English and French. “She’s now a social handed out.
she asked them to let her feed them dinner. worker and is very adept at co-ordinating Donors with questions can send an
“I offered to prepare a meal so they can this group,” Harvey says. email to [email protected] or Af-
ULLE BAUM
be more efficient,” she says. “I’m just a The Afghan Canadian Support Net- ghan Canadian Support Network on
support. It’s a privilege to get to eat with work needs warm winter clothing and, Instagram. D

D I P L O M AT I C A| TRADE WINDS
Brazil and Canada: diverse and lasting partnership
By Pedro Henrique Lopes Borio
S
ince 1866, with the opening of the
first Canadian trade office in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil and Canada have Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and 12th in the world, with a GDP of about US $1.45
worked together to improve bilateral trillion in 2020.
trade and investments based on a set of
shared values. This year, both countries solar panels and windmills. $6.03 billion, an increase of 6.9 per cent
celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Brazil and its partners of Mercosur from 2019. Brazil’s exports to Canada in-
establishment of formal diplomatic rela- (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) are clude mainly gold, inputs for aluminum,
tions. The traditional and significant bi- also negotiating a number of free trade sugar from sugarcane, semi-manufactured
lateral exchanges were critical during the agreements with many other countries, goods of iron and steel and coffee beans.
pandemic as trade and investment flows with Canada on top of that group. Such a Canada’s exports to Brazil include mainly
showed resilience amid turbulence and deal with Canada will expand the trade of potassium for fertilizers, aircraft, coal, eth-
maintained a solid upward trend. goods and services and enhance the envi- ylene, medicine and wheat. An example of
Brazil is the largest economy in Latin ronment for investments. the investments in the last year was the ac-
America and 12th in the world, with a The pandemic effects on the world quisition of CEDAE, a Rio de Janeiro wa-
GDP of about US $1.45 trillion in 2020. economy are widely known, and tourism ter treatment company, by a consortium
The country is home to a diverse economy, was one of the most affected sectors. In of a Brazilian company and a Canadian
ranging from commodities to aerospace. 2019, Brazil introduced the electronic visa investment fund. Likewise, another Cana-
Brazil is the third largest exporter of agri- for Canadians, with facilitated process and dian fund invested in expanding the wind
cultural products, therefore, like Canada, reduced costs. Original estimates of an in- farms “Complexo dos Ventos do Piauí e
a key actor in feeding the world, with crease in the flow of tourists could not be do Araripe,” in the Brazilian Northeast,
a highly mechanized and technological achieved so far due to travel restrictions, the largest in the country, with a capacity
yield that brings together productivity but Brazil expects that more Canadians of one million watts.
and sustainability. will soon benefit from the expedient visa The traditional and close economic
The Brazilian government is committed process and visit our country. ties between Brazil and Canada stem
to continuing to improve the country’s The flow of students from Brazil to from continuous and persistent efforts
business environment and facilitating for- Canada has also been severely affected. from both sides. There is vast untapped
eign investment and international trade. Canada is one of the main destinations for potential for further co-operation and
Extensive tax reform is under discussion Brazilian students abroad: In 2017, more more trade, investment and personal
to simplify and modernize the rules. Nu- than 23,000 Brazilian students enrolled in exchanges. The expected free trade agree-
merous new partnerships with the private Canadian universities, colleges and lan- ment between Mercosur and Canada will
sector are also on the way, notably in infra- guage courses. In addition to the enrich- trigger new opportunities, advancing a
structure projects, such as roads, railroads, ing academic experience, such exchanges well-established economic relationship.
ports, airports, sanitation and water treat- promote closer human connections and Other initiatives geared towards reactivat-
ment, frequently with Canadian participa- understanding and they will continue. ing the flows of tourists, professionals and
tion. Recently, Canada has included Brazil in academics will certainly boost the Brazil-
Canada has been a close partner in all the “Student Direct Stream” program, Canada partnership and continue to help
these efforts. The Canadian public and expediting the flow of Brazilian students overcome the challenges of the pandemic.
private investment funds have been suc- to Canada.
HELLA GMBH & CO
cessfully present in Brazil for more than a As mentioned, bilateral trade and Pedro Henrique Lopes Borio is Brazil’s
century and remain key sources for financ- investments have shown impressive ambassador to Canada. Reach him at
ing companies in a vast array of sectors, resilience during the pandemic. In 2020, [email protected] or
now including renewable energy, such as Brazil-Canada trade accounted for US (613) 237-1090.

TRADE WINDS |DI PLO M AT I CA
Estonia: A strong digital economy
The digital ambitions of Canada and

Estonia have much in common. Canada’s
digital strategy aims to provide better
digital services and improve cyber secu-
rity. Estonia is already a recognized leader
in digital identification, cyber security and
Blockchain technology, having produced
numerous innovations at government,
enterprise and consumer levels. As the
world stands on the doorstep of the fourth
industrial revolution, it's clear the future
By Toomas Lukk of the manufacturing industry depends on
digital solutions, too. Estonia and Canada
T
hirty years after its re-establishment can work together in realizing this strate-
of independence, Estonia has be- gic goal of building a secure, reliable and
come one of the fastest growing Since it re-established independence 30 years seamless digital society and industry.
economies in Central and Eastern Europe, ago, Estonia has become one of the fastest Estonia’s vibrant and welcoming
and a place where quick and successful growing economies in Central Europe. startup community consists of more than
reforms, economic westernization, in- 1,000 startups, including 7 unicorns. The
novation and openness to foreign capital world’s economic production and trad- startup community has an excellent record
have attracted numerous international ing patterns. Post-pandemic co-operation of successful innovations and investments,
companies. models require a global vision. which have delivered outstanding returns
Estonia has attracted FDIs and enjoys International trade agreements provide to its founders and investors. That takes
some of the highest international credit a good framework to enhance such co-op- smart people with outstanding IT skills,
ratings. Entrepreneurship indicators eration. The EU-Canada Comprehensive and excellent entrepreneurial and com-
place Estonia in the same category as the Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) petitive performance. A business-friendly
Scandinavian countries. Its 2021 economic is “the most ambitious trade agreement environment and modern digital infra-
freedom score makes Estonia’s economy the EU has ever concluded.” It has driven structure create an ideal environment for
the 8th most free in the world. trade between EU member states and innovation and testing. A compact domes-
Canada was Estonia’s 25th top foreign Canada since its provisional application tic market makes the sector open to global
trade partner and the 9th biggest outside in 2017, in spite of slowdowns in COVID. ideas, growth and investment.
the European Union (EU) in 2020. Esto- Approximately 100 Estonian companies Canadian capital is welcome to be
nia’s foreign trade balance with Canada export to Canada, and 80 per cent of them part of this ambitious ecosystem. Foreign
was positive. However, COVID-19 has are small- and medium-sized enterprises citizens may join Estonia’s e-Residency
had an instant and strong impact on bi- (SMEs.) CETA helps them reach markets program, which provides a government-
lateral trade as exports from Estonia to and eliminate duties, provides a level issued digital identity and access to Esto-
Canada have decreased by 25.5 per cent playing field and sets clear and unam- nia’s transparent business environment.
compared to the previous year. biguous procurement rules. E-resident entrepreneurs from all over the
Estonia’s main exports to Canada were CETA also covers sustainable develop- world can start their EU-based company
refined petroleum products, followed by ment and the environment, helping to and run it online without leaving their
yeasts and other micro-organisms, and achieve green transformation goals. Yet, it home. The Digital Nomad Visa allows re-
communication equipment. Estonia’s is about more than just trade. It could be a mote workers to live in Estonia and work
main imports were precious and semi- template for dealing with complex trade for their employer or their own company
precious stones and jewelry, various food issues in a post-pandemic world. registered abroad. E-residency also serves
products and electrical equipment and The digitalization of society and the people beyond Estonia’s borders and the
machinery, such as wood processing ma- incorporation of new technologies and Digital Nomad Visa allows people around
chines and computers. business models using the potential of the world to choose how they work.
Today, the world is concentrated on information technology may become a key At Expo 2020 in Dubai, open from
economic recovery while being mindful factor in accelerating economic growth. Oct. 1 to March 31, 2022, Estonia will take
of weaknesses in global trade flows and Innovation and IT play a central role a step forward and present a nation of
threats from disrupted supply and value in the Estonian economy. Combining ele- tomorrow reflecting three important key-
chains. The pandemic challenges the role ments of the old and new economies helps words — digital, smart and sustainable.
of globalization in international trade and upgrade value chains in sectors such as
RAMY KHAIR
may have already reshaped it. A grow- forestry and oil shale. This is why the Eu- Toomas Lukk is Estonia’s ambassador to
ing services economy along with digital ropean Innovation Scoreboard 2021 classi- Canada. Reach him at (613) 789-4222 or
and green transformations also affect the fies Estonia as a strong innovator. [email protected].

D I P L O M AT I C A| TRADE WINDS
Mongolia aims to widen exports and draw investors
The cashmere sector employed 10,000 in

2020, of which 90 per cent were women.
Indeed, 52 per cent of total registered
entities are women-led enterprises. It re-
flects a policy in which the government
pays particular attention to giving women
more equitable access to business.
Due to similar weather conditions, Ca-
nadian and Mongolian entrepreneurs in
the construction and agriculture sectors
could learn from each other and work
By Ariunbold Yadmaa well together. Given the importance
of bilateral trade involving Canadian
I
n 2016, Mongolia and Canada signed Oyu Tolgoi has one of the world’s largest copper- wooden structure building materials and
the Canada-Mongolia Foreign In- gold deposits, which is being developed into a technology, we are working closely with
vestment Promotion and Protection multibillion-dollar world-class mine. the Standards Council of Canada and
Agreement, wh ic h provides a more other standards-developing organiza-
transparent and predictable regulatory was boosted by the import of machin- tions to adopt more Canadian standards.
environment for Canadian investors in ery and equipment from Canada. Mongolia’s farmers are interested in
Mongolia. The agreement’s strong protec- Several other TSX-listed Canadian importing seeds of crop varieties, such
tions help Canadian and Mongolian com- companies are developing their projects as wheat, barley and buckwheat, that are
panies deepen commercial ties. in Mongolia. Mongolia-Canada ties in the suitable in Mongolian climate conditions.
Investment-related laws and regula- mining sector are also bolstered by a cross- They also want to learn best practices
tions of Mongolia render equal rights and listing of TSX-listed companies’ shares on for establishing feedlots, developing
opportunities to both foreign and domes- the Mongolian Stock Exchange. quality beef production, refining supply
tic investors to run a business in Mongo- However, the volume of bilateral chains and exporting. Advanced agricul-
lia. There are no restrictions on trading trade in other goods and services is far be- tural technologies help Mongolia to diver-
foreign currencies and returning profits to hind the above-mentioned mining- sify its exports.
their home country. The tax environment related co-operation. Canadian imports In accordance with the recent
is internationally competitive and certain totalled $27.7 million in 2020, which is 50 amendments to banking laws, com-
taxes can be stabilized through the issu- per cent lower than the previous year. The mercial banks in Mongolia will be pub-
ance of a stabilization certificate as well as total value of goods sent from Mongolia to licly traded companies by 2023, with
investment agreements. Canada was $850,000. Mongolia exported shares of each owner not exceeding 20
Mongolia is a mineral-rich land- cashmere products and prefabricated per cent. Canadian institutional inves-
locked country encountering its yurts and imported vehicle, machin- tors are welcome to the banking sector of
biggest challenge of diversifying the econ- ery and their parts from Canada. Mongolia. Transport, logistic services, avi-
omy with non-mining export products Mongolian yurts, the traditional dwell- ation, online trading, information
and accessing new market destinations. In ings of Central Asian nomads, are very technologies, health, education, agricul-
2020, Mongolia’s GDP amounted to $14.4 popular in Canada. More than a tent, the ture, forestry, wooden construction and
billion and growth averaged -5.3 per cent yurt is the result of ancient know-how tourism are also potential areas of prosper-
over the previous year, due to COVID-19. and has been developed over hundreds ous business and sustainable investment.
It is forecasted to recover in 2021, ac- of years. Made to resist extreme climates, In addition to the domestic laws and
celerate in 2022 as post-pandemic global this circular domed abode is warm in the regulations, the friendly political and
recovery strengthens and reach 6 per winter and cool in the summer. economic relations formed with our main
cent by 2023. Mongolian cashmere is known as one market countries such as Russia, China,
Canada is the top-tier investor in the of the softest fibres in the world. Despite Japan and South Korea, as well as the
mining sector of Mongolia. One of the supplying 45 per cent of the unprocessed agreements signed with these countries
world’s largest copper-gold deposits cashmere in the global market, only 10 can be advantageous for investors operat-
was discovered by a junior Canadian per cent of final cashmere products with a ing in Mongolia. Mongolia, with its easy
exploration company in Mongolia and “Made in Mongolia” label enter the global access to much of Asia, remains commit-
it is now being developed into a multi- market. Recently, the Mongolian wool ted to welcoming Canadian investors.
billion-dollar world-class mine, known and cashmere association introduced a
TURQUOISE HILL
as Turquoise Hill (Oyu Tolgoi). During “Mongolian noble fibre” mark, which cer- Ariunbold Yadmaa is Mongolia’s ambas-
the underground mine construction for tifies that the product is made with sador to Canada. Reach him by phone at
this project, bilateral trade between the 100-per-cent high quality wool and cash- (613) 240-2749 or by email at mongolia@
countries reached $260 million, which mere sustainably sourced from Mongolia. rogers.com.

D I P L O M AT I C A| TRADE PACTS
10 years on, the Pacific Alliance is still going strong

By Jorge Alberto Julian Londono de la Cuesta,
Raul Eduardo Fernandez Daza,
Juan Jose Ignacio Gomez Camacho
and Roberto Rafael Max Rodriguez Arnilla
C
olombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru
— sister nations united by history,
a common language and the vast
Pacific Ocean — signed the “Declaration
of Lima” on April 28, 2011, establishing
a new integration scheme to achieve the
free transit of goods, services, capital and
people; promote greater growth, develop-
ment and competitiveness of their econo-
mies; and become connected to the rest of
the world, especially the Asia Pacific.
Today, 10 years after its creation, the
Pacific Alliance is the regional integra-
tion mechanism that has accomplished
the most achievements in the shortest
amount of time, establishing a flexible and
pragmatic integration space with a view
towards deep integration, representing the
eighth largest world economy, 41 per cent
of Latin America’s GDP and 40 per cent of
foreign direct investment in the region.
When the agreement came into force,
92 per cent of the goods imported and
exported between the four countries had
duty-free tariffs, which has contributed
to productive supply chains in the region,
allowing each member of the alliance
to access supplies from the other three
countries. Similarly, export, investment
and tourism promotion activities have
generated nearly US $1 billion in business
opportunities. This would not have been
possible without initiatives aimed at facili-
tating trade, such as the interoperability of
the foreign trade single windows, which
save costs, time and facilitate business
development among entrepreneurs by In April 2011, Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru signed the Declaration of Lima, establishing
allowing them to process their certificates a new integration scheme to achieve the free transit of goods, services, capital and people and
digitally. promote the greater growth, development and competitiveness of their economies.
For SMEs, the Pacific Alliance has
established an ecosystem of entrepreneur- ecosystem of entrepreneurship and inno- tion requires generating incentives for the
ship and innovation made up of networks vation with accelerator agency networks, creation of new ventures, especially in ac-
of innovation agencies, investors, business investors, innovation and technology, tivities that are intensive in human capital.
accelerators and technology transfer of- which has made it possible to unite the In this sense, the Pacific Alliance seeks to
fices, which has made it possible to unite business community and develop innova- be a portal for the knowledge economy
the business community and develop in- tion in member countries. Likewise, the and a landing strip for future technologi-
novation in member countries. Pacific Alliance Cooperation Fund has cal ventures in Latin America. For this rea-
For SMEs, initiatives such as the en- been established, with US $1 million avail- son, and with a view to what the economy
trepreneurial capital fund stand out. It able to finance projects in various areas. and trade of the future will be like, during
TWIITER
has given startups financial support to For the four member countries of the the last summit in Santiago de Chile, the
grow and go global while establishing an alliance, it is clear that deepening integra- countries’ presidents signed a declaration

TRADE PACTS |DI PLOM AT I CA
on the development of the regional digital of the Santiago Summit, the four states
market (MDR) and the drive towards digi- signed a statement and implemented a
tal transformation. These initiatives seek roadmap specifically aimed at promoting
to enable the free flow of digital products, the autonomy and economic empower-
goods and services that are marketed ment of women. Being inclusive of gender
through the internet. has been incorporated as a cross-cutting
Characterized by its high degree of element in all the Pacific Alliance’s work.
flexibility and pragmatism, the Pacific Likewise, training programs have been
Alliance’s achievements are reflected in developed for businesswomen and entre-
student and academic scholarships, which preneurs in the region to strengthen their
have mobilized more than 3,000 students business skills, create contact networks
and teachers since 2013; the electronic and expand their export capacity.
exchange of certificates of origin and phy- The expansion of the Pacific Alliance
tosanitary certificates through the foreign is promising. Today, we are working with
trade single window system; the free the 59 observer countries on various mat-
movement of permanent resident foreign- ters of co-operation. Also, we are signing
ers in the member countries; and active in- joint statements with the EU, ASEAN and
ternational relations through the network the EEC. Meanwhile, progress is being
of 59 observer states and other regional made to begin negotiations with associ-
As shown on the map, the Pacific Alliance
initiatives, such as ASEAN, APEC, Merco- ated states such as Singapore, and meet-
stretches down the West Coast of North and
sur, the Eurasian Economic Commission ings are being held with Canada, New
South America. Its total area is 13,729, 753
and the European Union. square kilometres. Zealand and Australia to establish a mutu-
Similarly, the Pacific Alliance has made ally beneficial association agreement with
important progress on the social and sus- In addition, in the coming weeks, the these countries. Meetings have started
tainable development agenda. In 2019, its Social Observatory of the Pacific Alliance with Ecuador and it is expected that in the
four member states signed the Declara- will identify the needs of the most vulner- near future it will become the fifth mem-
tion on the Sustainable Management of able populations in the four countries and ber of the Alliance.
Plastics, which reflects the importance of thereafter develop joint policies. Likewise, The Pacific Alliance shares common
developing and implementing new poli- the promotion of gender equality and the values and principles with Canada, as
cies to promote the integral management permanent integration of women in the well as a similar vision of the global
of this waste and reduce its presence in economy is fundamental for the Pacific challenges our countries face during this
ecosystems. Alliance. For this reason, on the occasion health and economic crisis. Through Col-
leges and Institutes Canada (CICan), im-
portant co-operation channels have been
consolidated with the alliance, especially
the Education for Employment Program
of the Pacific Alliance (EPE-AP), a joint
project that facilitates a three-party dia-
logue between the public sector, private
sector and civil society to address the issue
of environmental sustainability.
Despite these achievements, there is
still a long way to go. Before the pan-
demic, intra-regional trade in Latin Amer-
ica and the Caribbean was barely 30 per
cent, compared to other regions with
higher rates, such as Europe (70 per cent)
and Asia (60 per cent). In 10 years, the
Alliance has achieved much for our coun-
tries, counting on the active participation
of the private sector through the Business
Council of the Pacific Alliance. However,
there are new challenges today, in par-
ticular due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
We can only overcome these challenges
together. We must continue working
together towards the construction of an
alliance that is more integrated, more
WARKO / B1MBO
connected and more global every day to

enhance our competitiveness and help us
Pacific Alliance leaders haven't met lately because of the pandemic. This meeting took place in overcome inequalities, to benefit the 229
2013. From left, then-Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, then-Colombian president Juan million citizens who reside in our four
Manuel Santos, Chilean President Sebastián Piñera and then-Peruvian president Ollanta Humala. countries. D

D I P L O M AT I C A| DIPLOMATIC AGENDA
UAE: Home to the world’s most sustainable city
state for food and 17 per cent in 2020 over 2019 to more than
. A. water security. $2 billion, with the UAE continuing to
ST NAME: Fa
had Saeed M
FIR Leading this stand as Canada’s No. 1 trading partner in
LAST NAME:
Al Raqbani ministry, Mariam the Middle East & North Africa (MENA)
i bint Mohammed region, with an additional $30 billion of
CITIZENSHIP:
Emirat
Al Mheiri has de- UAE investment in Canada.
NAMED AS AM BA SS AD OR:: veloped a com- UAE agricultural imports from Canada
, 20 18 prehensive food alone saw a dramatic increase of 42 per
Jan. 29
or ad vi se r at security strat- cent in 2020 from the year prior, with the
BS: Seni
PREVIOUS JO t Co mpany, egy to achieve UAE importing almost $1 billion from
ve st m en
Mubadala In bu year-round food Canada in this sector. Said in another way,
re ct or-g en eral of the A
di
l for Ec on om ic self-sufficiency, this means agriculture made up almost
Dhabi Counci i n c re a s e o u r half of the total bilateral trade between our
t.
Developmen f o o d n u t r i - two countries.
tional level, According to the Canola Council of
reduce our food waste and Canada, canola seed exports alone from
T
he United Arab Emirates marks its contribute to global food security. Canada to the UAE reached a record of
Golden Jubilee this year, and while The COVID-19 pandemic has been an $607.9 million (in 2020) making the UAE
we are proud of our many accom- invaluable time to take stock of our cur- one of the top five global buyers of Cana-
plishments over the last 50 years, we have rent food security policies and direction. da’s canola seeds.
always had our eye on the future. Even during the height of the pandemic, Likewise, Saskatchewan-UAE total
Our country is already home to the we did not experience food shortages, we bilateral trade increased by 65 per cent in
world’s most sustainable city, where controlled food prices, and our food dis- 2020 from 2019, also making the UAE Sas-
people move around in self-driving pod tribution systems ran extremely smoothly katchewan’s largest trading market in the
cars. We’re also building an authentic as a result of our government’s insightful MENA region, largely due to this robust
Mars city in our desert — while develop- policies. trade in agriculture. To expand on these al-
ing an actual one on the red planet within While food supply chains may have ready strong relations, the government of
100 years — and already our firefighters been challenged around the world dur- Saskatchewan has announced it will open
are using jetpacks and robot surgeons are ing the pandemic, we actually witnessed a trade office in the UAE in the fall of this
performing operations. In short, we are flourishing trade relations between the year, with another Canadian province also
always looking forward. UAE and Canada. Overall bilateral trade expected to soon follow suit.
The roots of our current innovative between our two countries increased by Turning to the transport systems that
culture are found within our environment
and history. With our harsh desert climate
that includes almost no rainfall, a limited
supply of fresh water and sparse arable
land, we have always had to innovate to
survive.
From the earliest of times, we sought
innovative solutions to gain access to food
and water. In fact, more than 3,000 years
ago, we developed the world’s earliest
underground irrigation system, called
“falaj,” and trained falcons to hunt for our
food.
Today, the UAE enjoys economic and
political stability, a strong currency, high,
world-class logistics infrastructure and
progressive food and water policies. It is
also a food-secure country that serves as a
global food logistics hub.
PURE HARVEST SMART FARM
However, with our growing popula-

tion — currently at approximately 10
million — our rising consumption needs,
which are growing at a 4 per cent annual
rate, and the fact that approximately 90 Pure Harvest is a recognized leader in sustainable agriculture, growing year-round, pesticide-free
per cent of our food is imported, the UAE fresh fruits and vegetables in the Middle East.
established a portfolio of a minister of

DIPLOMATIC AGENDA |DI PLOM AT I CA
support this dynamic trade, it is interest- supports resident individuals and com- where we welcome Canadian research-
ing to note that even the logistics network panies of all sizes registered in the UAE, ers, entrepreneurs, startups and industry
to export Canadian products, such as provided they offer unique and innovative experts to lead us into the future of the
Saskatchewan’s canola, is operated by DP ideas. food industry, with my government now
World, a UAE company that manages four Canadian firms setting up operations in taking expressions of interest from around
container handling facilities in B.C. alone our Emirate of Abu Dhabi can also receive the world.
(Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Nanaimo and support from the Abu Dhabi Investment This new smart city will host four main
Fraser Surrey Docks, the latter having Office (ADIO), which enables opportuni- clusters: agricultural technology and en-
been acquired in February of last year.)
DP World also manages other ports across
Canada.
DP World is one of the largest marine
terminal operators in the world, with
more than 75 terminals located in more
than 40 countries. The company has won
countless awards for being the world’s
best and most efficient operator, including
the 2020 prestigious Port Operator Award
from Lloyd’s List, a company that records
shipping traffic at the world’s major ports.
Yet another dynamic connection be-
tween DP World and Canada is the US
$8.2-billion investment partnership be-
tween DP World and Caisse de dépôt et
placement du Québec (CDPQ), in ports
and terminals worldwide. This joint in-
vestment was expanded by US $4.5 billion
just last year from the original US $3.7- Food Tech Valley will be an integrated modern city that will serve as a hub for future clean tech-
billion agreement in 2016. This partnership based food and agricultural products in Dubai.
has since grown to include a high-quality
portfolio of 10 ports and terminals across ties for domestic and foreign investors gineering, a food innovation centre, R&D
the globe, including locations in Canada, aligned with Abu Dhabi’s economic facilities and an advanced smart food
Chile, the Dominican Republic and Aus- priorities, including food security. Just in logistics hub, with 60 per cent of the proj-
tralia. the last year, ADIO invested a total of US ect’s space dedicated to vertical farming.
Above and beyond our strong ports in- $142.95 million in seven AgTech compa- Bioengineering in aquaculture and hy-
frastructure and management, the UAE is nies. droponics will be used to produce more
also a world leader in the aviation sector, Another economic advantage for Ca- than 300 varieties of crops. This will triple
serving as home to seven of the world’s nadian companies located in the UAE the UAE’s food production while improv-
top-ranked airports, and two internation- comes from our geographic positioning. ing our nutrition and reducing food waste
ally award-winning airlines — Etihad With one third of the world living within in a world where approximately one third
Airways and Emirates Airlines, both of a four-hour flight of the UAE, and this of all food is wasted.
which offer direct flights between Toronto connectivity reaching more than 3.2 bil- Another exciting and historic opportu-
and the UAE. lion consumers in Europe, Asia, Africa nity for international collaboration within
Our strong infrastructure also allows and the Middle East, the world is at your the agricultural and agritech sector is
for the efficient flow of goods, including fingertips when you have a presence in through EXPO Dubai, where global mar-
more than 45 free trading zones in the the UAE. kets come together.
UAE. They play a significant role in pro- Drawing upon the UAE as an interna- From Oct. 1 to March 31, 2022, the UAE
moting an attractive business environment tional gateway to the world, and always will host EXPO Dubai, where Canada will
for entrepreneurs that offers economic striving for excellence, we are now push- join more than 190 other participating
freedom to investors such as a tax-free ing the boundaries of discovery and countries to showcase Canadian business
package and world-renowned facilities. building a new futuristic city where clean and investment, research, academic and
Outside of the free trading zones, the high-tech meets global food demands. cultural sectors, among others. Those
UAE also recently approved legislation Food Tech Valley will be an integrated include opportunities for the agrifood
that allows for full foreign company own- modern city that develops alternative and agritech sectors, such as Gulfood in
ership within certain categories, including proteins, creates drought-resistant crops February.
the agricultural sector, which will reduce and uses 3D technology and robots to We look forward to working in collabo-
costs for companies and further attract help sustain food production, create su- ration with knowledgeable Canadian part-
foreign entrepreneurs. perfoods and provide answers to global ners in the agricultural sector to further
Canadian companies registered in the food challenges. It will help us achieve enhance our national food security strat-
UAE are also eligible to apply for the Mo- our National Food Security Strategy 2051 egy, not only for the UAE, but in support
hammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund, a objectives, and it will support a diversified of a sustainable, healthy, equitable and
ALBAYAN
federal government fund worth US $545 knowledge-based economy. prosperous future for the next generation
million to finance innovation. This fund It will serve as a global destination, of our global community. D

DI SPATC H E S | RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
The ruins of Sinjar massacre marked

the beginning of the genocide of
Yazidis by the Islamic State.
FALL 2021 | OCT-NOV-DEC

RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION |DI SPATCH E S
When church
and state clash
Many governments oppress and even commit genocide against
religious minorities — Wolfgang Depner lists some of the worst
offenders.
T
he sword and the word: These terms respectively describe
the power of the state to make and enforce laws and the
power of religion to shape millions of believers. What sepa-
rates the West from the rest of the world is the (theoretically)
strict separation between state and religion. It’s a spirit that
also infuses other Western institutions and ideas, including the diffu-
sion of political power across separate but equal sources of authority
with the rule of law governing them all, and the supremacy of empiri-
cism over dogmatism.
As Heinrich August Winkler, author of the monumental four-vol-
umed A History of the West, and others have argued, these characteristics
have their roots — many ironically — in Christianity, itself combining
the monotheism of Judaism with “pagan ideas” from antiquity.
LEVI CLANCY
37
DI SPATC H E S| RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
Early Christians embraced an endur- their respective Muslim minorities. But religion spread into every corner of the
ing universalism in opening their faith to European affairs are increasingly devoid world. Fourth, the sword and the word
all groups regardless of social status and of relevance and the real tensions between remain firmly wed in the Islamic world,
previous religious beliefs and sharply dis- the sword and the word exist in Asia and as recently demonstrated by the behaviour
tinguished between a worldly and heav- its sub-regions. of the Sunni-sect Taliban following their
enly sphere, to “render unto Caesar the As the Washington, D.C.-based Pew return to power in Afghanistan. Amnesty
things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the Research Centre has shown, the sup- International has already received ac-
things that are God’s,” to quote the Gospel pression of religious minorities — or counts of Taliban fighters massacring
of Mark, a perspective that earned them more broadly, religious belief — has been members of Afghanistan’s Shia minority
violent persecution by the Roman Empire. escalating (https://www.pewforum. for being out of line with the Taliban’s in-
Christianity, of course, eventually be- org/2021/09/30/harassment-of-religious- terpretation of Islam. Reports of a woman
came the religion of the empire and its groups-reaches-new-peak-in-2019/). killed for not wearing a burqa (on the very
successors. And yet the tension between Drawing on the work of the Pew Re- day Taliban leaders pledged to protect
the sword and the word never ceased. search Centre, various governmental and the rights of women within the norms of
Certainly it continued in Western Europe, non-governmental groups and interna- Islamic law) won’t likely dispel the per-
the geographic centre of Christianity af- tional agencies, this list draws attention ception that much of the Islamic world
ter the spread of Islam through Asia and to states that openly oppress and even remains a realm of religious intolerance.
North Africa between the middle of the commit genocide against religious minori-
7th and the middle of the 15th centuries, ties. It is not a quantitative ranking, but
but before the European colonization of rather a qualitative representation of the China
the Americas and beyond. worst offenders against religious minori- The message sent by the British House
This tension (exacerbated by sectarian- ties specifically and the right to worship of Commons in April 2021 was symbolic,
ism within Christianity) sparked the reli- generally. As such, it aims for a measure but sharp. China, so read the non-binding
gious wars that roiled Europe following of balance, in so far as it does not want to motion passed by parliamentarians, is
the Protestant Reformation, climaxing in downplay the sufferings of some while committing genocide against the Uyghur
the continental catastrophe of the Thirty exaggerating those of others. This said, people, the historic Muslim minority of
Years’ War (1618-48), which depopulated three things stand out. First, religious Xinjiang province.
parts of continental Europe through war, persecution is part and parcel of authori- Subject to forced labour, torture and
famine and disease. But, as cynical as it tarian rule, whether it be secular, as in the sterilization in internment camps euphe-
might sound, this conflict also had posi- case of China, or theocratic in the case of mistically named “re-education” camps,
tive consequences. It not only sparked the Shia Iran and its Sunni rival Saudi Arabia. one million people are currently suffer-
emergence of the modern nation-state, but Second, Asia is becoming increasingly ing the personal consequences of living
also set the fuse on the slow but inevitable hostile for religious minorities, Christian under the rule of a Communist Party that
divorce of the political from the religious. and otherwise. (As such, the region con- subscribes to official atheism and suspects
Prussia’s King Frederick the Great sum- tinues a historic tradition. While the Ot- believers of challenging its authority.
marized this sentiment in the 18th Cen- tomans’ genocide of Armenian Christians But the status of the Uyghur has not
tury when he told his subjects that they during and after the First World War had just soured already strained relations
could prepare themselves for the afterlife causes, religion was one of them). Third, between several Western countries and
in any way they pleased. the number of Christians clinging to their China in drawing attention to the dif-
True, the European Enlightenment homes in the Middle East continues to ference between religious toleration and
(with its anti-clerical spirit) also led to the shrink as they are effectively driven out, persecution; it has also raised the pro-
anti-religious excess of the French Revolu- and it is uncertain whether they will have vocative but legitimate question (as posed
tion, the Napoleonic period and ultimately a future in the region from where their by Forbes) of whether Christians would
the forced secularization of Eastern Eu-
rope during its Soviet period.
Number of re-education-related government procurement bids in Xinjiang, China
On the other hand, the 19th Century
witnessed the ongoing perversion of 12
Christianity in Western Europe in the
form of colonialism abroad and stifling 10
social policies at home, including the state-
sanctioned oppression of religious minori-
8
ties such as Europe’s Jewish population.
Mixed with Social Darwinism, it set the
6
stage for the Holocaust.
Seven decades later, most Europeans
can and do save themselves as they please, 4
with many increasingly refusing the very

premise of their supposed salvation. This 2
said, a small but loud (and growing) share

of European Muslims place their word 0
CODY LOGAN
above the sword of the state and it is hard

4
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to ignore current tensions between the in-

20
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20
creasingly secular societies of Europe and

This child was at a rally in Ottawa calling for an end to the Uyghur genocide and organized by the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project.
undergo comparable treatment in the fu- ing new followers across all segments of authority” and the campaign to “Sinicize”
ture as a growing number of Chinese turn the society since the early 1980s, when the religion has been under way since 2015
toward, rather than away, from religion. Communist Party relaxed religious rules. continues.
The Chinese state officially recognizes Current estimates peg the total number This forced alignment of Christian
five religions (Buddhism, Catholicism, of Protestants and Catholics at anywhere faith with communist ideology has led to
Daoism, Islam and Protestantism) and between 103 million and 127 million, with the closing of churches existing outside
citizens “enjoy freedom of religion” un- Protestants outnumbering Catholics by those sanctioned by the state, the arrest of
der the Chinese constitution. But Human a large margin. Other organizations say preachers and parishioners who preached
Rights Watch has questioned the reliability the number is higher and that the num- and prayed in them and the rewriting of
of this promise. ber of Christians could reach as many as Christian scriptures with pictures of Xi
State officials routinely supervise reg- 160 million by 2025 and 247 million by and Mao replacing Christian icons. An his-
istered and unregistered religious groups 2030, according to projections from the toric, albeit provisional agreement, signed
with the stated purpose of preventing Pew Research Centre cited by the New in 2018 between China and the Holy See
public disorder, an agenda authorities York-headquartered Council on Foreign (the Vatican state and the religious entity
interpret broadly and with growing Relations. that is the Catholic Church) governing the
JUANFRANCOIS | DREAMSTIME.COM
animosity toward Christians, according to This development has not gone unno- appointment of bishops continues into
Christian and non-Christian groups. ticed among Communist authorities, who 2022. But Beijing shows indifference, even
While Christianity has ebbed and have long considered Christianity a Trojan contempt toward the letter — never mind
flowed with China’s changing political Horse through which the West introduces the spirit — of the agreement.
tides — Washington’s Freedom House, unwanted ideas. This does not bode well for relations
which conducts research on democracy, None other than President Xi Jinping is between the world’s most populous coun-
political freedom and human rights, a strong subscriber to this theory. His gov- try and the church that speaks for its larg-
speaks of “periodic cycles of growth and ernment has declared that it will not toler- est denomination.
suppression” — the religion has been find- ate any other source of “moral and social Ultimately, Freedom House points to a

More than one million Rohingya have fled Myanmar since the early 1990s. Members of the small Muslim minority in a largely Buddhist country are
persecuted and have been stripped of their citizenship.
SEYYED MAHMOUD HOSSEINI, TASNIM NEWS AGENCY
linkage between international events and civil war following yet another military More than one millon Rohingya have
state-sanctioned repression of Christian- coup in early 2021, attention has faded fled the country since the early 1990s.
ity. It spiked in the aftermath of the 1989 from the fate of the Rohingya, the increas- Another 130,000 of 600,000 remaining Ro-
Tiananmen Square protests and ahead of ingly smaller Muslim minority in the hingya live in government-run detention
the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As tensions largely Buddhist country. Since August camps.
between China and its Western rivals rise, 2017, more than 742,000 have officially “The squalid and oppressive conditions
Christians may prepare for another round fled Myanmar for neighbouring Bangla- imposed on the Rohingya amount to the
of repressions if they are not already desh, according to United Nations High crimes against humanity of persecution,
experiencing them. Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). apartheid and severe deprivation of lib-
There, they live in unbearable conditions, erty,” Human Rights Watch concludes.
uncertain about their future, as authori- Yet Myanmar is neither close to a resto-
Myanmar (Burma) ties do not recognize them as a “national ration of civilian rule nor the legal punish-
As this country of 57 million and multiple race,” having stripped them of citizenship ment of those responsible for the actions
ethnic groups continues its descent into in 1982. in 2017 that amounted to a genocide, as

defined by the United Nations, even as headquartered in London. Solih is repre-

a case before the International Court of The Maldives sentative of the larger threats facing those
Justice unfolds. After Mohamed Rusthum Mujuthaba had calling for more freedom of religion and
The plight of the Rohingya briefly received death threats for his social media speech in Maldivian society.
grabbed the world’s attention again in posts, he did what any reasonable person Prominent blogger Yameen Rasheed
March 2021, when a deadly fire killing might do: he asked for police protection. was found dead of stab wounds in the
at least 15 people and displacing tens of But instead of protecting Rusthum, police stairway of his apartment complex in the
thousands swept through Cox’s Bazar arrested him on charges of blasphemy early morning hours of April 23, 2017.
Refugee Camp, which is sheltering the against Islam, that country’s state religion. Like Rusthum, Rasheed had also asked
world’s largest number — 600,000 in total Nearly two years after his arrest in Sep- for police protection, but authorities ig-
— of refugees, according to UNHCR. tember 2019, Rusthum remains in pre-trial nored his plea. They later arrested and
But such temporary flickers of concern detention, where he has suffered torture tried six individuals linked to a radical
compete against decades of indifference and solitary confinement, according to mosque. But more than four years later,
for the Rohingya, whose faith and sup- his family, as the International Humanist the trial has dragged on, with Rasheed’s
posed foreignness have made them easy and Ethical Union reported in testimony family and Amnesty International com-
targets for persecution for decades. during the 46th session of the UN Human plaining of delays in the administration
As the CIA notes in its World Fact Book Rights Council. of justice.
assessment, the Rohingya, “arguably the Rusthum’s case is hardly unique, as Rasheed’s death (with its eerie simi-
most persecuted population in the coun- he is among six Maldivians accused of larities to the murder of Russian activist
try,” form a “patchwork” of more than 130 blasphemy since the current government Anna Politkovskaya, who was also found
religious and ethnic groups. of Ibrahim Mohamed Solih assumed dead outside of her apartment after ex-
“The Burmese government and the power in November 2018, according to posing corruption) made international
Buddhist majority see the Rohingya as a the International Humanist and Ethical headlines. It drew attention to a long list
threat to identity, competitors for jobs and Union, founded in the Netherlands and of other individuals — be they journal-
resources, terrorists,” says the CIA, “and
some still resent them for their alliance
with Burma’s British colonizers during the
19th Century.”
This points to one of the peculiari-
ties of Myanmar. As Foreign Policy notes,
Buddhist movements in Asia have often
shown “few qualms” about the use of
force against perceived enemies of the
faith and about stoking nationalism.
Radical Buddhist monks helped to
spark the recent wave of persecution in
August 2017 and such prominent monks as
Sitagu Sayadaw have collaborated with the
generals during the recent uprising. This
said, others have broken with the generals.
The fate of the Rohingya points to a
larger problem in Myanmar: the lack of
tolerance for non-Buddhist faiths and the
willingness of authorities to do the bid-
ding of religious zealots. Even Aung San
Suu Kyi, the once-revered patron saint of
democracy in Myanmar, now back under
house arrest, could not risk alienating
them, as evidenced by her refusal to de-
nounce the violence against the Rohingya,
never mind stop it.
Myanmar’s Christians (6.2 per cent of
the population) have also started to expe-
rience what the Rohingya people have felt
for decades. As The Wall Street Journal and
other sources have reported, the country’s
military has also systematically targeted
Christians, who, by virtue of the religion’s
popularity among the Kachin, Karen and
Shan ethnic minorities, find themselves
greatly outnumbered by the ethnic Bur-
ASIMOOSA
mese who account for 68 per cent of the Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has arrested those calling for more freedom of religion
population. and speech in the Maldives.

ists such as Ahmed Rilwan or lawmakers Islam,” which Freedom House describes
such as Afrasheem Ali — who have died as a vague condition that encourages self- Iran
at the hands of Islamic radicals, who find censorship in the media. The media stand Lost in the current climate of geopolitical
themselves tolerated, if not encouraged, accused by the International Humanist tension and clandestine warfare between
by a state-sanctioned climate of religious and Ethical Union of spotlighting individ- Iran and Israel is the historic role that
intimidation and intolerance. uals with allegations of apostasy, atheism, Iran played in saving thousands of Pol-
The constitution of the Maldives de- secularism, homosexuality or support for ish Jews fleeing the German-orchestrated
clares Islam to be the state religion and homosexuality. Holocaust during the Second World War.
denies citizenship to non-Muslims. All International observers have praised A total of 116,000 Polish refugees, includ-
candidates for elected offices must be fol- the current government for launching ing 5,000 to 6,000 Jews, many of them
lowers of Sunni Islam, explicitly excluding the Commission on Investigation of orphaned children, used Iran, itself strug-
adherents of minority religions, according Murders and Enforced Disappearances, gling with famine and political impotency,
to Freedom House. The latter laments which is designed to investigate cases as a temporary refuge, then a transit point
the growing influence of Islamists on the such as Rasheed’s. But its slow progress between 1942 and 1945, mainly to British
education system and other spheres of contrasts with years of growing religious overseas colonies and protectorates.
society, an influence that leaves no room extremism, stoked in part by the previous This history, recently told in personal
for public expressions of non-Islamic faith. administration, and confirms the unholy detail by Mikhal Dekel in Tehran Children,
The constitution guarantees freedom of confluence of political corruption and re- draws attention to the deep, biblical ties
expression, but only if exercised in a man- ligious fervour in a place best known for that connect Judaism to Iran and its his-
ner that is “not contrary to any tenet of pristine beaches. toric predecessors, with Jews having lived
The part-Jewish cemetery at Yazd in Iran: Jews find themselves living in a constant state of anxiety, never sure how the mullah might limit their religion.
TAEEDXY
Worse off are the Baha’is, who are persecuted, sent to jail and banned from access to higher education.

on the current territory of Iran for 2,700 lahs might limit religious freedom. in Syria, hundreds of thousands lie buried
years. Sadly, Jews in Iran can count them- in its soil, killed by the weapons of their
Even today, as leading Iranian officials selves among the more privileged reli- own government or those of foreign pow-
continue to threaten Israel with another gious minorities. ers supporting the various factions.
Holocaust while denying the first one, Consider the members of the Baha’i Millions more have fled their homes.
8,300 Jews (as of 2019) continue to live in faith, whose followers are, in the words According to the United Nations High
Iran, which holds the distinction of being of Freedom House, systematically perse- Commissioner for Refugees, the war
home to the largest Jewish population in cuted, sentenced to prison and banned has chased more than half of the overall
the Middle East outside Israel. from access to higher education. population (about 13.5 million) from their
But their numbers are dwindling. At The hostility of the mullahs toward homes, displacing them to other parts
least 80,000 Jews lived in Iran before the religious minorities does not stop even at of Syria or abroad. At total of 6.7 million
Islamic Revolution in 1979. Tens of thou- fellow Muslims, as Sunni Muslims also Syrian refugees have sought refuge in 128
sands have, since then, left Iran in the face find themselves excluded from positions countries, with Turkey hosting 3.6 mil-
of state-sponsored persecution. Those and denied opportunities to worship. In lion, which is more than half of Syria’s
who remain have faced spurious charges a way, this treatment of Sunni Muslims at refugees. As the years pass, it is less and
of being spies for Israel as well as violent home reflects the sectarian crack running less likely many will return, depriving the
forms of harassment and intimidation, as through the Muslim world at large. country of human potential and resources.
catalogued by governmental and non-gov- Those who have remained live among the
ernmental observers. Within this context, ruins of destroyed cities and devastated
Syria institutions of every kind. And yet this
While some believe that Islamic State has state of sorrow and suffering has served
been vanquished, many think it is still an Syrian President Bashar al-Assad well.
TH E C U R R E N T IR A N IA N entity that will regroup. Nevertheless, in When it became increasingly clear
the short-term, at least, defeat and destruc- that none of the rebel groups opposing
C O N S TIT U TION tion of the Islamic State may have freed al-Assad could push him from power,
the religious minorities of Syria from an thanks to support from Russia and Iran,
R E C O G N IZ E S JE WS existentialist threat, but their long-term he started to spell out his vision for a
future looks perilous, because the country “healthier and more homogenous society
A L O NG WITH — once a relative beacon of religious plu- in the true sense,” code for a country less
ralism — has become more sectarian. diverse and presumably easier to control,
Ten years after the start of the civil war a vision increasingly appearing before the
Z O R O A S TR IA N S A N D
C E RTA I N C H R IST IA N
C O M M U N IT IE SA S N ON -
M U S L I M R ELIG IO U S
M I N O R IT IE S.
the Iranian state frequently riles up the

masses with anti-Semitic rhetoric.
The current Iranian constitution recog-
nizes Jews along with Zoroastrians and
certain Christian communities as non-
Muslim religious minorities. These small
groups are relatively free to worship, ac-
cording to Freedom House, a perspective
also heard from religious leaders in Iran
itself. The Iranian parliament also reserves
five seats for the recognized non-Muslim
minority groups: Jews, Armenian Chris-
tians, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians
and Zoroastrians.
But such forms of institutional recogni-
tion in a legislature denied any genuine
authority should not distract from the fact
KEVORKMAIL
that religious minorities such as Jews find

themselves living in a constant state of Before the war in Syria, pictured here, Christians represented 10 per cent of the Syrian population.
anxiety, never sure how or when the mul- They now account for 5 per cent, many having fled the country to avoid service in al-Assad’s military.

eyes of the world. and forced conversion on pain of death.

As in the rest of the Middle East (mi- Iraq For the first time in nearly two millen-
nus Iran and Iraq) and the Islamic world When Pope Francis visited Mosul in niums, church bells fell silent for years in
at large, Muslims of the Sunni sect have March, he prayed for the war victims of one of the oldest regions of Christendom,
historically dominated the religious de- the Middle East. During this historic trip sparking the question of whether the
mography of Syria, with 74 per cent. But as the first pope to ever visit Iraq, he was world was witnessing the end of Christi-
their numbers are smaller relative to other walking the Earth mere kilometres away anity in the Middle East.
parts of the region, having to co-exist with from what many believe to be the Tomb of Christians, of course, did not share this
smaller groups like the Druze, Yazidis, Jonah, the Bible’s uneasy prophet, whom fate alone, as Islamic State forces also per-
Christians and Alawites, a Shia Muslim God had sent to the Assyrian city of secuted Yazidis and other Muslims who
sect. Nineveh to prophesy its doom unless its did not conform to its radical interpreta-
This last group, from which the al- residents repented their wickedness. tion of Islam.
Assad family hails, has historically sought Nineveh’s modern-day successor, Deeply moved by the physical and
to maintain its ruling status in Syrian Mosul, was — to use the words of Jonah spiritual damage that Islamic State had
society by stressing secular pan-Arabic himself — a place where “the wickedness caused during its three-year-long occupa-
nationalism and stifling, sometimes by of men rose up to heaven” after forces of tion of Mosul before Kurdish and Iraqi
brutal force, any signs of sectarianism by
the Sunni majority. Yet it was al-Assad
who stoked sectarian violence by refram-
ing the political rebellion against him as a
sectarian conflict.
Freedom House notes that this choice
saw the regime discredit the rebellion dur-
ing its early stages through the release of
jihadists. This move, reported widely by
Western media such as the Atlantic, gave
the regime licence to suppress Sunnis,
who bore the brunt of repression, accord-
ing to Freedom House.
Even the temporary occupation of Syr-
ian territory by Islamic State, borne out of
weakness by al-Assad’s regime, served his
sectarian agenda because he could pres-
ent himself to the Western world, includ-
ing the United States, as the defender of
religious minorities, including Christians,
in the face of ISIS’s undeniable barbarism
against them and other religious minori-
ties.
True, al-Assad’s coalition included
Christians with sympathies for him, but
this alliance has always appeared fraught
with ambivalences, if not illusionary.
Ultimately, Syrian Christians have
done exactly what the smaller minority of
Yazidis have done — fled, if possible, the
chaos that al-Assad has unleashed.
Before the outbreak of the war, Chris-
This Humvee was overturned in a clash between Iraqi and IS forces. IS’s seizure of Mosul led to an
tians accounted for 10 per cent (about
exodus of Christians. Those who didn't leave were forced to convert on pain of death.
one million) of the Syrian population. A
decade later, they account for 5 per cent,
many of them having fled the country to the Islamic State had captured it in June government forces expelled it, Pope Fran-
avoid service in al-Assad’s military or to 2014 as they spread across parts of Iraq cis referenced this shared suffering.
escape radical Sunni Islamists opposed to and Syria. “How cruel it is that this country, the
the regime. Their seizure of Iraq’s second-largest cradle of civilization, should have been
Those who remain now find them- city sparked a modern-day exodus of afflicted by so barbarous a blow, with
selves in a double-bind. They remain Christians from Mosul and the nearby ancient places of worship destroyed,” the
OMAR SIDDEEQ YOUSIF
objects of suspicion by a murderous re- cities of the Nineveh Plain, such as Qa- Pope told The New York Times. Thousands
gime, cynical and capable of committing raqosh, the largest city of Iraq’s Christian of Muslims, Christians and Yazidis, he
atrocities against its own people. At the heartland. said, “were cruelly annihilated by ter-
same time, they live in a ruined state that What followed was the desecration and rorism, and others forcibly displaced or
is poisoned by sectarianism with severe destruction of ancient Christian churches killed.”
consequences for all. and religious symbols, theft and extortion With these words, the Pope drew

attention to the religious diversity in the enced this marriage firsthand when he background, Muslims account for 61.3 of
region, a diversity that ultimately depends visited Malaysia in late September 2017 the population; Buddhists, 19.8 per cent;
on the steadfastness of religious minorities to make his long-running case, through Christians, 9.2 per cent; Hindus, 6.3 per
such as Christians and a broader commit- a series of lectures, for a reformed Islam, cent; while followers of Confucianism,
ment to religious pluralism by a state with the second of which called on Muslims to Taoism and other traditional Chinese reli-
barely existing institutions and rife with uphold freedom of conscience in line with gions account for 1.3 per cent.
sectarianism. the Qur’anic dictum against compulsion Of interest and influence, Freedom
Accordingly, the Pope called on Chris- in religion. House notes, is the role of the powerful
tians to forgive their trespassers and re- “I said that apostasy should not be pun- Malaysian Islamic Development Depart-
build, while praising their perseverance. ished by death, as it is in Saudi Arabia, or ment (JAKIM) in shaping and enforcing
But the Pope’s appeal to persist is falling with ‘rehabilitation,’ as it is in Malaysia,” the practice of Islam in Malaysia. Local
on fewer and fewer ears. he wrote. This appeal earned him a visit state officials also have considerable influ-
When he toured the historic ruin of from authorities at the end of his lecture, ence.
Ur, believed to be the birthplace of Abra- an overnight stay in prison and an ap- While the constitution enshrines free-
ham, the personified root of Judaism, pearance before a Sharia court, where au- dom of worship, it declares Islam as the
Christianity and Islam, he visited a region thorities interrogated him for hours before country’s official religion and automati-
nearly emptied of Christians, with only releasing him. cally defines all ethnic Malays as Muslims.
one Christian family said to be left in the In other words, the government sees faith
nearby provincial capital of Nasiriya, ac- as a product of biology (rather than social
cording to The New York Times. conditioning), a logic designed to discour-
While Christians had experienced de- age conversion.
cades of discrimination before the 2003 While conversion to a non-Muslim re-
invasion of Iraq by U.S.-led forces, their ligion is possible, would-be converts face
fate worsened after it as the country de- immense hurdles. Specifically, they have
scended into violence and civil war, even- to make their case to a religious court and
tually getting caught in the maelstrom of cases of conversion are incredibly rare.
the Syrian civil war. Within this context, Those who signal their desire to convert
Sunni and Shia extremists treated local face the possibility of being placed in re-
Christians (their roots in the region dating habilitation centres, a prospect that forces
back to late Antiquity) as fifth columnists many to live double lives, ripping apart
for Western forces with predictable results. families along the way. Other cases have
They include the destruction of churches seen parents secretly convert their chil-
and the threat of death unless they con- dren to Islam to gain the upper hand in
vert, pay a tax or leave the area. custody battles.
As in neighbouring Syria and Iran, As Freedom House says, Muslim chil-
all part of the Shia Crescent, the number dren (along with civil servants) are re-
of Christians in Iraq has declined pre- quired to receive religious education using
cipitously. According to U.S. estimates, government-approved curriculums and
Iraq’s overall Christian population has instructors.
decreased at least 50 per cent and perhaps Muslims are subject to Sharia (Islamic
as much as 90 per cent since 2003, with law) and the constitution stipulates that all
many fleeing to Syria, Jordan, Lebanon matters related to Islam should be heard
and beyond. in Sharia courts. This means Muslims and
Only time will tell whether the Pope’s non-Muslims receive different treatment
visit will reverse current trajectories. But in “moral” and family law cases, with
his sermon in Mosul included a promising non-Muslims subject to English common
reminder when he noted that the inhabit- “This incident,” he wrote in The New law.
ants of Nineveh eventually heeded the York Times, “showed me once again that Freedom House also notes that the
words of Jonah. there is a major problem in Islam today: state prohibits the practice of Islam other
a passion to impose religion, rather than than the Sunni version. Shiites and other
merely proposing it, a mindset that most sects face discrimination. Further, it notes,
Malaysia Christians left behind at the time of the non-Muslims are not able to build houses
A self-described born-again Muslim, Inquisition.” of worship as easily as Muslims, and the
Mustafa Akyol sees Islam going through Unfortunately, this attitude appears state retains the right to demolish unreg-
a crisis that threatens the very future of to be flourishing in Malaysia (along with istered religious statues and houses of
Islamic societies, even Islam itself, unless neighbouring Indonesia). worship.
the religion undergoes an Enlightenment As the Council on Foreign Relations These restrictions have economic conse-
that divorces the sword from the word. notes, the two countries have “witnessed quences. Ethnic Chinese, who account for
Islam, writes the author of Reopening an upswing in harder-line Islamist senti- just under 21 per cent of the population,
MEGHDAD MADADI
Muslim Minds: A Return to Reason, Freedom, ment,” which further enforces an arti- are increasingly leaving the country, tak-
and Tolerance, must save itself from its con- ficial form of religious apartheid that ing with them their money and education.
temporary marriage with coercive power. denies personal agency and obscures the Akyol’s prediction is slowly, but
Akyol, a Cato Institute fellow, experi- country’s religious diversity. By way of steadily coming true.

sign of weakness, the Algerian govern- Religious minorities are already fearful
Algeria ment treats the few religious minorities that authorities will use the constitution
Like so many places in the Middle East, (Jews, Christians, as well as Ahmadiyya to further erode their numbers, even if, as
Algeria breathes the spirit of ancient and Shia Muslims) as threats that must Human Rights Watch suggests, the new
Christendom. not be allowed to “shake the faith of Mus- constitution promises the right to “practise
Within the borders of the modern-day lims,” to use the language of the ban on a religion,” a promise devoid of credibility.
Annaba, near the border with Tunisia, lie proselytizing by non-Muslims. Central to Algeria’s apparatus of reli-
the ruins of Hippo, where St. Augustine Violators (as deemed by authorities) gious control is the ministry of religious
served as bishop during the final phase face a significant fine and a prison sen- affairs, an Orwellian phrase if one ever
of the Roman Empire. Having converted tence of up five years for printing, storing existed. Groups must register with it
before conducting any activities, and a
commission under the ministry’s supervi-
sion approves worship locations. There
is only one catch. The commission rarely
approves locations — some sources claim
it has never met — leaving non-Muslim
worshippers in violation of the law.
Claiming merely to enforce the law, au-
thorities can close places of worship used
by Christians or the non-Sunni Muslims
such as the 2,000-member-strong Ahmadi
community, a Muslim sect long the object
of government persecution.
Saudi Arabia
The diplomatic quarter of Riyadh or
Neom is a futuristic mega-city 33 times the
size of New York City that is currently un-
der construction in the northwestern cor-
ner of Saudi Arabia bordering the Red Sea.
It is the potential, highly speculative
location of what would be that country’s
The Algerian government treats the few religious minorities as threats that must not be allowed to
“shake the faith of Muslims.’’ This photo depicts a Christian family from Kabylia.
from paganism, St. Augustine’s influence or distributing materials intended to con-

on Christendom has remained inexorable. vert Muslims.
His views on sin, grace, freedom and Authorities, for example, recently ar-
sexuality have shaped Catholicism specifi- rested Christians for violating said ban, as
cally and Western culture generally, deep reported by Pew Research.
into the 19th Century and beyond, The Such actions confirm Algeria’s history
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy says, if of repressing and persecuting religious
only as a foil for contemporary liberals, minorities and contradict previous consti- Jamal Khashoggi was killed in Turkey for being
feminists and secularists. tutional commitments to conscience and an outspoken critic of Saudi Arabia’s current
If St. Augustine’s philosophy has sur- worship as found in the 2016 constitution. regime.
vived into the present, history has reduced Algerian authorities have since
his work and that of other early Christians dropped such pretence by eliminating the first church, should authorities ever per-
WIKI / APRIL BRADY, POMED
living and praying in North Africa to little language from the 2020 constitution that mit such a place of Christian worship
more than archeological attractions. protects “freedom of conscience” follow- in the country that sees itself as the self-
Like its neighbours, Africa’s largest ing a constitutional reform of questionable described defender of Muslims around
country by area is an overwhelmingly legitimacy, based on low turnout and the the world. Some (like an unnamed royal
Islamic country, as Muslims account for 98 absence of genuine consultation with all adviser quoted in The Economist) say it is
to 99 per cent of the population. groups, including the 130,000 to 200,000 not a question of if, but when the country,
And yet in what can only be read as a Christians in a country of 43 million. home to the two holiest cities in Islam —

6
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Mecca and
The total Medina,
number the respective
of countries with “high”birth
or ban, saying it would combat the “spread
and burial place of the Prophet Muham- Number of countries with high or very of cultist ideas, which have nothing in
“very high” levels of government restrictions high levels of government restrictions
mad — would sanction such a step.
has been mounting as well. Most recently, that common with Christian religion,” as cited
This prediction has its premise in the reaches five-year high by Pew Research. This language echoes
number climbed from 52 countries (26% of the
past actions of Crown Prince Mohammed
198 countries and territories included in the
% of countries with high or very high government
the words of Putin himself, who has de-
restrictions on religion
Bin Salman (MBS), the de-facto ruler of
study) in 2017 to 56 countries (28%) in 2018.
scribed Jehovah’s Witnesses as people
Saudi Arabia.
The latest figures are close to the 2012 peak in
who practise faiths that are not “tradi-
Since coming to power in 2017, MBS tional” in Russia.
the top two tiers of the Government
has met with Maronite Patriarch Bechara This overlap points to a larger pattern:
Restrictions Index.
Boutros al-Rai, who represents Christians the alignment of the Russian state with the
in Lebanon, Archbishop of Canterbury agenda of the Russian Orthodox Church,
As of 2018, most of the 56 countries with high
Justin Welby and Coptic Pope Tawadros II. currently headed by Patriarch Kirill of
or very high levels of government restrictions
MBS himself has spoken of religious toler- Moscow, now in office for more than a
on religion are in the Asia-Pacific region (25
ance, acknowledged the historic presence decade.
countries, or half of all countries in that region)
of Christians on the Arabian Peninsula As Russian historian Michael Khodar-
or the Middle East-North Africa region (18
and held several meetings with evangeli- kovsky has noted in The New York Times,
countries, or 90% of all countries in the region).
cal Christians from the United States who this relationship is as old as Russia itself,
are eager to open the first church. King Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. See
Methodology for details.
with the church playing the role of sub-
Salman has met French Catholic Cardinal “In 2018, Government Restrictions on Religion Reach Highest Level servient proponent of a political theology
Jean-Louis Pierre (since deceased) and Globally in More Than a Decade”
that presents Moscow as the Second Je-
Pope Francis himself visited the neigh- PEW RESEARCH CENTER
rusalem and the Third Rome (after Rome
bouring United Arab Emirates (a Saudi and Constantinople).
ally) in early February 2019 as the first True, seven decades of state-enforced
pontiff to travel to the Arabian Peninsula. atheism during the Soviet period have
These Saudi overtures to the Christian Russia shown their effects on Russia’s religious
world and its various emissaries have Harassment, video surveillance, arrest sociology. Russian society is thoroughly
unfolded against the backdrop of larger threats, torture and long prison terms: secular as Russian Orthodox Christians —
reforms designed to make Saudi Arabia According to The Guardian and other the largest sectarian group — account for
more attractive to foreign investors as the observers such as Human Rights Watch, somewhere between 15 and 20 per cent of
country designs a post-oil future. these are the realities facing the 175,000 the population, not far ahead of Muslims,
But Western ears have heard such Jehovah’s Witnesses living in Russia. who account for 10 to 15 per cent, fol-
promises before, only to see them go un- Relative to the overall population of lowed by other Christians at 2 per cent.
fulfilled. 142.3 million, this Christian sect makes up Yet the Russian Orthodox Church
True, MBS has cut the influence of only a fraction, yet the state of Vladimir enjoys a privileged position in Russia,
Saudi Arabia’s religious police — the Putin places them in the same category as “working closely with the government on
Commission for the Promotion of Virtue neo-Nazis and members of al-Qaeda. foreign and domestic policy priorities,” as
and Prevention of Vice — and radical cler- Jehovah’s Witnesses earned the unjusti- Freedom House notes. Kirill himself said
ics at large. fied wrath of the state after an April 2017 that even during the Russian Empire, “the
But their current weariness and sus- ruling by the Russian Supreme Court, church did not have an equal partner in
picion about MBS could easily turn into which declared the church’s head office the face of government.”
something more threatening if he were to an extremist organization and banned 395 More broadly, the vague, increasingly
allow a church. branches across Russia. harsher extremist legislation sweeping up
Christians living in Saudi Arabia, www.pewresearch.org
some As of mid-June 2021, Russian officials Jehovah’s Witnesses has in the past also
1.2 million in a country of 34 million, most had investigated 418 members of the netted other believers and non-believers
of them working migrants from Asia and church, with 53 Witnesses in pre-trial de- appearing as threats to the state-church
Africa, may no longer suffer the worst ef- tention or sentenced to prison, another 36 alliance propping up Putin’s regime, its
fects of the Saudi state, but their religion under house arrest and 224 not allowed most recent catch being Alexei Navalny’s
remains underground. Open displays of to leave their hometown, according to nationwide political organization.
faith are to be avoided lest believers want JW.org. It, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, has since
to invite danger. Even Evangelical Chris- UN observers have found these deten- suspended operations to avoid a similar
tians from the United States, who enjoy tions to be arbitrary, lacking legal basis fate. That will likely not help.
the support of former U.S. president Don- and in violation of the right to freedom of
ald Trump, an ally of MBS, had to heed religion, while other groups such as Hu- (https://www.pewforum.
this lesson. Ultimately, MBS has skilfully man Rights Watch have called on the Rus- org/2021/09/30/harassment-of-religious-
exploited low expectations of himself and sian government to reverse course. groups-reaches-new-peak-in-2019/)
any assessment of his regime boils down In typical manner, Putin first treated
to the following: Is he pursuing genuine the accusations with feigned ignorance, Wolfgang Depner is a writer who lives
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
reform or is he guilty of window dressing? even concern for the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Greater Victoria in British Columbia,
MBS’s proven involvement in the brutal before signalling his tacit approval of where he teaches at Royal Roads Univer-
murder of regime critics, such as journalist them in December 2018. Since then, perse- sity. He has previously taught interna-
Jamal Khashoggi, is one of a long litany cution of this Christian minority has only tional politics and political philosophy
of human rights abuses against critics at intensified, likely to the satisfaction of the at the University of British Columbia,
home. Russian Orthodox Church. It supports the Okanagan campus.

The number of countries and territories where religious groups experienced harassment by
governments and social groups reached 190 (out of 198 analyzed) in 2019, a higher number than
DI in
SPATC H Eyear
any other S| RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION
of the study. This figure is up from 185 in 2018.
Harassment
The harassment ofmeasured in Christians, Muslims harassed in more countries in
religious groupsa wide
the study includes
2019, most of any religious groups
variety of actions – from
reaches new peak in Number of countries where religious groups were harassed, by year
derogatory statements by
2019
government officials to physical
The acts
number of countries
of force such as and territories
property
where religious groups experienced
damage, detentions,
harassment by governments and social
displacements
groups reached 190 (out from homes,
of 198 analyzed)
in 2019, a higher number than
assaults and killings – that in any other
year of the study. This figure is up from
185 target
in 2018.groups or individuals
The harassment measuredat
in the
least in part because of their of
study includes a wide variety
actions — from derogatory statements
religion. Harassment
by government directed
officials to physical acts
of force such as property
against those who are damage, deten-
tions, displacements from homes, assaults
and religiously
killings — that unaffiliated,
target groups or indi- * Includes Sikhs, members of ancient faiths such as Zoroastrianism, members of newer
viduals at least in
including part because
atheists, of their re-
agnostics faiths such as Baha’i and other religious groups.
ligion. Harassment directed against those ** Includes, for example, followers of African traditional religions, Chinese folk religions,
and humanists, also is captured
who are religiously unaffiliated, including Native American religions and Australian aboriginal religions.
atheists, agnostics
by this study. and humanists, also is Note: This measure looks at the number of countries in which groups were harassed, either
by the government or individuals/social groups. It does not assess the severity of the
captured by this study.
harassment. Numbers do not add to totals because multiple religious groups can be
harassed in a country. The ﬁgure for other religious groups for the year ending in December
Christians and Muslims, the 2012 and the any-of-the-above ﬁgure for the year ending in December 2011 have been
world’s largest and most widely updated to correct minor errors in previous reports.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. See Methodology for details.
dispersed religious groups, 31
“Globally, Social Hostilities Related to Religion Decline in 2019, While Government
experienced harassment in PEWRemain
Restrictions RESEARCH CENTER
at Highest Levels”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
more countries than other
religious groups in 2019,
Most religious
continuing groups
a consistent experienced
pattern government
since the beginning of theharassment in more
study. In addition, bothcountries than
Muslims and
social harassment
Christians saw increasesinin2019
the number of countries where they were harassed in 2019. And, as in
Number of countries where religious
prior years of the study, both groupsgroupsfaced
were harassed,
harassmentby year
in countries where they are religious
minorities as well as in countries where they are the majority. For instance, Muslims faced
www.pewresearch.org
*Includes Sikhs, members of ancient faiths such as Zoroastrianism, members of newer faiths such as Baha’i and other religious groups.
**Includes, for example, followers of African traditional religions, Chinese folk religions, Native American religions and Au stralian aboriginal
religions.
Note: This measure does not assess the severity of the harassment. Numbers do not add to totals because multiple religious gr oups can be
harassed in a country.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. See Methodology for details.
“Globally, Social Hostilities Related to Religion Decline in 2019, While Government Restrictions Remain at Highest Levels”
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Worldwide religious harassment experiences 39

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
C
hristians and Muslims, the world’s largest and most
Government restrictions on religion around the world
widely dispersed religious groups, experienced harass- Level of government restrictions on religion in each country as of 2019
ment in more countries than other religious groups in
2019, continuing a consistent pattern since the beginning of
the [PEW Research Center] study [first published first in 2007].
In addition, both Muslims and Christians saw increases in
the number of countries where they were harassed in 2019.
And, as in prior years of the study, both groups faced ha-
rassment in countries where they are religious minorities as
well as in countries where they are the majority. For instance,
Muslims faced harassment in 38 European countries where
Islam is not the majority religion, as well as in all 19 countries
and territories with Muslim majorities (either Sunni or Shiite)
in the Middle East.
In 2019, harassment of Christians was reported in 153 Source: Pew Research Center analysis of external data. See Methodology for details.
countries, up from 145 countries in 2018. In Pakistan, for ex- “Globally, Social Hostilities Related to Religion Decline in 2019, While Government Restrictions Remain at Highest Levels”
ample, a Christian suspect in a theft case was tortured while

PEW RESEARCH CENTER
in police custody and died a few hours after being released.

The victim’s brother reported that one of the police officers
who arrested the man said, “I know how to deal with these
infidels.” In Cuba, meanwhile, there were multiple reports of Government harasses more than society
state officials threatening Christian house church leaders for Most of the religious groups analyzed individually — Chris-
conducting religious activities. tians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and the religiously unaffili-
Muslims were harassed in 147 countries in 2019, up from ated — faced harassment in more countries from governments
139 countries in 2018. In France, the interior ministry closed and public officials than from private actors, such as social
numerous Muslim-owned businesses, Islamic schools, Islamic groups or individuals.
cultural sites and mosques as the secretary of state to the Jews were the only religious group that faced social harass-
minister of the interior linked them to “political Islam.” And ment in more countries (73) than government harassment (69)
in South Africa, 80 Islamic graves were vandalized and rear- in 2019, although the gap between those two figures is at its
ranged to form the shape of a cross. narrowest since the study began, and the 69 countries where
Jews faced harassment in more countries than any other Jews experienced some form of government harassment is a
www.pewresearch.org
religious groups besides Christians and Muslims, despite their record high since the beginning of the study in 2007.
relatively small population size. (Jewish people make up just Adherents of folk religions experienced government harass-
0.2 per cent of the world’s population.) In 2019, Jews were ment in 20 countries and social harassment in 18 countries in
harassed in 89 countries — a slight uptick from 88 countries in 2019. In Canada, an Indigenous elder contended that airport
2018. One such incident occurred in Argentina, where a promi- security officials desecrated the contents of a pouch contain-
nent rabbi was seriously injured during a home invasion in ing cedar, sage, sweet grass and tobacco, considered sacred by
which his attackers physically assaulted him, robbed him and her tribe, by requiring her to open it for inspection in order to
said they knew he was a rabbi. travel.
Hindus were harassed in 21 countries in 2019 — up from 19 And in the United States, an Indigenous tribe called the
countries the previous year. In Bangladesh, for instance, rioters Ramapough Mountain Indians had an ongoing lawsuit in
ransacked a Hindu temple after two Muslims were arrested for 2019 against the township of Mahwah, New Jersey, after the
allegedly hacking the Facebook account of a Hindu man and township limited their religious gatherings and ordered them
posting material disparaging Islam on his account. to remove several religious structures, including an altar and
Buddhists experienced a small increase in the number of prayer circle. (The U.S. Department of Justice later supported
countries where they faced harassment, from 24 in 2018 to 25 the tribe’s lawsuit against the town, and the parties eventually
in 2019 — the highest total for this religious group since the settled in June 2019.)
study began in 2007. In Austria, for example, the construction Other religious groups beyond those analyzed individually
site of a Buddhist shrine was vandalized with swastikas. — including Baha’is, Scientologists, Sikhs, Rastafarians and
Religiously unaffiliated people (including atheists, agnostics Zoroastrians, among others — faced government harassment
and people who don’t identify with any religion) were ha- in more than twice as many countries (59) as they faced social
rassed in 22 countries in 2019, up from 18 the previous year. In hostilities (24). In Kenya, for example, a public secondary
Saudi Arabia, the presidency of state security released a video school asked a Rastafarian student to shave her dreadlocks.
on Twitter referring to atheism as “extremist.” A 2014 royal The school had expelled the student the previous year for
decree in the country punishes atheism with up to 20 years in wearing them in a turban and had been ordered by a court to
prison, and in early 2019, the government criminalized “the let her return.
promotion of atheistic ideologies in any form.”

DI SPATC H E S| AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan’s grim future

Chaos in the the Western world’s closing act in Afghanistan portends ill for its people and regional
and world security.
By J. Paul de B. Taillon
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transports 823 Afghans from Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 15, 2021 after the U.S. military
withdrew from the beleaguered country.
“T
he first, the supreme, the most full on. Fine fecal-laden dust covered their hope of being included on the departure
AIR MOBILITY COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
far-reaching act of judgement bodies and gear. The heat and the 25-ki- list for one of the flights that would take
that the statesman and com- logram weight of the personal protective off before the withdrawal date of Aug. 31.
mander have to make is to establish the equipment (PPE) and the ensuing body It was on this date that the United
kind of war on which they are embark- sweat, combined with the scent of gun oil, States would finally clear out of Afghani-
ing,” wrote strategist Carl von Clausewitz was ever present amongst them and their stan. For those soldiers and Marines un-
in his book, On War. comrades. dertaking their respective duties to secure
For the soldiers and Marines who were Meanwhile, crowds of desperate Af- this airport, many had not witnessed the
assigned to the U.S. security force in Kabul ghans sought sanctuary outside the events of 9/11. For those born after 9/11,
during the August pullout from the coun- airport security walls topped with they were now witnessing, indeed par-
try, their arrival hit many instantly and barbed wire that separated them from the ticipating, in a historic moment — the

AFGHANISTAN |DI SPATCH E S
hasty and frantic departure from Afghani- ain, France and Germany — were also threat of terrorist activities, presumably
stan after two decades. monitoring events in Afghanistan, and targeted against those nations that par-
The ill-fated departure followed a may also be responsibile for not anticipat- ticipated in the fight over the last two
20-year war that was marred by unclear ing an eventual Taliban takeover. More decades. The success of the Taliban will
strategic goals after the initial successful than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces mem- provide al-Qaida, ISIS-K (Islamic State of
United States invasion of the Islamic Re- bers served in the Afghanistan theatre of Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan Province)
public of Afghanistan in response to the operations between 2001 and 2014. and other jihadist organizations with a tre-
terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The failure to be ready and act quickly mendous psychological boost. This cannot
to expedite the departure of Western be understated as Islamists have and will
Intelligence failure? citizens and Afghans seeking asylum draw inspiration from the U.S. and the
There has been much speculation as to the demonstrates a true lack of strategic vi- West’s ignominious departure. A Taliban
intelligence assessments that would have sion by political leaders and bureaucrats. Afghanistan may again provide a territo-
been provided to the American political
and military leadership in Washington
and Kabul. This would include the vari-
ous scenarios being considered, the op-
tions and potential courses of action and
assessed cascading consequences. It is un-
likely that the U.S. intelligence community
would not have briefed those responsible
about the implications of the Afghanistan
withdrawal, likely by providing daily as-
sessments of events.
Although the exact date for a Taliban
takeover would have been difficult to
ascertain, the monitoring of the U.S. with-
drawal also saw the Afghan forces under
attack. The Taliban would immediately fill
the tactical vacuum left by the Afghan/
U.S. military. Intelligence assessments
would be updated daily, if not hourly, as
the Taliban advanced towards the capital.
It is difficult to believe that senior political
leaders and the bureaucracy writ large
would not have been aware of the Taliban
momentum as Afghans surrendered or
withdrew from the field.
Of note, in a cable dated July 13, two
dozen American diplomats stationed in
the U.S. Embassy in Kabul warned of the
potential collapse of the Afghan govern-
ment to the Taliban following the U.S. Where it all began in 2001: The remains of the World Trade Centre smoulder as U.S. officials were
troop drawdown. Forwarded to the secre- no doubt making retaliation plans against Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida.
tary of state, the strongly worded cable re-
portedly urged the U.S. State Department This is not hindsight, as those nations rial operating space to facilitate recruit-
to start organizing an airlift operation to involved were aware, as were their intel- ment, training, support and planning for
evacuate Americans and other qualified ligence organizations, of the inevitability terrorist violence against the West.
personnel. This assessment may have been of a Taliban takeover. Preparations should The release of thousands of incarcer-
supported by other U.S. and allied intel- have been made, and plans and options ated members of the former al-Qaida,
ligence reporting. for evacuation co-ordinated and put in ISIS-K and Taliban from Kabul prisons
The scapegoating of the intelligence place. Instead of a well-planned and or- poses potential problems. Al-Qaida and
community has impinged on the credibil- derly withdrawal, those political leaders ISIS-K are dedicated to a regional and
ity and dedication of intelligence profes- responsible for this catastrophe were no- global jihadist campaign and the Afghan
sionals who have committed their lives to where to be seen, including the Canadian Taliban are focused on re-establishing
addressing and analyzing the “wilderness ambassador, Reid Sirrs, who reportedly their Afghan power base. It is unknown
of mirrors” to provide the necessary guid- went on leave in July, as the Taliban were to what extent al-Qaida and ISIS-K have
ance to their respective political, military advancing. This does not bode well for the influenced the Afghan Taliban in their
and bureaucratic leadership. This accu- future of the U.S.’s global position or the doctrinal outlook regarding a global jihad,
sation, in itself, is revealing and reflects credibility of the Western alliance. or what the Taliban success will mean to
poorly upon the Biden administration as jihadists globally, especially those who as-
it tries to displace its responsibility, and to The threat picture pire to follow a more activist/violent path
ascertain who is blameworthy. Following the departure from Afghani- against the West and Western interests.
NOAA
NATO partners — Canada, Great Brit- stan, the West will likely face an increased Western police and security organizations

Canadians joined the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan in 2001. In all, 158 Canadian Armed Forces members lost their lives. Here, a Canadian honour
guard carries the remains of Canadian army Pvt. Sebastien Courcy during a sundown ceremony at Kandahar Air Field.
may have to counter a potential resur- strategic issue, ignoring a critically impor- The chimerical aim was to create a central-
gence by similarly inspired Islamist terror- tant principle of war — establishing and ized Afghan government responsible for
ist groups and individuals. maintaining the aim. The intention of the securing and governing a traditionally
U.S. and its allies to build an Afghanistan disparate country, from Kabul. This proj-
The history that mirrored Western countries was in ect appeared idealistic, overly optimistic
The stated aim of the invasion was to kill itself a magnitude of hubris — indeed ar- and unattainable given the complexity of
or capture Osama bin Laden, replace the rogance — beyond any Western norm. Afghanistan.
Taliban-led Afghan government, which Lord Jonathan Evans, former head of The U.S. and its allies proceeded un-
MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS CHAD J. MCNEELEY, U.S. NAVY

aided bin Laden, and ensure that Af- Britain’s security service, reflected that the deterred, with little appreciation of the
ghanistan was no longer a terrorist haven. coalition should have concentrated on the ethnic complexities, cultures and local and
Following the successful invasion, promi- initial counterterrorism objectives as “it regional politics. Layered onto this was an
nent Afghan citizens met in 2002 with was very worthy and rather ambitious to Afghan population riddled with historic
the U.S. government, the United Nations think we could reshape the whole country, suspicion, animosity, criminality, corrup-
and NATO representatives to form a new [when] the reason we went in originally tion and inter-and intra-tribal frictions in
representative Afghan government to mir- was for counterterrorism reasons, and I both the urban and rural centres. Notwith-
ror the democratic West. While an Afghan think that might have been a more achiev- standing, the U.S. and its allies innocently,
constitution was based on Western demo- able task.” He added that, “from the be- but arrogantly, sought to remake Afghani-
cratic ideals, it lacked an appreciation or ginning there was a noble ambition that stan in their image.
a comprehensive understanding of the we would have been able to reshape the In 2020, the U.S. Trump administration
psycho-social aspects of a complex multi- politics of that region and I think, in retro- negotiated a deal with the Taliban that
ethnic Afghanistan. These democratic spect, it was overambitious.” committed to withdraw U.S. forces by
goals were unsustainable in an Afghan The challenges were immense: Build- May 2021. U.S. President Joe Biden ad-
context. ing a democratic system and functioning hered to this agreement, albeit amending
For the U.S. and its allies, the aim and governmental infrastructure, creating an the departure date to Sept. 11, 2021. The
objective soon became wobbly over how effective judiciary and developing a solid subsequent rapid seizure of the Afghan
these were to be achieved and how coali- educational system, among other goals, government by the Taliban changed the
tion members were to contribute. For in a country where only an estimated 5 to date to Aug. 31, 2021. Under the terms
many leaders and participants, this was a 8 per cent of the population could read. of the Doha Agreement, a withdrawal

was to take down the Taliban govern-

ment, deny al-Qaida a haven and kill or
capture Osama bin Laden, ensuring that
no further terrorist operations could be
launched. Within the strategic aim, West-
ern leadership at the time did not fully
appreciate the risks and complexities of
an ill-defined mission that was not fully
understood amongst the coalition. This, in
part, resulted in a multifaceted and pro-
tracted conflict, which some would now
deem futile, that resulted in considerable
national and financial costs. It should be
noted that these aims were accomplished
in 2002, except the killing of bin Laden,
which did not occur until 2011.
The invasion involved the deployment
of special forces, CIA operatives and air
assets, with the assistance of anti-Taliban
resistance forces on the ground, in what
was described as a light footprint, as
demanded by then-secretary of defence
Donald Rumsfeld. Although this invasion
was dramatically successful, the follow-
through was lacking in resources, result-
ing in a failure of the ultimate outcome.
In December 2001, American political
and military leadership refocused on the
weapons of mass destruction threat from
Iraq, moving American military efforts
and resources from the secured Afghan
The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan involved the deployment of special forces, CIA operatives and air
theatre to the invasion and occupation of
assets with the assistance of anti-Taliban resistance forces on the ground. Iraq. While the U.S. and its allies evolved
provincial reconstruction teams to rebuild
Afghanistan through education, local
from Afghanistan was inevitable and was themselves and their country. development projects, infrastructure, eco-
anticipated to be well-planned and orches- When Kabul fell in August 2021, these nomic and agricultural initiatives, there
trated. hard-won achievements were thought to was an uneven success in the implementa-
During its 20 years in Afghanistan, the have been for naught as Taliban spokes- tion. Afghanistan then became a second-
U.S. and its coalition allies found some man Zabihullah Mujahid surprisingly ary theatre of operations and was treated
staunch Afghan allies in the brave men announced on Aug. 17 that the Taliban as an operational backwater — ignored
and women who dedicated themselves would honour women’s rights within and under-resourced.
to the education of young boys and girls, Sharia law and urged them to return to Pakistan was an intimate player, in-
and who hoped to transform Afghanistan work and continue their education. This dulged by American political masters in
US NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS DAVID QUILLEN/
under a democratic and effective govern- was viewed with some circumspection, Washington. The Afghan-Pakistan border
ment. This includes many Afghan women particularly by Afghan feminists. The next was historically permeable and the Tali-
who made great progress in societal terms day, the Taliban reportedly shot a woman ban employed this advantage, recruiting
in public and private sectors, forging a in the street for not wearing a burqa. This young men from Pakistani madrassas
path in Afghan society by starting busi- incident and reports from the provinces of (religious schools) to fight. They used the
nesses and becoming teachers, professors, women hiding, in fear of Taliban assault city of Quetta to secure their leadership
doctors and lawyers as well as elected and potential retribution predicated upon and used Pakistan for training, a logistical
representatives. their education, occupation or political/ base and a secure communications route
Many of these Afghans were educated feminist activism, demonstrated the level for their Afghan operations.
in the West and witnessed the opportuni- of concern for the future of women and As the years passed, the Taliban waited
ties provided by democratic societies and girls in Afghanistan. patiently while inspiring fear, conducting
their institutions in the form of human psychological warfare by threats, targeted
rights, social equality and freedom of Why were we there? assassinations and IEDs and occasionally
speech. They appreciated the advantages Twenty years on, the question still needs attacking American and allied ground
of modernity in terms of technology, social to be posed as to why the West was in forces. The Taliban persistently studied
attitude, education and opportunity. The Afghanistan. Even in 2006, then-secretary how Western forces planned and oper-
U.S. and the coalition shared an optimistic of state Condoleezza Rice asked if some- ated, working out the methodologies at
vision for Afghanistan’s future and sought one could tell her why the U.S. was still strategic, operational and tactical levels,
to help Afghans forge a new path for in Afghanistan. The original 2001 aim garnering substantial insights on how

.American and Western militaries func-

tioned, and how they could successfully
be challenged. As the departure date had
been announced, the Taliban had time to
plan their next steps.
Afghan security forces

Throughout these years, the U.S. and its
allies expanded the Afghan military and
security forces. Despite building and
equipping a 300,000-member Afghan
security force, in the summer of 2021,
the Afghans evaporated under attacks
by the Taliban while U.S. forces with-
drew. Only 30,000 Afghan commandos
bravely attempted to stymie the Taliban’s
advance. Unfortunately, the Afghan mili-
tary infrastructure could not sustain the
combat requirements in terms of mede-
vac, food, ammunition, fuel, reinforce-
ment and air and fire support. The hasty
U.S.withdrawal left the Afghan army
without the necessary sustainability or
supporting fire assets. Once the Afghan
army realized U.S. ground forces were
withdrawing out of Bagram airbase and
elsewhere, they understood their support
requirements to defeat the Taliban could
not be sustained and that, in operational
terms, the end was inevitable.
Airmen guide qualified evacuees aboard an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III while supporting the
By 2021, the Afghan army was in part
noncombatant evacuation operation in Afghanistan on Aug. 24, 2021.
a mirror image of the U.S. army — it was
a modern ground force that required sub-
stantial investment in intelligence assets,
fire support, logistics and airpower to
provide air-to-ground support as well as
logistics and medevac.
It was inevitable that as U.S. ground
units withdrew from their key bases,
their ability to assist and sustain Afghan
forces in the field diminished. The hur-
AIR FORCE SENIOR AIRMAN TAYLOR CRUL / U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
ried departure had a direct impact upon
the morale of the Afghan National Army,
which was now the target of sustained
Taliban assaults, resulting in Afghan sol-
diers realizing the futility of pursuing the
fight against the advancing Taliban, thus
prompting widespread surrender. The
American departure and the cessation of
their innate support helped to create the
tactical, operational and strategic vacuum
of which the Taliban forces expeditiously
and understandably took immediate ad-
vantage.
Friction with ISIS-K

When the Taliban opened the prison in
Kabul, one of the occupants was report-
edly Abu Omar Khorasani, the leader of
ISIS-K. Reports indicate that Taliban fight-
ers executed him on the spot. According to
Paratroopers facilitate the safe evacuation of U.S. citizens, special immigrant visa applicants and
ISIS-K, the Taliban is a nationalist apostate
other at-risk Afghans out of Kabul on Aug. 22, 2021. group; moreover, the ISIS-K view for pro-

paganda purposes is that the Taliban is an the past two decades moved to 64 years
organization of American-led “crusader- from 56 years and the literacy rate saw a
puppets.” ISIS-K gained a foothold in significant increase to 43 per cent from 8
Afghanistan in 2015 and is an integral part per cent.
of the IS global terror franchise, which is
dedicated to establishing a formal caliph- Mujahideen resistance to the Taliban
ate in both south and central Asia. Oper- Afghanistan is still far from a cessation of
ating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, it has hostilities, with the possibility of a civil
conducted a reported 250 attacks targeting war amongst the Afghan people. Situated
Pakistani, Afghan and American person- in the Panjshir Valley, a number of sources
nel over the past four years. confirmed that a nascent resistance move-
These operations provoked U.S./Af- ment has begun to evolve, operating un-
ghan forces to conduct operations in 2019 der the banner of the National Resistance
with the aim of driving ISIS-K forces from Front of Afghanistan (NRFA.) This anti-
their refuge in eastern Afghanistan. With Taliban resistance group was led by the
the Taliban in charge, ISIS-K will likely deposed Afghan vice-president and well-
bide its time to expand its reach in Af- respected former head of the National A R MI N G T H E F U T U R E G LOBA L
ghanistan. This will further challenge and Directorate of Security, Amrullah Saleh, JI H A D I
complicate matters for the Taliban govern- who is now considered by many as the
ment in its attempts to secure the country. de facto president of free Afghanistan. He Most concerning to security services
In the latter stages of the Kabul evacua- was joined by Ahmad Massoud, son of the is the Taliban’s windfall capture of
tion, intelligence raised the spectre that famed Northern Alliance leader, Ahmad a quantity and variety of weapons
ISIS-K would attempt a suicide attack, car Shah Massoud, who conducted a deter- and ammunition from departing
bomb or mortar attack that would usurp mined and ferociously skilful resistance U.S. forces. Social media is replete
an orderly evacuation and withdrawal. against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan with photos showing Taliban fighters
The attacks on the Kabul airport on Aug. in the 1980s and continued to fight the brandishing late model M4 and M-16
26 reportedly were orchestrated by ISIS- rifles and videos including M2 .50
K, killing 13 U.S. service personnel. On heavy machine-guns and M24 sniper
Sept. 8, an ISIS-K suicide bomber attacked rifles.
a Shiite mosque in Kunduz, killing 46 at- According to the July 2021 Special
tendees. Inspector General for Afghanistan
Reconstruction study, the U.S. pro-
Were the aims achieved? vided Afghan forces with more than
What may remain amongst the Afghan 7,000 machine-guns and 20,000 gre-
population and its youth is an aspiration nades, 4,700 Humvees and uncounted
to move their country into a peaceful, suc- communications equipment, intel-
cessful, sustainable 21st Century — and ligence, surveillance and reconnais-
hope for the future. During my deploy- sance (ISR) equipment and explosive
ments, I remember driving through the ordnance disposal equipment. A 2017
crowded streets of Kabul and encounter- Government Accountability 0ffice
ing a group of young girls going to school. (GAO) report identified that the
I turned to my security detail and advised U.S. military donated approximately
them that “there is a future for Afghani- 75,898 vehicles, 599,690 weapons and
stan if we can ensure their education — 208 aircraft to the Afghans between
the future will be bright.” That hope is 2003 and 2016.
now at risk of being diminished. Amrullah Saleh is now considered by many
Of possible greater security con-
To evaluate the success of the U.S. as the de facto president of free Afghanistan. cern is that the Taliban has reportedly
and NATO’s work in Afghanistan, the seized American military biometrics
initial strategic aim and objectives must devices that would help identify
be assessed. If they were achieved and first Taliban regime that took power a de- Afghans who assisted the coalition
sustained, the U.S. and its allies were suc- cade later. Massoud posed a direct threat forces, which would compromise the
cessful. If they were not, the coalition has to al-Qaida and was assassinated at the safety and security of many Afghans.
failed. direction of Osama bin Laden just before The $1 trillion expended on the
The scorecard is not balanced. The the 9/11 attacks. Ahmad Massoud was Afghan security forces means that
Afghan poverty rate increased to 47 per educated at the Royal Military Academy, the U.S. government has essentially
HEINRICH-BÖLL-STIFTUNG / VOA
cent in 2020, up from 36 per cent in 2007, Sandhurst, and then studied at King’s Col- provided modern and expensive arms
according to World Bank records. Schools, lege, London, earning a master’s in inter- and equipment to the Taliban forces
hospitals and dams that were planned and national politics. By 2019, he was named it was meant to fight. This windfall
built by Americans and allies reportedly his father’s successor and returned to the has made the Taliban the world’s
were largely ineffective. The U.S.-trained valley to garner anti-Taliban support in best equipped and armed terrorist
Afghan military, as was witnessed in Kabul and the Panjshir. state, at the expense of American
August, dissipated in a matter of weeks. Anticipating a contradiction between taxpayers.
The good news is that life expectancy over what the Taliban publicly declared and

Commanding General U.S. Central Command Kenneth F. McKenzie tours an evacuation control centre at Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 17.
what it would do, Massoud brought to- reportedly overtook Panjshir Valley; while ate the memories of the neo-conservative
gether various Afghan leaders and their the status of the NFRA is unknown at this (neo-cons) movement that permeated the
supporters. The resistance began acquir- time, Massoud is believed to have escaped Bush administration for two terms. The
ing weapons and equipment, and was and Saleh sought refuge in Uzbekistan. neo-cons embraced a belief in American
populated by soldiers and commandos Notwithstanding, an interview on Oct. 5, ideals and the innate military/economic
well versed in military skills, having gar- 2021, with the head of foreign relations power and global purpose of American
nered extensive combat experience over of the NRFA Ali Maisam Nazary advised exceptionalism, which clashed with the
the past 20 years. Both Massoud and Saleh that Massoud remains in Afghanistan and Afghan culture and multifaceted societal
are Dari-speaking Tajiks, the second larg- resistance inside the country will continue. realities.
est ethnic group in Afghanistan. This misguided idealism was further
This challenge to Taliban rule forced Concerns for the future complicated by the counter-insurgency
the deployment of forces to the Panjshir Ignoring the acrimonious discourse that environment that pervaded the conflict.
Valley, as elements of the NRFA were pervades the issues of intelligence warn- The hopes of undertaking an Afghan-
reported to have seized three districts. ing — who, what, when, where and why wide program of defence, diplomacy and
Ahmad Massoud wrote in The Washington
U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTO BY 1ST LT. MARK ANDRIES
— what are the takeaways? Following the development that would be transferred to
Post on Aug. 18 to request that the West Taliban takeover, Lord Evans “cautioned the Afghan government to subsequently
provide weapons, ammunition and sup- that the West will now have to ‘tool up’ lead and manage, failed. There was no
plies to support a war against the Taliban to counter a potential resurgence from the effective government in Kabul that could
as, he stated, “Afghanistan will without group founded by Osama bin Laden.” Is- assume the 3D responsibilities to provide
doubt become Ground Zero of radical lamists globally have heralded the Taliban and manage the spectrum of basic social
Islamist terrorism; plots against democ- takeover as a victory, which will likely services, security and governance. His-
racies will be hatched here once again.” inspire similar groups and create a resur- torical experiences that acknowledge the
However, any perceived American sup- gence of calls for a global caliphate. There importance of having either governmental
port for NFRA jeopardizes the precarious are early reports of increased attacks citing control (Malaya, Northern Ireland) or
and fragile arrangements with the Taliban ISIS as an inspiration. substantial government influence (Oman,
leaders in Kabul who are enabling Ameri- This long-running conflict will have Philippines) to address a counter-insur-
can passage from the Kabul airport. impacts on the American intellectual gency challenge abound.
However, on Sept. 7, 2021, the Taliban landscape, as some might want to obliter- In geopolitical terms, the seemingly

unilateral withdrawal by the U.S. caused The fact is that the Taliban was much bet- The notion of sustaining the Afghan
allied nations to reassess the U.S.’s global ter organized and stronger than in 2001. government was not in the cards. The
role and their respective relationships. Meanwhile, the Afghan military and United States and the West must now
The U.S., under the Obama, Trump and security forces were targets of wide- contemplate, plan and prepare for a
Biden administrations, gradually with- spread corruption with intermittent pay, steeper problem in confronting the ex-
drew itself as a trustworthy leader and little logistical support and under pres- tremist threat, not only potentially from
effective global partner. All three U.S. sure from an aggressively advancing Afghanistan, but from Islamist extrem-
administrations began to exhibit vary- Taliban. The situation was exacerbated ists operating globally who have taken
ing degrees of insularity pertaining to further by the U.S.’s seemingly secretive inspiration and succour from this Islamist
U.S. foreign policy, perhaps given a U.S. withdrawal from their bases that helped victory over the West. This situation will
perception that NATO allies were not to spark widespread Afghan desertions. A require global counterterrorist security
delivering on their NATO military and and police authorities to, once again, ‘up
financial commitments. This was high- tool’ to address the impending terror chal-
lighted in Afghanistan where, for 20 years, lenges. The departure of U.S. intelligence
the U.S. government was the supplier PO S T- WA R F I N A N C I A L C O S T S assets from Afghanistan will also make
of 90 per cent of the money, equipment the monitoring of counterterrorism activi-
and personnel. The U.S.’s allies have Since the 2001 invasion, approximately ties in the region far more difficult. This
been reliant on its support within NATO 47,000 Afghan civilians and more expensive venture in Western political ide-
for out-of-area operations and to be the than 2,500 American troops have died alism underlined some little-appreciated
world’s policeman. With the U.S. decision in the conflict. According to Brown Afghan realities.
to leave Afghanistan, the ensuing unchar- University and its Costs of War Project, Overextending an occupation in any
acteristic lack of co-ordination from NATO the war cost approximately $2.5 tril- country, particularly Afghanistan, was a
impacted allied nations that had hoped to lion and will rise to $6 trillion. The serious geopolitical error of epic propor-
have more time to extricate their citizens direct war fighting costs were assessed tions. The invasion’s initial objective was
and those Afghans who assisted their re- at $815.7 billion and infrastructure to take down the Taliban government
spective governments. projects, training of Afghan military and rout al-Qaida and its leadership. This
For many Americans, this departure forces and nation-building added subsequently morphed into what has been
may herald the beginning of the end of the another $143 billion. The cost of the described as a neo-con fantasy of taking
“forever wars.” The departure of the U.S. campaign has been estimated at $300 a poor and disparate tribal state that was
and its coalition from Afghanistan may million per day for 20 years. To pay deeply religious and governed essentially
mean accepting unconditional surrender. for the war, military actions were sup- by warlords and transforming it into a
Afghanistan had ceased to be a “war” a ported through government general modern Western democracy. This dra-
number of years ago, as the small numeri- revenue, which borrowed heavily, matic transition was to be orchestrated
cal presence of American and coalition resulting in more than $530 billion through the West's combined investment
forces had transitioned to a counterterror- paid in interest and total debt pay- and efforts in defence, diplomacy and
ism operation from a counter-insurgency ments, which are estimated to balloon development.
operation. Importantly, this small repre- to $6.5 trillion, according to the Costs As recent events have proved, our
sentational force continued to successfully of War Project. combined efforts were, for the most part,
exclude the Taliban from seizing power Linda J. Bilmes, an expert on bud- for naught. We have ended the lives of
and reinstituting a theocratic regime. The getary and public financial issues at thousands of American, allied and Afghan
rapid departure of American forces cre- the Harvard Kennedy School, reported military personnel and civilians. Among
ated a vacuum of which the Taliban took that “the costs outlined here are really them were 165 Canadians — 158 soldiers
full advantage, thereby finding itself in just the tip of the iceberg. For exam- and 7 civilians. More than 2,000 were
control in Kabul. ple, the U.S. will need to continue to wounded during the war. And thousands
In the end, the U.S. and its coalition provide care for veterans wounded in more endure lifelong debilitating physical
partners departed Kabul. This demon- the Afghan and Iraq wars for decades and mental injury — and we spent tril-
strated to the Taliban that they succeeded to come.” lions to what end?
militarily and politically to defeat the That expense, which will total more Will we see the same when the Ameri-
West, diminishing the West’s power, influ- than $2 trillion, is not expected to cans depart Iraq by the end of 2021?
ence and unity. peak until after 2048, according to Perhaps this time they will be better pre-
In the aftermath of the U.S.’s departure, Bilmes. pared.
the question amongst many observers
is: What happens after the departure Col. J. Paul de B. Taillon, ret’d, has con-
of the United States and the West from ducted intelligence and counter-terrorism
Afghanistan? The establishment of Tali- decision to support the Afghan govern- operations and served in Great Britain,
ban leadership in Kabul has brought ment would have meant the re-intro- the United States, Oman, Bosnia, Kosovo,
with it anger, frustration, finger-point- duction of U.S. forces that would have Ukraine and Afghanistan. Taillon, who
ing and the search for scapegoats. This effectively renewed open conflict with holds a PhD from the London School of
will occupy historians and commen- a numerically strong Taliban. Moreover, Economics, is currently the academic ad-
tators for months and years to come. should Biden not have ordered the depar- viser to Samuel Associates. He has pub-
The hard reality is that no withdrawal ture of U.S. forces and personnel, the Tali- lished more than 60 books and articles on
from Afghanistan would be easy and ban would likely have launched attacks terrorism, insurgencies, strategy, national
Biden had to make a difficult decision. against American interests in the country. security and military history.

DI SPATC H E S| THE SCHISMS OF AFRICA
Hope and hopelessness in Africa
Robert I.
Rotberg
H
akainde Hichilema’s resounding
victory in Zambia’s August presi-
dential poll proves that Africans
can abandon identity preferences, resist
intimidation by an incumbent regime and
oust a sitting autocrat accustomed to rig-
ging elections. Voters in that one southern
African country removed president Edgar
Lungu, a despot who had increasingly
brutalized opponents, curtailed free
speech and assembly and wrecked the
nation’s economy while lining his own
pockets and the pockets of cronies.
Hichilema’s success represents a rare Hakainde Hichilema’s election as president of Zambia represents a triumph of popular democracy in
triumph of popular democracy in an an Africa that is increasingly politically fraught.
Africa increasingly fraught with vicious
ethnic disputes and intranational rival- tion and restore prosperity in a land long lion people, has led his country in exactly
ries. Ethiopia, the continent’s second dependent on the export of copper and the opposite direction. The successor as
most populous country, with 110 million cadmium. prime minister to the Tigrayan junta that
inhabitants, is a poster child for such in- Zambia defaulted on its bond pay- had organized and fought a guerrilla war
ternal antagonisms; as a result, Ethiopia ments to Europe in 2020, Africa’s first to take Ethiopia back from an oppressive
is in danger of dissolving into its separate victim of profligacy. Whether Hichilema Marxist regime that had assassinated Em-
ethnic sections thanks to misguided poli- can persuade the International Monetary peror Haile Selassie in 1974 and ruled all
cies pursued since 2020 by Prime Minister Fund (IMF) to give Zambia the massive of Ethiopia despotically until 1991, Abiy
Abiy Ahmed, the nation’s arrogant leader. loan it needs to pay off its remaining debts tried and is still trying to conquer Tigray
The two leaders and their policies rep- to Europe and China and stabilize an (one of his country’s 10 regional govern-
resent the disparate poles of contemporary economy, now running wild deficits re- ments) and extirpate Tigrayans (6 per
sub-Saharan Africa discourse: Will the mains to be seen. Under Lungu, Zambia’s cent of Ethiopia’s population) in 2020 and
post-colonial nations of that continent public debt as a share of GDP doubled 2021. By attempting to gain control over
hold together and eventually become full from 66 per cent to 113 per cent, the value Tigray and thus end a theoretical threat
nations, or will they continue to remain of the local kwacha currency fell precipi- to his personalist rule, Abiy has revived
pre-institutional states dominated by par- tously, food prices soared and copper pro- contentions among all of the country’s
ticularly populous or influential ethnicities duction slumped. The austerity that the other large ethnic entities, and engaged
intent on marginalizing minorities? IMF will demand promises to make Hich- in wholesale ethnic cleansing (a precursor
Zambia has never elected someone ilema’s early governing efforts unpopular. to genocide) in Tigray. As many as half
from its neglected south to high office. Nevertheless, Hichilema has already of Tigray’s 8 million inhabitants are now
But, because Lungu, backed by the coun- accomplished the bringing together of a hungry and starving.
try’s Bemba majority, ruled high-hand- state long organized along ethnic lines. Abiy has prevented humanitarian aid
edly, mismanaged the country’s economy, He could be the unifier and nation-builder from reaching Tigray and his actions have
borrowed lavishly from China and Europe that Abiy is not, and his election and ef- driven 150,000 Tigrayans across the border
to finance extravagant infrastructure proj- forts in office could advance the cause of into impecunious Sudan. Meanwhile, a
ects, and threatened to extend his term of democratic modernization in a continent Tigrayan militia regained control of the
office beyond constitutionally permitted otherwise still focused largely on ethni- region, thus further nullifying Abiy’s ef-
limits, voters tossed him out and thus cally acquired spoils. forts to become a new paramount ruler of
WHITE HOUSE
ended northern (Bemba) hegemony in Ever since winning a Nobel Peace a now-divided Ethiopia, but deepening in-
Zambia. Hichilema, a CiTonga-speaker, Prize, Abiy, a member of the Oromo, ternal schisms. Abiy’s forces bombed and
promises to unify Zambia, end corrup- Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group of 38 mil- invaded Tigray again, in October.

THE SCHISMS OF AFRICA |DI SPATCH E S
Whereas Hichilema can conceivably speaking minority. Currently, 20 per cent than an embryonic state. South Africa,
build upon his unexpected electoral tri- of Cameroon’s people speak English long a full nation, would seem exempt
umph to unify and modernize Zambia, a rather than French, the residue of different from all of these concerns. But president
Texas-sized country of 18 million inhabit- colonial experiences. Since 2017, the Eng- Jacob Zuma’s calamitous rule from 2009
ants, Abiy’s actions have accentuated fis- lish speakers have been fighting to create to 2018 exacerbated residual ethnic prefer-
siparous tendencies in Ethiopia, a mixed Ambazonia, a new state to be carved out ences. As a Zulu, a member of the most
Christian and Muslim entity 1.6 times the of Cameroon’s southwest corner. But so populous peopling of South Africa, Zuma
size of that same American state. Many far, even with a ruler of 39 years (President shifted governmental employment prefer-
other African polities are still struggling Paul Biya) who lives most of the year in ence and access to illicit profits to fellow
— 60 years after independence — to build Switzerland, French-speaking security Zulu, thus opening up the Pandora’s
real nations. Most default into their ethnic forces have managed to prevent Ambazo- box of ethnicity almost for the first time.
components, and fight elections on the nia from splitting away from Cameroon. His efforts, and the “selling” of the state
basis of identities, not policies. The Central African Republic, just to a cabal of Indian capitalists and Zulu
Nigeria harbours an extreme version east of Cameroon, has been mired for at entrepreneurs, divided the ruling African
of this ethnic favouritism. Africa’s most least a decade in a pitched battle between National Congress (ANC) and the entire
populous place, with more than 200 mil- Muslims (the Séléka) from the north and nation in ways that president Nelson
lion people, and by 2050 about 400 mil- Christians (the anti-Balaka movement) Mandela himself warned against before
lion, Nigeria is home to an Igbo irredentist from the south. Likewise, Mali, Niger and his death.
movement in its southeast quadrant that Burkina Faso, north of Nigeria, endure al- Zuma, now on trial for peculation and
seeks to revive the fortunes of Biafra, a most weekly attacks by criminal Islamists influence-peddling from as long ago as
secessionist state that fought and lost a loyal to the Islamic State in the Sahara/ the 1990s as well in the 2010s, is still try-
bitter war against the rest of Nigeria from Maghreb. The insurgents have been growing to protect himself and his mercantile
1967 to 1970. To the southwest of the area ing stronger in recent months, especially interests by raising the Zulu ethnic flag
that was once Biafra, in and around the as France, Britain and the United States and, with his supporters, by opposing the
Niger River delta, is the homeland of the have focused their military attentions else- valiant, but so far still inconclusive efforts
increasingly restive Ijaw people. West of of President Cyril Ramaphosa to unite the
this area and west of the Igbo homeland nation and rebuild it economically despite
is Yoruba country, already exhibiting an- the massive damage of COVID-19, the
other ethnic upsurge. These three peoples, Delta variant and inexcusable vaccine
and others such as the Ibibio and Ogoni shortages. Ramaphosa is a Venda, a small-
(near the Ijaw) and the Tiv (in mid-Nige- ish and much-derided ethnicity in north-
ria), collectively resent the predations and ern South Africa.
pretensions of northern Muslims (about Woe be to South Africa and Africa if
half of the country’s total population), Ramaphosa is unable to contain the Zulu
and especially of Fulani herders who are and ANC separatists. Like Nigeria, South
increasingly moving south into what was Africa is the tribune of Africa and, under
once considered the fertile lands of Chris- a democratic, well-intentioned leader such
tian and animist agriculturalists. as Ramaphosa, it theoretically should be
Nigeria’s northeast corner, spilling able to hold together and prosper on be-
over into Niger and Cameroon, also suf- half of its 60 million inhabitants and for
fers from a long-running insurgency that Patriotic Front (PF) leader Edgar C. Lungu casts the rest of Africa.
has pitted Boko Haram (now split into his ballot in the Zambian election. His opponent, Africa’s future depends on triumphs
two fundamentalist groups) irredentists Hakainde Hichilema prevailed. such as those of Hichilema, and the stal-
against the massive (but ineffectual) Ni- wart endeavours of Ramaphosa. But there
gerian army for control of Borno state and where and the local armies have proven are power hungry leaders, such as Abiy
the littoral of Lake Chad. Boko Haram and incapable of recovering the lands of the and Biya, and inept ones such as Buhari,
gangsters farther west in Muslim Kaduna, Sahel (and the Sahara) from militants with whose maladroit efforts may drive Afri-
Katsina and Zamfara states (Nigeria has access to Libyan arms. This whole area cans more and more apart.
36) have kidnapped schoolchildren repeat- could soon fall, Afghanistan-like, to armed Things have, at least, come together in
edly, disrupted farmers and even raided gangs based mostly beyond Timbuktu. Zambia at last, a hopeful harbinger for
towns and cities such as Maiduguri. In many more African states, govern- much of the rest of Africa.
Nigeria, a classically failed state, will ments discriminate on the basis of ethnic-
doubtless continue to stagger onward de- ity. Uganda favours southwesterners loyal Robert I. Rotberg is the founding director
spite its many separatist-inclined peoples to its autocratic president, and system- of Harvard Kennedy School’s Program
and ambitious ethnically driven politi- atically persecutes those from its one-time on Intrastate Conflict and was Fulbright
cians. President Muhammadu Buhari’s dominant kingdoms of Buganda and Distinguished Professor at Carleton and
leadership is lacking, so a ramshackle Bunyoro. Kikuyu rule Kenya, often with Waterloo universities. He wrote The Cor-
country that should advance Africa’s in- little consideration for the wishes of those ruption Cure (Princeton University Press,
terests globally and continentally falters of, say, Luo, Kamba, Samburu, Maasai or 2017) and published Anticorruption (MIT
endlessly without finally falling apart. Kipsigis origin. Press) and Things Come Together: Africans
Nearby Cameroon also suffers from Possibly in southern Africa, given Hich- Achieving Greatness in the Twenty-first Cen-
separatist endeavours on the part of ilema’s ascent, Zambia can join Botswana tury (Oxford University Press) in August.
FLICKR
its long-discriminated-against English- in becoming a fully unified nation, rather [email protected]

DI SPATC H E S| CANADA-CHINA RELATIONS
Wanted: A major reset

Our writer, a former Canadian ambassador to China, says its time to re-examine and restart Canada’s
relationship with its second-largest trading partner
Guy Saint-Jacques
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, shown here with Chinese President Xi Jinping, has alluded to a revised engagement strategy with China.
B
oth Prime Minister Justin Trudeau The China of Xi Jinping rested, no tolerance for dissent, controls on
and Foreign Affairs Minister Marc It is important to understand where foreign NGOs and the introduction of the
Garneau have alluded to an up- China is going. When Xi Jinping became social credit system that penalizes those
coming revised engagement strategy with general secretary of the Communist who dare to criticize the Chinese regime.
China. This is good news as Canada takes Party of China in November 2012, he was Traditionally, China’s foreign policy has
stock of the aggressive path President concerned about instability, inequalities been based on its security and territorial
Xi Jinping has taken in China. Trust has in Chinese society and the bad reputa- integrity (it has 14 neighbours), but also
been broken with the heavy penalties tion of the party. He has put measures in on principles such as non-interference,
imposed on Canada after the arrest of place to clean up the party, launched a equality and mutual respect. These prin-
Meng Wanzhou in December 2018 at the major anti-corruption campaign and more ciples seem to have been jettisoned when
request of U.S. authorities, including tak- recently revived the notion of common you look at the Wolf Warriors type of di-
ing Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig prosperity. Domestically, there has been a plomacy pursued by Chinese diplomats,
as hostages. major crackdown on freedom of expres- including recent Chinese ambassadors to
sion, more lawyers and labour activists ar- Canada. Since 2012, we have seen a China
PMO

CANADA-CHINA RELATIONS |DI SPATCH E S
that is more assertive, arrogant and ag- tion and trained engineers, lawyers and Square uprising of June 4, 1989. More
gressive, especially in the neighbourhood. judges. recently, relations improved after the
Recall the Senkaku/Diaoyutai crisis It was, maybe, for all these reasons that election of the Trudeau government in
in the fall of 2012, the militarization of former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said October 2015 with the creation of many
the South China Sea despite the July in November 1998 that “Canada is China’s official annual dialogues, completing the
2016 decision under the UN Convention best friend.” There was then a heavy flow work started by prime minister Stephen
on the Law of the Sea that its claims are of visitors in both directions and a genuine Harper. Despite repeated warnings about
overwhelmingly without merit and, more desire in China to move forward with the tightening of controls on Chinese so-
recently, border incidents with India. rule of law and gradual democracy. Its ciety imposed by Xi Jinping and events
When he came to power, Xi declared
that the time had come for China to take
its rightful place on the international
scene. His goal was to achieve a compre-
hensive national renaissance and be the
main global superpower by the time of
the 100th anniversary of the creation of the
People’s Republic of China in 2049.
Consequently, China has put its people
in international organizations (and sup-
ported the election of foreigners whose
country is indebted to China.) It has cre-
ated its own institutions, such as the Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank, it has be-
come one of the largest contributors to UN
peacekeeping operations and launched
the Belt and Road Initiative to increase its
sphere of influence, and its markets. At
the 19th Party Congress in October 2017,
Xi went further by presenting China as
a model for the world, underlining the
economic success it had achieved without
adopting Western values. Based on its
recent assertive and aggressive behaviour,
it seems that Xi no longer cares about
China’s reputation, as he has probably
concluded that Western countries depend
so much on China that they will not dare
to react forcefully to its transgressions.
Canada’s engagement with China

The government of Pierre Trudeau estab-
lished diplomatic relations with China in
October 1970 and the Chinese government
was grateful for the sale of wheat by the
Diefenbaker government in the ’60s after
the disastrous Great Leap Forward of Mao
Zedong. Other factors that explain why
Canada was still well perceived in China When she was foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland expressed support at a rally, shown here, for the
until recently are the contribution of Nor- right to peaceful protest in Hong Kong.
man Bethune during the anti-Japanese
Occupation War or that of generations upcoming entry into the WTO was going such as the August 2014 arbitrary arrest
of Canadian missionaries, for instance in to result in more business opportunities of Canadian Christian aid workers Kevin
helping build its health system. As well, and more contacts with the outside world, and Julia Garratt, some in the political
successful programs were put in place by which would help move it in the right di- class in Ottawa had remained ambivalent
the Canadian International Development rection. But, that plan didn’t work exactly on China — until the arrest of the two
Agency (CIDA). Over 30 years, Canada as anticipated. Michaels.
spent more than $1 billion in China, which It is fair to say that despite this good- The arrest of Huawei CFO’s Meng
helped create the Chinese dairy industry will and support, Canada gradually lost Wanzhou in December 2018 changed the
and the ministry of environmental protec- its influence and there is no longer any ambivalence by showing the challenges
STUDIO INCENDO
tion. It also helped finance the feasibility special relationship with China. Since of dealing with a superpower that ignores
study of the Three Gorges Dam hydro- 1970, there have been a number of ups international rules when they are not to
electric project, readied China for its and downs in the relationship. There was its liking. China does not hesitate to se-
admission into the World Trade Organiza- a major cooling off after the Tiananmen verely punish countries that refuse to obey

DI SPATC H E S| CANADA-CHINA RELATIONS
Canada’s embassy in Beijing: Despite the political tensions, bilateral trade is now doing well. Canadian exports increased by eight per cent in 2020.
its diktats. Apart from having Michael Globe & Mail on July 30, 2019 : ”We need China? It is high time for the Canadian
Kovrig and Michael Spavor detained as a realistic, not a romantic, China policy. government to adopt a much firmer at-
hostages and four Canadians on death It should start with the recognition that titude with China. After all, firm language
row for drug trafficking, including Rob- China is an authoritarian state, a strate- is only type it respects. The message
ert Schellenberg, Canada paid a heavy gic competitor and systemic rival. It will should be forthright: Canada is ready
price in 2019 as its exports to China went for a constructive engagement, as long
down by 16 per cent or $4.5 billion, with as China respects international laws and
canola and pork producers being hard hit, treaties and stops acting like a bully when
although the African swine flu eventually a country does not follow its edicts. Also,
forced China to resume its imports of our there should be zero tolerance for inter-
pork. ference or spying activities in Canada. A
Despite the political tensions, bilateral good starting point would be to look at
trade is now doing well: Canadian exports the four foreign interference laws adopted
increased by 8 per cent in 2020 ($25.2 by Australia.
billion). Exports saw a further increase China will always need Canada’s agri-
of 23.2 per cent over the first six months food products, as well as iron and cop-
of this year as Canada benefited from per, which gives Canada leeway to take
BENJAMIN VANDER STEEN / © FRÉDÉRIC LEGRAND | DREAMSTIME.COM

China’s trade war with Australia. Barley stronger measures. Its revised engagement
went up 238 per cent; metallurgical coal, strategy should be based on the defence
185 per cent; copper, 121 per cent and and protection of Canadian values and
canola seeds, 52 per cent. In fact, food ex- national interests, as well as reciprocity
ports expanded by 51 per cent, year over and transparency. As trust has been bro-
year, to $4.6 billion and, as a result, food ken, future Canadian engagement with
accounted for 31 per cent of all Canadian China will have to be a lot more selective
exports to the mainland compared to 8 per for areas that serve Canada’s interest, and
cent for the world as a whole. On the other be implemented in a consistent manner.
hand, Canada’s reliance on China as a Canada needs to recover its voice: Ot-
When he came to power, Xi Jinping declared it
source of goods is steadily rising. Indeed, was time for China to take its rightful place on tawa must call China into question when
the mainland accounted for 10.8 per cent the international scene. it transgresses obligations undertaken
of Canada’s world imports in 2011 ($48.2 through international treaties. This in-
billion) and 14.1 per cent in 2020 ($76.5 never follow Western democratic norms cludes problems such as the trampling
billion). because that would destabilize the Com- of human rights in Xinjiang, Tibet and
munist Party — the root and base of the Hong Kong; the militarization of the
Looking forward People’s Republic of China.” South China Sea; the undue pressure on
As Colin Robertson pointed out in The So, how should Canada deal with Taiwan and Beijing’s refusal to collaborate

CANADA-CHINA RELATIONS |DI SPATCH E S
With China's recent provocations against Taiwan, some have questioned whether Taiwan's Navy, together with its allies, including the U.S. Navy, whose
forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan transits the South China Sea here, are well enough equipped to go to war against China.
with the World Health Organization to China when it imposes punitive sanctions with clean technologies, liquefied natural
investigate the origin of the COVID-19 (this would apply to other countries that gas and green/blue hydrogen to help re-
pandemic. enact these measures as well). Canada duce its coal addiction. On public health
Canada should also ban Huawei from could suggest an alliance to Australia and and pandemics, Canada should continue
its 5G development to ensure that the the U.S. (to start) whereby they would not to collaborate with China — especially to
company’s equipment cannot be used for increase their exports to China beyond ensure it doesn’t cut corners.
espionage and to align Canada with the their historical share of a given product if It is important to distinguish between
United States. one of their citizens is victim of such sanc- Chinese leaders and Chinese citizens: Chi-
As this country may be asked again, in tions. To counter China’s influence in the nese immigrants have made a great contri-
the future, to arrest a prominent Chinese developing world through its Belt & Road bution to Canada’s development and the
citizen at the request of a foreign country Initiative, Western countries also need to government should declare that Canada
with which it has an extradition treaty, offer an alternative with more financing remains open to Chinese visitors, includ-
U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 1ST CLASS RAWAD MADANAT
it needs mechanisms to prevent future and assistance, and to demonstrate that ing students, and will provide support
hostage-taking. Canada should take the a democratic system presents more long- to all Chinese nationals seeking asylum
Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention term benefits than the Chinese authoritar- from state persecution, including those
in State-to-State Relations one step further ian regime. from Hong Kong. The Canadian govern-
by developing criteria that would trigger The Canadian government should also ment also has its own homework to do
common responses, including sanctions, look at ways to diversify its trade by relo- by increasing Canadian literacy on China
on the part of signatory countries. The cating resources from China to other mar- by devoting more resources to Mandarin
way the two Michaels were released just kets in Asia. In this regard, ASEAN should training and centres specializing on the
confirmed that it was pure hostage diplo- be a top priority for a new free trade country’s politics, economics and culture.
macy and that it can happen to citizens of agreement (FTA) because of the growth To be successful, this new engage-
other Western countries, as well. potential of the region. Negotiations could ment strategy with China will have to be
Canada should continue to work with proceed rapidly using as the model con- implemented in close collaboration with
like-minded countries to reinforce the cluded with Australia and New Zealand. like-minded countries. An impending test
multilateral system. The Australian Stra- Similarly, the CPTPP offers a good plat- to do so will be at Beijing’s 2022 Winter
tegic Policy Institute noted recently that form to expand Canadian exports; and it Olympics. Let’s propose that delegations
China used coercive tactics 152 times be- would not be surprising to see the Biden to the opening ceremony be limited, and
tween 2010 and 2020, against 27 countries administration take another look at it. that foreign leaders not attend. The more
and the EU. To prevent such bullying tac- There are, of course, areas where it is in the West speaks with one voice, the more
tics, Canada should impress on Washing- Canada’s interest to pursue co-operation China will be forced to stop its bullying
ton that it needs to make the World Trade with China. On the environment, Canada tactics.
Organization functional again by allowing has already a good record of providing as-
arbiters to be appointed to panels. Coun- sistance. This could facilitate business op- Guy Saint-Jacques was Canada’s ambas-
tries could then launch action against portunities for Canada to provide China sador to China from 2012 until 2016.

DI SPATC H E S| FIRST NATIONS
The residential schools tragedy

By Laura Neilson Bonikowsky
Shown here is study period at Roman Catholic Indian Residential School, Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories. The latest residential school scandal
made headlines across the globe, and China weaponized it in its dealings with Canada.
I
n May, Tk’emlúps te Sec wépemc for the residential school system in 1998 dians should not have known about the
leaders announced that the loss of and 2008. The 1998 Statement of Recon- residential schools. We’re shocked because
children from B.C.’s Kamloops Indian ciliation included $1.9 billion to pay 80,000 we’ve refused to look at the dark side of
Residential School had been confirmed survivors. our history; it’s time we did, especially if
by ground-penetrating radar. In the press A more profound apology in 2008 the world is looking at us.
release, Chief Rosanne Casimir said the paid $3.23 billion to 26,700 claimants in
presence of the graves was known, but a class-action settlement. A cornerstone History of residential schools
the deaths appear to be undocumented of the agreement was the Truth and Rec- Roman Catholic missionaries established
and they “sought out a way to confirm onciliation Commission (established in the first Indigenous residential schools
that [knowing knowledge] out of deepest 2007). Its widely publicized final report in 17th-Century New France, which was
respect and love for those lost children in 2015 noted missions near reserves had ceded to Great Britain in 1763. With Con-
and their families.” conducted burials of local and non-local federation in 1867, the federal government
As other school sites revealed their children and adults. The report also iden- assumed responsibility for Indigenous
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA
findings, the media reported in sensation- tified known and suspected burial sites people with the mistaken belief that they
alist detail, sometimes with some histori- across Canada. needed to be managed. The Indian Act
cal context. It has never been a secret that residen- of 1876 incorporated colonial laws to
Comments on social media revealed tial schools had cemeteries. Sol Mamakwa, assimilate Indigenous people into Euro-
that many Canadians, surprisingly, knew an Indigenous member of Ontario’s legis- Canadian society.
nothing of the residential schools. The lature, said, “It is a great open secret that In the 1950s and 60s, the government
subject has been in provincial curricula our children lie on the properties of the began integrating Indigenous children
for decades. Canada formally apologized former schools.” There is no reason Cana- into provincial school systems. Closing

FIRST NATIONS |DI SPATCH E S
them took decades; the last closed in 1996. olic Church had removed grave markers to demand an investigation. Prompted by
(Grollier Hall closed in 1997, but was not in the 1960s. Jon Z. Lerat, a Cowessess Deb Haaland, the first Native American
a state-run residential school in that year.) band councillor, said the site was used by Cabinet secretary, the Biden administra-
It was a horrific social experiment the municipality and not all of the graves tion announced it will review America’s
based on ideas of colonial superiority contain children’s remains. In Shubena- residential schools.
and that assimilating Indigenous people cadie, N.S., Sipekne’katik First Nation China weaponized the graves. At the
into Euro-Canadian society would solve announced evidence of unmarked graves same time Canada helped launch an ef-
the “Indian problem.” The schools sepa- that predate the residential school by 100 fort to have the UN demand China allow
rated children aged seven to 15 from their years, connected to former landowners. free access to Xinjiang to investigate hu-
families, communities and traditions, man rights violations, China and its allies
ostensibly to educate them. Education was Global repercussions demanded the UN investigate Canada’s
not restricted to religion and the three Rs; Canadian media reported mass graves crimes, citing its deep concern for Indig-
children also learned skills to allow them and bodies found. The story took on a enous people, “especially the children.”
theoretically to earn a living — sewing, life of its own; it wasn’t about Indigenous China’s supporters — Belarus, North
laundry, carpentry and construction. With efforts to seek “out a way to confirm Korea, Iran, Russia, Sri Lanka, Syria and
schools underfunded, students were put that knowing.” Reaction was immediate; Venezuela — do not have rights-respect-
to work to maintain them. shrines of little shoes and teddy bears ing governments. According to Aaron
There was often too little food. Dor- appeared at legislatures. Prime Minister Ettinger, an assistant professor special-
mitories were crowded; tuberculosis Pierre Trudeau apologized. Churches were izing in international relations at Carleton
flourished. Many teachers were unquali- burned down. Some politicians made University, “They regard international
fied and teaching materials reflected an wary public statements about the national human rights instruments as tools of
alien culture. Many children could not tragedy while some, along with other no- Western dominance and would be happy
speak English or French, the languages tables, cheered the arsonists. NDP leader to undercut the global effectiveness of hu-
of instruction. Corporal punishment was Jagmeet Singh fanned the flames, declar- man rights.”
applied excessively. And while not every ing “215 Indigenous kids were found in an
teacher was a child abuser and not every unmarked mass grave.” Will there be fallout?
child was abused, the environment was Global reaction has largely been re- On Sept. 12, in Saskatchewan, the Pasqua
hostile. stricted to the media. The BBC, The New First Nation donated orange markers to
identify graves at the cemetery of the Re-
The graves gina Indian Residential School. The story
In July, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc an- EXC E R P T F R O M 2 0 0 8 A P O L O G Y fell out of the news cycle by mid-Septem-
nounced the Kamloops Indian Residential BY P R I ME MI N I S T E R S T E P H E N ber, but was referred to ahead of the first
School Le Estcwéý (The Missing) Report. HAR P E R : National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
They had hired Sarah Beaulieu, a Univer- Today, we recognize that this policy According to Ettinger, “For the most
sity of the Fraser Valley instructor and a of assimilation was wrong, has caused part, most other countries will regard the
ground-penetrating radar (GPR) specialist great harm and has no place in our discovery of Indigenous graves as a mat-
experienced at surveying Indigenous and country. The government of Canada ter of domestic Canadian affairs.”
municipal cemeteries. She explained that sincerely apologizes and asks the Perhaps Canadians are now aware of
GPR is not an X-ray; it reveals soil dis- forgiveness of the Aboriginal peoples the residential schools and are uncom-
turbances, not necessarily organic matter of this country for failing them so fortable. Roger Epp, professor of political
such as human remains or coffins. While profoundly. We are sorry. science at the University of Alberta, says it
disturbed soil is not exclusive to burials, Source: CBC Archives should “set limits around the classic Cana-
it “can give indications of burials if they dian temptation to imagine that, in foreign
are in an area where burials are suspected policy, we are rightly positioned on the
to exist.” side of the angels, that we stand for the
The results are used in conjunction with York Times, The Washington Post and Al kind of higher principles on which a better
oral histories, a known cemetery or other Jazeera hung the story under headlines world will get built.”
evidence to determine if further searches crafted to get eyeballs on pages, such as What others think they know about
are warranted. By Beaulieu’s estimate, the “Horrible History: Mass Grave of Indig- Canada is less important than what we
Kamloops location revealed 200 suspected enous Children Reported in Canada” understand about ourselves. As Epp
graves in a two-acre (.8-hectare) portion of (NYT, May 28.) Reader comments sug- notes, there aren’t countries with settler-
a 60-acre (24-hectare) site where excava- gested many read only the headlines. The colonial histories that have shown a better
tions and assessments had been done two Washington Post noted “one of the darkest way to address their history or re-building
decades ago. chapters of Canada’s history”; France 24 their relations with Indigenous peoples.
GPR surveys at other sites revealed focused on national shock; UK dailies crit- As to whether international reaction could
more suspected graves, including 182 at icized the Catholic church’s role. German create barriers to healing and reconcilia-
the Kootenay Residential School in B.C., media avoided referring to mass graves or tion, Epp says “some days, the [barriers]
which former chief Sophie Pierre said they genocide. we’ve built for ourselves seem imposing
had always known about. There were few official statements; enough.”
Cowessess First Nation in Saskatch- countries with dark histories shouldn’t
ewan located 751 graves. Chief Cadmus point fingers. France and Britain share Laura Neilson Bonikowsky is an Alberta
Delorme emphasized unmarked graves, the residential school history. In the U.S., writer who learned about Canada’s resi-
not a mass grave, and suggested the Cath- Native Americans leveraged the situation dential schools in middle school.

DI SPATC H E S| LITERACY
A second chance at school

Over-age girls who’ve had a later start in school get a chance to accelerate their studies, strongly
supported by Ottawa-based CODE and Liberia's WE-CARE Foundation.
By Claire Wanjiru Bolton
Reading Liberia books developed by CODE in partnership with local authors and illustrators feature prominently in the Girls’ Accelerated Learning
Initiative, which aims to help over-age girls master literacy and numeracy skills. Without this program, girls such as Annie and Sarah, above from left,
who are too old for their grade, are at high risk of never completing primary school as they contend with many social and economic barriers.
G
race hunches over her desk to literacy. Amongst over-age students — school, they are likely to never learn to
write. Watching her, it seems she’s those whose learning is truncated by late read in later years.
trying to hide her size and blend entry into the school system and early Over-age girls such as Grace have the
into the sea of much younger and smaller departure during adolescence — the rate odds stacked against them. They suffer
children around her. She’s 16 and sitting is often higher. This example of Learning under the weight of compounding pres-
in a Grade 1 classroom in rural Liberia. Poverty, as defined by the World Bank sures and multiple barriers to success.
If you were to flip through her notebook, and UNESCO, is the inability to read and A late start in school finds them in over-
you would be impressed by her penman- understand a simple text by age 10. Learn- crowded and desperately under-resourced
ship. She has mastered the art of copying ing Poverty has catastrophic downstream classrooms where teachers often lack the
notes from the chipped chalkboard. Grace impacts on children like Grace. skill to cater to their unique pedagogical
CODE/ JEFFERSON KRUA, 2020
shows up every day, conquering her The ability to read is a foundational needs. A lack of parental support, feel-
shame and determined to learn. stepping-stone, a gateway skill that allows ings of low self-worth, low family literacy
So, what’s holding her back? She can’t students to progress successfully through and mounting social pressures push girls
read. school and to realize their potential as into unwanted sexual activity, teen preg-
In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 88 per literate, empowered and self-reliant citi- nancy, early marriages and into the labour
cent, or 202 million children, are not zens. Conversely, if children can’t read by market to support their families. Unless
meeting minimum proficiency levels in age 10, or at least by the end of primary something changes, girls such as Grace

LITERACY |DI SPATCH E S
quickly drop out and are relegated to a life Over the past four years, the program tending school.
of poverty. has been refined and adapted with feed- While primary education in public
As in other post-conflict countries, in back from teachers, students and other schools is free in Liberia, the costs of uni-
Liberia, over-age enrolment remains a civil local stakeholders. Attendance challenges forms, school supplies and transportation
war legacy. But there are other persistent have been minimized through enhanced can be prohibitive and force families to
economic and social challenges that con- parental engagement and the introduction make difficult choices.
tribute to the high prevalence of children of snacks and sanitary pads. Professional Perhaps traditional cultural norms
getting a later start in school. For girls, in development for GALI teachers, introduc- would have dictated that one of Mary’s
particular, this includes a disproportion- tion of more girl-centric learning materials brothers be given the opportunity, but see-
ate burden of care for younger siblings and mobile learning labs have created en- ing Mary’s rapid promotion from Grade
and household chores, as well as safety vironments where girls are thriving. 2 (where she remained age 14) to Grade 4
concerns when girls need to travel a long In CODE’s most recent GALI cohort, 77 over the course of one academic year has
distance to school. per cent of girls were promoted two grade Mary’s mother convinced that her educa-
Over-age enrolment in Liberia is the levels in a single year and 22 per cent were tion is worth supporting.
highest in sub-Saharan Africa, with 74 per
cent of students (both girls and boys) too
old for their grade. And although the inci-
dence of over-age enrolment is nearly the
same for boys and girls, girls face a greater
risk of dropping out sooner for the many
reasons noted above.
Over-age girls need to advance quickly
if they are to have a fighting chance at
completing primary school and success-
fully transitioning into higher levels of
education. And that is precisely what
the Girls’ Accelerated Learning Initiative
(GALI) aims to do.
The program, established by CODE (an
Ottawa-based international development
organization) and its local partner, the WE-
CARE Foundation in Monrovia, aims to
give girls like Grace an academic lifeline.
The program presently provides 383
over-age girls at 25 primary schools in
Bomi, Margibi and Montserrado counties
in Liberia with daily after-school small-
group tutoring to accelerate their learning Every day after school, Ms. Kemokai works with a group of five over-age girls at Dominic Hena
Primary School in Liberia to help them succeed academically and develop important life skills.
and equip them with valuable life skills.
Through the program and the girls’ hard
work, girls are quickly and confidently promoted one grade. The latter may not GALI demands significant awareness-
advanced to more age-appropriate grades. seem surprising, however many would raising among parents and community
Each of 75 specially trained teachers have dropped out or been held back with- members, culminating in formal permis-
receives a modest stipend to work closely out the additional support. While statistics sion being granted for their daughters to
with a group of five over-age girls over the show a good measure of success, it’s the participate in the after-school programs.
course of the academic year. They focus on stories and voices of participating girls Without parental support and permis-
mastery of foundational literacy and nu- that show the far-reaching impacts of this sion, attendance in after-school programs
meracy skills and provide remedial sup- modest program. So, we are delighted to would be erratic or start off strong and
port for learning in other subject areas as introduce you to three current GALI girls. then taper off as the year goes on. Girls
well. Given that participating girls tend to are in high demand after school to help
be 12 to 16 years old and in Grades 1 to 3 Mary, 15 with chores and income generation, and
when they enter the program, inclusion of Shifting the norm allowing them to stay at school longer is
gender-specific topics such as menstrual “If you don’t go to school, you will not no small commitment for these families.
hygiene management and gender equality eat….” threatens Mary’s mother in a stern An interesting and notable driver of
are also a critical element of the program. voice when Mary drags her heels in the parental interest in GALI has been the in-
GALI was first piloted in five schools in morning. troduction of mobile learning labs into the
2017 at the behest of the WE-CARE Foun- This kind of parental “encouragement” program at select schools, which give the
dation. The high demand and exceptional for girls to attend school is often still the girls access to a carefully curated assort-
potential were quickly recognized, and exception rather than the rule. As in much ment of high-quality books, videos and
the following year, GALI was expanded of the Global South, in Liberia, pervasive games through a solar-powered RACHEL-
to an additional 20 schools with support cultural norms diminish the perceived Plus wireless server and tablets. The digi-
from the Montreal-based 60 million girls value of educating girls. Amongst her tal divide is significant in Liberia, and yet
foundation. siblings, Mary is the only one currently at- there is recognition amongst many parents

DI SPATC H E S| LITERACY
that familiarity with technology provides begin the new academic year in Novem- that to include fluency, comprehension
a significant advantage to their girls. ber as a 7th-grader in junior high school. and critical thinking. The teachers CODE
For Mary’s part, she required no con- Sarah has come a very long way academi- trains to facilitate GALI focus on develop-
vincing to take part in GALI. She describes cally and, just as important, in her feelings ing the entire spectrum of literacy skills,
herself as “happy” for having been se- of confidence and self-worth. thereby helping to nurture girls to become
lected, and says that the program has When Sarah first joined GALI in 2017, problem-solvers and eager learners.
helped her “feel good about herself.” she was a 10-year-old sitting in a Grade With only 32 per cent of girls transi-
The friendships she has made with the 1 classroom. Having already repeated tioning to junior high school in Liberia
other four girls in her GALI pod are the Grade 1 twice before, she was struggling (and only 11 per cent from the poorest
sorts that are bound to last a lifetime. The to learn and to advance. With her parents households), Sarah is already defying the
girls open up during their lifeskills lessons not seeing the “return” on their decision to odds. While GALI has helped to nurture
about difficult subjects such as puberty enrol Sarah in school, her days in the class- her academic success, it’s Sarah’s intrinsic
and sexual health, and turn to each other room were most likely numbered. motivation, conscientious work ethic and
for academic support. Through GALI’s small-group tutoring, light-hearted sense of humour that will
get her further than she may ever have
dared to hope.
Blessing, age 14
Determined to learn
Blessing grew up living with her mother
“in the interior” — a rural area where she
wasn’t given the chance to go to school.
At age 12, her father brought her to the
city and enrolled her in school for the first
time. Despite her late start, Blessing is de-
termined to follow in the footsteps of her
older sisters, both of whom are currently
in high school.
Blessing was selected to participate
in GALI one year ago, and has since ad-
vanced two grade levels. It hasn’t been an
easy road as schools in Liberia remained
closed due to the pandemic between Sep-
tember and December 2020, and, upon
reopening, introduced a condensed school
year, including weekend classes.
It’s well documented that girls are dis-
proportionately impacted by large-scale
disruptions to schooling, whether civil
unrest or health-related emergencies. After
For Mary, learning to read with the support of the GALI has been a critical stepping stone in her the Ebola crisis in 2015, for instance, the
academic journey. Now that she has learned to read, she can read to learn. percentage of out-of-school girls in Liberia
rose from 8 per cent to 21 per cent. To help
It’s this camaraderie and the safe space Sarah’s learning accelerated and double prevent learning loss, but also to maxi-
that GALI creates that help the girls not promotions over a two-year period got her mize their chances of returning to school,
only thrive in their studies, but also gain comfortably into Grade 5. And although CODE adapted the GALI program to en-
a sense of empowerment that helps them she exited the academic portion of the pro- courage girls to keep on learning at home.
challenge norms and assert their rights gram at that time, making way for other Between September and December
now and well into the future. over-age girls awaiting the opportunity, 2020, CODE and WE-CARE Foundation
she continued to participate in Friday distributed monthly at-home learning kits
Sarah, 14 sessions focused on sexual health and to GALI participants containing reading
Defying the odds lifeskills development. books, academic workbooks with grade-
Sarah confidently strode out of the class- Underlying Sarah’s success was her specific content for language arts, math,
room where she had just concluded sitting mastery of foundational literacy skills, a science and social studies, as well as sta-
for the Liberia Primary School Certificate gateway to learning in all other subject tionery and hygiene supplies, including
Examination, which tests knowledge of areas. Sarah explains in her own words: “I hand sanitizer and face masks.
science, language arts, social studies and was very excited [to join GALI] because I Along with the kits, GALI teachers es-
mathematics. knew that it was going to benefit me in the tablished contact, where possible, with the
The sun was shining brightly, reflecting future. Knowing how to read and write… five girls in their respective GALI pods,
her buoyant spirits. “I know I passed,” she can further my understanding of lessons.” and regularly checked in to provide help
declared to Yvonne Weah, program direc- Literacy is about mastering the basics — with self-study. Despite the additional
tor with the WE-CARE Foundation. ABCs, letter sounds, decoding and word supports, 19 per cent of GALI participants
If Sarah’s prediction is true, she will recognition — but it goes well beyond did not return when school reopened,

LITERACY |DI SPATCH E S
demonstrating just how significant the school year ahead will be far less tumultu- Over the past three years, GALI has
challenge is. ous than last year’s. demonstrated that remedial lessons and
Although Blessing’s parents are illiter- lifeskills development opportunities for
ate, she received support from her siblings Hope for the future over-aged girls need not be difficult or ex-
in completing her at-home study activi- In 1992, Lawrence Summers, then-chief pensive to make a positive impact.
ties, and returned to school without delay economist at the World Bank, said, “In- For girls like Blessing, Sarah and Mary,
in January 2021. With the resumption of vestment in girls’ education may well be GALI has been an educational lifeline
GALI, her grades improved dramatically the highest return investment available in that has set them on a solid track toward
— from failing in all subjects to meeting the developing world.” Although much primary school completion and transi-
the 80 per cent minimum requirement for time has passed, this statement rings tion into higher grades. But beyond the
accelerated promotion. Midway through as true today as it did when it was first immediate benefits, we know that invest-
the year, she was promoted to Grade 3 made. ment in girls’ education creates a virtuous
and then to Grade 4 at year end. Great strides have been taken globally circle over time: The children of literate
In November, with the start of the new in advancing girls’ education, and the mothers are more than twice as likely to
academic year, Blessing will find herself momentum continues to build. Earlier go to school themselves. By supporting
sitting proudly in a Grade 4 classroom. this year at the G7 in Cornwall, England, this generation of girls, we are also sup-
While she credits her GALI teacher Ms. world leaders defined two new global porting the next, through compounding
Watson’s careful explanations for much goals for girls’ education, one of which is benefits in education, health and economic
of her success in mastering fundamental “20 million more girls reading by age 10 prosperity.
literacy and numeracy skills over the past or by the end of primary school by 2026.”
year, she notes it’s the math games avail- Significant funding commitments fol- Claire Wanjiru Bolton joined CODE in
able on the mobile learning lab tablets that lowed from both donor and national gov- 2012 and is presently a program man-
have injected a dose of fun and excitement ernments through the Global Partnership ager. CODE (formerly the Canadian
into her learning. for Education’s Global Education Summit. Organization for Development through
Blessing will have an opportunity to Meanwhile, within the framework for Education) has been championing chil-
continue diving into the wealth of inter- the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, dren’s literacy as a foundational building
active content available on the tablets, as and with careful consideration of national block of quality education for more than
well as benefit from Ms. Watson’s tute- education priorities, organizations such 60 years. Our partnership with the Libe-
lage over the coming year. We hope, for as CODE and the WE-CARE Foundation rian WE-CARE Foundation spans more
her sake and that of all students, that the continue to do their part. than a decade. www.code.ngo

D ELI GHT S| BOOKS
On diplomacy, sovereignty and peacemaking
Christina
Spencer
They Call It Diplomacy: Forty Years of

Representing Britain Abroad
By Peter Westmacott
Head of Zeus, Apollo Books, 2021
368 pages
Kindle: $9.99
S
oon after Peter Westmacott arrived
in Turkey as British ambassador, a
bomb razed Pera House, the Brit-
ish consulate general in Istanbul. Twelve
consulate employees died in the 2003 at-
tack, and three people in the vicinity. Had
the timing been a few days earlier, when
Westmacott and his wife were visiting the
building, they would have been among
the casualties.
It’s a reminder that the life of diplomats
— though often perceived to be focused
on pomp, protocol and pleasantries — can
also be dangerous. It is not just super-
power representatives (specifically Ameri-
cans) who are the targets of protest and
sometimes violence abroad.
Nor is it just the superpowers that have
global interests and priorities, as Westma-
cott’s biography of a British envoy shows.
Much of the focus of this book is on Lon-
don’s herculean attempts over many years
to resolve the festering tension in divided
Cyprus and assist Turkey in joining the
European Union — an effort that has so
far failed (and is now more than a little
Peter Westmacott's new book provides insights from a British envoy abroad. He served as
ironic, given that Britons themselves have
British ambassador to France, Turkey and the U.S.
left the European fold).
Westmacott joined what was then the
© INGE HOGENBIJL | DREAMSTIME.COM
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office

in 1972, and served as British ambassa- ing relationships with the senior ranks of macott enjoyed time with his next-door
dor to Turkey, France and ultimately, the other nations is crucial, he believes, and neighbour, then-vice-president Joe Biden.
United States, with various other postings his close ties to ministers and leaders seem “He was a people person. Genuinely inter-
(including with royalty, as deputy secre- to bear that out. Turkey’s President Recep ested in other human beings, and warm to
tary for the Prince of Wales). Along the Erdogan, for example, never accepted hos- the point of being more tactile than some
way, he increasingly strongly believes in pitality from foreign diplomats, but was people found comfortable, but which we
the role of professional diplomats, even as happy to come for a meal at the rebuilt found endearing, he understood that the
they are less and less appreciated by their consulate. secret to getting another person to do
governments in the modern age. Build- Later, posted to the United States, West- what you want is to gain their trust and

BOOKS |D E L I G HT S
understand their needs as well as your counting the number of cabinet minis- Freed in his retirement of the bonds of
own,” writes Westmacott, surely alluding ters and permanent secretaries she had self-restraint, Westmacott has a few choice
to what he thinks is unique about success- brought with her who had been so unable words about his country’s most significant
ful diplomats, too. to answer her questions that she had had global action in recent years: its decision to
Westmacott’s insights include short, to get the answers from the first secretary leave the European Union. To Westmacott,
telling anecdotes. For instance, he was kneeling at her feet.” It was a technique Brexit was a clear mistake that has dimin-
friendly with British prime minister Tony Thatcher, a woman operating in a man’s ished the U.K.’s standing in the world. If
Blair, who came to Paris regularly even world, sometimes used to keep her people only the British government listened more
after he had left No. 10 Downing Street. in their place. closely to its diplomats.
In 2008, Blair, then out of office, was asked In mid-career, Westmacott took a job as
to give a speech to Nicolas Sarkozy’s po- deputy private secretary to The Prince of Sovereignty: The Biography of a Claim
litical party in Paris. “He arrived on an Wales. Rumours swirled about the tattered By Peter H. Russell
overnight flight from the Middle East, suf- relationship between Prince Charles and UTP Insights, University of Toronto
Princess Diana, yet his respect for both Press, 2021
is clear. “On trips abroad, ambassadors 192 pages
wanted the prince to be given the keys of Kindle: $16.63
the city, attend receptions and shake lots Hardcover: $29.65
of hands, while he — and the princess
— wanted to make a difference, engage Almost 50 years ago, professor Peter H.
with businesspeople and cultural leaders, Russell was approached by members of
promote environmental projects and con- the Dene Nation for help in dealing with
servation, or set up local versions of vol- the threat that a pipeline would be built
unteering. My role was to try to get others in Canada’s North. Although he had been
to understand what [his] agenda was, and teaching political science since the late
to make my principals feel that their time 1950s, Russell writes that he had never
was being well spent.” heard of the Dene. When its representa-
He adds: “ … on a series of global is- tives asked him two specific questions
sues like inequality, social cohesion, [cor- —“What is sovereignty?” and “How did
porate social responsibility,] the survival the Queen get it over us?” — he was at a
of endangered species and the future of loss to provide helpful answers.
our planet, the Prince of Wales was al- Addressing these questions in the
ready years ahead of his time.”
Peter Westmacott joined Britain’s foreign service Not included in this book, no doubt
in 1972 when it was called the British Foreign because it wasn’t directly part of Westma-
and Commonwealth Office.
cott’s brief, is discussion of Britain’s role in
the Commonwealth. Indeed, only one Ca-
fering from an unpleasant throat infection. nadian prime minister is even mentioned
After putting the speech he had written — Stephen Harper — during a brief seg-
on the plane into French with the help of ment describing a particularly busy day
his translator, he put on his suit, went to at the British Embassy in Paris. (This may
wash his hands in an elegant but vintage speak to the relative importance accorded
bathroom … and was promptly soaked Canada by world powers).
by the overhead shower. Hairdryer to the For all the world events in which the
rescue, we did our best to tidy him up and author had a front-row seat — the Falk-
sent the former prime minister on his way lands invasion, the Gulf wars, the Arab
with a throat so sore he was barely able to Spring, the Obama years, for instance —
speak. None of the several thousand UMP Westmacott is also determined to describe
[Union pour un Mouvement Populaire] the “soft” side of diplomacy. He is inter-
supporters who heard him speak, power- ested in and often describes the architec-
fully and in excellent French, were any the ture of British embassies abroad. He plays
wiser.” tourist, and passes on his observations: context of Canada’s relationship with
Then there was Margaret Thatcher, “We skied at 4,000 metres in the Alburz its Indigenous population spurred his
whom Westmacott saw in action when Mountains just north of Tehran.” “It decades-long research into the nature
he was a junior foreign officer. Travelling would have been a terrible waste to spend of sovereignty — its history, evolution,
abroad, she liked to talk through the is- four years in France and not develop some advantages and pitfalls — and how it
sues with her team the night before formal appreciation of its wonderful wines” and applies globally and to groups, such as
meetings, over a glass of whisky. On one so forth. Such travelogue paints a life of Indigenous peoples, not subsumed by the
occasion, she asked a technical question privilege, but it is also part of what diplo- Westphalian notion of sovereign states. He
and no one could answer — except West- mats do — aside from helping nationals in soon concluded that the Crown had ac-
macott, a lowly first secretary sitting on distress, pushing business and commercial quired sovereignty over the Dene through
ARTHUR JAU
the floor. After he offered up the informa- interests, gathering and sharing intelli- “trickery” and “fraud.”
tion she wanted, “the prime minister went gence with allies and trying, so genteelly, They’re powerful words from an aca-
round the room, wagging her finger and to influence policy in their host countries. demic. And while you’d think a book

D ELI GHT S| BOOKS
Author Peter H. Russell moves his exposition on sovereignty along smoothly, exploring European history from Charlemagne through the Thirty Years’
War and the French Revolution, whose storming of the Bastille is pictured here.
about sovereignty (and its relatives such helped spread nationalistic pride. When Britain in the 1830s handed over
as federalism and constitutionalism) While the strengthening of sovereignty to the Canadian colonial government re-
might be dry reading, Russell moves among nations lent coherence and iden- sponsibility for Indigenous peoples, their
this exposition along smartly, touring tity, it also made it easier for European plight worsened, through “dishonest use
European history from Charlemagne to countries to start what Russell calls “the of treaties,” the Indian Act and the intro-
the Thirty Years’ War, through the French global scramble for wealth and power” duction of residential schools. “No other
Revolution and into the age of imperial — also known as expansionism and colo- settler country tried so systematically to
expansion, with nods along the way to nialism. Nations claimed new territories force Indigenous peoples to assimilate
Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes, Jean-Jacques to prevent other sovereign states from with the dominant settler culture, or in-
Rousseau, Voltaire, Denis Diderot, Ed- reaping any of the benefits associated with vested as many resources in that under-
mund Burke, Francisco de Vitoria and them, and if those new lands happened to taking.”
other thinkers. be populated prior to their “discovery,” How, in the modern world of nation
Sovereignty, writes Russell, is a claim well, European thinking held that “only states, might one respect the sovereignty
to be the highest source of legitimate civilized people were entitled to self- of Canada’s first people? Here, Russell
power, but as a claim, “it can be resisted; government.” A land could be claimed on touts the virtues of federalism, in which
a claim is only as good as its acceptance any of three principles: “terra nullius” (the entities within a country — provinces and
by others.” The European notion of sov- assertion that there was no one else there); territories, for example — are treated as
ereignty at first rested with the Christian conquest; or cession. Russell notes with equal political partners under a federal
God, then was channelled to the monarch, dismay that these principles were applied umbrella. “Treaty federalism,” he feels,
eventually passing during the revolution- to both North America and New Zealand can give the descendants of this country’s
ary age between 1760 and 1800 to “the in what he terms “fake history.” The lands original peoples a large measure of self-
people.” Ideas about sovereign states had weren’t devoid of people; no one was ever rule.
been strengthened over the centuries by “conquered”; and Indigenous peoples Sovereignty, being a “claim,” is never
Gutenburg’s invention of the printing certainly did not cede their land by any an absolute, he reminds us. Globally, there
press, which homogenized languages and accepted definition of the term. are precedents for one state or a cluster

of states to challenge the actions of oth- government with its own independent au-
ers: the Genocide Convention, the World thority to address grave issues of concern
Bank and the WTO all were created with to all humankind.
this need in mind. The European Union “So I end my book by expressing the
crowds into aspects of individual state hope that the next step in the biography
sovereignty (at least in the eyes of the of the sovereignty claim is the consumma-
United Kingdom, which voted to leave it.) tion of a global marriage between sover-
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate eignty and federalism,” he writes.
Change presses its signatories to achieve High hopes. What would the Dene
greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and think?
so forth.
There are also limits to sovereignty: The Frontlines of Peace: An Insider’s
Individual states cannot prevent nuclear Guide to Changing the World
war, solve the world’s growing migration By Séverine Autesserre
and refugee crisis or perhaps even prop- Oxford University Press, 2021
erly manage global pandemics. For this, 240 pages
nations must act in concert. Thus Russell Kindle: $15.12
ends his “biography of a claim” on a bit Hardcover: $27.95
of a jarring note — a quick argument in
favour of some sort of world government In the last five years, armed conflicts have
to counter “the incapacity of sovereign flared in more than 50 regions around
states.” This powerful world govern- the world, affecting two billion people,
ment would be “organized on a federal costing at least US $10 trillion a year and
Two Life & Peace Institute representatives conduct inter-community dialogue in Democratic Republic
LIFE & PEACE INSTITUTE
of Congo. Author Séverine Autesserre lauds the organization’s work in that country.
basis, one in which sovereign nation states sparking the worst global refugee crisis
maintain their self-rule over most matters since the Second World War. The United
of importance to their citizens, but at the Nations has 100,000 peacekeepers de-
same time join together to create a global ployed and urgent peace or truce nego-

D ELI GHT S| BOOKS
tiations regularly take place between the pared to neighbouring provinces. Its own of localized peace initiatives that have
top belligerents. Humanitarian and non- citizens have long fostered this culture. worked — from Liberia to Somaliland,
governmental organizations rush to war And they have done it without the as- to Timor-Leste to local Israel/Palestinian
zones to provide aid to victims. sistance of national governments or big pacts (yes, even there) — but she is care-
With so much at stake, you’d think the humanitarian programs. ful not to present them as utopian fixes or,
experts would by now have developed “When there is a conflict that individu- in many cases, permanent solutions. Nor
more effective ways to quell the violence als or families cannot resolve by them- does she shut out conventional notions of
that devastates lives decade after de- selves, instead of calling the police or peace-building. What she is emphasizing
cade. Instead, asserts researcher Séverine the army or resorting to violence, people is that leaders negotiating at high levels
Autesserre, these high-level élites often reach out to religious networks, traditional often have no accurate sense of what is
end up fooling themselves: an agreement institutions, youth groups, elders’ groups, happening on the ground; and on-the-
is signed; foreign workers and aid money women’s groups, and so on,” she writes. ground conflicts, while sometimes tied to
pour in — all looks good on paper. Yet the “Village elders, along with the village or exacerbated by national geo-politics,
misery continues. Why? Can it be fixed? chiefs, have historically helped to assuage are often focused on specific local tensions
In some of the least likely places on the local tensions … In recent years, everyday
planet, local people are answering in the citizens have also formed dozens of small
affirmative, showing that there is a bet- clubs and community organizations, and
ter path forward than relying solely on they have done so without any funding.”
“Peace Inc.,” which is Autesserre’s term Local superstitions and beliefs help,
for the conventional methods, culture too: In the case of Idjwi, there is a strong
and approach of the UN-NGO-diplomatic tradition of blood pacts between families,
community. A 20-year veteran of on-the- and there is a widely held belief that the
ground peacebuilding projects in war guardians of ancestral power live there.
zones, she has the examples to prove it. Both do wonders for discouraging blood-
The sprawling Democratic Republic of shed.
the Congo (DRC) is one of these unlikely Outsiders generally don’t learn how
these kinds of characteristics can buttress
peace in a given community unless they
take time — often years — to listen and
learn, slowly earning local trust. In an-
other example Autesserre cites, residents
of a rural part of South Kivu province
were facing a sharp increase in kidnap-
pings, murders, rape and torture. About that can be resolved regardless of who’s
100,000 people in more than 50 villages sitting down for dinner with whom at the
were affected. The local farmers’ associa- UN.
tion approached Life & Peace Institute (a The work can also often be done
rare NGO that was doing things right) for cheaply, but the key is taking the lead
support, then spent huge periods of time from the people who are themselves most
talking to kidnapping and other victims affected by the violence, those whose
about the perpetrators, who were appar- voices are often least likely to be heard.
ently rebels from neighbouring Rwanda. They have the most at stake for resolving
They were consistently told there were conflict, and quite probably the most real-
10,000 or perhaps 100,000 insurgents. istic notions of how it can be done.
To the local people researching this, And they are willing to work at it over
places. Since independence from Belgium the number sounded odd. So they kept the long-term; unlike the “Peacelanders”
in 1960, Congo has been pummelled at patiently asking questions, and eventu- in foreign NGOs or political and diplo-
various times by ethnic and social clashes, ally discovered that these figures were matic circles, they can’t board a plane and
corrupt and dictatorial government, civil used because the perpetrators had told leave.
war, rebel infiltrations and brutal regional people to use them. “In fact,” a farmers’
conflicts involving its nine neighbour- association leader told the author, “they Preventing the Next Pandemic: Vaccine
ing nations. It is the 11th least-developed are no more than 15 people, and they are Diplomacy in a Time of Anti-science
country on Earth. Drawn-out, high-level not from the Democratic Forces for the By Peter J. Hotez
peace talks have been hit-and-miss in Liberation of Rwanda, they are a dissident Johns Hopkins University Press, 2021
terms of making people’s lives safer. group called Rasta.” This was the sort of 208 pages
Yet during her years there, Autesserre information, he noted, that “foreigners Hardcover: $35.30
discovered grassroots peace projects that could never get.” Kindle: $27.49
worked extraordinarily well in specific But using it, Congolese troops were
regions. One was on the island of Idjwi on able to kill a handful of the Rasta gang and “Infectious and tropical diseases are now
Lake Kivu, which borders Rwanda. While scare the others away. The villages slowly abruptly arising in multiple hot spot areas
Idjwi has its share of crime — domestic re-established ties to each other, and re- across the globe,” writes Peter J. Hotez.
assaults, public brawls, prejudice between built their once-terrorized communities. And it’s mostly because of 21st-Century
tribes, etc. — it is a “haven of peace” com- Autesserre offers lots of other examples forces: war, poverty, climate change,

An American-Iranian dual national who that before them, terrorism was seen in
spent her childhood in Tehran, then the West mostly as a “niche phenomenon,
her high school and college years in the something that happened ‘over there’,”
United States, journalist Tara Kangarlou Phil Gurksi writes. It didn’t seem like part
quickly realized the one-dimensional of our own lives. Public perception has
views Westerners, and Americans in par- changed vastly since then; these days, it
ticular, have of Iran. As a journalist and a is rare for news media not to mention in-
“daughter of Persia,” she aims to change cidents or threats of some sort. Still, in the
this, with a series of detailed, absorbing West, terrorism is not an existential threat
portraits of everyday Iranians. as it is in many countries (the Taliban hav-
While her book also provides a useful ing just illustrated this in Afghanistan.)
lay person’s history of Iran, it is not, she But it is still important — often front
stresses, a political book. Indeed, through and centre in our psyche — and this book
the people she interviews and portrays, from Gurski, who spent more than 30
she wants readers to conclude “there is years working in Canada’s security intelli-
so much more that connects us as human gence community, is a useful introduction
beings than what divides us on the global to how our government thinks and ap-
stage.” proaches those episodes when this is not a
urbanization and anti-science views. CO- “peaceable kingdom.”
VID-19 is but one example. Hotez argues The Peaceable Kingdom?
that a concerted focus on “vaccine diplo- A History of Terrorism in Canada from Christina Spencer is the editorial pages
macy” might be part of the solution. Confederation to the Present editor of the Ottawa Citizen and the in-
As a one-time U.S. science envoy for Phil Gurski augural recipient of the Claude Ryan
the Middle East and North Africa, Hotez Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting Award for Editorial Writing at the 2017
describes the concept as “simultaneous Ltd., 2021 National Newspaper Awards. She has a
scientific and diplomatic opportunities 242 pages master’s in international affairs from the
between nations, with an overriding objec- Paperback: $25 Norman Paterson School of International
tive to jointly develop and test vaccines as Affairs at Carleton University and is a
a means to promote health, security, and This year is the 20th anniversary of the past winner of a National Newspaper
peace.” The author then cites examples of 9/11 attacks, and it is hard to remember Award for international reporting.
how this has worked and can in future.
Well and good, but Canada’s recent ex-
perience attempting to develop a COVID
vaccine in concert with China might give
one pause.
The Heartbeat of Iran: Real Voices of a

Country and Its People
By Tara Kangarlou
Ig Publishing, New York, 2021
288 pages
Kindle: $14.07
Paperback: $28.56

D ELI GHT S| THE ART WORLD
Long knives and a silent symphony
A dry, federal compendium is the launching point for Laure Bourgault’s “canadas” at AXENÉO7 in Gatineau.
C
oncurrent exhibitions at AXENÉO7 Almost all premiers had been opposed to
may challenge a viewer’s sense of the Charter as an incursion on provincial
how Canada looks, and how it is jurisdictions, and none more than Que-
governed. bec’s René Lévesque.
The exhibitions, which run Nov. 3 to Overnight on Nov. 4, 1981, after
Dec. 11 at the artist-run centre in Gatineau, Lévesque and his delegation had re-
include Laure Bourgault’s canadas, and turned to Gatineau, Trudeau’s team dog-
Peter Simon Belleau’s Pour Quelques Arpents de gedly won support for the Charter from
Simpson
Neige (For a Few Acres of Snow). the other premiers. The next morning
Belleau’s exhibition revisits, 40 years Lévesque, outraged at what he saw as
Editor’s note: All dates and times are tenta- later, a notorious moment in Canada’s po- backstabbing by other premiers, decried it
tive, as pandemic public health rules evolve. litical history, when prime minister Pierre as “the night of the long knives” — a pro-
AURE BOURGAULT
Please contact galleries before visiting to Trudeau, behind Quebec’s back, turned vocative label, given its origin in a night
learn of any changes. the provincial premiers toward support of extreme violence by the Nazi party in
for the new and bitterly contested Ca- Germany in 1934.
nadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Outside of Quebec, the event and its

THE ART WORLD |D E L I G HT S
Simon Belleau’s For A Few Acres of Snow reconsiders an infamous night in Canadian political history.
players are better known as “the Kitchen gault considers “the type of images and ligions were banned. Our land occupied.
cabinet” or “Kitchen Accord,” which de- texts used to put forward a certain vision Our languages silenced. Yet we remain.
scribe the politicos who pushed Trudeau’s of Canadianness — a large space with It is through family knowledge, the per-
deals through overnight. “Kitchen cab- pristine nature, harmonious and open sistence of our art, renewed relationships
inet” has its own distasteful historic to the world. Bourgault’s launching pad with the land and the reclaiming of spiri-
connotations from the ignominious ad- is the book Canada 1970, a sort of state- tual traditions that our children will come
ministration of American president An- of-the-union compendium published in to know the ways of our ancestors.”
drew Jackson. the early 1970s by the federal Dominion The display continues to August 2022 at
“I am interested in the irony of the dis- Bureau of Statistics (precursor to Statistics the museum, 100 rue Laurier in Gatineau.
tinction between these two terms, which Canada). historymuseum.ca
nevertheless refer to the same event,” “Through paintings, poetic texts and
Belleau writes. “Two very distinct terms, sculptural elements inspired by Brutalist An out-of-gallery installation
which nevertheless name the same event,” architecture,” the notes say, “the exhibition The National Gallery of Canada is making
and are a starting point to consider “the reworks the official Canadian rhetoric in superlative use of its unintended places
framing of political and historical events order to propose a critical re-reading.” — meaning, places that are not built as
within a larger public consciousness, the AXENÉO7 is at 80 rue Hanson in Gatin- exhibition galleries, per se. The rotunda
tension between individual and collective eau. axeneo7.qc.ca that’s outside the doors to the cafeteria, for
narratives, and the relationship between example, is once again home to an ambi-
historical and physical time.” Interns showing the way tious and beautiful installation.
Belleau takes the title for his exhibition Not far from AXENÉO7 at the Canadian Symphony, by the Brooklyn-based Ca-
from Voltaire, who disdained France’s de- Museum of History, a team of Indigenous nadian-Jamaican artist Tau Lewis, is a new
termination to colonize Canada — “a few interns “invite you to witness the sparks addition to the gallery’s Contemporary
acres of snow.” To mark the 40th anniver- currently reigniting the flames of our cul- Projects series. It’s part of Lewis’s ongoing
sary of the notorious night, Belleau “takes tures.” Their display is titled Rekindled — work known as T.A.U.B.I.S., or the Trium-
on the role of director,” the exhibition Tradition, Modernity and Transformation in phant Alliance of the Ubiquitous Blossoms
SIMON BELLEAU
notes say, “creating a multidisciplinary Indigenous Cultures. of Incarnate Souls. Symphony is the sov-
installation that retraces this almost Shake- “Following centuries of disruption, ereign of T.A.U.B.I.S., and she is built of
spearean episode in Canadian history.” our nations have struggled to assert their many flowers, each one containing a soul
In the exhibition canadas, Laure Bour- cultures,” the group’s notes say. “Our re- that has been inducted into the alliance,

RBC Indigenous Internship Program co-ordinator Gaëlle Mollen, left, at the Canadian Museum of History, with interns Sarah Monnier,
Kaitlyn Stephens, Shaun Canute and Skylar-James Wall. Their display, titled Rekindled — Tradition, Modernity and Transformation in
Indigenous Cultures, invites you to “witness the sparks currently reigniting the flames of our cultures.”
CANADIAN MUSEUM OF HISTORY / NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA / JOYCE CRAGO
A detail of Tau Lewis’s Symphony at the National Gallery An image from Playing Dead, an intensely
of Canada. intimate exhibition by Project X Award winner
Joyce Crago, at the Ottawa Art Gallery.

THE ART WORLD |D E L I G HT S
Andrew Morrow’s Here’s A Place To Start is scheduled to open in November at Studio 66 in the Glebe.
ANDREW MORROW / DREW KLASSEN / AVA MARGUERITTE
Drew Klassen’s work shows at Galerie St-Laurent + Hill in the ByWard Market. Onwards (But Not Forgotten), by Ava Margueritte at the School of
Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO).

“an institution similar to sainthood. They SPAO: Stay Silent Run Deep, Nov. 5 to Dec. Sivarulrasa Gallery: Constructs — Eric
regulate the moral compass of the Uni- 19, 77 Pamilla St. Artists Ava Margueritte, Walker and Louis Thériault, to Oct. 29, 34
verse,” she writes. Margo McDiarmid, Shaelynn Tredenick Mill St., Almonte. Walker and Thériault
Responding to the legacy of the Black and Steven West completed residencies at offer distinctive perspectives on transpor-
diaspora, Lewis’s textile works “are
exuberant and lively sculptures, stitched
together from discarded materials that
have been revived by Lewis’s hand,”
writes Jack Levinson, of the Night Gallery
in Los Angeles, in the National Gallery’s
magazine, Muse. “Immersed in falling
blossoms, Lewis’s stunning sculptures cre-
ate a new world from scraps of our shared
history, bridging the terrestrial and the
celestial, the intimate and the communal,
the archival and the imagined.”
Symphony continues to at least January,
with an exact closing date TBA. 380 Sussex
Dr., gallery.ca
The enigma of detritus

One person’s trash is another’s treasure,
Anna Williams’s Untold Stories I Once Wished Lost will show at the Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery
the saying goes, and Ottawa photographer
from Oct. 14 to Dec. 5.
Joyce Crago’s work has been rich proof of
that maxim.
Crago’s previous work has seen her the photography school during the pan- tation landscapes, their work bound by an
mining trash as far afield as Washington, demic, and the work they produced ad- inchoate sense of unease. sivarulrasa.com.
D.C., where she searched trash cans for a dresses questions such as, “Is there peace
“back story” of those who participated in in solitude?” “Can my mental health be Wall Space Gallery: Claire Desjardins, Nov.
the inauguration of U.S. president Donald mapped?” “Where are the spaces for self- 18 to Dec. 24, 358 Richmond St. Claire
Trump, or in the massive Women’s March discovery?” “How deep does this grace Desjardins’ abstract patterns are “vibrant
on the capital. Her photographs of the go?” spao.ca and dynamic compositions” that have
trash are sometimes eloquent, sometimes been collected worldwide, and even re-
enigmatic. Jean-Claude Bergeron Gallery: Michel produced on clothing and other consumer
In the exhibition Playing Dead, at the Ot- Savage, Nov. 4 to Dec. 6, 150 St. Patrick goods. wallspacegallery.ca
tawa Art Gallery, Crago gets much more St. Montreal artist Michel Savage’s work
personal — intensely so. She uses the de- “follows a path that privileges a symbol- Carleton University Art Gallery: Nu-
tritus from her sister Hazel’s funeral, and ist poetry of the image” as he “seeks the visi — Threading our Beads at Qatiktalik,
some of her late sister’s clothing, to reflect shortest route between the emotion and to Dec. 12 at St. Patrick Building. Using
on mortality, to question “our impulse the sign.” “photographs, cultural belongings, texts,
to hold onto each other and reconstitute galeriejeanclaudebergeron.ca. artworks and stories,” Krista Ulujuk Za-
ourselves through remnant traces,” she wadski focuses on Qatiktalik on Hudson
Studio Sixty Six: Here’s a Place to Start,
SHAYA ISHAQ / JEAN-CLAUDE BERGERON GALLERY / ST-LAURENT + HILL GALLERY

writes. Bay, and explores how Inuit, including
Playing Dead marks Crago’s selection as works by Andrew Morrow, Nov. 26 to her own family, engage with the commu-
this year’s winner of the Project X Photog- January, 858 Bank St. Ottawa artist and nity and its cultural material. cuag.ca
raphy Award, which “celebrates the mer- University of Ottawa professor Andrew
its of a publicly presented photographic Morrow’s paintings “engage broad, histor- Ottawa City Hall Art Gallery: Anna Wil-
project by an Ottawa-based artist.” The ical themes such as war, eroticism, beauty, liams — Untold Stories I Once Wished Lost,
show runs Oct. 29 to Nov. 28. Enter the the apocalypse and death, complicating Oct. 14 to Dec. 5, 110 Laurier Ave. W. Ot-
gallery on Daly Avenue. oaggao.ca these through a resistance to narrative tawa artist Anna Williams says she seeks
closure and spatial coherence,” the gallery “to provoke audiences to reflect on what
Also showing . . . says. His new works, created in studio ses- we have lost in our passage from nature
sions often held via internet video, explore to culture — our skewed experience of the
Canadian Museum of Nature: Shadow- “notions of friendship and (are) rooted in natural world and female identity, and how
land, Dec. 10 to April, 240 McLeod St. mutual recognition, opacity, stewardship, this dissociation has impacted the stability
Montreal artist Lorraine Simms’s draw- transparency and appearance.” studiosix- of the human mind.” She does so with a
ings are built of ghostly layers. Simms’s tysix.ca fantastic world of ecology and mythology.
graphite-on-paper works show “tran- ottawa.ca (search for “city hall gallery.”)
scribed shadows” cast by taxidermied Galerie St-Laurent + Hill: Drew Klas-
animals and skulls and bones. “In these sen, Nov. 11 to 30, 293 Dalhousie St. New Contact Peter Simpson at
works, the cast shadows become the ac- works, including impressionistic land- [email protected] with details of
tual subject.” nature.ca scapes. galeriestlaurentplushill.com your upcoming art exhibitions.

FOOD |D E L I G HT S
Originality as a culinary booster
Burrata Persimmon Stacks with Caviar are a heavenly starter for any meal.
HEADSHOT: MICHELLE VALBERG; MARGARET DICKENSON
decade, burrata cheese — a cloud-like season (or any time of the year), thrill
ball made of cream and mozzarella — has your family and guests with my crunchy,
become a darling of serious chefs, usually addictive and scrumptious peanut butter
paired with luscious tomatoes. Instead, chocolates. They are certain to become ev-
I surprise guests with a unique burrata eryone’s new favourite. Bon Appetit!
persimmon stack with caviar, delivering
exquisite and complex colours, textures Burrata Persimmon Stacks with Caviar
Margaret
and flavours. Keep in mind that only ripe Makes 4 servings
Dickenson
Hachiya persimmons should be used
in this recipe. They appear on grocery For many, persimmons remain a rather
T
his issue features three recipes that shelves in October and are gone by mid- unfamiliar fruit. They tend to make their
illustrate my determination to con- February. Next, my inviting escargots and appearance on the market primarily from
tinue introducing originality into orzo with portobello are always a win- October until February. But what does
my culinary repertoire. Over the past ner. And, when preparing for the holiday one do with persimmons? Here, I share a

D ELI GHT S| FOOD
favourite persimmon creation, which spe-

cifically uses ripe Hachiya persimmons.

3 ripe Hachiya* persimmons
6 oz (175 g) burrata cheese
2 cups (500 ml) arugula
To taste, salt and crushed black pepper-
corns
To taste, a mustard herb type of vinai-
grette
4 straight, firm stems of fresh rosemary
3 tbsp (45 ml) black caviar**
2 fresh lemons

1. Slice off the tops and acorn-shaped
bases of the persimmons, setting them
aside for another purpose.
2. Cut the persimmons horizontally into
1/3-inch (0.8 cm) slices.
3. Cut the burrata ball(s) horizontally into
four 1 1/3-oz (40 g) slices.
4. For 4 individual servings, arrange ½ cup
(125 ml) of arugula in the centre of 4 din-
ner plates. According to taste, season with
salt and crushed black peppercorns and
drizzle with vinaigrette.
5. Place one persimmon slice in the centre
of the arugula on each plate, top with a
slice of burrata and crown with a second
slice of persimmon.
6. Pierce a sprig of rosemary through the Escargots and Orzo in a Portobello Dish is an unusual quartet of simple ingredients.
centre of the stack to hold it in position.
7. Add a total of 4 small dollops (each
about ½ tsp or 3 ml) of caviar to each Escargots and Orzo in a Portobello Dish eter: 4½ inches or 11 cm), stems removed
serving (e.g. 3 dollops to the surface and (with Instant Goat’s Cheese Sauce) 7 oz (200 g) fresh spinach leaves (stems
1 placed at the base of the persimmon on Makes 4 servings removed)
the arugula). 1 tsp (5 ml) garlic-infused olive oil
8. Cut one lemon into 6 equal wedges, Here, I have introduced an unusual quar-
remove any seeds and garnish each plate tet of exotically simple ingredients (por- Instant Goat’s Cheese Sauce
with a single slice of lemon. tobello mushrooms, orzo, escargots and 5 oz (150 g) soft unripened goat’s cheese
9. According to taste, squeeze the juice of goat’s cheese) to design a dramatically ½ tsp (3 ml) chicken bouillon powder
the remaining 2 wedges and as required original dish. Together, these elements of- ½ cup (60 ml) hot water
from the second lemon, over the persim- fer an exciting myriad of flavours, textures
mon stacks and caviar. and shapes while my “stack” presenta- Garnish (optional)
tion contributes to the artistry and appeal 8 fresh chive stems
* NOTE: Not any type of persimmon will of the recipe. Try it as a main course for
do for this recipe. It is absolutely necessary lunch or brunch or even as a light din- 1. Drain and rinse the escargots; drain well
to use only Hachiya persimmons (also ner. Basically, this is an “assembly” recipe again; check for and discard any pieces of
called Japanese persimmons). Hachiya where many of the components may be shell.
persimmons are round, can be up to prepared a day in advance. 2. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet
3-inches or 8 centimetres in diameter, and over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger;
have a slightly elongated, pointed base 3 cans escargots (can size: 4 oz or 115 g, stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute.
(i.e., acorn-like in shape). Only eat them drained weight) 3. Add escargots; sauté for another min-
when they are ripe (i.e., soft and rather 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter ute; sprinkle with beef bouillon powder
“squishy” when pressed gently); other- 1 ½ tsp (8 ml) finely chopped fresh garlic and crushed black peppercorns; cook for
wise, they have a more astringent flavour, 1 ½ tsp (8 ml) peeled and grated fresh 2 or 3 more minutes stirring frequently.
causing the mouth to pucker. When com- gingerroot Cover, remove from heat and allow escar-
pletely ripe, their smooth, edible skin is 1 tbsp (15 ml) beef bouillon powder gots to rest for about 10 minutes to absorb
a bright red-orange in colour; they have To taste, crushed black peppercorns flavours.
TONYA DICKENSON
a jelly-like texture and a tangy-sweet fla- 1 cup (250 ml) orzo 4. Cook orzo in an abundant amount of
vour. 1/3 cup (80 ml) soft garlic butter, divided salted boiling water over medium heat
** Option: Black mullet and herring roes To taste, salt until al dente (about 7 to 8 minutes); drain
(or similar types of black roe). 4 large portobello mushroom caps (diam- well. (Makes about 2½ cups or 625 ml.)

FOOD |D E L I G HT S
Scrumptious Peanut Butter Chocolates are good for the holidays or for any occasion.
Toss with just 2 tsp (10 ml) garlic butter chives arranged in an “X” formation 5. Using a melon baller (capacity: 1 tsp
and salt to taste; set aside. across the top of the stack. or 5 ml), scoop and level off portions of
5. Meanwhile, to make the Instant Goat’s the mixture, pressing down firmly to
Cheese Sauce, break up goat’s cheese in Scrumptious Peanut Butter Chocolates create small domes. Place the peanut but-
a small bowl. Dissolve chicken bouillon Makes 20 chocolates ter domes on a parchment paper-lined
powder in hot water; gradually whisk tray and place in the freezer for at least a
only a sufficient amount (e.g., 6 tbsp or Peanut butter lovers will want to check couple of hours.
90 ml) into the goat’s cheese to form a out this unique recipe that combines white 6. Place white chocolate in a microwave-
smooth, creamy sauce. (Makes about 4/5 chocolate with the nutty spread. safe bowl and soften gradually in a mi-
cup or 200 ml.) crowave oven at medium heat, stirring
6. Rub all surfaces of mushroom caps (as 6 tbsp (90 ml) smooth peanut butter well every 15 seconds until the chocolate
required) with remaining soft garlic butter. ¼ tsp (1 ml) maple extract is quite soft, but definitely not melted. Re-
7. In a couple of large nonstick skillets 2 tbsp (30 ml) icing sugar move from microwave oven and stir until
over medium heat, sauté the whole por- ½ cup (125 ml) lightly crushed Rice Krisp- the chocolate is smooth and creamy. (Note:
tobello mushroom caps on both sides, ies cereal The chocolate should be thick to facilitate
seasoning them with salt and crushed ½ cup (125 ml) very finely chopped wal- coating of the domes.)
black peppercorns. Cook until barely 2/3 nuts 7. Working with a few peanut butter
done; remove from heat. (Note: mush- 6 oz (175 g) white chocolate domes at a time, remove them from the
room caps should be rather firm.) Trans- 2 oz (60g) dark chocolate (preferably bit- freezer, dip into the chocolate and coat
fer sautéed mushroom caps (underside tersweet), optional completely. Transfer to a wax paper-lined
up) to 4 individual dinner plates. Drizzle tray and refrigerate.
any mushroom drippings into inverted 1. Place peanut butter in a bowl. Add 8. When the white chocolate coating is set,
caps. maple extract and combine thoroughly if desired, decorate* the chocolates with
8. Heat spinach leaves in a microwave before adding the icing sugar and blend- melted dark chocolate and refrigerate to
oven for a matter of seconds only to soften ing it in well. set.
slightly. (Spinach should still look fresh.) 2. Gradually, add crushed Rice Krispies, 9. Store the peanut butter chocolates in a
Season with salt and crushed black pep- incorporating them well into the peanut single layer in an airtight plastic container
percorns, drizzle with garlic-infused olive butter mixture after each addition. lined with wax paper and refrigerate until
oil and toss. 3. Finally, incorporate the chopped wal- ready to serve.
MARGARET DICKENSON
9. Place an equal quantity of the spinach nuts.

into the 4 mushroom caps; top with warm 4. Transfer the mixture to a rectangular or * e.g., Lattice-work, dots, stars, swirls, etc.
orzo (about 1/3 cup or 80 ml per cap); square airtight plastic container, pressing
crown with heated escargots. down firmly and smoothing the surface. Margaret Dickenson is a cookbook
10. Drizzle escargots with sauce. Cover and place in the freezer for at least author, menu/recipe developer and a pro-
11. Garnish each serving with 2 fresh several hours. tocol, business and etiquette instructor.

D ELI GHT S| NEW ARRIVALS
New arrivals Anselm Ransford Sowah Hlynur Guojonsson

High Commissioner for Ghana Ambassador of Iceland
Gline Arley Clarke
High Commissioner for Barbados High Commissioner Ambassador Guojons-
Sowah is a lawyer by son began his career as
High Commissioner profession and he be- general manager of the
Clarke began his career gan his career in bank- Young Conservatives
in politics as assistant ing, having worked for in 1993 and he kicked
to the leader of the op- the Bank of Montreal off a career in advertis-
position in Barbados and Ghana Commer- ing in 1998 when he
between 1991 and cial Bank in London became account man-
1994. In 1994, he was and GCB Bank Ltd. ager at the Icelandic Ad Agency. He was
elected as a member of From 2005 to 2014, he was the business account director of GSP Public Relations in
parliament for St. George North and be- development and public affairs man- 2001, and subsequently held the same po-
came parliamentary secretary in the minis- ager for the Ghana International Bank in sition with Mekkano Advertising, Public
try of public works, transport and London, after which he served as senior Relations and Web Agency, XYZ Advertis-
housing. By 1999, he was minister of hous- manager of compliance for the same orga- ing Agency and ABX Advertising Agency.
ing and lands, a position he held until nization. From 2017 to 2020, he served as He was brand manager for Icelandic
2003, when he was named minister of managing director of GCB Bank Ltd., after USA Inc. in 2004 and then general man-
public works and transport. which he became chairman of the Ghana ager of the Icelandic Chamber of Com-
In 2008, he became the opposition Stock Exchange. merce in New York between 2006 and
spokesman and shadow minister of ag- Over his career in banking, he presided 2021. Concurrently, he served as manag-
riculture, housing and transport. In May over the acquistion of UT Bank and Cap- ing director of Iceland Naturally (2006
2018, he was named deputy speaker of the pital Bank and the creation of GCB Capital to 2017), consul and trade commissioner
house of assembly. He has received several as the investment banking arm of the (2006 to 2014) and consul-general and
awards for his service in Barbados and has bank. trade commissioner (2014 to 2021.)
degrees in history, education and part of The high commissioner was born in The ambassador has a master’s degree
an MBA from York University in Toronto. Accra and has degrees in English, phi- in marketing. He is married to artist Luly
The high commissioner is married. losophy and law from the University of Yee.
Ghana. He has two teenage daughters.
Patrick Van Gheel Molise Paul Tseole
Ambassador of Belgium Ivan Jurkovic High Commissioner for Lesotho
Apostolic Nuncio, Holy See
Ambassador Van Gheel High Commissioner
is a career diplomat Archbishop Ivan Tseole began his career
who joined the foreign Jurkovič was born in in 1992 as a high school
service in 1998. Slovenia and ordained teacher in Lesotho.
In 2000, he became as a priest for the Arch- He taught at three
an attaché at the per- diocese of Ljubljana in different high schools
manent representation 1977 after graduating before becoming as-
to the European Union. from the faculty of the- sistant minister of ag-
He returned to headquarters in 2003 as a ology in Ljubljana. riculture and food security for Lesotho in
diplomatic adviser to the minister of home His first posting was to Korea, fol- 2002. He was named consul-general at the
affairs. In 2004, he became first secretary lowed by an appointment to Colombia Lesotho consulate in Klerksdrop, South
at the permanent representation to the as counsellor. He then went to Russia as Africa, in 2007, an appointment that rep-
OECD in Paris. And in 2008, he became a counsellor. From 1996 to 2001, he served at resented the start of his diplomatic career.
counsellor in the economic section of the the Holy See, but was soon posted to Be- From 2013 to 2019, he served as founder
permanent representation to the United larus as Apostolic Nuncio in 2001. In 2004, and director of a non-profit organization
Nations and World Trade Organization in he was sent to Ukraine and then back to in Lesotho while also volunteering for the
Geneva. Russia, with dual accreditation to Uzbeki- Export of Labour Organization. In 2019,
He became a deputy full member of the stan. In 2016, he was named permanent he became founder and managing direc-
EU trade policy committee in 2012, and in observer of the Holy See to the office of tor of a social enterprise involving organic
2015, was posted as ambassador to Cuba, the United Nations and other international lanolin.
with dual accreditation in Dominican organizations in Geneva, permanent ob- The high commissioner served as board
Republic and Haiti. He was then director server to the WTO and representative to director at the Lesotho Tourism Develop-
for EU trade policy and the World Trade the International Organization for Migra- ment Corporation. He founded the Ako-
Organization at headquarters before being tion. pane Machaba Youth Co-operative Society
posted to Canada. He speaks Slovenian, Italian, Spanish, and formed the Kopanang Berea Savings
The ambassador has a master’s of law. English, Russian, German, French, Ser- and Credit Co-operative.
LARRY DICKENSON
bian, Croatian and Ukrainian. The high commissioner is married and

has three children.

NEW ARRIVALS |D E L I G HT S
Anizan Siti Hajjar Andrej Gregor Rode Susannah Goshko

High Commissioner for Malaysia Ambassador of Slovenia High Commissioner for the United
Kingdom
High Commissioner Ambassador Rode
Siti Hajjar joined the completed his law de- High Commissioner
foreign ministry in gree at the University Goshko was previ-
1994. of Buenos Aires, after ously principal private
Throughout her 27 which he received a secretary to the foreign
years in the foreign master’s degree at the secretary, a role that
service, she has served Centre d’Etudes Diplo- she held for the two
as the deputy perma- matiques et Strate- years covering the CO-
nent representative of Malaysia to the giques in Paris. VID pandemic and the
United Nations in Geneva (2008 to 2012) He joined the foreign ministry in 2000 merger of the foreign office and the De-
and two terms at the permanent mission and was sent to the embassy in Australia partment for International Development.
of Malaysia to the United Nations in New in 2002 and returned to headquarters She has spent much of her career working
York, including as deputy permanent as first secretary and acting head of the on national security issues and has had a
representative during Malaysia’s rotation communication service. He was posted number of postings in the Americas (twice
on the UN Security Council from 2015 to to Paris as counsellor in 2006 and then to in Washington and once in Havana).
2016. She also held several key positions at Brussels as permanent representative to She has also worked at the Department
the ministry, such as undersecretary of the the European Union. for Exiting the EU, where she was respon-
Southeast Asia Division, deputy director He returned to the ministry as deputy sible for setting up the team that negoti-
of the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign national co-ordinator for the OECD and ated the withdrawal agreement and she
Relations (IDFR) and undersecretary of the adviser to the director-general on eco- has been Britain’s permanent representa-
human rights and humanitarian division. nomic diplomacy. In 2015, he was consul tive to UNEP and UN Habitat.
The high commissioner has an inter- general in Cleveland. After returning to The high commissioner is married to
national relations degree from California the ministry, he became adviser to the Matt Goshko, a U.S. State Department of-
State University and a master’s from Schil- secretary-general. ficer. They have two children.
ler International University, Paris, France. He is married to Monika Rode and has
She is married with three children. a daughter and two sons.
Non-heads of mission
Austria Cuba Takeshi Nukui Qatar
Thomas Sindelar Henry Torres Torres First secretary Nasser Hamad H.H Al-Khulaifi
Assistant attaché Attaché Second secretary
Hiraku Uzawa
Bangladesh Germany Third secretary Romania
Sharmin Sultana Chrisin Furtwaengler Marius Badea
First secretary First secretary Kazakhstan Attaché
Amirbek Alibi
Bolivia Manuel Furtwaengler Second Secretary Saudi Arabia
Sorka Jannet Copa Romero First secretary Abdulaziz Mohammed H.
Second secretary Latvia Albadi
France Edgars Kaktins Chargé d’affaires
China Frank Marchetti Third secretary
Jianwei Li Minister-counsellor Hassan Alsaadi
Second secretary Mongolia Attaché
Honduras Uyanga Dorjsuren
Hanzhao Pang Sandra Isabel Mata Echeverri Counsellor Fouad Abdrabbo A. Alzahrani
Counsellor Minister Attaché
Nepal
Ben Tian Hungary Rojina Tamrakar Mohammed Abdulhamid M.
Second secretary Anna Erzsebet Miklos Counsellor/ deputy chief of Khan
Second counsellor mission Third secretary
Colombia
Juan Jose Alvarez Lopez Viktoria Kontra Nigeria Turkey
First secretary Attaché Remigius Obioma Nzewuji Anil Gumusarda
Minister First secretary
Pablo Castagnino Japan
Counsellor Shigeki Kobayashi Rhema Jummai Dungus
First secretary Olayemi
First secretary

D ELI GHT S| HEADER
WHERE ROOMS BECOME AMAZING
INTERIORS
CADIEUX INTERIORS
HEADER |D E L I G HT S
1280 Old Innes Rd., Ottawa - Interior Design SERVICES available

D ELI GHT S| WINE
To cork or not to cork?
Tristan
Bragaglia-
Murdock
D
espite being the first step in open-
ing a bottle of wine, the closure
is often the last thing that we put
any thought into.
Traditionally, cork has been the closure
of choice as it provides a near-airtight seal
that allows minute oxygen interplay, a
necessity for wines that require long cel-
laring times, aiding the evolution of the
wine’s fruit set anywhere from leathered
to honeyed, softening tannins and round-
ing out acidities; think an aged Barolo or
Mosel Riesling.
Natural cork is a cylindrically bored
layer of the cork oak’s bark. These are
considered best for long-term ageing com-
pared to agglomerated corks, which use
the trimmings and dusts leftover from the
cork-cutting process, reconstituted with Frank Cornelissen makes his natural wine in these hills of Sicily.
food-safe materials.
The downside of cork is, of course, too much oxygen in too quickly. cork, secondary wine regions were left
corked wine. Cork taint’s chemical com- Frank Cornelissen, a natural wine- with poor-quality corks, resulting in regu-
pound (trichloroanisole, or TCA) occurs maker in Sicily, known for his volcanic larly corked and faulty wines. As such, it
when processing the wood with antimi- terroir-driven wines, employs a highly almost seems as though Australia passed
crobial agents. At its best, cork taint will engineered hybrid closure. Cornelissen a law that all closures on its wines should
mute a wine’s bouquet, while at its worst, finds that this bullet-shaped capsule gives be Stelvins. Even today, more than 85 per
it will leave it smelling of musty basement a consistent result throughout vintages cent of Australian wines are under Stelvin.
and wet cardboard. Improvements in the while still allowing a minute amount of What was once a small economy based
industry’s production have lowered in- air interplay and preventing cork taint; a on supplying the local villages with bar-
stances of TCA: depending on where you seemingly goldilocks solution. rels of wine has evolved throughout the
read it, 3 per cent to 8 per cent of all wines Beyond the practical applications, cap- years as globalization and wine has per-
are corked — enough to allow guests at sule types have a financial and environ- meated cultures and national boundaries.
restaurants to taste the wine before they mental impact as well. Cork can only be Shipping supply routes have changed
buy and occurring in high- and low-end harvested from quarter-century-old trees and lighter glass is used to offset carbon
wines indiscriminately. every nine years. Synthetic corks were footprints. Liquor laws have been imple-
Synthetic closure manufacturers push traditionally plastic-based while a grow- mented that were previously unnecessary.
this narrative along, highlighting their ing number of environmentally friendly This past century has seen an explo-
ability to prevent TCA spoilage. While alternatives are becoming available. Not sion in advancements in chemical use and
screw caps — Stelvins — offer a hermetic only does a natural cork cost the most, it agricultural equipment, and yet the cork,
seal, their ability to store wines for any also looks the nicest. From a marketing a simple and effective closure, has yet to
length of time is still hotly debated. Some standpoint, Stelvin enclosures still face the be topped.
winemakers bottle their still wines under inaccurate assertion that it means that the
REMI THERIAULT
crown cap, much like a beer or sparkling wine is cheap. When Tristan Bragaglia-Murdock isn’t
wine as they’re meant for more immediate In the 1970s, due to high market de- talking wine and pulling corks at Fauna,
enjoyment. Synthetic corks, too, are best mands for Birkenstocks, along with estab- chances are his nose is either in a glass or
for short-term storage as they can allow lished wine countries demanding the best in a wine book.

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D ELI GHT S| ENVOY’S ALBUM
1. 2.
6.
5. 3.
4.
1. Japan’s Foreign Press Centre presented an online briefing about the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, by Yuriko
Koike, governor of Tokyo. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 2. The Embassy of Poland planted a tree in memory of Polish
composer Krzysztof Penderecki at Confederation Park. The event was organized in co-operation with the Na-
tional Capital Commission. Polish Ambassador Andrzej Kurnicki (left) and deputy mayor Laura Dudas spoke.
(Photo: Ülle Baum) 3. A commemoration ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks took
place at the U.S. ambassador’s residence. Arnold Chacon, U.S. chargé d'affaires, spoke. (Photo: Ülle Baum)
4. United Arab Emirates Ambassador Fahad Saeed Al Raqbani, shown here, hosted a virtual session on EXPO
2020 Dubai, featuring guest speaker Hayat Shamsuddin, senior vice-president of EXPO pavilions and exhibi-
tions. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 5. On the occasion of the Constitution Day of Slovakia, Ambassador Vit Koziak and
his wife, Janka Koziakova, took part in a virtual presentation. Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, shown here,
spoke. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 6. The Embassy of Paraguay hosted a national day celebration of Paraguayan folk-
lore, food and drink at 1 Elgin St. First secretary and chargé d'affaires Victoria Mariel Franco Carvallo spoke.
(Photo: Ülle Baum)

ENVOY’S ALBUM |D E L I G HT S
1. 2.
3.
4.
6.
5.
1. The embassies of Latvia and Lithuania hosted a Balts Unity Day celebration. From left: Latvian Ambassador
Karlis Eihenbaums; Lithuanian Ambassador Darius Skusevicius; Polish Ambassador Andrzej Kurnicki; Ukrainian
minister-counsellor Andrii Bukvych; Antoine Pouliot, desk officer for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania at Global
Affairs Canada; Paul Laanemets, member of the Estonian Central Council in Canada; and Hélène Cayer,
Algonquin woman and member of the Friends of Library and Archives Canada. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 2. From
left, Darius Skusevicius and Karlis Eihenbaums at Balts Unity Day. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 3. Black Ribbon Day was
marked at Parliament Hill. Diplomats from Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine
and Lithuania attended. Inga Miskinyte, second secretary at the Lithuanian Embassy, spoke. (Photo: Ülle Baum)
4. To mark the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Ambassador Cong
Peiwu spoke at a virtual reception. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 5. To mark 50 years of scientific and technological co-
operation between Germany and Canada, the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the German Embassy
presented a webinar. The event marked the launch of the German-Canadian Herzberg Network. Markus Rex,
physicist and leader of the MOSAiC Expedition, spoke. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 6. To mark the 205th anniversary of
Argentine independence, Ambassador Maria Josefina Martinez Gramuglia hosted a wreath-laying ceremony
before the statue of Gen. José de San Martin at Minto Park. (Photo: Ülle Baum)

D ELI GHT S| ENVOY’S ALBUM
1. 2.
6.
5. 3.
4.
1. The Embassy of the Philippines organized a vernissage for Perspectives and Experimentation in Visual Arts
featuring artworks by Alan Deniega, minister and consul-general; Jeffrey Salik, first secretary and consul; and
Maria Teresa Narbuada. Here, Jeffrey Salik stands in front of his paintings. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 2. During the 2021
Korean Week in Canada, the Embassy of Korea and the Korean Culture Centre organized an outdoor concert
at Lansdowne Casino Lac-Leamy Plaza featuring a string quartet and a traditional Korean musical performance.
Here, Hyunyoung Roa Lee plays a gayageum, a Korean zither with 12 strings. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 3. The Belgian
Embassy hosted an official unveiling of the mural Peace Flowers by Belgian artist Tom Cech, a gift from Belgium
to the City of Ottawa. From left: Johan Verkammen, then-Belgian ambassador, his wife Kathleen Billen and Ot-
tawa Mayor Jim Watson. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 4. The Lithuanian Embassy hosted an event marking the restoration
of Lithuanian-Canadian diplomatic relations at the Auditorium of the National Gallery of Canada. Mantas Ado-
menas, Lithuania’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, spoke. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 5. To mark the national day and
Korean Armed Forces Day, Ambassador Chang Keung Ryong and his wife, Suh Yong Suk, hosted a reception at
the Westin Hotel's Venue Twenty Two. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 6. To mark the day of German unity and to look back
on Angela Merkel's 16 years of leadership, the German Embassy, with the Munk School, presented a webinar.
Ambassador Sabine Sparwasser delivered opening remarks. (Photo: Ülle Baum)

ENVOY’S ALBUM |D E L I G HT S
1.
2.
3.
5.
4.
1. A flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the bicentennial celebration of the independence several Central
American countries, including Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. This year, Panama
and Dominican Republic also joined in the event, which took place at Ottawa City Hall. From left: Ambassadors
Mauricio Ortiz Ortiz (Costa Rica), Romy Vasquez (Panama), Maurizio Carlo Gelli (Nicaragua), Sofia Cerrato
(Honduras), Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, Ambassadors Ricardo Alfonso Cisneros Rodriguez (El Salvador), Guisela
Atalida Godinez Sazo (Guatemala) and Michelle Cohen (Dominican Republic) attended. (Photo: Ülle Baum)
2. On the occasion of the 76th National Day of Vietnam, Ambassador Pham Cao Phong (right) and Madame
Van Thi Le Hien hosted a large in-person reception and photography exhibition at the Westin Hotel. (Photo:
Ülle Baum) 3. A full view of the Vietnam gathering, with social distancing. (Photo: Ülle Baum) 4. To mark the
76th Anniversary of Indonesia’s independence, chargé d'affaires Yulastiawarman Zakaria and his wife, Wiene
Andriyana, hosted a reception and a musical performance at Wisma Indonesia in Rockcliffe Park. (Photo: Ülle
Baum) 5. At the Indonesian event, third secretary I Made Diangga (left) and second secretary Sri Remaytin wear
traditional costumes. (Photo: Ülle Baum)

DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS
AFGHANISTAN AZERBAIJAN BOLIVIA CHAD
His Ex. Mohammad Hassan Soroosh Mr. Fouad Aliyev Embassy of the Republic of Bolivia His Ex. Mahamat Ali Adoum
Yousufzai Chargé d’affaires 130 Albert St., Suite 416 Embassy of the Republic of Chad
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Embassy of the Republic of Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 350 Sparks St., Suite 802
Afghanistan Azerbaijan 613-236-5730 FAX 613-236-8237 Ottawa, Ont. K1R 7S8
240 Argyle St. 275 Slater St., Suite 1203 [email protected] 613-680-3322 / 613-421-1189
Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1B9 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5H9 www.emboliviacanada.com FAX 613-695-6622
613-563-4223 FAX 613-563-4962 613-288-0497 FAX 613-230-8089 [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected] BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA www.chadembassy.ca
www.afghanemb-canada.net www.azembassy.ca His Ex. Marko Milisav
Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina CHILE
ALBANIA BAHAMAS 17 Blackburn Ave., His Ex. Raúl Eduardo Fernández
His Ex. Ermal Muça His Ex. Alfred Kenneth Russell Ottawa, Ont., K1N 8A2 Embassy of the Republic of Chile
Embassy of the Republic of Albania Bahamas High Commission 613-236-0028 FAX 613-236-1139 50 O’Connor St., Suite 1413
130 Albert St., Suite 302 99 Bank St., Suite 415 Email: [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6L2
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6B9 www.ambasadabih.ca 613-235-9940 FAX 613-235-1176
613-236-4114 FAX 613-236-0804 613-232-1724 FAX 613-232-0097 [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected] BRAZIL www.chile.ca
His Ex. Pedro Henrique Lopes Borio
ALGERIA BANGLADESH Embassy of the Federative Republic CHINA
His Ex. Larbi El Hadj Ali His Ex. Khalilur Rahman of Brazil His Ex. Peiwu Cong
Embassy of the People’s Democratic High Commission for the People’s 450 Wilbrod St. Embassy of the People’s Republic of
Republic of Algeria Republic of Bangladesh Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6M8 China
500 Wilbrod St. 350 Sparks St., Suite 1100 613-237-1090 FAX 613-237-6144 515 St. Patrick St.
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6N2 Ottawa, Ont., K1R 7S8 [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1N 5H3
613-789-8505 FAX 613-789-1406 613-236-0138 FAX 613-567-3213 613-789-3434 FAX 613-789-1911
[email protected] [email protected] BRUNEI DARUSSALAM [email protected]
[email protected] www.bdhc.org His Ex. PG Kamal Bashah PG Ahmad ca.china-embassy.org
www.ambalgott.com High Commission for Brunei
BARBADOS Darussalam COLOMBIA
ARGENTINA His Ex. Gline Arley Clarke 395 Laurier Ave. E. His Ex. Jorge Londono
Her Ex. Josefina Martinez Gramuglia High Commission for Barbados Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6R4 Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
Embassy of the Argentine Republic 55 Metcalfe St., Suite 470 613-234-5656 FAX 613-234-4397 360 Albert St., Suite 1002
81 Metcalfe St. 7th floor Ottawa, Ont., K1P 6L5 [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1R 7X7
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6K7 613-236-9517 FAX 613-230-4362 613-230-3760 FAX 613-230-4416
613-236-2351 FAX 613-235-2659 [email protected] BULGARIA [email protected]
[email protected] www.bahamas.com Her Ex. Svetlana Stoycheva-
www.ecana.mrecic.gob.ar Etropolski CONGO
BELARUS Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria His Ex. Roger Julien Menga
ARMENIA Mr. Evgeny Russak 325 Stewart St. Embassy of the Republic of the Congo
Her Ex. Anahit Harutyunyan Chargé d’affaires Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6K5 [email protected]
Embassy of the Republic of Armenia Embassy of the Republic of Belarus 613-789-3215 FAX 613-789-3524
7 Delaware Ave. 130 Albert St., Suite 600 [email protected] CONGO (D.R.)
Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0Z2 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 Embassy of the DRC
613-234-3710 FAX 613-234-3444 613-233-9994 FAX 613-233-8500 BURKINA FASO 18 Range Rd.
[email protected] [email protected]/ca His Ex. Athanase Boudo Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J3
www.armembassycanada.ca [email protected] Embassy of Burkina Faso 613-230-6582 FAX 613-230-1945
48 Range Rd. [email protected]
AUSTRALIA BELGIUM Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J4
Her Ex. Natasha Smith His Ex. Patrick Van Gheel 613-238-4796 FAX 613-238-3812 COSTA RICA
Australian High Commission Embassy of Belgium [email protected] His Ex. Mauricio Ortiz Ortiz
50 O’Connor St., Suite 710 360 Albert St., Suite 820 www.ambaburkina-canada.org Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6L2 Ottawa, Ont. K1R 7X7 350 Sparks St., Suite 701
613-236-0841 FAX 786-7621 613-236-7267 FAX 613-236-7882 CAMEROON Ottawa, ON, K1R 7S8
www.canada.embassy.gov.au [email protected] High Commission for the Republic of 613-562-2855 FAX 613-562-2582
www.diplomatie.be/ottawa Cameroon [email protected]
AUSTRIA 170 Clemow Ave. www.costaricaembassy.com
Her Ex. Sylvia Meier-Kajbic BENIN Ottawa, Ont. K1S 2B4
Embassy of the Republic of Austria Embassy of the Republic of Benin 613-236-1522 FAX 613-236-3885 CÔTE D’IVOIRE
445 Wilbrod St. 470 Somerset St. W. [email protected]/ His Ex. Bafetigue Ouattara
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6M7 Ottawa, Ont. K1R 5J8 [email protected] Embassy of the Republic of Côte
613-789-1444 FAX 613-789-3431 613-233-4429 FAX 613-233-8952 www.hc-cameroon-ottawa.org d’Ivoire
[email protected] [email protected] 9 Marlborough Ave.
www.austro.org Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8E6
613-236-9919 FAX 613-563-8287
[email protected]
www.ambaci-ottawa.org
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DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS
CROATIA ETHIOPIA GUINEA IRELAND
His Ex. Vice Skracic Her Ex. Nasise Challi Jira His Ex. Aly Diane His Ex. Eamonn McKee
Embassy of the Republic of Croatia 275 Slater St., Suite 1501 Embassy of the Republic of Guinea Embassy of Ireland
229 Chapel St. Ottawa, Ont., K1P 5H9 483 Wilbrod St. 130 Albert St., Suite 1105
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 7Y6 613-565-6637 x 214 FAX 613-565-9175 Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6N1 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4
613-562-7820 FAX 613-562-7821 [email protected] 613-789-8444 FAX 613-789-7560 613-233-6281 FAX 613-233-5835
[email protected] ethioconsulatecanada.org [email protected] [email protected]
ca.mvep.hr/en/ www.embassyofireland.ca
EUROPEAN UNION GUYANA
CUBA Her Ex. Melita Gabric High Commission for the Republic ISRAEL
Her Ex. Josefina de la Caridad Vidal Delegation of the European Union of Guyana Embassy of Israel
Ferreiro 150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1900 123 Slater St., Suite 902 50 O’Connor St., Suite 1005
Embassy of the Republic of Cuba Ottawa, ON K2P1P1 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5H2 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6L2
388 Main St. 613-238-6464 FAX 613-238-5191 613-235-7249 FAX 613-235-1447 613-750-7500 FAX 613-750-7555
Ottawa, Ont. K1S 1E3 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
613-563-0141 FAX 613-563-0068 www.embassies.gov.il/ottawa
[email protected] FINLAND HAITI
misiones.minrex.gob.cu/en/canada His Ex. Roy Eriksson His Ex. Wien-Weibert Arthus ITALY
Embassy of the Republic of Finland Embassy of the Republic of Haiti His Ex. Andrea Ferrari
CYPRUS 55 Metcalfe St., Suite 850 85 Albert St., Suite 1110, Embassy of the Italian Republic
His Ex. Vasilios Philippou Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6L5 Ottawa, Ont., K1P 5G4 275 Slater St., 21st Floor
High Commission for the Republic 613-288-2233 FAX 613-288-2244 613-238-1628 FAX 613-238-2986 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5H9
of Cyprus [email protected] [email protected] 613-232-2401 FAX 613-233-1484
150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1002 [email protected]
Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1P1 FRANCE HOLY SEE www.ambottawa.esteri.it
613-563-9763 FAX 613-563-1953 Her Ex. Kareen Rispal Ivan Jurkovic
[email protected] Embassy of France Apostolic Nunciature JAMAICA
42 Sussex Dr. 724 Manor Ave. Her Ex. Sharon Joyce Miller
CZECH REPUBLIC Ottawa, Ont. K1M 2C9 Ottawa, Ont. K1M 0E3 Jamaican High Commission
His Ex. Borek Lizec 613-789-1795 FAX 613-562-3735 613-746-4914 FAX 613-746-4786 350 Sparks St., Suite 910
Embassy of the Czech Republic [email protected] [email protected] Ottawa, ON, K1R 7S8
251 Cooper St. www.ambafrance-ca.org 613-233-9311 FAX 613-233-0611
Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0G2 HONDURAS [email protected]
613-562-3875 FAX 613-562-3878 GABON Her Ex. Sofia Cerrato Rodriguex
[email protected] Embassy of the Gabonese Republic Embassy of the Republic of Honduras JAPAN
4 Range Rd. 130 Albert St., Suite 805 His Ex. Yasuhisa Kawamura
DENMARK Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J5 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1B1 Embassy of Japan
Her Ex. Hanne Fugl Eskjaer 613-232-5301 FAX 613-232-6916 613-233-8900 FAX 613-232-0193 255 Sussex Dr.
Royal Danish Embassy [email protected] [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1N 9E6
47 Clarence St., Suite 450 613-241-8541 FAX 613-241-2232
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 9K1 GEORGIA HUNGARY [email protected]
613-562-1811 His Ex. Konstantine Kavtaradze Her Ex. Maria Vass-Salazar www.ca.emb-japan.go.jp
[email protected] Embassy of Georgia Embassy of Hungary
canada.um.dk 340 Albert St., Suite 940 Ottawa, ON 299 Waverley St. JORDAN
K1R 7Y6 Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0V9 His Ex. Majed Thalji Salem Alqatarneh
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 613-421-0460 FAX 613-680-0394 613-230-2717 FAX 613-230-7560 Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom
Her Ex. Michelle Cohen de [email protected]  [email protected] of Jordan
Friedlander ottawa.mfa.gov.hu/eng 100 Bronson Ave., Suite 701
Embassy of the Dominican Republic GERMANY Ottawa, Ont. K1R 6G8
130 Albert St., Suite 1605 Her Ex. Sabine Sparwasser ICELAND 613-238-8090 FAX 613-232-3341
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 Embassy of the Federal Republic of His Ex. Hlynur Guojonsson www.embassyofjordan.ca
613-569-9893 FAX 613-569-8673 Germany Embassy of Iceland [email protected] (embassy)
[email protected] 1 Waverley St. 360 Albert St., Suite 710 [email protected] (consular)
www.drembassy.org Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0T8 Ottawa, Ont. K1R 7X7
613-232-1101 FAX 613-594-9330 613-482-1944 FAX 613-482-1945 KAZAKHSTAN
ECUADOR [email protected] [email protected] www.iceland. His Ex. Akylbek Kamaldinov
His Ex. Diego Stacey-Moreno www.ottawa.diplo.de org.ca Embassy of the Republic
Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador of Kazakhstan
99 Bank St., Suite 230 GHANA INDIA 150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1603-1604
Ottawa, ON K1P 6B9 His Ex. Anselm Ransford Adzete His Ex. Ajay Bisaria Ottawa, Ont., K2P 1P1
613-563-8206 FAX 613-235-5776 High Commission for the Republic High Commission for the Republic 613-695-8055 FAX 613-695-8755
[email protected] of Ghana of India [email protected]
www.embassyecuador.ca 1 Clemow Ave. 10 Springfield Rd. www.kazembassy.ca
Ottawa, Ont. K1S 2A9 Ottawa, Ont. K1M 1C9
EGYPT 613-236-0871 FAX 613-236-0874 613-744-3751 FAX 613-744-0913 KENYA
His Ex. Ahmed Abu Zeid [email protected] [email protected] Her Ex. Immaculate Nduku Musili
Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt www.ghc-ca.com www.hciottawa.ca Wambua
150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1100 High Commission for the Republic
Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1P1 GREECE INDONESIA of Kenya
613-234-4931 FAX 613-234-4398 Her Ex. Konstantina Athanassiadou Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia 415 Laurier Ave. E.
[email protected] Embassy of the Hellenic Republic 55 Parkdale Ave. Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6R4
80 MacLaren St. Ottawa, Ont. K1Y 1E5 613-563-1773 FAX 613-233-6599
EL SALVADOR Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0K6 613-724-1100 FAX 613-724-1105 [email protected]
His Ex. Ricardo Cisneros 613-238-6271 FAX 613-238-5676 [email protected] www.kenyahighcommission.ca
Embassy of the Republic of El [email protected] www.indonesia.ottawa.org
Salvador www.mfa.gr/canada KOREA, REPUBLIC
209 Kent St. IRAN His Ex. Chang Keung Ryong
Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1Z8 GUATEMALA Embassy of the Islamic Republic Embassy of the Republic of Korea
613-238-2939 FAX 613-238-6940 Her Ex. Guisela Godinez Sazo of Iran 150 Boteler St.
[email protected] Embassy of the Republic of 245 Metcalfe St. Ottawa, Ont. K1N 5A6
Guatemala Ottawa, Ont. K2P 2K2 613-244-5010 FAX 613-244-5034
ESTONIA 130 Albert St., Suite 1010 [email protected]
His Ex. Toomas Lukk Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 IRAQ can-ottawa.mofa.go.kr
Embassy of the Republic of Estonia 613-233-7237 FAX 613-233-0135 His Ex. Wadee Batti Hanna Al-Batti
260 Dalhousie St., Suite 210 [email protected] Embassy of the Republic of Iraq KOSOVO
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 7E4 www.embaguate-canada.com 215 McLeod St. His Ex. Adriatik Kryeziu
613-789-4222 FAX 613-789-9555 Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0Z8 Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo
[email protected] 613-236-9177 FAX 613-236-9641 200 Elgin St., Suite 501
www.estemb.ca www.iqem.cs Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1L5
[email protected] 613-569-2828 FAX 613-569-4848
[email protected]
www.mfa-ks.net
diplomat and international canada | EMBASSIES | HIGH COMMISSIONS ‑ | OTHER INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES 95 95

DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS
KUWAIT MOLDOVA NORWAY ROMANIA
Her Ex. Reem Mohammed Khaled His Ex. Emil Druc His Ex. Jon Elvedal Fredriksen His Ex. Bogdan Manoiu
Zaid Al Khaled Embassy of the Republic of Moldova Royal Norwegian Embassy Embassy of Romania
Embassy of the State of Kuwait 275 Slater St., Suite 801 150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1300 655 Rideau St.
333 Sussex Dr. Ottawa, ON K1P 5H9 Ottawa, ON K2P 1P1 Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6A3
Ottawa, Ont., K1N 1J9 613-695-6167 FAX 613-695-6164 613-238-6571 FAX 613-238-2765 613-789-3709 FAX 613-789-4365
613-780-9999 FAX 613-780-9905 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] www.canada.mfa.md www.emb-norway.ca ottawa.mae.ro
www.embassyofkuwait.ca
MONGOLIA PAKISTAN RUSSIA
LATVIA His Ex. Ariunbold Yadmaa His Ex. Raza Bashir Tarar His Ex. Oleg V. Stepanov
His Ex. Karlis Eihenbaums Embassy of Mongolia High Commission for the Islamic Embassy of the Russian Federation
Embassy of the Republic of Latvia 151 Slater St., Suite 503 Republic of Pakistan 285 Charlotte Street
350 Sparks St., Suite 1200 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5H3 10 Range Rd. Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8L5
Ottawa, Ont., K1R 7S8 613-569-3830 FAX 613-569-3916 Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J3 613-235-4341 FAX 613-236-6342
613-238-6014 FAX 613-238-7044 [email protected] 613-238-7881 FAX 613-238-7296 [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected] www.rusembassy.ca
www.mfa.gov.lv/ottawa/ MOROCCO [email protected]
Her Ex. Souriya Otmani RWANDA
LEBANON Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco PALESTINE His Ex. Prosper Higiro
His Ex. Fadi Ziadeh 38 Range Rd. Mr Nabil Marouf High Commission for the Republic of
Embassy of Lebanon Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J4 Chief representative Rwanda
640 Lyon St. 613-236-7391 FAX 613-236-6164 Palestinian General Delegation 294 Albert Street, Suite 404
Ottawa, Ont. K1S 3Z5 [email protected] 18 The Driveway Ottawa, Ont., K1P 6E6 613-569-
613-236-5825 FAX 613-232-1609 www.ambamaroc.ca/Nouveau/site- Ottawa, Ont. K2P 9C6 5420/22/24 FAX 613-569-5421/5423
[email protected] Amba.html 613-736-0053 FAX 613-736-0535 gereralinfo@[email protected]
www.lebanonembassy.ca palestinegd@gmail .com
MYANMAR SAINT KITTS & NEVIS
LESOTHO Embassy of the Republic of the Union PANAMA Her. Ex. Vaughna Sherry Tross
His Ex. Molise Paul Tseole of Myanmar Her Ex. Romy Vasquez Morales High Commission of Saint Kitts & Nevis
High Commission for the Kingdom 336 Island Park Dr. Embassy of the Republic of Panama 421 Besserer St.
of Lesotho Ottawa, Ont., K1Y OA7 130 Albert St., Suite 803 Ottawa, Ont., K1N 6B9
130 Albert St., Suite 1820 Ottawa, ON 613-232-9990 FAX. 613-232-6999 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 613-518-2447 FAX 613-695-2449
K1P 5G4 [email protected] 613-236-7177 FAX 613-236-5775 [email protected]
613-234-0770 Fax 613-234-5665 [email protected]
[email protected] NEPAL SAUDI ARABIA
His Ex. Bhrigu Dhungana PARAGUAY Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia
LIBYA Embassy of Nepal Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay 201 Sussex Dr.
Mr. Omar Alghanai 408 Queen St. 130 Albert St., Suite 418 Ottawa, ON K1N 1K6
Chargé d’affaires Ottawa, ON K1R 5A7 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 613-237-4100 FAX 613-237-0567
Embassy of Libya 613-680-5513 FAX 613-422-5149 613-567-1283 FAX 613-567-1679 [email protected]
170 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 710 [email protected] [email protected] www.saudiembassy.ca
Ottawa, Ont., K1P 5V5 www.mre.gov.py/Sitios/Home/
613-842-7519, 613-680-2009 NETHERLANDS Index/embapar-canada/EN-CA SENEGAL
FAX 613-842-8627 Her Ex. Goverdina Christina Her Ex. Viviane Laure Elizabeth
[email protected] Coppolse PERU Bampassy
www.embassyoflibya.ca Embassy of the Kingdom of the His Ex. Roberto Rafael Max Embassy of the Republic of Senegal
Netherlands Rodriguez Arnillas 57 Marlborough Ave.
LITHUANIA 350 Albert Street, Suite 2020 Embassy of the Republic of Peru Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8E8
His Ex. Darius Skusevičius Ottawa, Ont. K1R 1A4 130 Albert St., Suite 1901 613-238-6392 FAX 613-238-2695
Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania 613-670-6038 FAX 613-237-6471 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 [email protected]
150 Metcalfe St., Suite 1600 [email protected] 613-238-1777 FAX 613-232-3062
Ottawa, ON K2P 1P1 [email protected] SERBIA
613-567-5458 FAX 613-567-5315 NEW ZEALAND His Ex. Dejan Ralevic
ca.mfa.lt His Ex. Martin Wilford Harvey PHILIPPINES Embassy of the Republic of Serbia
www.lithuanianembassy.ca New Zealand High Commission His Ex. Rodolfo Robles 21 Blackburn Ave.
150 Elgin St., Suite 1401 Embassy of the Republic of the Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8A2
MADAGASCAR Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1L4 Philippines 613-233-6280 FAX 613-233-7850
Embassy of the Republic of 613-238-5991 FAX 613-238-5707 30 Murray St., [email protected]
Madagascar [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1N 5M4 www.ottawa.mfa.gov.rs
3 Raymond St. www.nzembassy.com/canada 613-233-1121 FAX 613-233-4165
Ottawa, Ont. K1R 1A3 [email protected] SLOVAK REPUBLIC
613-567-0505 FAX 613-567-2882 NICARAGUA His Ex. Vít Koziak
[email protected] His Ex. Maurizio Carol Gelli POLAND Embassy of the Slovak Republic
www.madagascar-embassy.ca Embassy of the Republic of Nicaragua His Ex. Andrzej Kurnicki 50 Rideau Terr.
104 Black Maple Pte. Embassy of the Republic of Poland Ottawa, Ont. K1M 2A1
MALAYSIA Ottawa, Ont. K1M 0T7 443 Daly Ave. 613-749-4442 FAX 613-749-4989
Her Ex. Anizan Siti Hajjar [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6H3 [email protected]
High Commission for Malaysia 613-789-0468 FAX 613-789-1218 www.mzv.sk/ottawa
60 Boteler St. NIGERIA [email protected]
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8Y7 His Ex. Adeyinka Olatokunbo Asekun www.ottawa.mfa.gov.pl SLOVENIA
613-241-5182 FAX 613-241-5214 High Commission for the Federal His Ex. Andrej Gregor Rode
[email protected] Republic of Nigeria PORTUGAL Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia
295 Metcalfe St. His Ex. Joao do Carmo Ataide da 150 Metcalfe St., Suite 2200
MALI Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1R9 Câmara Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1P1
Her Ex. Fatima Braoulé Meite 613-236-0521 FAX 613-236-0529 Embassy of Portugal 613-565-5781 FAX 613-565-5783
Embassy of the Republic of Mali [email protected] 645 Island Park Dr. [email protected]
50 Goulburn Ave. www.nigeriahcottawa.ca Ottawa, Ont. K1Y 0B8 www.ottawa.embassy.si
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8C8 613-729-0883 FAX 613-729-4236
613-232-1501 FAX 613-232-7429 NORTH MACEDONIA [email protected] SOMALIA
[email protected] Embassy of the Republic His Ex. Hassan Dahir Dimbil
www.ambamalicanada.org of North Macedonia QATAR Embassy of Somalia
130 Albert St., Suite 1006 His Ex. Saoud bin Abdullah Zaid [email protected]
MEXICO Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G4 Al-Mahmoud
His Ex. Juan José Gómez Camacho 613-234-3882 FAX 613-233-1852 Embassy of the State of Qatar SOUTH AFRICA
Embassy of the United Mexican States [email protected] 150 Metcalfe St., 8th and 12th Floor Her Ex. Sibongiseni Yvonne Dlamini-
45 O’Connor St., Suite 1000 Ottawa, Ont. K2P 1P1 Mntambo
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1A4 613-241-4917 FAX 613-241-3304 High Commission for the Republic of
613-233-8988 FAX 613-235-9123 [email protected] South Africa
[email protected] 15 Sussex Dr.
www.embamexcan.com Ottawa, Ont. K1M 1M8
613-744-0330 FAX 613-741-1639
[email protected]
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DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS
www.southafrica-canada.ca THAILAND UNITED KINGDOM ZIMBABWE
SPAIN His Ex. Kallayana Vipattipumiprates Her Ex. Susannah Goshko Her Ex. Ruth Masodzi Chikwira
His Ex. Enrique Ruiz Molero The Royal Thai Embassy British High Commission Embassy of the Republic of
Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain 180 Island Park Dr. 80 Elgin St. Zimbabwe
74 Stanley Ave. Ottawa, Ont. K1Y 0A2 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5K7 332 Somerset St. W.
Ottawa, Ont. K1M 1P4 613-722-4444 FAX 613-722-6624 613-237-1530 FAX 613-232-0738 Ottawa, Ont. K2P 0J9 613-421-2824
613-747-2252 FAX 613-744-1224 [email protected] [email protected] FAX 613-422-7403
[email protected] www.thaiembassy.ca www.ukincanada.fco.gov.uk [email protected]
www.exteriores.gob.es/embajadas/ www.zimembassyottawa.com
Ottawa TOGO UN REFUGEE AGENCY
Embassy of the Togolese Republic Her Ex. Rema Jamous Imseis
SRI LANKA 12 Range Rd. UNHCR Representative in Canada
High Commission for the Democratic Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J3 280 Albert St., Suite 401 We keep these listings for the benefit
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 613-238-5916 FAX 613-235-6425 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 5G8 of our readers and the embassies
333 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 1204 [email protected] 613-232-0909 FAX 613-230-1855 based in Ottawa. But we need your
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1C1 www.unhcr.ca help to keep them up to date. Kindly
613-233-8449 FAX 613-238-8448 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO email [email protected]
[email protected] His Ex. Dennis Daniel Moses UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to share any changes to your head
www.srilankahcottawa.org High Commission for the Republic of Embassy of the United States of of mission, address, phone number,
Trinidad and Tobago America email or website with us.
SUDAN 200 First Ave., 3rd Floor 490 Sussex Dr.
Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan Ottawa, Ont. K1S 2G6 Ottawa, Ont. K1N 1G8
354 Stewart St. 613-232-2418 FAX 613-232-4349 613-238-5335 FAX 613-688-3088
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 6K8 [email protected] ca.usembassy.gov
613-235-4000 FAX 613-235-6880
[email protected] TUNISIA URUGUAY
www.sudanembassy.ca/ His Ex. Mohamed Imed Torjemane His Ex. Martin Alejandro Vidal
Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia Delgado Embassy of the Oriental
SWEDEN 515 O’Connor St. Republic of Uruguay
His Ex. Urban Christian Ahlin Ottawa, Ont. K1S 3P8 55 Metcalfe St., Suite 800
Embassy of Sweden 613-237-0330 FAX 613-237-7939 Ottawa, Ont. K1P 6L5
377 Dalhousie St., Suite 305 [email protected] 613-234-2727 FAX 613-233-4670
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 9N8 [email protected]
613-244-8200 FAX 613-241-2277 TURKEY
[email protected] His Ex. Kerim Uras VENEZUELA
www.swedishembassy .ca Embassy of the Republic of Turkey His Ex. Orlando José Viera
197 Wurtemburg St. Blanco Embassy of the Bolivarian
SWITZERLAND Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8L9 Republic of Venezuela
Her Ex. Salome Meyer 613-244-2470 FAX 613-789-3442 32 Range Rd.
Embassy of Switzerland [email protected] Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J4
5 Marlborough Ave. www.turkishembassy.com 613-235-5151 FAX 613-235 3205
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8E6 [email protected]
613-235-1837 FAX 613-563-1394 UGANDA ca.embajadavenezuela.org
[email protected] Her Ex. Joy Ruth Acheng
High Commission for the Republic VIETNAM
SYRIA of Uganda His Ex. Cao Phong Pham
Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic 350 Sparks St., Suite 1210 Embassy of the Socialist Republic of
46 Cartier St. Ottawa, Ont., K1R 7S8 Vietnam
Ottawa, ON K2P 1J3 613-789-7797 FAX 613-789-8909 55 MacKay St.
613-569-5556 FAX 613-569-3800 [email protected] Ottawa, K1M 2B3
www.ugandahighcommission.ca 613-236-0772 FAX 613-236-2704
TAIWAN [email protected]
Mr. Winston Wen-yi Chen UKRAINE www.vietem-ca.com
Representative His Ex. Andriy Shevchenko
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Embassy of Ukraine YEMEN
45 O’Connor St., Suite 1960 310 Somerset St., W. His Ex. Jamal Abdullah Yahya
Ottawa, Ont. K1P 1A4 Ottawa, Ont., K2P 0J9 Al-Sallal
613-231-5080 FAX 613-231-7235 613-230-2961 FAX 613-230-2400 Embassy of the Republic of Yemen
[email protected] [email protected] www.ukremb.ca 54 Chamberlain Ave.
www.roc-taiwan.org/ca Ottawa, Ont. K1S 1V9
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 613-729-6627 FAX 613-729-8915
TANZANIA His Ex. Fahad Saeed M.A. Alraqbani [email protected]
His Ex. Mpoki Mwasumbi Ulisubisya 125 Boteler St. www.yemenembassy.ca
High Commission for the United Ottawa, Ont. K1N 0A4
Republic of Tanzania 613-565-7272 FAX 613-565-8007 ZAMBIA
50 Range Rd. Consulate FAX 613-565-1444 His Ex. Felix Nicholas Mfula
Ottawa, Ont. K1N 8J4 [email protected] High Commission for the Republic
613-232-1509 FAX 613-232-5184 of Zambia
[email protected] 151 Slater St., Suite 205
www.tanzaniahighcommission.ca Ottawa, Ont.
K1B 5H3
613-232-4400 FAX 613-232-4410
[email protected]
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D ELI GHT S| DESTINATIONS
Spending autumn hours with art

By Patrick Langston
T
he fourth wave may be creating un-
certainty, and winter is on its way,
but there’s no reason we can’t get
out and about in the coming months. Our
travel recommendations this time keep
us mostly closer to home and include
multiple arts suggestions because the arts
bolster the heart and mind in precarious
times.
Southbound: A scant five kilometres

south of Parliament Hill, Old Ottawa
South is a blend of small-town Ontario,
perogies and one darn big boulder. Bank
Street, with its restaurants and small
shops, and the surrounding neighbour-
hood, with its mature streetscapes and
expansive parks, make for a fine stroll
anytime. If you visit expansive riverside
Windsor Park, check out the Bellwood
Boulder on display at the Riverdale Av-
enue entrance. The boulder, which could
be a billion years old, was discovered dur-
ing recent infrastructure work on nearby
Bellwood Avenue. Spending time with the
ancient rock is a reminder of how fleeting
our own woes really are. On a less philo-
sophical note, House of TARG serves up
handmade perogies and old-school pin-
ball and arcade games, while Stella Luna
Gelato Café offers scrumptious gelato,
sorbet, panini and more. The Mayfair The-
atre, on Bank Street just north of Sunny-
side Avenue, is the city’s oldest operating
movie theatre and screens independent,
classic and other films. Maharaja with Tiger after a Hunt (a silver gelatin print with hand-colouring from India, dating to
about 1890) is being shown at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto until Jan. 16, 2022. (The artist
Museum hopping in Montreal: Ever is unknown.)
wondered what more than 1,000 Barbie
dolls look like when they’re decked out partment store. The city boasts other mu- and venues have been announcing 2021-
in custom couture gowns by renowned seums, including Musée des Ondes Emile 22 seasons. At the time of writing, the Na-
designers such as Givenchy, Kate Spade Berliner. It spotlights audio artifacts, from tional Arts Centre had the fullest lineup,
and others? The Barbie Expo, a permanent gramophones to televisions and satellites, with in-person shows from its English,
exhibition at Les Cours Mont-Royal, will illustrating the history of the recording, French and Indigenous departments that
sate your curiosity. The exhibit starring reproduction and broadcasting of sound offer Canadian and international experi-
the apparently ageless cultural icon is free. and electromagnetic waves. The Canadian ences from the comfort of a theatre seat.
Still on the fashion runway, Montreal’s Centre for Architecture, a fine research in- Michael Frayn’s award-winning Copen-
COURTESY OF SOLANDER COLLECTION
McCord Museum features Parachute: stitution, features current exhibits on car- hagen (Nov. 4-7), which was to open just as
Subversive Fashion of the ’80s, an exhibit pet design and the use of design as a way the 2020 provincial lockdown descended,
starting in mid-November. The venerable to return colonized spaces to Indigenous tackles the moral dilemma inherent in a
McCord is hosting other shows, including peoples. Don’t miss the outdoor sculpture 1941 meeting between a German and a
the permanent Indigenous Voices of Today: garden, which is at once an urban garden Danish scientist about the atomic bomb.
Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience and, over and an outdoor museum. On Dec. 11 only, NAC Indigenous Theatre
Christmas, Enchanted Worlds, a trip back to presents Tomson Highway: Kisaageetin
the wonderful seasonal window exhibits Live theatre — journeying into others’ (I love you/Je t’aime), a musical/literary
once mounted by Montreal’s Ogilvy’s de- lives: Bit by bit, Ottawa theatre companies celebration with the playwright/author/

DESTINATIONS |D E L I G HT S
Breaking the Frame in Toronto: If you’re Wildlife in the city: You could commis-
in Toronto before Jan. 16, 2022, leave time sion Ottawa artist Christopher Griffin to
for a visit to the North American debut create a work you’d treasure forever. Al-
of Breaking the Frame at the Royal Ontario ternatively, and for free, you can just drive
Museum. The photo exhibit showcases to spots like the underpass at Bronson and
Riverside and revel in the natural world
depicted in his art. Griffin, well-known for
his painting and sculpture, has enlivened
many of Ottawa’s dull concrete structures
with birds, fish, raccoons and other ani-
mals. At Bronson and Riverside, there are
peregrine falcon etchings and sculptures.
You’ll spot a raccoon etching at the Glebe
Community Centre and reptiles, birds
and others at the four-level Glebe Garage
NAC Indigenous Theatre presents Tomson
Highway: Kisaageetin (I love you/Je t’aime), a
parkade on Second Avenue. A fish mural
musical/ literary celebration with the playwright/ emblazons a wall at 34 Brighton Ave. near
author/librettist Highway on piano. the Rideau River. Lumbering sculptures
of Blanding’s turtles enliven the Beaver-
brook branch of the Ottawa Public library
librettist Highway on piano, chanteuse in Kanata. And an unimaginative bit of
Patricia Cano and others. On Oct. 26 and graffiti at the Bayswater and Queensway
28, NAC French Theatre offers a stage underpass has been reworked by Grif-
adaptation of the dark Rêve et folie by Aus- A Bride Dances by Emilio Amero, a leading fin into an elegant horned animal that, if
trian expressionist poet Georg Trakl, who figure in the Mexican Modern art movement, you look closely, still displays the original
died in 1914 at the age of 27 from a cocaine who died in 1976. This vintage gelatin silver graffiti tags. Griffin has good reason for
overdose. NAC Theatre, 1-844-985-2787 print is showing at the Royal Ontario Museum relying on animals in his transforma-
in Toronto until Jan. 16, 2022. tion of uninteresting and even offensive
Small town joys: Why do small towns public spaces through art. “They’re fun
seem to revive the spirit of even the most works from the Solander collection of for me and there’s a spiritual quality to
die-hard urbanite or suburbanite? Maybe mostly vintage prints of the last two them and an innocence and broad appeal.
visiting them feels like a reconnection centuries. The collection focuses on in- They’re a way to connect with nature,” he
with some long-buried part of our past ternational traditions, underrepresented says. You’ll also find what he calls “semi-
when community and a simpler life could and forgotten artists, ethnic diversity public” pieces scattered around the city,
be taken for granted. Fortunately, small and women. The exhibit includes one of including a whale sculpture at Flora Hall
towns abound within an hour’s drive of the earliest photographs by a female art- Brewing and a painting at Planet Coffee.
Ottawa, and the fall is a lovely time to ist, works from West African and Indian
make the trek. Wakefield, Que., is home to photo studios, and names such as Ansel Patrick Langston is an Ottawa writer
a glorious red covered bridge, restaurants Adams, Robert Frank and Dorothea who loves the arts, boulders and the ro-
and shops, occasional intimate concerts Lange. mance of the open road.
at the Blacksheep Inn, and the unfussy
MacLaren Cemetery, where former prime
minister Lester B. Pearson is buried. The
pretty towns of Almonte and Pakenham,
NAC / COURTESY OF THE SOLANDER COLLECTION / CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
part of the larger Town of Mississippi

Mills, have the Mississippi Valley Textile
Museum, Cartwright Springs Brewery,
hiking at the Mill of Kintail, the High
Lonesome Nature Reserve, and more.
To the south are Manotick (check out the
19th-Century ghost-hosting Watson’s
Mill), Merrickville (a glass blower and fine
stone buildings) and Perth (ultra-photo-
genic). Eastward, about 90 minutes from
Ottawa, is Vankleek Hill, the self-styled
Gingerbread (as in, architectural trim)
Capital of the World, where you’ll also
find Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Com-
pany and Gardenpath Homemade Soap.
Arnprior, Chelsea, Casselman, Carleton
Place... check your map to find even more
Artist Christopher Griffin has works all over the city, including these Blanding's turtle sculptures at
spirit-bracing small towns.
the Beaverbrook branch of the Ottawa Public Library in Kanata.

D ELI GHT S| NATIONAL DAYS
Celebration time
A listing of the national and independence days marked by countries
October
1 China National Day
1 Cyprus Independence Day
1 Nigeria National Day
1 Palau Independence Day
1 Tuvalu National Day
2 Guinea National Day
3 Germany Day of German Unity
3 Korea, Republic National Foundation Day
4 Lesotho National Day
9 Uganda Independence Day
10 Fiji National Day
12 Spain National Day
12 Equatorial Guinea National Day

Commemoration of the 1956 Revolution and Day of
23 Hungary
Proclamation of the Republic of Hungary
24 Zambia Independence Day
26 Austria National Day
27 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Independence Day
27 Turkmenistan Independence Day
28 Czech Republic Proclamation of Czech States
29 Turkey Proclamation of the Republic
November
1 Algeria National Day
1 Antigua and Barbuda Independence Day
3 Dominica Independence Day
3 Micronesia Independence Day
3 Panama Independence Day
9 Cambodia National Day
11 Angola Independence Day
18 Latvia Independence Day
18 Oman National Day
19 Monaco National Day
22 Lebanon Independence Day
25 Bosnia and Herzegovina National Day
25 Suriname Independence Day
28 Albania National Day
28 Timor-Leste Independence Day
28 Mauritania Independence Day
30 Barbados Independence Day
December
1 Central African Republic Proclamation of the Republic
1 Romania National Day
2 Laos National Day
2 United Arab Emirates National Day
5 Thailand National Day
6 Finland Independence Day
11 Burkina Faso National Day
12 Kenya Independence Day
16 Bahrain Independence Day
16 Kazakhstan Independence Day
23 Japan National Day
100
PHOTO FINISH |D E L I G HT S
MIKE BEEDELL WWW.MIKEBEEDELLPHOTO.CA
Photographer Mike Beedell: “The greater snow goose is a large, hardy migratory bird that travels from the Atlantic Seaboard and Gulf of Mexico to the
Arctic islands of Canada and the west coast of Greenland every year. Snow geese raise their young on the tundra vegetation in the high Arctic before
migrating back south in the fall. They nest within 820 kilometres of the North Pole and there are more than 800,000 in existence. The biggest colony in
the world is on Bylot Island in Canada’s Northwest Passage, where more than 200,000 geese nest annually. These rugged geese lay three to five eggs
and, within hours, the goslings leave the nest and forage with parental supervision. One-day-old goslings can walk 30 kilometres in a day. Two of the
finest observation sights for the fall migration spectacle are at Cap Tourmente and Baie du Febvre, Que.

Let’s take the scenic route.
The Audi Q7.
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performance are required on all levels. Anyone who is equal to this challenge also has the highest of
standards when it comes to cars—and quite rightly so. We believe the premium selection of Audi vehicles
will fulfill your requirements in style, performance and service. The Audi Diplomatic Sales team at Audi City
Ottawa, Audi Ottawa and Audi West Ottawa are ready to help you decide on the Audi that meets your needs
and exceeds your expectations. We are proud to offer our diplomatic community an exclusive offer. Please
contact one of our knowledgeable Audi Brand Diplomatic Sales representatives and find out more.
Audi Ottawa: Matt Walsh | [email protected]

Audi West Ottawa: Zel Lazovic | [email protected]
Audi City Ottawa 225 Marche Way 613-231-2834 audicityottawa.com

Audi Ottawa 458 Montreal Rd 613-749-5941 audiottawa.ca
Audi West Ottawa 269 W Hunt Club Rd 613-723-1221 audiwestottawa.ca

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T H E W H O ’ S B R U C E AY LW A R D O N VA C C I N E E Q U I T Y

Hope — and hopelessness — in Africa

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121 PARKDALE AVENUE | OTTAWA

TheDaleLiving.com 613 706-0056

Robert I. Rotberg writes about Hakainde

8 FALL 2021 | OCT-NOV-DEC

Political commentary from around the world

The gift of chaos by Luojie, China Daily, China

10 FALL 2021 | OCT-NOV-DEC

Canadian example by Rivers, CagleCartoons.com

diplomat and international canada 11

Canada election 2021 by Paresh Nath, U.T. Independent, India

Bad air by Gatis Sluka, Latvijas Avize, Latvia

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Chinese crackdown by Paresh Nath, U.T. Independent, India

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Twentieth year of 9/11 by Paresh Nath, U.T. Independent, India

AUKUS submarines by Bart van Leeuwen, PoliticalCartoons.com

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Fall summits will shape Canada’s global goals

16 FALL 2021 | OCT-NOV-DEC

economy and post-pandemic economic re-

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said his administration would halve U.S.

Affairs Canada struggled for months, if

18 FALL 2021 | OCT-NOV-DEC

for Canada’s arrest of senior Huawei exec-

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Bruce Aylward, head of the WHO’s ACT Accelerator program

Epidemiologist Bruce Aylward is the arms.] We’re looking forward to continu-

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laws that tell us even which side of the

DM: What most impressed you about the

community level where I live, to the

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DM: What most disappointed you?

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summit. What are your hopes for out-

24 FALL 2021 | OCT-NOV-DEC

Ready for Spring?

GeT YOUR H USE

diplomat and international

Rural Zanzibar’s climate change lessons for the world

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Filling an acute need for arriving Afghan refugees

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Brazil and Canada: diverse and lasting partnership

By Pedro Henrique Lopes Borio

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