Interns’ blogs

waQas Youafzai :  Damascus, Syria - March 15th 2011

Greetings from Damascus!

To me, the whole experience of living in this region is more than the typical sights of 9 year old kids driving motor bikes on crowded highways against traffic flow and people risking their lives every day by running across busy highways and getting on dodgy busses being driven at reckless speeds by reckless drivers. The reason I picked the Middle East, and in my mind, the right choice, was evident when I went to beautiful Beirut for a quick five day trip this past week and got to experience an incredible event – a political rally with a passion.
Political rallies and protests are rather common in the region currently, however – across the Atlantic in Canada, low voter turn out at all levels of government is a serious concern. So much so there is an entire body of literature looking at low voter turn out and various methods to be employed to eliminate voter apathy. Such research is absolutely unnecessary in this region as demonstrated by the swaths of people that show up to public rallies and protests here. Being in Lebanon on Sunday, March 13, for the annual March 14th alliance rally, named after the Cedar Revolution, was an intense experience. The alliance is a coalition of political parties and independents in Lebanon that call for sovereignty over all Lebanese territories, led by MP Saad Hariri, younger son of Rafik Hariri, who was assassinated years ago. Despite tanks, armed police and security forces surrounding Beirut, the tension in the air could be felt as the rally continued in full swing. The flags of Lebanon, the Kataeb (Phalange), Future Movement and the Lebanese Forces were waved and painted on people’s faces, and worn as scarves, capes and headdresses. Days before the rally itself, the voices of prominent politicians were broadcasted on TV, radio, and in downtowns of Lebanese cities. Chanting and non-stop political chatter could be heard from businesses, homes and cars throughout Beirut adding to the significance of the rally. Due to the entire downtown core of Beirut being in lock down, it was impossible to drive out of Beirut without driving through thousands of supporters. Supporters that believe strongly in a sovereign Lebanon (hence against the presence of Syrian forces in Lebanon up until full withdrawal in 2008). This is where it got very interesting. I, a Jordanian national and a UK national heading to Damascus in a Syrian plated car have no choice but to head through the rally to get to the main highway connecting Beirut to Damascus - dotted with police check points. The supporters of the alliance, noticing the Syrian plates and realizing the destination of the car (licence plates of vehicles going between borders and offering transportation between Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Turkey are different from personal, diplomatic and commercial licence plates) started harassing the driver and shouting anti-Syria and anti-Bashar chants. Simultaneously rally goers started to bang on the hood, windows and trunk of the car causing the driver distress and forcing him to manoeuvre quickly through the crowd so not to stay in the same location for too long before the situation got out of hand (we almost completely ran over two people to get out of this situation). In direct contrast to this experience, just hours ago - speaking to the army to get permission to walk through the downtown streets that were closed off to get to the taxi stop – we were asked where we were trying to go. After mentioning Damascus as our final destination and asking for permission to take photographs of the rally, we were encouraged by the M-16 armed army personnel to ‘maximize’ the photos. After further elaboration through hand gestures, we realized he wanted us to “tell peoples” and maximize exposure of the rally outside of Lebanon. Needless to say, in this part of the world, everyone has a political opinion and everyone tries to have their voice heard. Sadly, such can not be said for Canada, where despite having a well educated population, clear channels to express political wishes and a solid Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian public continues to be disinterested and unaware.

Until next time, Massalama

waQas Yousafzai | GSPIA

Hola ¿Qué tal?,

It is easy to see why you can find so many ex-pats who showed up in Buenos Aires and just never left. This vibrant city of almost 3 million people is hard not to love.

The city of Buenos Aires, as everyone will remind you, has a European flavour to it. Its tree filled avenues have Italian style tiles along the sidewalk and the European looking apartment buildings are contrasted with a Latin feeling which pervades the city.  Restaurant menus are dominated by pastas, pizzas and the world famous Argentine lomo (tenderloin steak). You can walk almost anywhere in the city and find a great place for grilled meats within a five minute walk.

Actually, what struck me the most when I arrived was how Latin the city is, despite all the claims that it is the New York or Paris of South America outside of the downtown Capital Federal is ‘La Provincia de Buenos Aires”, which reminded me more of parts Guatemala and Mexico.  This feeling was reinforced even more by the fact I arrived in the dead of summer. The heat was intense at times as it could be plus forty with no wind and a lot of humidity.

I am working on exactly the kinds of files I was hoping and feel like I am definitely getting the hands on experience I wanted. I work directly with the Second Secretary of the Political Section and in my position here I have had the opportunity to help her with her daily tasks, visit external organizations to build Canada’s presence and to develop contacts and do research on local political and development issues in Argentina and Paraguay.

As an example of a current project, I am currently helping draft a report on the declared and potential presidential candidates in the upcoming 2011 Presidential elections. To do this I had the opportunity to meet with, listen to and learn from head editors of major news dailies, radio hosts, local professors and those in the Argentine Department of Foreign Affairs. Fun fact: what do they all have in common? Every meeting starts with a joke about how nobody really understands the Argentine political system or local politics. Politics here are incredibly interesting; strong ideological divides, a long and storied history and deep personal relationships make for an obscure and confusing political landscape marked by intrigue and guessed intentions. Sometimes it’s a bit much for a poor intern to understand, but luckily Argentines love to talk and explain their system.

All in all my two months here I have been an incredible experience. I have loved working for the embassy, getting to experience Argentine culture and taking in a whole new part of the world. Next blog will cover my new Argentine (porteño) accent, Paraguay and why you must strategically hoard centavos (change) like they are gold.

Life could be worse…
Hasta luego
Ciao,
Dan

Madrid, la ville qui ne dort jamais. Un cliché dont on saisit très vite le sens dès que l’on met les pieds dans les rues bondées de gens, tous très occupés à profiter de la vie. Parce que pour ça, les Espagnols sont les experts! La « movida », mouvement qui a émergé suite à la mort de Franco en 1975 (l’Espagne démocratique est très jeune) guide encore le pays aujourd’hui, et surtout les Madrilènes! Malheureusement, depuis le début de la crise économique, cette caractéristique légendaire du peuple espagnol semble en « manger un coup ». Le pays a été frappé de plein fouet, en témoigne un taux de chômage de 20%, 44,5% chez les moins de 25 ans. Ouf, ça fait mal, et cela se ressent beaucoup à Madrid. Les perspectives d’avenir ne sont pas très roses pour le moment, encore moins pour les immigrants qui ont tant de difficultés à percer l’épaisse bulle de la société espagnole. En espérant que la reprise économique sera pour bientôt, et que les Espagnols pourront continuer à propager la bonne humeur et la joie de vivre loin des soucis financiers!

Cela fait déjà deux mois que je me plais à découvrir un pays qui vacille continuellement entre la modernité et la tradition, ce qui lui confère une nature surprenante et très difficile à saisir pour une étrangère. Je profite au maximum des choses merveilleuses que l’Espagne a à offrir : de la bonne nourriture (impossible de ne pas être constamment en train de manger), un climat très agréable et ensoleillé, une vie culturelle en plein effervescence dont on peine à suivre le rythme, une langue magnifique (et un accent qui donne du fil à retordre), des gens fantastiques qui passent la majorité de leur temps à rire…

Je profite aussi énormément de mon expérience à l’ambassade. Je crois que je n’aurais pas pu arriver dans un aussi bon moment. Beaucoup disent que c’est la période la plus occupée depuis qu’ils sont ici! Au programme des dernières et des prochaines semaines: plusieurs visites en Espagne (dont Michaëlle Jean, maintenant envoyée spéciale de l’UNESCO pour Haïti, que j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer à une réception donnée par l’ambassadeur et pour laquelle j’ai sorti mes habiletés en matière de notes d’information, Bill Graham, Lawrence Cannon…), de nombreux événements culturels, un séminaire hispano-canadien sur la défense et la sécurité, etc. Ça bouge beaucoup et j’adore ça!

Voilà! Je crois que cela résume bien jusqu’à maintenant mon aventure au pays du plaisir! À suivre…

Venga, hasta luegos chicos!

Marie-Ève Francoeur

2 mars 11

Dès mon arrivée, j’ai été surprise par la modernité, la propreté et le luxe de Bogota, ou devrais-je préciser, du quartier dans lequel je vis et je travaille. Puisque dès qu’on sort du quartier hyper protégé de l’ambassade, qu’on s’éloigne des restaurants branchés et des innombrables bars d’Usaquén, lorsqu’on s’aventure au Sud de la ville par exemple, ou encore pire, lorsqu’on ose quitter Bogotá, la pauvreté nous rattrape et est impossible à ignorer. Les inégalités économiques me sautent aux yeux et cohabitent d’une façon qui me semble complètement irréaliste. Je loue une chambre, avec salle de bain privée et walk-in, dans une belle et grande maison où vit également Marixa, la bonne de 19 ans qui habite avec nous et qui travaille 6 jours sur 7. Le dimanche, sa seule journée de congé, elle la passe à étudier pour terminer son secondaire. Marixa est littéralement au service (lire - répondre aux caprices) de la famille pour qui elle travaille. Elle habite aujourd’hui à plus de 22 heures de route de son village natal, dans la région de Nariño, un des départements de la Colombie les plus pauvres et les plus touchés par le conflit armé. Marixa a dû quitter sa communauté une première fois à 14 ans, puis de nouveau á l’âge de 17 ans parce qu’elle se sentait en danger après que son ancien copain se soit fait assassiner par un groupe de la guérilla. Dans la maison, elle nettoie, repasse et cuisine, mais elle n’a pas le droit de s’asseoir à la table et de manger avec nous. Pourtant Marixa est l’une des personnes les plus chaleureuses et généreuses que j’ai rencontrées ici.

La vie est belle dans notre beau quartier de Bogota, on se promène en voiture avec chauffeur, tout en croisant des enfants qui jonglent aux coins des rues ou qui vendent des fleurs exotiques pour récolter quelques pesos. Dernièrement, j’ai assisté à un déjeuner 5 services avec des représentants des Nations Unies pour parler de la situation de misère des populations déplacées à l’intérieur du pays et leurs conditions de vie qui frisent l’extrême pauvreté. Je suis témoin d’un grand paradoxe en Colombie.

Je me vide le cœur, mais prochainement, je vous parlerai de la richesse humaine et de la beauté spectaculaire des paysages du pays… et contenu de mon travail à l’ambassade, bien évidement !

Hasta luego amigos!

Gabrielle W.Cusson
Bogota, Colombie

Karibou, (Welcome) API

My time in Nairobi, Kenya has thus far been an amazing experience that has gone far beyond my expectations. Granted when I first arrived as a native African I had expected to ease into life here, however I was mistaken. East Africa and particularly Nairobi is certainly different than what I expected being a native Southern African. Kenyans are very much warm and welcoming people and I have taken to task the attempt to learn Kiswahili to the delight of my new friends here. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan and multicultural city surrounded by wildlife, which is very fascinating. The Nairobi national park is unique, in being the only game-reserve of this nature to border a capital city where you can go on a mini safari and get the opportunity to see some of the big five African animals.

I have been introduced to a favourite past time of Kenyans, enjoying traditional Kenyan food such as, nyama choma (roasted meat) and mukimu (a mixture made of corn, beans, potatoes, and greens mashed and fried in onions) in the local market place. The hustle and bustle of the markets and learning to haggle properly has been quite the experience. As I have come to learn one does not ask “how much” but begins a sort of dance between how much you are willing to pay and how much they are willing to sell so as not to insult them.

There are so many highlights to my time here and I am only in my second month, however I could say without a doubt the opportunity to work on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) files as certainly been rewarding. The Canadian High Commission to Kenya is accredited to Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda and Uganda and serves as Canada’s permanent mission to UNEP and UN-Habitat.  My work has involved attending countless negotiations among member states at UN’s African headquarters (UNON) on agenda items presented in UNEP and UN-Habitat committee meetings. The opportunity to meet and discuss various topics of interest with Ambassadors and other diplomats has certainly been unbelievable. I have just had the privilege of participating and assisting the Canadian delegation led by the Assistant Deputy Minister of International Affairs, Mr. David McGovern at the 26th session of the Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum (GC/GMEF) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that was held from 21 to 24 February 2011 at the UNON compound. The highlight of that conference was hearing the Prime Minister and the President of Kenya speak, meeting Edward Norton who is a goodwill ambassador for the Convention on Biological Diversity and interacting with numerous environment Ministers from different countries.

By far my wow moments are not over. I have the opportunity to prepare for the 23rd Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) that will be held from 11 to 15 April 2011 at the UN-HABITAT headquarters. Who knows whom I will meet there. Overall, this experience has been unbelievable I am so thankful for this opportunity. I want to thank our professors, senior-fellows and fellow students who got this program up and running. I have certainly had my eyes opened to the issues at hand that are so interrelated. Whether it is the issue of slums, of which one of Africa’s largest slums Kibera is here in Nairobi or the rhetoric of what does it mean to have a Green Economy and maintain sustainable development. Overall I am thoroughly taking it all in and enjoying the African sun, till next time…..

Buhle

From Amman –

Well, it’s definitely an interesting time to be here.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what things are like in Jordan right now. First, a disclaimer, as an intern who’s only been here 2 months and hasn’t made it very far outside Amman, I’m not the best judge of the goings on in the country. And, keep in mind, from the outside it may seem like things are busting apart here more than they are, considering this is likely the first time EVER Jordan’s made it into the Canadian media (outside of peace process news). And I’m not sure how much of the protests right now are “Tunisia inspired” (as I’ve read from Canadian/American media outlets), as protests have been going on here through 2010; however things are certainly changing because of Tunisia/Egypt/etc. I believe the protests may have gotten more focused, and are gaining a bit more attention by the police it seems – but they really have not affected (my?) life in Amman; things go on as they have always done from what I can tell, although with a bit more congestion down town on Fridays…. The results of the protest will surely unfold differently in Jordan than we’ve seen elsewhere – but, as my last two cents, I think we’ve all learned it’s hard to predict.

A few notes on how life does go on in Amman:

You quickly become familiar with taxis. If you don’t drive, and assuming there’s no bus that goes past where you’re going (that is, assuming you can even sort out where the buses go at all) you take a taxi. Taxis here are very inexpensive – although, despite their public transport prices, but with door to door service, it really adds up assuming you do more than just go to and from work. “Why not walk?” one might ask. This is the perfect solution for your average adrenalin junkie. Crossing major intersections during rush hour in Amman is an extreme sport. And actually, the sidewalks are often more ornamental than functional; plants, parked cars and large holes often impede actually walking on them. I’ve walked to work a few times, and working up the nerve to cross the street at some of the major intersections adds a solid 15 minutes to my commute.

It seems like most business can be done in English in Amman, as it’s widely spoken here - but it’s certainly not universally spoken. The first Arabic I learned was out of necessity; words for “the Canadian Embassy”, followed closely by “straight”, “left”, “right” and “here” – all taxi language. (Luckily, I had already come equipped with necessary language skills: “falafel”, “shawarma”…).

So, I’ve managed to only cover protests and taxis. The next post I’ll try to cover work as well as the unending problem of knowing how many kisses on the check to you give acquaintances in communities of foreigners. It’s really much more complex than it may at first appear….

All the best,
Susan

Anyone have any Vitamin D? Why? Well let’s just say the sun doesn’t shine much here and with no central heating in the winter and the odd power outages things can damper your mood pretty easily. But hey it’s not all that bad with cheap beer and good people!

Many say that talking about weather seems to be all too Canadian and I agree, but so seems to be the case in Riga, Latvia’s capital, where in the winter the sun shines for maybe an hour a day (2 weeks in and I’ve had a few hours of sunlight), and with overcast, snow or cold rain, weather is very much a part of your daily talk. The summer is the exact opposite with sunlight keeping people awake until nearly midnight…guess my timing was off eh Andy! However, the winter does bring with it the almighty game of hockey and the Riga Dinamo to which belong to the KHL or Continental Hockey League and in fact include 3 Canadians. I have had the pleasure of seeing a game, which was an amazing time for me.

Sports and culture are important to Latvians, and culture is very much the way the people of Latvia survived communist occupation under the Soviets. I was helped to understand parts of this culture over my first two weeks in Riga, starting with visits to the National Opera, the Old Town, Academy of Sciences Building, UNESCO Churches and the Museum of Occupation.

Many young Canadians tend to forget the plague of communism throughout the 20th Century to which some argue killed over 100 million people from conflicts from Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge and others in South-East Asia, to Africa, Latin America, China under Mao Zedong and of course under Lenin, Stalin and other Eastern European dictators in Soviet times. Latvians honour their past, which involved both Nazi and Soviet occupations, to which I can relate to, much like young Latvians I too had family sent to concentration camps, deported to Siberia and imprisoned during communist rule. Understanding this history is important to Latvians, but conquering the past is a quality Latvians also wear proudly. Latvians have shown their grit and emerged as a European Union member, a NATO ally and cultural hub of North Eastern Europe. The world economic crisis has hit Latvia hard, but the country is slowly finding its balance again and projected to do better this year, so are its Baltic neighbours Lithuania and Estonia, which also fall under the Ambassador’s oversight.

As I settle in to this small country and region it is very interesting to see the practical side of European integration, democracy promotion and post-Soviet bloc re-birth which I have studied and researched. Through all the darkness Latvia has experienced through World Wars and communist occupation, one Riga motto rings true to Latvian culture.
“Should I ever perish, then
Come and put me up again.”
I am witnessing a glimpse of the re-birth and will savour my time here in Riga.

Life is good!

Andrew Deruga

Salamalikum tout le monde,

Hope all is well in our nation’s capital and it isn’t too cold for the daily commute (my first, last and only weather reference - it had to be made as it is after all a Canadian staple of conversation)

Today I wanted to briefly write about how easy it is for Canadians to disconnect ourselves from the world at large (yes, there is more to it than US, EU and ‘hot sizzling winter get aways’ further south). As I was flying from Vienna to Damascus, the plane took a very interesting route that sparked a long drawn out dialogue in my mind. Flying in a very comfortable, almost-empty Austrian Airlines airbus, it is almost too easy to commute over the very cities that are the subject matter of countless policy documents, military and defense papers, political debates and global headlines. The plane flew over Beirut en route to Damascus, less than 150 kilometers from the West bank and 300 from Gaza, sparking a déjà vu moment from my flight over Baghdad in 2008 from Dubai. The cities have established water, electric and transportation infrastructure, active populations and from 30,000ft - the appearance of any other major Middle Eastern city. Yet, as I was flying over them I couldn’t help but think about the daily life of citizens in Baghdad under constant military oversight, or the bombings that destroyed most of Southern Lebanon including swaths of Beirut - the beautiful second oldest continuously inhabited city after Damascus. Moreover, I couldn’t help think about West Bank, Golan heights, Palestine, and the broader culturally, politically, religiously, and ethnically contentious ‘Middle east issue’. The historic and modern political and economic links between Damascus, Beirut, Tehran, Amman, Cairo, Baghdad and Jerusalem are all very complicated and require an undergraduate degree in the region’s history to even begin to understand them. Living oceans away from global military conflict zones, the average Canadian does not hear much or give a second thought to the issues plaguing other regions of our globe. In fact, as I have seen first hand, even when you do head in that general direction you can fly right over them without even realizing the significance and extent of the issues. I mean it looks just fine - what’s with all the commotion? Despite being well intentioned and making a full conscious effort to be well-informed, the regional issues of this part of the world are entirely too easy to skip. The recent disappointing Canadian performance at the U.N in October is just one symptom of this general lack of interest and global Canadian disconnect.

Arriving in Damascus, just like when I was flying over Baghdad - I once again mentally make a note to not forget about the ongoing issues and our duty as members of the global collective to work towards a prosperous and healthy state of international affairs for all. However, this time that objective can be better achieved to a much smaller degree via this internship and I whole-heartedly thank everyone involved in making it a reality.

Until next time, Masalama et Au revoir.

-
waQas Yousafzai
Damascus, Syria

My experience in Colombia has been a very rewarding one, both professionally and personally. I’ve worked on countless briefing notes and conducted research on a wide variety of political/security issues. I’ve also been able to attend five different conferences on topics such as the land restitution process for conflict victims and democracy in Colombia. The highlight of the conferences was getting the chance to see Vice-President Angelino Garzon speak as well as the Minister of Agriculture Juan Camilo Restrepo. I can definitely say that I’ve been doing ‘meaningful work’. Additionally, my Spanish has improved significantly through working at the embassy and living with a Colombian family.

I was able to make a number of Colombian friends and through them; I got to experience various Colombian cultural activities such as playing the national sport, tejo. It is somewhat akin to bocce ball but the target is made of gunpowder. On weekends, I got the chance to travel to the cities of Medellin, Cartagena, Villa de Leyva and Leticia. Leticia was my favourite destination.  It’s a little Amazonian town on the border of Peru and Brazil. I stayed at a nature reserve on the Peruvian side where I was able eat piranha and go canoeing in a lake of caimans, among other things.

Elsewhere, it was interesting getting the full Colombian family experience. Since early October, I lived with a fifty-something lady and her thirty year old daughter. They were both extremely friendly.   I ate most meals with them and got to know them quite well. I mostly made my own food but once in a while, they would make traditional Colombian meals for me, which was fantastic.

Colombia is a very different place than one would imagine it to be. Despite its reputation, I can’t say I ever felt unsafe (except maybe when crossing the street). All you need to do is take the necessary precautions really. The people are very welcoming and gracious and the culture is fascinating. The weather was a tad rainy but it still beats Ottawa. Overall, I’ve had an excellent experience inside and outside of work.

Kirk

Bonjour à tous!

C’est d’un Berlin tout blanc que je vous écris! J’aime bien voir Berlin sous la neige, c’est un nouvel aspect de cette ville qui vous réserve toujours des surprises! Même si je commence à très bien connaître la ville, je découvre toujours de nouvelles choses, par exemple les marchés de Noël. À la fin du mois de novembre, du jour au lendemain, des dizaines de marchés de Noël (les Weihnachtsmarkt) sont apparus un peu partout. On y vend des décorations de Noël, des pains d’épices très appréciés ici, toute sorte de choses à manger (des saucisses, évidemment, mais aussi des spécialités turques, hongroises, suisses…) Et bien sûr, une visite dans un marché de Noël n’est pas complète sans avoir goûté au fameux Glühwein (du vin chaud auquel on ajoute des épices. Je dois dire que la première gorgé surprend, mais on y prend vite goût!). Ce que j’aime aussi des marchés de Noël, c’est qu’ils sont toujours bondés de monde. À Berlin, littéralement, « la ville ne dort jamais ». Les gens sont toujours dans les rues, participent  aux plus d’événements possibles. Et bien sûr il y la « night life » qui est très active! C’est particulièrement drôle un samedi à 9h du matin, de voir dans le métro des gens qui lisent le journal, en chemin vers le travail, alors qu’à côté d’eux d’autres rentrent des bars et des clubs qui, dans plusieurs cas, ne ferment jamais!

Jusqu’à présent j’ai profité de mon séjour non seulement pour découvrir la ville ici, mais aussi pour visiter d’autres villes en Europe. Ça me fascine toujours de voir à quel point c’est facile ici de voyager d’un pays à l’autre. La notion de distance pour les Européens est très différente de la notre! Je suis donc allée à Prague et à Stockholm, et pour décembre je prévois aller dans le sud de l’Espagne, histoire de me réchauffer un peu avant de retourner à Ottawa!

Pour ce qui est de mon stage, c’est fou comme j’en ai appris au cours des trois derniers mois! L’Allemagne étant bien sûr très influente en Europe, il se passe beaucoup de choses ici. J’ai eu la chance d’assister à plusieurs discours, conférences et séminaires sur une foule de sujets extrêmement variés. C’est d’ailleurs, je trouve, un aspect du travail des diplomates qui est le plus intéressant : le fait de pouvoir travailler sur une foule d’enjeux différents. C’est bien sûr également un défi d’être capable de maîtriser rapidement toutes ces différentes questions!

Je souhaite une bonne fin de session à tous les « APIers », et j’ai bien hâte de tous vous revoir en janvier!

Frohes Fest und liebe Grüße!

Laurence-Camille