Ambassador Assignments: Canadian Diplomats Reflect on Our Place in the World

Whether guarding our interests in Washington during sensitive talks on free trade, acid rain and the environment, fighting Apartheid in South Africa, witnessing the Communist revolution in China, or representing this country to the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or the Vatican, Canadian ambassadors are the eyes, ears and voice of Canada on the world stage.

In this insightful, candid, and at times humorous look at the role and many responsibilities of the men and women in our foreign service, nineteen Canadian ambassadors - (high commissioners in Commonwealth countries) - reflect on the diplomacy required, the clash of cultures, and occasionally dangerous conditions encountered in the service of their country.

Canadian interests in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, as well as other parts of the globe are also discussed, whether they are political or trade related, have to do with foreign aid, culture, immigration, security, or peace-keeping, as well as a host of other worldwide concerns.

So too, is the role played by our foreign service in offering assistance to Canadians travelling or working in foreign countries.