Carleton Initiative Delivers 2nd Annual Orientation For Newly Arrived Diplomats October 26, 2012

Photo Gallery:

Approximately 80 diplomats attended the 2nd Annual Welcome to Ottawa Orientation at Carleton University that provided information to facilitate professional and social integration of newly arrived diplomats and their families.  The orientation consisted of sessions on Canada’s Parliamentary System, Effective Diplomacy in Ottawa – Best Practices, Lessons to be Learned and Social and Family Integration.

Participants included Paul Dewar, M.P., Official Opposition Critic for International Affairs
and Barry Devolin, M.P., Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole who both spoke from the perspective of a Member of Parliament.  Diplomats particularly praised the panel moderated by Colin Robertson, Vice-president of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute with participants Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce; Anne McGrath, former chief of staff to NDP leaders Layton, Turmel and Mulcair; and James Baxter, publisher of Ipolitics offering practical advice on dealing with the business community and the media as well as their suggestions for good sources of information.

Dr. John Osborne, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences opened the orientation and Carleton President Dr. Roseann Runte and Ottawa’s Deputy Mayor Steve Desroches offered closing remarks.

Following the sessions, there was a lunch and resource fair that featured government and private organizations that provide services to diplomats in areas such as education, tourism, culture, recreation, social clubs, publications, volunteering and children’s issues.  Participants included the City of Ottawa, Parent Resource Centre, National Arts, the Ottawa Diplomatic Association, Volunteer Ottawa, the Library of Parliament, Canadian Federation of University Women, Embassy Magazine and others.

The orientation was presented by the Carleton Initiative for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Engagement in association with the Ottawa Diplomatic Association and the Parliamentary Centre.

The program complemented that held the day earlier at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade that provided information on Canadian governance and structure and access points of government departments and agencies, including DFAIT, Citizenship and Immigration, CIDA, RCMP, CBSA, and Natural Resources.

PROGRAM

 8:00 Registration and Coffee with the Deans of Carleton University

8:45 Introduction and Welcome on behalf of Carleton University

  • Dr. John Osborne, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Carleton University
  • Maureen Boyd, Director, Carleton Initiative for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Engagement

9:00 Session One: Canada’s Parliamentary System

Remarks:

  • Paul Dewar, M.P., Official Opposition Critic for International Affairs
  • Barry Devolin, M.P., Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole

Presentation: Jean-Paul Ruszkowski, CEO, Parliamentary Centre

 10:15 Session Two: Effective Diplomacy in Ottawa – Best Practices

Moderator:

  • Colin Robertson, Vice-President of the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute

Panelists:

  • James Baxter, Publisher, Ipolitics
  • Perrin Beatty, President and CEO of the Canadian
Chamber of Commerce
  • Anne McGrath, Former Chief of Staff to Official Opposition New Democratic
Party leaders Jack Layton, Nycole Turmel, and Thomas Mulcair

 11:00 Coffee Break

 11:30 Welcome from the Ottawa Diplomatic Association

  • His Excellency Zenon Kosiniak-Kamysz, Ambassador of Poland and President of Ottawa Diplomatic Association

 11:40 Session Three: Lessons To Be Learned


Moderator:

  • Lawrence Lederman, Chair, Ambassadors Speakers Series

Panelists:

  • Ambassador Zenon Kosiniak-Kamyz, Poland,
  • Bruce Soar, Deputy High Commissioner, Australia

 12:10 Session Four: Social and Family Integration


Moderator:

  • Maureen Boyd, Director, Carleton Initiative for Parliamentary and Diplomatic Engagement

Panelists:

  • Hanan Abdelkader, Egypt
  • Satomi Okagaki, First Secretary, Japan
  • Claire Marshall, Volunteer Ottawa

 12:45 Orientation Closing Remarks

  • Deputy Mayor Steve Desroches, City of Ottawa
  • Dr. Roseann O’Reilly Runte, President and Vice-Chancellor, Carleton University

 1:00 Buffet Lunch and Resource Fair

The Resource Fair includes government and private organizations that provide services to diplomats in areas such as education, tourism, culture, recreation, social clubs, publications, volunteering, and children’s issues, will be on hand to provide information and resources. Participants include: the City of Ottawa, the City of Gatineau, Parent Resource Centre, National Arts Centre, Ottawa Festivals Network, Volunteer Ottawa, Embassy Magazine, and many more

2:00 Orientation Ends