Working For Canada: A Pilgrimage in Foreign Affairs from the New World Order to the Rise of Populism

by Geoff White

A deeply insightful memoir tracing Geoff White’s career as an officer of Global Affairs Canada, providing a clear view of diplomacy and international affairs as they are practiced.

An officer of Global Affairs Canada from 1990–2018, Geoff White is a career expert in Canadian foreign policy. In Working for Canada he shares that expertise, illuminating the often invisible work of creating and enacting international policy. Writing with clarity, wit, and common sense, White demystifies Canadian diplomacy and provides a clear view of how it actually works—and when it doesn’t.

Reflecting on the headlines, highlights, and sometimes scandals of a long and successful career, White offers a highly readable blend of personal recollection and political insight. He begins with his first assignment in communications planning during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and continues through the establishment of NAFTA, humanitarian intervention in Kosovo, softwood lumber, during assignments at headquarters and in Canadian embassies abroad. He shares his experiences of negotiating aviation agreements with foreign governments, and of diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring and protecting human rights.

Working for Canada is a fascinating memoir tracing a career spent in the service of Canada and Canadians. At the same time, it provides an unparalleled insider view into communications, negotiations, international trade, and diplomacy.

194 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[Mark Lisac · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do diplomats do? How do government communications offices work? White's engaging and nicely written account of his nearly 30 years in the federal government opens a window on things that many Canadians think they know but really don't. The book is a memoir. It's also a first-hand description of how some of the normally obscure areas of government function. White strikes a well considered balance — concrete detail about his work is succinctly delivered without making the reader suffocate in minutiae; attention to the main subject is coloured with enough description of physical locations and personalities to make it lively. The result is a brisk tour of Ottawa, South Africa and Chile, along with descriptions of what he did in those postings and how his work was in part shaped by institutional processes. Readers may be surprised at the scale of internal consultation and constant editing required to deliver public statements on important subjects. They may also be surprised at the scale of effort the federal government keeps up to ensure healthy international trade; I was certainly surprised to read that Canada keeps about a thousand specialists in its Trade Commissioner Services working in about 160 countries around the world. Then there's the effort of dealing with foreign leaders and bureaucrats, some of them unexpectedly co-operative, others recalcitrant and occasionally with dubious personal morals. An easy and valuable read.