Canadian Expatriates, its contributors, and readers have been invited by Foreign Affairs Canada to participate in a series of eDiscussions. The current topic is “Showcasing Canadian Culture and Know-How Abroad”.

We are asked to consider the following questions:

What role does Canadian culture and know-how play in our foreign policy?

How might the government best promote Canadian talent and expertise in the world?

The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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Posted by Admin

The administration team is currently searching for Canadian expatriates who would be interested in contributing to the Expat Blog. The subject matter is wide open, but must remain family friendly.

If you are interested in joining our blogging team, please send an email our way!

Thank you!

An interesting article appeared in today's web edition of The Globe and Mail, Stow the Ambivalence or Alarm: A Growing Maple Leaf Diaspora Can Benefit Canada.

The article details the importance of the growing number of overseas Canadians and ponders the implications of this diaspora on public policy. The article notes that the Liberal government had set up a network for Canadians abroad, but it became "entirely preoccupied with the problems faced by expats, rather than the potential benefits of an overseas Canadian community".

Through my experience, I have seen that expatriates work hard to maintain their ties to Canada and are very keen to act as ambassadors for their country. It would be nice to see the new government continue with the program that the Liberals began, particularly if it could be used to Canada's benefit and go beyond the traditional concerns of consular services, taxation, and voting. Certainly, expatriates offer a unique perspective to matters of foreign affairs and diplomacy - a perspective which could lend itself well to Canada's future on a global level. Hopefully, the Canadian government will figure out a way to make use of this, as yet un-tapped, human resource.