Lord Jim of Dilling - Diplomat Magazine

DIPLOMATICA|EDITOR’S NOTEA land of smiles and tearsWe read snippets about it, storiesthat tell us bits about Sudan,particularly Darfur, where thehumanitarian crisis deepens and thecountry’s President, Omar Al-Bashir,faces arrest on charges of crimes againsthumanity by the International CriminalCourt.But what is it like to live there? Whatis it like for the displaced thousands? Thethousands more who live in fear everyday?And what’s it like for a Canadian tomeet school-aged children grateful for thesimple gift of a pencil or notepad? We findout from Canada’s James Parker, a formerprep school gym teacher and part-timenaval reservist who wondered if he wasmissing something in life and ended upanswering the Canadian Forces’ call formilitary observers for the United Nations’Operation Safari. He was to be a neutralperson who would report to UN headquarterson what he witnessed, includingvillages threatened by nomads or soldiers,and infractions of the UN-brokered buttenuous peace agreement to end a 25-yearcivil war.Writing from the town of Dilling, hedescribes the homes of its 30,000 inhabitantsas being built from straw, bits of tin,burlap, plastic and rough bricks fashionedfrom red earth. He takes us to other regionsand tells us about his adventures ona heavy, rusty bike he bought and dubbed“The Beast,” and then festooned with aUN flag. And he tells us the story of one ofhis colleagues who wanted to raise a littlemoney for school supplies and ended upraising enough to build a school.His story is part diary, part essay. It willdepress and uplift you at the same time.And that’s fitting since he describes Sudanas a country beset by dichotomy: hope,despair, smiles, tears.If you’re in need of some spiritualityafter that read, we have an excerpt fromUP FRONTCanadian James Parker worked as a UN observer in Sudanand chronicled his journey in our cover story. He’s shownhere in a chopper where his primary thought was “Lord,please don’t let this old Russian helo crash!” It’s what hethought every time he climbed into one, he says. On thisflight, he and an Egyptian guard were headed to a villagefor “monitoring and verification” of troops, weapons andammunition, or to do a “village security assessment.”They would report everything up the chain, “to be swallowedand nothing ever done by the big maw of the UN,”he says.a prayer breakfast inWashington attendedb y U . S . P re s i d e n tBarack Obama andformer British PrimeMinister Tony Blair.Both are men of faithand Mr. Blair describesjennifer campbellhow his father was anardent atheist.We also have an interview with Canadiandiplomatic veteran, Arthur Menzies,who spent 41 years in the foreign serviceand served under six prime ministers.At 92, his mind is sharp and his memoryfor detail infallible. This came in handyas he wrote the book of memoirs PenumbraPress is publishing this month. But ifdetail’s not what you want, he also tells agood story about the time Pierre Trudeauvisited Australia while he was on a sevenyearstint as high commissioner.Our book reviewer, George Fetherling,offers a look at titles about philanthropy,Tibet and the “great, non-existent Bhutanconspiracy.” Food columnist MargaretDickenson writes about how to prepare aperfect Mother’s Day feast while wine columnistPieter Van Den Weghe tells us howto order wine in restaurants. We also lookinside the residence of Swedish AmbassadorIngrid Iremark. Dyanne Wilson’s greatphotography will make you feel as thoughyou’re actually visiting the amiable ambassador,whose home is full of Swedishart and Swedish furniture, some of it ultramodern,some dating back centuries.For travel, we give you a blow-by-blowof a perfect two-week road trip to Maine,an American East Coast gem. Among U.S.destinations, Maine is often overlooked infavour of Florida, but like Florida, it offersgreat beaches – and much more, includinglakes and mountains as well as funkytowns and sophisticated cities. Somethingfor everyone. And if the journey is part ofthe appeal, we tell you what you need toknow to drive there.CONTRIBUTORSJim Parker, author of “The Dung BeetleDiaries”Jim Parker, originally from Barrie, livesin Victoria, B.C. after having gone therefor graduate studies more than 20 yearsago. He has been a columnist; he’strained Olympic and professional athletes;and he’s owned a fitness centre.He has taught sports, recreation andanatomy at the college and universitylevel, and physical education at a prepschool in Victoria. He is a part-time navalreservist in his 22nd year of duty. Heshares a home with his partner, Heather,and is dominated by their dog, Judd.He enjoyed writing our cover story andfully expects to get in trouble with theDepartment of National Defence andthe United Nations for doing so.Betty Nygaard King, author of “Thewoman behind Gershwin’s career”Betty Nygaard King hails from Ottawa,where she earned degrees inEnglish literature and music at CarletonUniversity. She cut her writing teethworking as a communications officerand editor in various government positions.Her first book was Hell Hath NoFury: Famous Women in Crime; she wasthe ghost-writer behind the memoirs ofthe composer and conductor AlexanderBrott. By day, Ms. King is a subject editorwith the Encyclopedia of Music inCanada and freelance researcher for theCanadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Bynight, she teaches piano and indulges apassion for “Coronation Street.”SPRING 09 | APR–JUN