“I actually wanted to get a job teaching at a university,” says Boehm, who also holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Carleton University and a PhD in history from the University of Edinburgh. “But my rejection letters filled several files.” Instead, he wrote the foreign service exam and was accepted. As ambassador, it’s Boehm’s job to represent Canada in Germany and manage our country’s government operations there. He presents Canada’s perspectives on foreign policy, defence, and economic and trade policy, and conveys German views to Canada. The biggest challenge, he says, is keeping an eye on the impact of global events and dealing with the unexpected outcomes, such as the global financial and economic downturn. Although his travels have been tough on relationships and friendships, Boehm says family life abroad can be a fascinating and enriching experience. His wife and three of the couple’s four children are also in Berlin, as is Clio, the family’s giant schnauzer. And his Laurier ties have endured, extending to the world of politics — his friend and Laurier classmate Randolph Mank is Canada’s high commissioner in Pakistan. “I have fond memories of classes, profs and parties … many parties. I remember a few of us lying in the grass during orientation week and having our ears blown off by Rush — then just another band from Toronto. We had fun and it doesn’t seem so long ago.” ❖
Leading the Canadian response to the tsunami was the greatest and most meaningful challenge of my career.” Randolph Mank Randolph mank in Pakistan Randolph Mank (BA ’77, MA ’79) was at home in Jakarta on December 26, 2004 when the Indian Ocean tsunami hit. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, and the most devastated area was the province of Aceh, Indonesia, where an estimated 130,000 people died. “Leading the Canadian response to the tsunami was the greatest and most meaningful challenge of my career,” says Mank, who was Canada’s ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia at the time. He immediately set up a forward office on the island of Sumatra as a staging area for relief efforts and then established Canada House in the capital of Banda Aceh as a place for Canadian aid workers to work and sleep. Other countries soon followed suit. “In the beginning we were sleeping on concrete floors in extreme heat without running water or other basic necessities. We saw and did things that would change our lives. I lost 40 pounds from the 24/7 work over the first three months.” It’s one of the many experiences that have shaped Mank’s career in Canada’s foreign service, which has also included posts in Athens, Stockholm and Tokyo, which he calls “one of the greatest cities in the world.” Today, Mank is living and working in Islamabad as Canada’s high commissioner to Pakistan. With political instability and
a war in neighbouring Afghanistan, it’s a placement that has its own unique set of challenges. “Last year’s return to democracy was a very positive development and we (Canada) have fully supported that — I think democracy offers us hope for the future,” says Mank. “The bombing of the Marriott Hotel last September, however, was a turning point for security in Islamabad. The challenge for my team is to keep delivering all of our programs and services here, as well as protecting Canadians in an environment where personal security has become a serious issue.” Security concerns extend to Mank’s family life. For safety reasons, his children live about 4,500 kilometres away in Singapore, and he visits as often as possible. “Family life is sometimes a challenge,” he says. “But we love our summer vacations back in Ottawa and K-W.”
Randolph Mank with guards on Guard Appreciation Day at the High Commission in Pakistan. Security guards are hired on contract from a private company, which is common practice for all diplomatic missions in Islamabad.
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