Lucie Edwards
Encyclopedia
Lucie Edwards worked in the department of Foreign Affairs from 1976 to 2009, as the high commissioner to India
, South Africa
, Kenya
and permanent representative to the United Nations
Environmental program. She founded the Global Issues Bureau and served as assistant deputy minister for Corporate Services in Ottawa. She received the Public Service Award of Excellence in 1995 for her humanitarian work during the Rwanda
genocide and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence from the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2009. Lucie Edwards has over 20 years of experience representing Canada at the United Nations
and regional development agencies. Her interests include good governance
, food security
, poverty alleviation, primary health care
and sustainable development
. Today, she can be found working at the crossroads of science, the environment, and international development as part of her doctoral dissertation in Global Governance at the University of Waterloo
(2009–present). She is also the Ashley Fellow 2011 at Trent University
.
. She was a contestant on Reach for the Top
and valedictorian
of her graduating class at Laurentian High School
in Ottawa, Ontario.
In recognition of exceptional academic and extracurricular achievement, she was a recipient of the prestigious Champlain Scholarship at Trent University
in Peterborough, Ontario
. As an ungraduate student backpacking around the Middle East, her bus was hijacked in Lebanon
. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Economics
and History
Honours, from Trent University
in 1976. She took the Foreign Affairs Officer's exam initially because she thought it would be good practice for the law school entrance exam. She accepted a job offer on the Middle East desk at the Department of External now Foreign Affairs in 1976. She earned a Masters in Public Administration
from John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
. In 1984. Lucie Edwards married Thomas Roach (BA, Trent University, 1970) in 1979.
, Lucie Edwards has held various roles. In 1976, Lucie Edwards was one of five women who joined the Department of External Affairs (DEA), now the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
In 1995, Lucie Edwards received the Public Service Award of Excellence, the Public Service’s highest award, for her mission's humanitarian work during the civil war
in Rwanda. She received the Merit Award, 1994 for consular operations in Rwanda, Department of Foreign Affairs. She was awarded the Merit Award, 1989 for human rights work in South Africa, Department of Foreign Affairs.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and permanent representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Environmental program. She founded the Global Issues Bureau and served as assistant deputy minister for Corporate Services in Ottawa. She received the Public Service Award of Excellence in 1995 for her humanitarian work during the Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
genocide and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award of Excellence from the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2009. Lucie Edwards has over 20 years of experience representing Canada at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and regional development agencies. Her interests include good governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
, food security
Food security
Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past...
, poverty alleviation, primary health care
Primary health care
Primary health care, often abbreviated as “PHC”, has been defined as "essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost...
and sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. Today, she can be found working at the crossroads of science, the environment, and international development as part of her doctoral dissertation in Global Governance at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
(2009–present). She is also the Ashley Fellow 2011 at Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
.
Education
She was born in Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was a contestant on Reach for the Top
Reach for the Top
Reach for the Top is a Canadian game show in which teams of high school students participate in local, provincial and eventually national trivia tournaments...
and valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of her graduating class at Laurentian High School
Laurentian High School
Laurentian High School is a former Ottawa high school. It was located on Baseline Rd. at the corner of Clyde, in the city's West End. The school opened in 1958. It was built at the same time as Rideau High School and Ridgemont High School and has the same base design...
in Ottawa, Ontario.
In recognition of exceptional academic and extracurricular achievement, she was a recipient of the prestigious Champlain Scholarship at Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
in Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
. As an ungraduate student backpacking around the Middle East, her bus was hijacked in Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
Honours, from Trent University
Trent University
Trent University is a liberal arts and science-oriented institution located along the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The enabling legislation is the Trent University Act, 1962-63. The University was founded through the efforts of a citizens' committee interested in creating a...
in 1976. She took the Foreign Affairs Officer's exam initially because she thought it would be good practice for the law school entrance exam. She accepted a job offer on the Middle East desk at the Department of External now Foreign Affairs in 1976. She earned a Masters in Public Administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
from John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In 1984. Lucie Edwards married Thomas Roach (BA, Trent University, 1970) in 1979.
Career
As a Canadian public servant and diplomatDiplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, Lucie Edwards has held various roles. In 1976, Lucie Edwards was one of five women who joined the Department of External Affairs (DEA), now the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
| Title | Location | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Affairs Officer, Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs. Throughout her career, she has specialized on African and Middle Eastern affairs. | Ottawa, Ontario and various external assignments | 1976–2009 |
Foreign Affairs Officer, Middle East division, Israel Embassy
|
Tel Aviv, Israel Israel The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea... |
1977–1980 |
| Foreign Affairs Officer Middle East division, Lebanon desk officer
|
1982–1984 | |
| Chairperson of the Southern Africa Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN... Task Force, Department of Foreign Affairs |
Ottawa, Ontario | 1989–1992 |
| Director of the Middle East Middle East The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East... Relations Division, Department of Foreign Affairs |
Ottawa, Ontario | 1992–1993 |
|
High Commissioner High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:... to Kenya Kenya Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east... (with concurrent accreditation to Uganda Uganda Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by... , Rwanda Rwanda Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo... , Burundi Burundi Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura... , Eritrea Eritrea Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast... and Somalia Somalia Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory... ) United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme coordinates United Nations environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices. It was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its... and United National Human Settlements Programme UN/Habitat. |
Nairobi, Kenya | 1993–1995 |
| Founding Director General of the Global Issues Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs, which provided policy direction on human rights Human rights Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national... , peace building, environment Natural environment The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species.... and human development Human development (humanity) Human development in the scope of humanity, specifically international development, is an international and economic development paradigm that is about much more than the rise or fall of national incomes. People are the real wealth of nations... |
Ottawa, Ontario | 1995 - 1996. |
| Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, Department of Foreign Affairs - responsible for a staff of 1200, 400 million dollar budget, and 160 overseas missions. | Ottawa, Ontario | 1996 - 1999. |
| High Commissioner High Commissioner High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:... of Canada to South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... , with concurrent accreditation to Namibia Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March... , Lesotho Lesotho Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name... , Swaziland Swaziland Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique... and Mauritius Mauritius Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar... . Chairperson of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). She served as an adviser on rural development for International Agricultural Research. |
Pretoria, South Africa | 1999 - 2003. |
| High Commissioner in the Republic of India, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador Ambassador An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization.... to the Kingdom of Nepal and the Kingdom of Bhutan |
New Delhi, India | 2003–2006 |
| Internal Management Consultant, Chief Strategist and Head of the Office of Transformation, Department of Foreign Affairs with a mandate to “reinvent Canada’s foreign and trade ministry for the twenty-first century.” | Ottawa, Ontario | 2007–2009 |
| Doctoral candidate in Global Governance from University of Waterloo University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff... |
Kitchener, Ontario Kitchener, Ontario The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census... |
2009–present |
Honours
Ms. Edwards was awarded the 2009 Award of Excellence—Lifetime Achievement Award for her career in the Foreign Service.In 1995, Lucie Edwards received the Public Service Award of Excellence, the Public Service’s highest award, for her mission's humanitarian work during the civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
in Rwanda. She received the Merit Award, 1994 for consular operations in Rwanda, Department of Foreign Affairs. She was awarded the Merit Award, 1989 for human rights work in South Africa, Department of Foreign Affairs.
Select publications
- "We are Dust: Human Security and the San People of Southern Africa" Human Security Conference University of Toronto/University of Waterloo December 2009.
- "Canadian Foreign Policy Towards Africa", South African Yearbook of International Affairs, South African Institute of International Affairs, 2001.
- "Day 58 of the Rwanda Crisis", Bout de Papier, Vol. 12, 1995.
- "Freedom is Rising", Musicworks, No. 43.
- "Resource Development in Labrador", Alternatives 1977.
Quotes
- "The youth will see the effects of climate change in their own lifetimes, and that of their children. We need their voices in the debate."
- "I hope that we will have peace everywhere in the world."
- The creation of peaceful societies encompasses a range of issues that must be addressed simultaneously. These include conflict prevention, mediationMediationMediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
, cease-fire negotiations, the delivery of humanitarian aidHumanitarian aidHumanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
, post-war reconstruction, and the establishment of strong civil societies. Such issues are difficult to address in any country, particularly "in a society that is undergoing development passage and has suffered a substantial loss of infrastructure and human capital." - "Diplomacy is not a special language", diplomacy is "being direct, being honest, and believing in Lord Ganesha."