NEWS RELEASES
LLOYD AXWORTHY ANNOUNCES OUTREACH FUND HONOURING JOHN HOLMES
April 26, 1996 No. 80
LLOYD AXWORTHY ANNOUNCES OUTREACH FUND HONOURING
JOHN HOLMES
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today named the recently created Foreign
Policy Public Outreach Fund in honour of the late John Holmes, former Canadian
diplomat, academic, policy activist and long-time head of the Canadian Institute
for International Affairs.
"Throughout his distinguished career, John Holmes always encouraged Canadians to
be actively involved in international affairs," said Mr. Axworthy. "It is
therefore appropriate to honour his memory in a fashion that will foster and
sustain public participation in foreign policy making."
The Fund has been created in response to the Red Book commitment to strengthen
non-governmental participation in foreign policy making, which was also reflected
in the Government's Foreign Policy Statement, "Canada in the World," published in
February 1995.
The $1-million annual fund is available for policy-relevant research, public
consultations and outreach activities such as the annual National Forum on
Canada's International Relations. It has already been used for public
consultations on Bosnia, Central Africa, Central Europe, South Asia, child labour,
military spending and human rights, and for a study of the use of the Internet for
foreign policy needs. Consultations included youth, experts, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), researchers, journalists, Members of Parliament, and
business and labour representatives.
Funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 1996 federal budget and
is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. This initiative is an
example of how this government
is prioritizing its spending so that it can serve Canadians better by making
efficient use of their tax dollars.
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Information about the Fund, eligibility requirements and project criteria can be
obtained from:
Director General, Policy Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
Tel: (613) 992-3690
Fax: (613) 944-0687
A biographical note is attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
John Wendell Holmes was born in London, Ontario, in 1910. A graduate of the
University of Toronto and the University of Western Ontario, he developed an early
interest in foreign policy. He began his career in 1940, holding various
positions at the Canadian Institute of International Affairs in Toronto before
joining the Department of External Affairs as an assistant in 1943.
He rose rapidly through the ranks of the foreign service, with postings in London
and Moscow. He became Assistant Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs in
1953, and remained in that position until his retirement from the Department in
1960. During his diplomatic career, he was a key adviser on Canadian delegations
to international meetings and conferences, particularly those associated with the
United Nations.
From 1960 to 1973, John Holmes was with the Canadian Institute of International
Affairs (CIIA), first as President and then as Director General. After
relinquishing the latter position, he retained his association with the CIIA as
its Counsellor. During this time he taught international relations at Glendon
College of York University, at the University of Toronto, and as a visiting
professor at Leeds University in England.
He authored or edited numerous books, including his two-volume study of Canada's
wartime plans and postwar policies, The Shaping of Peace: Canada and the Search
for World Order, 1943-1957 (1979 and 1982). He also commented frequently on
Canada's international relations in newspapers, on radio and on television in
Canada and abroad.
John Holmes was a member of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Society of
Canada and the recipient of 10 honorary doctorates. Upon his death in 1988,
former foreign service officer and friend John Halstead said of him: "Humility was
his hallmark, tolerance was his touchstone and moderation was his motto."
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