My Degree in International Relations

I am currently completing the last term of my Undergraduate Degree in International Relations (IR) at UBC and wanted to share what I have been learning over the last four years.

What is IR?
IR is the study of the global interactions between sovereign states, inter-governmental organizations (IGO), multinational corporations (MNC), and non-governmental organizations (NGO). At UBC, IR is an interdisciplinary program that combines four different fields: Economics, History, Languages and Political Science.

Why did I choose to study IR?
I have always been fascinated by the work of the United Nations, interested in global history and loved learning languages. I wanted to choose a program that would challenge me and would enable me to take a variety of courses. I believed it would equip me with a solid and well rounded foundation because I would learn how to interpret detailed economic models, why lessons from history are relevant today, how to communicate in two additional languages, and how to understand different systems of governance. 

IR students are required to take the following courses:
1. Economics
-Microeconomics 
-Macroeconomics 
-International Finance 

2. History
-World History from 1500 to the 20th Century
-World History from 1900
-International Relations of the Great Powers in the 20th Century

3. Languages (2 years in addition to what is already required by the Faculty of Arts)
-I am bilingual (French & English) so I decided to study Spanish to fulfill this requirement

4. Political Science
-Introduction to Global Politics 
-Security Studies 

5. IR Seminar 
-Comparative Law and Politics 

My specializations are:
-International Diplomacy, Security, and Peace Studies
-International Economy and Development 

Being in IR has allowed me to take courses from many different faculties at UBC. My favourite electives have been: 
-International Nutrition                       (FNH 355)
-Canadian Government                        (POLI 101)
-Applied International Nutrition        (FNH 455)
-International Peacekeeping               (POLI 374)
-Psychology                                             (PSYC 100)
-Business and Entrepreneurship        (COMM 240)

I have had some outstanding professors at UBC, my favourite include:
Patricia Cochran- PhD Law
Gerald McIntyre- PhD International Finance
Judy McLean- PhD Human Nutrition 
Elizabeth Newton- PhD Social Psychology 
Allen Sens- PhD Political Science 

Summer Highlights

I had an amazing four months in Ottawa and wanted to share some of the best moments!

1. Working with 39 other amazing Parliamentary Guides in English and French. I made some incredible new friends through this experience 

2. Being hosted at Rideau Hall by His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston

3. Going up to the dome of the Library of Parliament and then around the entire structure on the outside

4. Attending a reception at Kingsmere and meeting the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Andrew Scheer

5. Meeting the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Noel Kinsella

6. Visiting the National Gallery of Art and the Museum of History

7. Celebrating Canada Day on Parliament Hill

8. Giving tours of our nation's Centre Block in English and French to groups of 50 people. I was also able to give tours to my family which was very special.

9. Guide BBQs in Wakefield, Quebec 

10. Hiking in Gatineau Park, Quebec

11. Pizza - luck dinners with other Guides

12. Exploring great stores and restaurants in the Byward Market

13. Going to Montreal

14. Attending a lecture by Mellissa Fung at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat

15. The Guide Ball we had at the end of the season to celebrate our accomplishments this summer 

16. Watching Question Period in the House of Commons and in the Senate Chambers

17. Meeting my MP, Justin Trudeau and Thomas Mulcair

18. Enjoying the view of Parliament from Major's Hill Park

19. Practicing my French with my colleagues and visitors 


20. Working in one of the most important buildings in the country 

Interesting Facts about Canadian Parliament

Here are some interesting details I learned as a Parliamentary Guide!

1. People

-Agnes Macphail was the first woman to be elected to Canada's House of Commons (1921)

-Cairine Wilson was the first woman to be appointed to Canada's Senate (1930). The Persons' Case of 1929 is one of the major achievements by Canadians for Canadians. The Famous 5 succeeded in having women defined as "persons" and thereby eligible for appointment to the Senate. This victory symbolized the right of women to participate in all facets of life

-William Lyon Mackenzie King was Canada's longest serving Prime Minister- 21 years 

-Sir Wilfrid Laurier was Canada's first Francophone Prime Minister 

-The first Canadian Governor General was Vincent Massey in 1952. Since his appointment, the Governor General has always been a Canadian citizen and we traditionally alternate appointments between Anglophones and Francophones.

-Jeanne Sauve was the first female Cabinet Minister from Quebec, first woman elected as speaker of the House of Commons, and was the first female Governor General. 

2. Place
-Construction of the Parliament buildings began in the 1860s. There was a fire in 1916 which destroyed all of the Centre Block except for the Library of Parliament. The library is extremely different from the rest of the Centre Block and it was completed in 1876.

-There is a Long-Term Vision Plan underway which is updating and restoring the historic parliamentary buildings: the triad of the West Block, Centre Block and East Block, followed by the rehabilitation of the other buildings within the Precinct.

-All 13 provinces and territories are represented in two specific areas of the building: the official entrance to Parliament (the Rotunda), and on the oak doors of the Senate chamber.

3. Process

-Our form of government is called a constitutional monarchy. This means that we have a Head of State and a Head of Government; the roles are separate and distinct. Our Head of State is Queen Elizabeth the 2nd of Canada, her powers are limited and defined by the Constitution and she is represented in Canada by the Governor General. Our Head of Government is our Prime Minister.

-Representation in the House of Commons is by population, each MP represents 110,000 Canadians. Representation in the Senate is by region to ensure that each province and territory is well represented. 

-In 2015 we are adding 30 more seats to our House of Commons- we will then have 338 seats.

-The biggest difference between a province and a territory is that provinces receive their power from the Constitution Act of 1867 and territories have powers delegated to them by the federal government. A change in the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces requires a constitutional amendment whereas a similar change impacting the territories can be performed by Parliament. 

4. Past 

-Canada became a country on July 1, 1867. We had four provinces at that time: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

-The rest of the provinces and territories joined later: Manitoba and the North West Territories (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), Yukon (1898), Alberta and Saskatchewan (1905), Newfoundland (1949), and Nunavut (1999). 

-The Official Languages Act was created in 1969 by Prime Minister Trudeau. It gives English and French equal status in the government of Canada. This Act provides that Canadians have the right to receive services from federal departments and Crown Corporations in both languages, will be heard before the federal courts in the official language of their choice, and that Parliament will publish regulations in both languages.

5. Miscellaneous 

-Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada in 1857
-The most expensive book in the Library of Parliament's collection is called "The Birds of America" by John Audubon. It is worth $10-13 million.

The Guiding Experience

Over the summer our tours get evaluated by our supervisors and they use a specific point system to ensure we are conveying accurate information that is properly linked together by our overarching theme. My theme is the legislative process- I discuss how a bill becomes a law and what needs to happen in Parliament for that to happen. The first time they evaluate our tours they follow us in our first language, our second evaluation is in our second language. At each of our stops on tour they make sure we have the following:

1. Content 

-People: Prime Ministers, Fathers of Confederations, Parliamentarians, Architects, etc.

-Place: Architecture, Art, Materials, Style, Form and Function

-Process: Legislation, Caucus Meetings, How a Bill becomes a Law

-Past: Confederation, Creation of the Parliament Buildings, Evolution of our Parliament

2. Learning Styles

-Emotive: Stories

-Sensory: Involve the senses through guided imagery 

-Cognitive: Facts, dates, concrete information 

3. Tour Cohesion

-Links between rooms on tour: Makes sure the tour flows well

-Theme of tour: Has to be evident at every single stop. Explain how each room on the tour is important to the legislative process.

4. Interaction

-Maintaining visitor attention: Make this fun for adults, kids, Canadians, international visitors

-Adapts content to meet visitors' needs: Need to consistently gauge the group to make sure they understand what you are saying 

-Encourages participation: Get everyone involved! 

5. Logistics 

-Follows time restrictions 

-Assertive communication

-Enforces rules appropriately 

6. Communication

-Voice projection, clarity and pace

-Body language 

7. Professionalism 

-Remains objective, neutral and nonpartisan 

-Respects visitors and all staff

-Understands operations and logistics of the building 

At first it was extremely overwhelming to try and cover all of the above at every stop on the tour because we only have 3 minutes in every room, including questions. My first evaluation in English was in July and it went well. I had my second one in French today and it was even better because I included mostly all of my supervisor's suggestions. I was nervous to be evaluated in my second language, however, I was pleasantly surprised and my French has definitely improved since April!

Canada Day on Parliament Hill

This summer was the first time I have been in Ottawa for Canada Day. It was also the only day this summer that all 40 Parliamentary Guides had the same day off. I really wanted to experience Canada Day on Parliament Hill because I never have and I am not sure when I will be back in Ottawa again.

We started the day off early and headed to Parliament Hill. As soon as we got close to the Hill we saw thousands of people. Wellington Street was closed to cars and packed with tourists. We got up onto the Hill around 9:30am and went right to the front of the stage. At 12pm the Prime Minister and the Governor General arrived, and the celebrations began. They each made speeches, we saw the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, there was a concert, and Clara Hughes (Canadian Olympic Champion) was the guest of honour. 

We were on the Hill from 9:30am-2pm and then we left to go to a BBQ and pool party hosted by one of the guides. We went back downtown in the evening to watch the Canada Day fireworks. I am really glad we went to experience the festivities on the Hill because even though it was extremely busy it was really fun to celebrate Canada's 147th birthday with thousands of other Canadians!

Family Visit

Last week my mom, aunt and grandma came to visit me in Ottawa! It was wonderful because I hadn't seen them in over two months and I was able to show them around the city. I gave them a tour of Parliament which I really enjoyed because they got to really see and understand what I do as a Parliamentary Guide. 

While they were here we also went to the Delegation of Ismaili Imamat, explored the Byward Market, Elgin Street and the Glebe, and took a day trip to Wakefield. We also discovered my favourite new clothing store in Ottawa: http://milkshop.ca/

We tried many new restaurants including: Maxwell's Bistro, Mambo, the Glebe's FarmTeam Cookhouse, Vittoria Trattoria, and Oh So Good. 

It was so great to see them and I can't believe this means I am halfway through my summer in Ottawa!

Life as a Parliamentary Guide

As a Parliamentary Guide I have many responsibilities and this blog post will allow me to explain what I do on Parliament Hill. 

1. Guide: For most of our shifts we are guides which means we are offering tours of Centre Block. We have recently extended the tour route so we now show visitors the House of Commons Foyer, House of Commons Chamber, Reading Room, Library of Parliament, Senate Foyer, Senate Chamber, and the Salon de la Francophonie. Each tour we give is different as we never know who will be on our tour so we need to be adaptable, creative, and engaging. Guiding is my favourite shift as I get to share my knowledge of Parliament, interact with visitors from all around the world, and I always learn something new because my visitors ask great questions. Guiding can also be the most challenging shift because we give tours to groups of 50 people and sometimes people are simply not interested in the legislative process; my goal is to try and make Canadian government and legislation exciting. Another challenge we have is that we offer tours in both English and French and sometimes people who do not speak French take tickets for the French tours; all of a sudden members of the group do not know what I am saying and maintaining control of the group becomes harder. We offer four English tours and two French tours every hour so I am always keeping track of logistics in my mind while giving my tour. I have to know where my colleagues are while I am speaking to ensure that we do not create backups in the hallways. Guiding has pushed me outside of my comfort zone because I never thought I would be very comfortable speaking in front of 50 people for over an hour in either English or French. 

2. Peace Tower & Memorial Chamber: We work in the Peace Tower and Memorial Chamber to offer informal interpretation. The Memorial Chamber is a space dedicated to Canadian soldiers who have passed away in different conflicts around the world while representing Canada. We do not give tours of this space but we are there to maintain decorum and to answer any questions our visitors may have. 

3. Greeting: This shift takes place right outside the Peace Tower, directly outside the entrance to Parliament's Centre Block. It is our responsibility to ensure we know what every visitor entering the building is there for. Essentially, no visitor can enter Parliament without speaking to us first. I love this shift because I get to spend time meeting people from all over the world, who I might not necessarily meet on tour, and I get to spend time outside.

4. 90 Wellington: This is where we distribute tickets for the guided tours. Tickets are given out on the same day, first come-first serve. Generally this is also a fun shift because we are meeting many visitors, however, on very busy days (Victoria Day weekend, Canada Day week) this shift becomes hard as we run out of tickets early. For the rest of the day we are telling visitors we do not have any tickets left and explaining how they can try and get tickets for the next day. This is probably where you will deal with the most disappointment because many people are shocked that we run out of tickets and simply do not understand why they cannot all enter the building. It is our job to explain that we have 6 public tours every hour, plus reserved groups, which means we are hosting around 3,000 visitors a day and because of security we simply cannot accommodate more. Generally visitors are understanding, however, there are always people who are persistent and ask us to make special exceptions, which we cannot. This shift teaches you how to be empathetic, but also how to communicate effectively and assertively.