13 June 2014
The Professional Association of Foreign Service Officers (PAFSO) is pleased to announce the winners of its fourth annual photo contest held earlier this spring.
This year, PAFSO innovated by featuring two separate categories under which its members as well as their spouses and dependents could participate. In addition to its traditional category titled “The World through Canadian Eyes”, which showcases compelling photographs taken all around the world, PAFSO introduced a second category titled “Foreign Service Officers: Canada’s Front Line Abroad”. This category aims at highlighting the hazards and challenges that Foreign Service officers face as a result of their service, the value they bring to Canadians as well as their successes.
In the first category, Laura Atar’s “Pure Bliss” was chosen as the first-prize winner. Her picture was taken during the Ottawa 2013 Bluesfest. “Though it precedes the end of our strike by a few weeks”, explained Laura, “I can’t help but think of it as epitomizing the burst of pure bliss (and relief) that followed the announcement of the tentative agreement between PAFSO and Treasury Board”. Amy Colbourne and Nicole Lunstead respectively won the second and third prize in that category.
In the category “Foreign Service Officers: Canada’s Front Line Abroad”, Jeff Senior’s photograph showing members of the Nigerien military dismounting on the outskirts of Agadez in the Sahara/Niger desert was chosen as the first-prize winner. Jeff took this picture while he accompanied members of Canadian Special Forces participating in a joint simulation exercise (FLINTLOCK) for counter-terrorism training. Robert Burley and Erin Koenig respectively won the second and third prize in that category.
Each winner will receive a gift certificate from Henry’s, a major Canadian photo equipment and electronics retailer ($150 for the first prize, $100 for the second prize and $50 for the third prize).
The judging committee of the PAFSO 2014 Photo Contest also awarded honourable mentions to the following photographers: Robert Burley, Stéphane Charbonneau, Robert Dutka, Matt Friesen, Scott Giesbrecht and François Quenneville-Dumont.
Click here to view the winning photos and honourable mentions.
This year again, images submitted in the contest will be used to create a desk calendar for PAFSO members. Some will also be featured in a future edition of Bout de papier Magazine, Canada’s magazine of diplomacy and Foreign Service.
Congratulations to all of our winners and honourable mention recipients!
The Executive Committee of PAFSO