Trent University Oshawa students had a rare and valuable experience when Mark Entwistle, former Canadian ambassador to Cuba, participated in a summer seminar class at Trent University Oshawa on Monday, June 23, 2014. A group of third- and fourth-year students had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Entwistle during an informal reception, followed by the seminar dialogue on Cuba and North America.

The seminar course is taught by history professor Dr. Robert Wright, who provides students with the opportunity to explore Cuban-North American relations in depth, both through discussion of scholarship in the field and through advanced independent research. The course examines the evolution of Canadian and American relations with Cuba since the nineteenth century, with a particular emphasis on the Castro era.

"Few Canadians know Cuba as well as Mark Entwistle," says Prof. Wright. "Students had the opportunity to discuss what they have read about Fidel Castro, for example, with somebody who spent over a hundred hours in his presence. But more than this, Mark has literally lived Canadian history, whether serving at the Canadian Embassy in the 'perestroika' era Moscow of Mikhael Gorbachev, or advising Canadian prime ministers and ministers. It is this extraordinary wealth of experience that Mark brought to the students of Trent Oshawa."

Mr. Entwistle was a Canadian diplomat for sixteen years and served as Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Cuba from 1993 to 1997. Among other achievements, he drafted the 14-point joint Canadian-Cuban declaration that ultimately led to the Chrétien-Castro state visit of 1998, the only one of its kind other than Pierre Trudeau's visit in 1976. Mr. Entwistle is widely regarded as the most activist ambassador Canada ever posted to Cuba. His Foreign Service career included assignments at the Canadian Embassies in Tel Aviv, Israel (1982-1985) and Moscow, in the former USSR (1986-1989), where he was responsible for political analysis and bilateral relations.

Prof. Wright interviewed Mr. Entwistle in 2004 while researching his book on Pierre Trudeau and Fidel Castro, Three Nights in Havana. Since that time, Prof. Wright and Mr. Entwistle have collaborated on several projects, including a highly successful round table on Cuba held at Trent Oshawa in November 2007, and the 2009 book Our Place in the Sun.

Posted on Wednesday, July 2, 2014.