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This is a rather special book. It is an account of the early years of a Canadian initiative to develop and lead a radically new foreign policy agenda, built around the concept of human security. Our goal was to take stock of this first phase of work. Cumulatively, the chapters highlight just how much has been accomplished in such a relatively brief span of time. But they also point the way forward to the challenges of the future. The human security paradigm not only changes the way we look at the world, it leads to a new way of acting in the world — and to a new diplomacy. This book is special for another reason. The authors of the chapters are all foreign policy practitioners, professionals from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Their papers are not academic studies, but "insider" accounts of how each issue developed and what obstacles were overcome. Hence, it goes without saying that what follows is not "official government policy," but rather the more personal accounts of individuals who are ultimately responsible for the views reflected in these chapters"--Editor's Preface, page [xxi]."