James George

James George (September 14, 1918 – February 7, 2020) was a Canadian diplomat, political and environmental activist, author, and "spiritual seeker." A founder of the Threshold Foundation and president of the Sadat Peace Foundation, he led the Friends of the Earth international mission to Kuwait and the Persian Gulf to assess post-war environmental damage.

Early life George was born in September 1918 in Toronto, Ontario. He received a Littauer Fellowship to Harvard University, and was a 1940 Rhodes Scholar for Ontario, studying at Upper Canada College, Trinity College, and University of Toronto, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters by Trinity College, University of Toronto, at its May 2008 Convocation.

Career George served in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War II, attaining to the rank of Lt. Commander, following which he represented Canada at the United Nations. Between 1955 and 1957 he was deputy director at the Intelligence division at the External affairs in Ottawa. He was later the Canadian deputy permanent representative at NATO in Paris from 1957 and 1960. Another Canadian working at the same time at NATO was Hugh Hambleton, later revealed to have been working as a spy for the Soviet Union.

James George then served as High Commissioner of Canada to Sri Lanka (Ceylon) 1960–64, then in Paris at the Canadian embassy, High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Nepal 1967–72, Commonwealth Secretary-General Arnold Smith credited George with helping to contain the conflict between India and Pakistan in 1971, when East Pakistan became Bangladesh. During his years of diplomatic service, he met numerous spiritual thinking and teachers, including Krishnamurti, Thomas Merton, Yogaswami of Sri Lanka, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Dudjom Rinpoche, and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Across six decades he has been a devoted practitioner of the Gurdjieff Work, and was a close disciple of the late Madame de Salzmann, G.I. Gurdjieff's primary student.

Personal life George was twice married, first to Caroline Parfitt, 1942–96, with whom he had three children: Daniel, Graham (died 2003) and Caroline Randolph (Dolphi).

Publications