David is an independent writer, traveller, pilgrim, mentor, facilitator and aspiring sage (*). This is his third career.
A former Canadian naval officer, David spent 15 of his 31 years in uniform at sea in ships and submarines. His time ashore was spent in staff appointments that included personnel policy, project management, operational planning, and doctrine development for which he received a Maritime Commander’s Commendation in 1996. In 1992/93 he was seconded to the European Community Monitoring Mission in the disintegrating Yugoslavia where he coordinated operations in Eastern Herzegovina, Montenegro and the southern Dalmatian coast of Croatia. Between 1993 and 1996 his duties included serving as a naval advisor to the Middle East Peace Process.
In 1996, David left the Navy to establish an independent applied research consultancy, focusing on maritime dimensions of enhancing international stability, confidence and cooperation in regions of tension. This led to writing, lecturing, and facilitating a wide range of projects around the world: from Track Two diplomatic initiatives to confidence and capacity building; from emergency management to ocean governance. (For more on those, see “Publications”). After more than two intensive decades that included extensive travel across the Middle East and Asia, he is now focused on pursuing other interests, ranging across history, travel, visual arts and matters philosophical.
David is a Senior Research Fellow with the International Ocean Institute–Canada, a member of the Board of Directors for Brunswick Street Mission in Halifax, a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, and holds a Masters degree in Marine Management from Dalhousie University.
(*) As Winston Churchill observed, “The young sow wild oats, the old grow sage”.
Contact
For anything even remotely related to business matters such as international relations or ocean governance, please contact me through my Dalhousie University address (david.griffiths@dal.ca) . Otherwise, the email address below is the one to use. I’m always happy to correspond on matters of mutual interest.