Waterloo, Canada – May 12 – Egypt’s political revolution fulfilled many hopes, yet set off deep implications for regional and global security. What transitional challenges does the country now face, and how can Canadians help ensure that democracy and stability prevail?
On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, starting at 7:30 p.m., Ben Rowswell will deliver The Centre for International Governance Innovation’s (CIGI) Signature Lecture, and share his vision on how to support peace building tools that are adaptable to a new era in international affairs, based on the situation in Egypt. The discussion comes at an important time as claims of rising tension and sectarian violence threaten the country’s democratic transition.
A visiting scholar at Stanford University and recent Representative of Canada in Kandahar, Rowswell will present “Politics in Peace Building: Testing a New Approach in Egypt”, following a full-day Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA) conference workshop on “The Future of Peace Building: Haiti, Afghanistan and Beyond”.
Rowswell also served in the Canadian foreign service in Egypt from 1996 to 1998, as the Chargé d’Affaires in Iraq from 2003 to 2005, and as the Deputy Head of Mission in Kabul from 2008 to 2009. He has practical experience leading aid workers, civilian police, and other experts involved in peace building.
Members of the media are encouraged to attend by registering with [email protected]. To register for a live webcast of this event, please visit: http://peacebuildingegypt.eventbrite.com/.
Event:
CIGI Signature Lecture – “Politics in Peace Building: Testing a New Approach in Egypt” featuring Ben Rowswell
Date:
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Time:
7:30-9 p.m.
Location:
The Centre for International Governance Innovation
57 Erb St. West, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Biography:
Ben Rowswell is a visiting scholar at Stanford University, where he is a leading a research project to support democracy activists in Egypt called www.cloudtostreet.org.
As a Canadian diplomat he has specialized in the Arab and Muslim world. He served in the Political Section of the Canadian Embassy in Egypt from 1996 to 1998, as the Chargé d’Affaires in Iraq from 2003 to 2005, and as the Deputy Head of Mission in Kabul from 2008 to 2009. For his most recent assignment he served as the Representative of Canada in Kandahar, leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team of more than 100 American and Canadian diplomats, aid workers, civilian police and other experts in strengthening the provincial government at the heart of the Afghan conflict.
His thematic expertise is in peace-building and democracy promotion. A Senior Associate at the Center on Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC, he is the co-editor of “Iraq: Preventing a New Generation of Conflict” (2007). He founded the Democracy Unit in Canada’s foreign ministry, and is an inaugural recipient of the Palmer Prize for Diplomats awarded by the Community of Democracies.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kevin Dias, Communications Specialist, CIGI
Tel: 519.885.2444, ext. 238, Email: [email protected]
The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, nonpartisan think tank on international governance. Led by experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements. Conducting an active agenda of research, events and publications, CIGI’s interdisciplinary work includes collaboration with policy, business and academic communities around the world. CIGI was founded in 2001 by Jim Balsillie, co-CEO of RIM (Research In Motion), and collaborates with and gratefully acknowledges support from a number of strategic partners, in particular the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario. For more information, please visit www.cigionline.org.