Waterloo, Ontario - On January 30, CIGI will host "The Search for Security in Afghanistan," a lecture by CIGI Senior Fellow Mark Sedra. Mr. Sedra will provide insight into the Afghan security predicament and examine how it can be overcome.
Canadians have been inundated with news of a Taliban-led insurgency that is steadily gaining momentum, a burgeoning narcotics trade that has bred criminality and obstructed development, and growing government corruption and incompetence that has begun to alienate the local population. By contrast, the Canadian government has painted a picture of a desperate and fading Taliban movement opposed by a unified NATO alliance and an Afghan government that is increasingly capable and assertive. Amidst these contradictory messages, it has been difficult for the Canadian public to gain an accurate picture of what is happening in Afghanistan. The reality on the ground in Afghanistan, as Mark Sedra will show, is far more nuanced and complex than either of these conflicting narratives convey.
Mark Sedra is a Senior Fellow at CIGI and a Research Scholar in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo. Mr. Sedra has consulted governments, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs on issues pertaining to the security and political situation in Afghanistan, including the United Nations, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and the UK Department for International Development.
INTERVIEW AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITY
EVENT: Public Lecture: "The Search for Security in Afghanistan"
DATE: Wednesday, January 30, 2008
TIME: 7:00 - 9:00 pm
LOCATION: The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), 57 Erb Street West, Waterloo