Geo-political expert and award-winning journalist gives talk at CIGI

Media Advisory

January 14, 2010

Waterloo, Ontario – January 14, 2010 – Geo-political expert and award-winning journalist Cleo Paskal will give a talk at The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) on January 14, as part of CIGI’s ongoing Signature Lecture Series.

On the heels of the Copenhagen climate change conference, Ms. Paskal thinks that we have even more reasons to be nervous.  Her lecture will examine how environmental changes will affect more than just the weather.

 Ms. Paskal specializes in the geopolitical, security and economic implications of environmental change, including climate change. She is a senior fellow at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London, U.K. and a consultant for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Global Energy and Environmental Strategic Ecosystem.

She has presented her findings to a wide range of stakeholders, including the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, U.K. Ministry of Defence, the EU, NATO and the German Foreign Office. Also, she has briefed high-ranking government officials from many countries and CEOs from some of the word’s largest companies on specific scenarios they might face in the coming years.

Ms. Paskal is an award-winning journalist who is currently a columnist with the Toronto Star.

She has presented radio shows for the British Broadcasting Corporation and wrote an Emmy-winning television documentary series.  In her latest book, Global Warring: How Environmental, Economic, and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map, Ms. Paskal argues that global warring is not only coming, it’s here.

Ramesh Thakur, Director of the Balsillie School of International Affairs and CIGI Distinguished Fellow, will introduce the speaker. A question-and-answer session follows the lecture which is co-presented by CIGI, the University of Waterloo Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo Bookstore and Key Porter Books.

 EVENT:

Global Warring: How Environmental, Economic, and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map

DATE:

Thursday, January 14, 2010

TIME:

7:00 – 9:00 pm, lecture followed by a Q&A session

LOCATION:

The Centre for International Governance Innovation

57 Erb Street West, Waterloo, Ontario

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mary-Lou Schagena

Communications Specialist

Telephone: 519-885-2444, ext. 238

The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, nonpartisan think tank that addresses international governance challenges. Led by a group of experienced practitioners and distinguished academics, CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate, builds capacity, 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 2002 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.

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