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The mission of the CIC is to promote an understanding of international affairs and Canada’s role in a changing world by providing Canadians with a non-partisan, nationwide forum for informed discussion, analysis and debate. Accordingly, the cornerstone of the CIC’s work is our events program. The CIC national office and our branches hold more than 150 events per year in cities across the country. In particular, our branch events give members an opportunity to directly engage with global issues that often intersect with local concerns. The CIC also supports events outside of Canada, often in partnership with other global think tanks, that can introduce Canadian perspectives to global audiences. CIC events take on many different forms, from academic lectures and panel discussions to town hall meetings and pub nights. Please consult our events calendar for a listing of CIC-organized and sponsored events.

If you have an idea for a CIC event, please contact us at info@thecic.org.

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CIC Victoria: Afghanistan – Unwinnable Peace

November 28, 2024 @ 11:30 am - 2:00 pm PST

For CIC Victoria members, registration details will be sent at a later date.

🍁 Union Club Lunch Event: Afghanistan: Unwinnable Peace

When: Thursday, 28 November

Where:  The Union Club, 805 Gordon Street

Time: 11:30 am – 1:30 pm (registration desk opens at 11:30 am)

Our Speaker: Tim Martin – the last Representative of Canada in Kandahar (RoCK)

 

Join us as our speaker, former Ambassador and RoCK Tim Martin, discusses his new book.

On 15 August 2021, Afghanistan’s capital city of Kabul fell to the Taliban. It was the final act of the ‘War in Afghanistan’ that began in October 2001, a war launched in direct response to the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States that killed almost 3,000 people, including at least 24 Canadians. On 15 August 2021, the Canadian government also announced that it was suspending operations at its Embassy in Kabul due to the worsening security situation.

The closing of the Embassy brought to an end two decades of Canadian, and efforts by our allies, to root out the Taliban, eliminate other terrorist organizations based in Afghanistan and create the conditions that would eventually lead to a new, inclusive and democratic Afghan government. What was Canada’s longest war (2001-2014) pushed military, diplomatic, judicial and humanitarian organizations to their limits. But as Tim asks, was it all in vain?

Based on interviews with twenty-one key decision-makers and participants, many of whom are speaking publicly for the first time, the speaker’s new book ‘Unwinnable Peace’ recounts the personal and professional challenges faced by individuals deeply committed to securing and rebuilding Afghanistan’s Kandahar province – the men and women who are still struggling to reconcile their sacrifices with the eventual Taliban victory.

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Tim Martin, our speaker, is a career diplomat, who served in Ethiopia, Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Somalia and held ambassador-level positions in the Palestinian Territories, Argentina and Colombia. For his service to Canada, Tim was honoured with three medals in addition to the Award of Excellence in the Public Service for Canada’s humanitarian assistance to Palestinian children affected by conflict.

Details

  • Date: November 28, 2024
  • Time:
    11:30 am - 2:00 pm PST

Venue

  • The Union Club of BC
  • 805 Gordon Street
    Victoria, BC V8W 1Z6 Canada     + Google Map

Organizer

  • CIC Victoria Branch