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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 Waterloo: Pursuing a Public Life – How to Succeed in the Political Arena

November 12, 2025 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm EST

Pursuing a Public Life:
How to Succeed in the Political Arena

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Time: Presentation at 6:30PM
Location: Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada | 232 King Street North, Waterloo

 

Join the Canadian International Council’s Waterloo Branch on November 12th for the launch of Pursuing a Public Life: How to Succeed in the Political Arena by the Hon. Sergio Marchi. The book is a timely and practical guide for anyone considering a life in public service. With candour and hard-won lessons from decades in politics and diplomacy, Marchi lays out how to enter, endure, and lead in public life.

About the Book & Author

Do you relish the thought of serving in public life, but don’t know where to start? With the honesty of experience, distinguished politician Sergio Marchi clearly spells out all the practical steps that you need to follow.

Our politics are currently suffering formidable challenges. Our national discourse has become more polarized, increasingly divisive, and notably nastier. Consequently, many people are keeping their distance from public life, rejecting a political system that they deem broken and unrepairable. Public opinion surveys consistently reveal that public cynicism is at a record high, coupled by declining voter turnout. Many people are disengaged from public life.

The Honourable Sergio Marchi — city councillor, member of Parliament, cabinet minister, and ambassador — relates his experiences over his thirty-year political career. He shares the adventures, policy decisions, and lessons learned in an effort to shed light on the inner workings of a public life, from nomination meetings, to campaigning, to governing, to make it easier for those interested in making a difference to take the plunge into an exciting, meaningful, and purposeful profession.

 

What to Expect

  • Author remarks on breaking into public life, staying resilient, and leading with purpose
  • Audience Q&A
  • Book sales and signing

 

Who Should Attend

Students of politics and public policy, campaign and constituency staff, public servants, community organizers, and anyone curious about serving municipally, provincially, federally, or internationally.

Details

Venue

  • Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada, King Street North, Waterloo, ON, Canada

Organizer

  • CIC Waterloo Region Branch
  • Phone 5195048910
  • Email waterloo@thecic.org