Noon Lecture: "Addressing Armed Violence in East Africa"

About the lecture:

Project Ploughshares and World Vision Canada recently released a collaborative report entitled: "Addressing Armed Violence in East Africa: A Report on World Vision Peacebuilding, Development and Humanitarian Assistance Programmes." The report is based on field research in selected areas of Kenya, Uganda, and Sudan in September 2008 documenting the impact of World Vision peacebuilding and development programming. This report was officially launched on 12 November 2009 at the International Peace Institute in New York in connection with the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, and the 16 November 2009 tabling at the UN General Assembly of the UN Secretary-General's 5 August 2009 report: "Promoting Development through the Reduction and Prevention of Armed Violence."

About the speakers:

John Siebert became the Executive Director of Project Ploughshares in 2005. Founded in 1976, Project Ploughshares is the ecumenical peace centre of the Canadian Council of Churches. The work of Project Ploughshares includes research and policy development on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, the control and reduction of conventional weapons including small arms and light weapons, peacebuilding with partners in the Horn of Africa and the Caribbean, and critical evaluation of Canada’s foreign and defense policy from a human security framework. Prior to joining Project Ploughshares, John worked for several NGOs, including the national office of The United Church of Canada (1992-1998) on human rights and indigenous peoples’ issues. From 1982-1986 he was a Foreign Service Officer with Canada’s Department of External Affairs and International Trade, which included a posting to the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. John has an MA from the University of St. Michaels College, University of Toronto.

Kenneth Epps is the Senior Program Associate at Project Ploughshares.