Political Speakers Series: In Conversation with Bill Graham

The Montreal Press Club, the Concordia's Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies and the Canadian International Council are organizing a special event with Bill Graham, Canada's former minister of foreign affairs and minister of defence.

Bill Graham will be interviewed by Céline Cooper, journalist at the Montreal Gazette.

$25 plus administration fee and taxes (Cocktails not included)
Register by calling 514-288-0201 or reception@ucmontreal.ca

Presentation starts at 5:45 p.m.

The Call of the World takes us on an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes tour of defining moments in recent global history. Bill Graham -- Canada's minister of foreign affairs and then-minister of defence in the tumultuous years following 9/11 -- is an insightful and wryly humorous guide, steering readers through an astonishing array of national and international events, explaining important geopolitical relationships, and revealing the human side of global affairs through his deft portraits of world leaders.

A natural storyteller, Graham offers personal reflections as well as a riveting account of his years in office. He recalls his fortunate childhood in Vancouver and reflects on his time working as an international lawyer in Paris, as a backbencher in Ottawa, and as a cabinet minister during the Chrétien-Martin years. While his political career took him around the world, he remained a devoted champion of his constituents in his riding of Toronto Centre.

During his time as a member of Parliament, Graham was a passionate promoter of bilingualism and an early advocate for gay and lesbian rights. He is perhaps best known, though, for his role in keeping Canada out of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for his work in rebuilding the Canadian Armed Forces, and for stepping up as interim leader of the Liberal Party following Paul Martin's resignation.

Many of the issues tackled in The Call of the World remain as immediate as today's headlines. Graham demystifies globalization, free trade, human rights, peacekeeping, and multilateralism. All the while, he offers a bold appraisal of Canada's current role on the global stage and makes a case for why international law offers the best hope for a safer, more prosperous, and just world.