Chicago Council on Global Affairs: "Rebuilding Afghanistan: A Civilian and Military Perspective" December 10, 2010

WOMEN AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT FORUM

REBUILDING AFGHANISTAN: A CIVILIAN AND MILITARY PERSPECTIVE
Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO, Women for Women International
General Walter Natynczyk, CMM, MSC, CD, Chief of the Defence Staff, Canadian Forces

Strong and ethical governance, economic stability, and a well-educated populace will be integral to Afghanistan’s ability to thrive in the future. Yet, the gender gap in civic participation, and education in particular, continues to hinder progress on these fronts—a startling indicator of the country’s need to address endemic gender inequality before real progress can be made. As such, the role of women in Afghanistan’s ongoing reconstruction efforts is of vital interest to explore. Join us for a conversation with Women for Women International founder Zainab Salbi and General Walter Natynczyk of the Canadian Forces, who will discuss the ongoing Afghan rebuilding efforts from both a military and civil society perspective and highlight the importance of the international community’s involvement in the reconstruction process.

Zainab Salbi is founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a grassroots humanitarian and development organization devoted to helping women survivors of wars. She is the recipient of the 2010 David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award, the Forbes Trailblazer Award, and Time Magazine’s Innovator of the Month award, among many others. Salbi is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, one of 22 members of the Clinton Global Initiative Lead program, and is a member of the United Nations (UN) secretary-general’s Civil Society Advisory Group focusing on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Salbi has authored two books, including the national bestseller Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam, which details her life under Saddam Hussein’s rule. Salbi received her B.A. from George Mason University and her M.A. from the London School of Economics.

General Walter Natynczyk is chief of the defence staff of the Canadian Forces. He joined the Canadian Forces in 1975, and has served in numerous regimental command positions. His experience includes 4 years on NATO duty in Germany; six months of UN peacekeeping duties in Cyprus; and a year-long mission with the UN in the Former Yugoslavia as sector southwest chief of operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina with British forces. He was the third Canadian to serve as deputy commanding general, III Corps at Fort Hood, Texas and deployed with III Corps to Iraq in 2004, serving first as the deputy director of strategy, policy, and plans and subsequently as the deputy commanding general of the Multi-National Corps. He is a graduate of the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, the U.K. All Arms Tactics Course, and the U.S. Army War College, and received his M.B.A. from Royal Roads Military College.

12:00 noon Registration
12:30 p.m. Lunch, presentation, and Q&A session
2:00 p.m. Adjournment

Official Website: http://www.thechicagocouncil.org/chicago_council_event_corporate_detail.php?eventid=2297