Event featuring global affairs columnist Gwynne Dyer coming to Shelburne

Written By Paula Brown

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Dufferin County residents will have the opportunity to discuss the intricacies of the war in Ukraine with a local international affairs columnist. 

Gwynne Dyer, a columnist with the Shelburne Free Press and Orangeville Citizen, will be a featured guest at an upcoming event co-hosted by CanHist and Mills & Company, at Grace Tipling Hall on March 19 at 7 p.m. 

“Dufferin County residents know him well through his columns in the Free Press and Citizen and anybody who reads his columns understands the tremendous experience that he has and the voice he brings to global issues, particularly in the realm of conflict and climate,” said Neil Orford, president of CanHist. “We couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring him in and speak to the community.”

The lecture, titled “In the meantime, Ukraine – A History of War in the 21st Century”, will address the specific strategies, tactics and politics of the war in Ukraine, including the potential nuclear dimension of the conflict. The lecture will also consider the evolving nature and role of war as an institution in the 21st century. 

“To have a chance to engage with an expert on these matters helps in a community, where you get a chance to ask questions, have some public discourse, and really pursue this at an intellectual level,” said Orford. 

Dyer has worked as a freelance journalist, columnist, broadcaster and lecturer on international affairs, but was originally trained as a historian. He's received degrees from Canadian, American and British universities and completed a Ph.D. in Military and Middle Eastern History from the University of London. 

Before launching his twice-weekly column on international affairs, which is published in more than 20 countries, Dyer served in three navies and held academic appointments at the Canadian Forces College, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and Oxford University. 

In 2010, he was made an officer of the Order of Canada. 

Dyer has published multiple books with his most recent tome, The Shortest History of War, published in 2021, and his upcoming publication Intervention Earth is set for release in spring 2024. 

The presentation featuring Dyer will be an inaugural event in a larger upcoming speaker series brought to the community by co-hosts CanHist and Mills & Company. 

The speaker series called, Small Town Big Ideas, will feature six different speaking guests who will discuss international affairs as well as Canada's ongoing role in world affairs, particularly through a historical lens. 

“We're excited to bring these voices to the Grace Tipling Hall,” said Orford. 

Tickets to the Gwynne Dyer event are free and can be obtained by visiting the Small-Town Big Ideas page on the CanHist website - www.canhist.ca.