News Release

Former UN ambassador gives talk at U of G

Stephen Lewis, the United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, will speak to University of Guelph students and community members Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in War Memorial Hall. The event is free for students and $20 for members of the public.

Lewis’s talk will focus on the importance of informed and engaged citizenship. Drawing on his experiences working with the UN over the past two decades, he will challenge the audience to make a difference in their local and global communities.

This is the first talk in a new speaker series called “Dialogue.” “The goal of the series is to bring speakers on campus who promote dialogue, provoke thinking outside the box and encourage thinking in a unique way,” said Rachel Barreca, residence program coordinator.

Lewis returned to Canada in 1999 after four years as deputy executive director of UNICEF in New York. He was first appointed a special representative for UNICEF in 1990. From 1984 through 1988, he was Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lewis was an elected representative to the Ontario legislature, becoming leader of the New Democratic Party in 1970. He holds 15 honorary degrees from Canadian universities and is a noted radio and television commentator and race relations arbitrator.

Tickets for the event are available at the Central Student Association box office and The Bookshelf. The lecture is sponsored by the residence programming office in Student Housing Services and the Student Affairs office.

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For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs, 519-824-4120, Ext. 6982.

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