September 24, 2012
Media tips & leads
Is There Hope For Haiti?
In January 2010 an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude devastated southeastern Haiti, a country already paralyzed by extreme poverty and unemployment. B.C. resident Dr. Nigel Fisher took leave as president of UNICEF Canada to lead the UN post-disaster-needs assessment team and stayed on to co-ordinate UN humanitarian and development agency activities in Haiti.
Fisher, a United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, will discuss the UN role in Haiti and lessons learned in a lecture Friday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in UVic’s Bob Wright Centre, room B150. The lecture is part of UVic’s 50th anniversary events and is sponsored by the School of Public Administration and UVic’s UNICEF Canada on Campus.
Fisher will share his first-hand experience of the progress of the international community efforts and the enormous humanitarian, recovery and political challenges including questions raised about the disbursement of the hundreds of millions of dollars in aid that poured into the country after the catastrophe.
Fisher has a long history of leadership in crisis and conflict situations, including directing the UNICEF team in Rwanda immediately after the 1994 genocide, overseeing child-soldier demobilization and child-trauma-recovery programs, as well as missions in Afghanistan immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, and in northern Iraq after the first Gulf War. He is a recognized authority on children affected by armed combat.
The event is free and open to the public but due to limited seating, reservations are required by contacting UVic UNICEF at uvic.unicef@gmail.com.
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Media Contacts:Evert Lindquist (Public Administration) at 250-721-8084 or evert@uvic.ca
John Nsabimana (MPA student and Unicef Canada on Campus) at 250-216-0587 or jnsabima@uvic.ca
For media interviews with Fisher, contact Christine McLaren (Human and Social Development Communications) at 250-853-3213 or mclaren@uvic.ca
Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/uvicnews
UVic is celebrating its 50th anniversary from Sept. 2012 to June 2013. Visit www.uvic.ca/anniversary for more info.
UVic Opens Doors At 50th Anniversary Festival
UVic is celebrating 50 years of excellence at its 50th Anniversary Festival Sept. 28 and 29.
“We invite everyone to come to campus for what will be one of the biggest community events in UVic’s history,” says Joy Davis, director of the 50th Anniversary Office. “We will have over 100 showcases open to the public, including live music, lectures, tours, open houses and kids’ activities. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be backstage at the Phoenix Theatre or wanted to take a tour of the art on the UVic campus, this is the time!”
Events kick off Friday with a 50th birthday party featuring music on the roof of the Student Union Building from 2 to 4 p.m. On Sept. 29, departments and research centres will open their doors for behind-the-scenes tours, activities and talks, including a Chemistry Pentathlon and experiments for kids in the Department of Chemistry, a chance to see the largest skeletal collection on campus in the Department of Anthropology, a family orienteering event in the Faculty of Social Sciences, and an opportunity to try out the EcoCAR simulator with the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Other activities include ballroom dance demonstrations, tours of Finnerty Gardens and First Peoples House, University Archives’ display of historical UVic material, and the Island Savings Family Zone with roving performers, puppet shows, juggling workshops and kids’ games.
The performance stage in the university quadrangle will feature local musicians on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For a complete performance schedule and band bios, visit http://www.uvic.ca/anniversary/festival/music/index.php.
Ten Vikes games will take place throughout the weekend, as well as a Vikes Retro Party and dance on Saturday at 8 p.m. For details visit http://www.uvic.ca/anniversary/festival/vikes/Vikes.php.
Along with the festival, the first Alumni Homecoming will welcome UVic graduates back to campus for special events on Sept. 29. Alumni Talks include eight presentations on an eclectic set of topics ranging from poetry to web start-ups. A formal reunion dinner will bring together former students from across the decades. It wraps up with the Vikes Homecoming Retro Party in McKinnon Gym. For details and registration information, visit alumni.uvic.ca/homecoming.
Admission to the festival is free and everyone is welcome. To view the complete program of events and locations, visit http://www.uvic.ca/anniversary/festival/index.php. Complimentary parking and bicycle valet parking will be available on Saturday and a free BC Transit shuttle be operating around Ring Road. Refreshments will include a barbecue in front of McPherson Library ($5 for a burger, drink and cookie). Please bring your travel mug or water bottle and fill it with free water, coffee, tea or hot apple cider at the Welcome Tent.
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Media Contacts:Melanie Groves (UVic Communications) at 250-472-4357 or mgroves@uvic.ca
Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/uvicnews
UVic is celebrating its 50th anniversary from Sept. 2012 to June 2013. Visit www.uvic.ca/anniversary for more info.
