Speakers series on Afghanistan proves popular for VIU’s ElderCollege

More than 100 students have enrolled for the Saturday


Speaker Series on Afghanistan, presented by Vancouver Island University’s ElderCollege.

The series, with just a few spaces still available, begins


Saturday with a presentation on the region’s history and social culture by Bill


Ellis, of Buckley Bay, a retired water resource engineer with extensive Middle


East experience.

“That


part of the world is so different from our world, it’s hard for us to


understand why they do what they do. I’m hoping to give some understanding of


how they live and work,” said Ellis.

With


degrees in Civil Engineering and Agricultural Engineering, Ellis has worked on


water resource projects in the Middle East “on and off for forty years.” He


recently joined Ryan’s Well Foundation, which funds water wells in impoverished


lands, and is volunteering to “Go wherever they want me to go.”

Other speakers in the series include Lauryn Oates, Co-founder


Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, Anne Irwin, CDFAI Chair in


Child-Military Relations, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, University


of Calgary, Lt.-Col. Doug Poitras, a senior officer in the Canadian military


with experience in Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer with experience in


Afghanistan and international affairs journalist Gwynne Dyer.

ElderCollege


is a program of the Centre for Continuing Studies at Vancouver Island


University that delivers courses to learners over 55. Younger spouses and


partners are also eligible to become members. There is a $15 annual membership


fee and courses are usually six weeks long at a cost of $35.

For


more on ElderCollege, visit www.viu.ca/eldercollege


or call 1-866-734-6252

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