Astute, critical, and often controversial Gwynne Dyer has built his career on examining world affairs and analyzing how they affect Canada. A historian, journalist, and broadcaster, Dyer is best known for his documentary television series and book War. Focusing most frequently on international military and political concerns, Dyer’s current projects explore the looming strategic confrontation in Asia and long-range political and demographic implications of extreme climate change. Gwynne Dyer will address The Banff Centre audience at the Margaret Greenham Theatre on Friday, March 9.
Dyer’s bi-weekly syndicated column on international affairs is published in nearly 200 newspapers in more than 40 countries around the world, and is translated into more than a dozen languages. His views can not necessarily be categorized as conventionally right or left. With extensive experience working as a journalist in the Soviet Union, Dyer tends to favour free markets but has also reprimanded Western governments for not fully supporting the Kyoto Protocol. His column was blacklisted by Canadian newspaper conglomerates Canwest Global and Hollinger International, and is now only available in Canada through independently owned newspapers and the Black Press.
Born in Newfoundland, Dyer received degrees from Canadian, American, and British universities, finishing with a Ph.D. in Military and Middle Eastern History. He has served in three navies and held academic appointments at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Oxford University. By 1980, Dyer was working as a freelance journalist, broadcaster, and lecturer, and he collaborated with Tina Viljoen on the seven-part television series War, for the National Film Board of Canada. War was eventually shown in 45 countries with one episode The Profession of Arms nominated for an Academy Award. His more recent television productions The Human Race and Protection Force both won Gemini awards and he has also been recognized for his radio documentaries The Gorbachev Revolution and Millennium.
The Banff Centre’s winter/spring 2007 Playbill Series continues with Tom Cochrane (March 10), Banff Players: A Doll House (March 16 and 17), Cathie Ryan (March 20), Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (March 24), and Shooglenifty (March 25).
Tickets for all Banff Centre events are available through The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301.
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For a high resolution, downloadable photo of Gwynne Dyer
http://www.banffcentre.ca/media_room/images/playbill/#lunch
For more information on the winter/spring 2007 Playbill Series:
http://www.banffcentre.ca/events/playbill/
