The departments of Philsophy and Political Science in the Faculty of Arts at Memorial University are co-sponsoring this week’s visit to the St. John’s campus by Dr. John Trent. A fellow of the Centre on Governance at the University of Ottawa, Dr. Trent is also on the executive of the World Federalist Movement and published a book last year on UN reform.

Most recently, with former federal cabinent Minister Warren Allmand, he released a brief on Canadian policy on Afghanistan for the Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan, chaired by John Manley.

Dr. Trent has a full schedule during his three-day visit to St. John’s, including a lecture on the Principles of Global Governance, a public panel discussion on the Afghan mission. an address to the Canadian Political Science Students Association (CPSSA), and a Jockey Club discussion of his new book Modernizing the United Nations System. 

The  St. John’s visit is put into a global context by Dr. David Thompson, Professor of Philosophy: “[Dr. Trent] will discuss United Nations reform, the global responsibility of all nations to protect innocent citizens – in Bosnia, Dafur, Kosovo, and so on – when their own governments fail them, and the role of international law in controlling military interventions. 

"Ultimately the issue is the need for global democratic institutions.  A  United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, for example, would allow all of us, not just nation-states or transnational corporations, to have a say in the future of our earth." 

A listing of Dr. Trent's lectures are on the MUN Today calendar.