Ambassador Jeremy Kinsman to speak on Russia at Viewpoints event in Rancho Santa Fe

On Wednesday, March 4, Viewpoints will present Ambassador Jeremy Kinsman, a highly regarded expert on Russian and world affairs. As one of the most articulate policy experts today, he is a sought after speaker in many countries around the globe.

Ambassador Jeremy Kinsman is one of Canada’s most experienced diplomats, having spent more than 40 years with the Canadian Foreign Service. In his role as Canadian ambassador, Kinsman served in Moscow (1992-96), in Rome (1996-2000), as high commissioner in London (2000-02), and as ambassador to the European Union in Brussels (2002-06). During his career he also served as the Canadian Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Albania.

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Kinsman graduated from Princeton University and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris. He served as the Diplomat-in-Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University from 2007-2008 before being appointed as Regent’s Lecturer at the University of California, Berkley. He currently serves as Project Director at the Institute of Governmental Studies at Berkley while concurrently serving as Distinguished Visiting Diplomat at Ryerson University, Toronto.

During the early years of his career, Kinsman served as the Canadian Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York and as Minister for Political Affairs in Washington. He later served Canada as the Chairman of Policy Planning and as its Political Director. Kinsman is a co-author of the Diplomat’s Handbook for Democracy Development, produced by the Council for a Community of Democracies in Washington, DC.

Today, Kinsman is an international affairs contributor to Canadian and international news organizations. He also speaks and lectures throughout Europe and North America, and leads professional training workshops on democracy and human rights. Justin Trudeaux, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, recently named Kinsman to his inner circle of advisors on foreign affairs as a part of his candidacy for Prime Minister.

Kinsman will be speaking in the Fellowship Center at the Village Church on Wednesday, March 4. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets will be $30 until Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. After that time tickets will be $35. Student tickets are available for $10. Advance ticket purchase is recommended, and may be purchased at www.villageviewpoints.com or by calling (858) 381-8070.

The lecture series is jointly sponsored by the Village Church and the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation.