Whistleblower Snowden to speak via web link at U of L
Well-known American whistleblower Edward Snowden will be part of a live web-linked conversation hosted at the University of Lethbridge.
The event takes place on May 9 at 4:30 p.m. in the University Theatre, and will feature a one-hour presentation by Snowden via live weblink from Russia where he is living with asylum status. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session from select audience members.
Three universities are taking part in the event, including the University of Winnipeg and Brandon University, and questions will be drawn from all three universities.
“Edward Snowden is one of the defining figures of the decade,” Harold Jansen, a U of L political science professor and the moderator for the evening, stated in a recent news release. “This is an incredible opportunity for people in Lethbridge to hear directly from him.”
Snowden is a U.S. citizen and former intelligence officer who served the CIA, NSA and DIA for nearly a decade as a subject matter expert on technology and cyber security.
In 2013, he revealed the NSA was seizing the private records of billions of individuals who had not been suspected of any wrongdoing, resulting in the most significant reforms to U.S. surveillance policy since 1978.
He has received awards for courage, integrity and public service, and was named the top global thinker of 2013 by Foreign Policy magazine. Today, he works on methods of enforcing human rights through the application and development of new technologies. He joined the board of Freedom of the Press Foundation in February 2014.
Snowden has also been criticized for his efforts by those claiming he has put American lives at risk and compromised American security.
The U.S. government has been seeking to try Snowden for violations of the Espionage Act of 1917 and theft of government property.
Tickets for this event are available at ulethbridge.ca/tickets.
At the conclusion of the presentation, the Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs will host a reception for all in attendance. Appetizers will be served and a cash bar will be available.