The International Issues Discussion (IID) series at Toronto Metropolitan University is proud to present its second talk of the Fall 2024 series: “Ready or Not? Canada’s Military and the Changing Nature of Warfare.“

Our guests will be: 

Major-General David Fraser (retired), who served for 31 years in the Armed Forces, including as NATO Commander Regional Command South in Afghanistan and Commandant of the Canadian Armed Forces College. 

Major-General Denis Thompson (retired), who served for 39 years in the Armed Forces, including as commander of NATO’s Task Force Kandahar (2008/09) and Canada’s Special Operations Forces (2011-2014). 

and

Dr. Adam Chapnick, professor of defence studies at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) and deputy director of education at the Canadian Forces College.

Their talk will be held in-person on Wednesday, October 9th between 6:30 and 8:30 pm in ENG 103 (the Vari Engineering Building, 245 Church Street, Toronto). Attendance is free and everyone is welcome.  

Founded in 2005, the IID is a non-partisan, student-led forum designed to engage all members of the TMU community on major events and issues in contemporary global affairs through reasoned, objective, and scholarly discourse. For further details about the IID and our series please see http://iid.kislenko.com  or contact the IID student leaders at iidseries@gmail.com  

What exactly are “human rights”? Can we define and promote concepts of “universal justice” across time and place? How do human rights and ideas about justice interact with the realities of conflict and security in international relations? This course is designed to explore some of the myriad issues shaping the relationships between human rights, principles of justice, and the realities of conflict:  focusing on both historical and contemporary international events. We will look at some basic philosophical and political conceptions, as well as how select major conflicts affected and affect the idea and reality of these notions over time. Within these parameters, we will tackle an array of complex and challenging themes, including colonialism, nationalism, radical ideologies, revolution, war, genocide, and sovereignty. Ultimately, this course is designed to introduce students to the perpetual struggles of humanity against tyranny and conflict in all its manifestations. In doing so, it should provide an expansive and wide-ranging context for the study of international relations through global history, but also through an interdisciplinary approach. Particular attention will be given to how nations and the international order have developed, or failed to develop, norms to preserve and promote human rights and the principles of “universal” justice.  With a better understanding of historical events, we can then turn to more contemporary examples: exploring different narratives on security, human rights, and justice around the world.  Using a “global lens” wherever possible, this course will hopefully facilitate an understanding of multiple – sometimes disagreeable – perspectives and narratives. The inherent controversies of that kind of approach will be embraced in order to discourage simplistic narratives of extremely complicated ideas and events, which makes meaningful discussion and change more difficult. In that light, maybe Walt Whitman was right when he said, “History’s not “was”.  It’s “is”.

Hidden codes, special devices, fiendish villains, and top secrets all have a special place in popular culture, but as alluring as the mythology may be, it does not answer important questions about the roles that espionage and intelligence agencies play in international relations. This course covers the evolution of spying and spy services from the late 19th century to the present, focusing on the effects of major issues such as the two world wars, the Cold War, 9-11, and international security threats today. This course examines the evolution of intelligence services throughout the twentieth century, with particular reference to the two world wars, technological changes, and the “Cold War” confrontation after 1945. Special attention in the course will be paid to the role that intelligence played in securing the Allied victory during World War Two, and in crucial Cold War events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War. We will also study numerous historical intelligence failures and how they shaped the world in which we live. The course will explore various realities and perceptions of the intelligence world to examine the processes, see how institutions function, and come to terms with how intelligence is disseminated, employed, and understood. Because of the importance of popular culture in helping to form our understanding of espionage, we will also look at the impact of spy fiction, TV, films, and other media in shaping our perceptions of intelligence matters. The course will conclude with an examination of the many challenges intelligence services face today, and the future of spying in the post-Cold War world. In this regard, the events of September 11, 2001, the current “war on terrorism”,  renewed rivalries between superpowers, cyberespionage, election interference, “foreign government influence”, and the many other facets of contemporary international security discourse will be discussed. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to see how intelligence and espionage have shaped history, and continue to impact your every day life: often in ways you may not have considered.  Accordingly, you should remember that key issues like personal liberties, human rights, and the development/preservation of civil societies are always part of a discussion on what intelligence is and does.

The two world wars between 1914 and 1945 have transformed our planet. In 1900 Europe dominated international relations; since then we have seen the rise of the superpowers of the United States and the Soviet Union, and a shift in power to the non-European world of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This course examines the causes and significance of these changes. Topics include political, economic, and military factors, war-making, and peace-keeping. The early twentieth century witnessed the breakdown of the international political and economic order. Great power rivalries, an arms race, competition for colonies and markets, and domestic turmoil contributed to the explosion in 1914. The First World War destroyed much of European civilisation by bringing an end to four empires, and greatly weakening the power of several others. Countries like the United States and Japan became key players in the new order. New ideologies and new forms of government developed as a result of the changes, giving rise to even more instability and conflict: evidenced in the rise of Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler. Simultaneously, the “Roaring 20s” brought unprecedented economic and technological growth, producing profound societal and cultural changes, and affecting a host of different issues and ideas: women’s rights, race relations, industry and labour, sexuality, music, art, literature, film, radio, and much more. The global economic crisis in the 1930s brought additional pressures that eventually erupted in another world war between 1939 and 1945. How and why did this happen? Why did Europe self-destruct? What about other countries? This course will explain the enormity of changes that occurred with First World War and the subsequent attempts to re-establish a stable international order in the 1920s and 1930s. We will also examine how and why these attempts failed, and why the Second World War occurred. A wide array of topics and events will be addressed, such as imperialism; nationalism; militarism; technological advancements; pressures for war; the Paris Peace Conference and dismantling of empires; ideological extremism and the rise of Hitler and Stalin; Japan’s conquests in Asia; the Great Depression; American isolationism; appeasement policy; the coming of WWII; the Holocaust; the atomic bomb; “total war”; and the development of a new “cold war” between the United States and the Soviet Union after 1945. In the process, we will examine the historical roots, structures, and problems that shape the international order today.     

akislenk@torontomu.ca

arne.kislenko@utoronto.ca

OFFICE HOURS:

at TMU:

MONDAY        13:10 – 14:40 hrs

WEDNESDAY  12:10 – 14:00 hrs       

Via Zoom: see your course outline/D2L shell

at U of T:

TUESDAYS 16:10-18:00 hours

LA 337

The Dale W. Nelson Award is available to students registered in the History BA programme or History majors in the Arts and Contemporary Studies (ACS) programme studying for at least one semester abroad as part of an international exchange. Further details can be found at Awards – Department of History – Ryerson University  and http://www.kislenko.com. The competition for the Winter 2024 academic term will be announced in October 2023.

Past Awards:

2017 – Erin Pebesma and Noa Borden

2015 – Muna Osman

One of two winners of the Dale W. Nelson Award in 2017 was Erin Pebesma. She received $2000 from the Award to help fund her studies at the University of Lincoln during the Winter 2017 term.

“Earlier this year I was blessed with the opportunity to spend a semester at the University of Lincoln in England. Thanks to the Dale W. Nelson award I was able to do more than just study history. Living in Lincoln for five months allowed me to be surrounded by more history than I’d ever experienced. Having never been out of North America, I was in love with all of the old cities and museums that made everything I’ve learned into something more real than images and words. Thanks to the Dale W. Nelson award I also had the opportunity to travel around England and Europe, exploring different cities and experiencing new cultures. York and Budapest were my favourite places to visit because of the mix of historic sites, green spaces, modern culture, and friendly atmosphere. After all of my travels, I’m now quite comfortable with being in new and unfamiliar places. I always knew that I wanted to study in England and travel the world, and now that I’ve had this experience I look forward to being able to travelling more in the future. I am so grateful for the community that so willingly took me in during my time in Lincoln, and I hope to maintain the relationships and connections I’ve made.”

Noa received $2000 from the Award to help fund her studies at Curtin University in Perth, Australia during the Winter 2017 term. Recently Noa reflected on her experience abroad and what the Nelson Award meant for her:

“This winter, I had the opportunity to escape cold and snowy Toronto for Curtin University in Perth, Australia. The campus is wonderfully designed to take full advantage of the warmth and sun of Australia’s west coast. Like Ryerson, Curtin is innovative and friendly, and there is a constant buzz of activity. Studying abroad has always been a dream of mine, and I was fortunate to do so in such a beautiful city. Being overseas, however, made me appreciate the community we have at home and our amazing space downtown. My primary interest as a history student has always been Europe, but the Dale Nelson award helped fund my travel in Australia and Southeast Asia, opening up my learning opportunities to regions I had not yet explored. I was able to participate in a number of cultural activities in Perth, such as Australian Rules Football, more commonly known as ‘Footy’, which is a mix of a number of sports with a special Aussie twist, and the ANZAC Day Dawn Ceremony which commemorates the sacrifices made by Australians in times of war.  Much like traveling from Toronto to either the East or West coasts of Canada, spending a week on Australia’s Eastern seaboard, in Sydney, during our mid-semester break gave me a very different perspective on what it means to be Australian, and the people who make up the incredibly diverse country. While there, I had the chance to give surfing a try at the renowned Bondi beach, followed by some well-deserved fish n’ chips. In Southeast Asia, the sights, sounds and smells were at times overwhelming, and it was truly a lifechanging experience. The major city centers exist on a scale that is difficult to comprehend, making the time we spent in the countryside even more special. it was refreshing to escape the crowds and learn about the local culture, language and food. It was also a good reminder of the privileged, stable lives we lead in Canada. With new perspective, and a little bit more comprehension, I look forward to this coming year at Ryerson, and sharing my experiences with incoming exchange students and those looking to go overseas.”

The 2015 winner of the Dale W. Nelson Award was Muna Osman. She received $2000 from the Award to help fund her studies at Radboud University in the Netherlands during the Winter 2015 term.

“This winter I had the amazing opportunity to study on exchange at Radboud University in the Netherlands. The chance to make new friends and explore different places are just some of the many benefits of studying on exchange. My exchange would not have been possible without the Dale Nelson Award. It allowed me to have a much more fulfilling experience in the Netherlands than I otherwise would have. It funded both my local and international trips where I was able to learn about new cultures, meet new people, and sightsee. For example, I had the chance to take part in the festivities at this year’s Kingsday in Amsterdam and get in touch with the Dutch. This was done by wearing a ton of orange and showing my Dutch pride. I also got to visit Denmark and was lucky enough to be there during Queen Margrethe’s 75th birthday celebrations and even caught a glimpse of her royal highness.  As a History student it was truly amazing to visit places I learned about in class such as Neue Wache in Berlin or the Canadian National Vimy Memorial and Palace of Versailles in France. And after going to museums such as the Louvre or Victoria and Albert Museum I probably won’t be able to look at the ROM the same way. Visiting museums for free is just a luxury us Torontonians sadly cannot afford. Not to mention I got to try my hand at learning new languages much to the amusement of the locals. It was also a bonus that my host university was located in one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. Where else but in Nijmegen can you have the world’s best hot chocolate in a pub built in 1542? Ever since high-school I always knew I wanted to go study abroad and in January 2015 I finally got to fulfil one of my dreams through the Dale Nelson Award. I now have new life-long friends, a second home, and heaps of memories that I will hold onto for the rest of my life.”

The Dale W. Nelson Award is available to students registered in the History BA programme, History Double Majors (with English or Philosophy), or History majors in the Arts and Contemporary Studies (ACS) programme studying for at least one semester abroad as part of an international exchange.

The award, formerly known as the History Travel Award, was founded by Dr. Arne Kislenko in 2006 with the belief that an international educational experience gives students a greater appreciation of diversity in the world, and simultaneously increases their self-confidence and independence. The award is now named for Dale W. Nelson (1958-1993), Dr. Kislenko’s best friend and brother-in-law, whose intellectual curiosity, legendary humour, and love of History were always inspirational.

Previous awards:

2007 Julian Reid

2008 Samantha Stevens-Hall

2009 – 2014 not awarded

2015 Muna Osman

2016 not awarded

2017 Noa Bordan and Erin Pebesma

2018 not awarded

2019 not awarded

2020 not awarded

2021 not awarded

2022 not awarded 

2023 not awarded

About Dale Nelson:About Dale Nelson