FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:  Mary Anthony

mary.anthony@trinity.edu

Sept. 22, 2008

Former Prime Minister of the French Republic to be First Guest of Trinity University’s 2008-2008 Distinguished Lecture Series

SAN ANTONIO – Dominique de Villepin, a champion of peace and justice in the world, will discuss “The Challenges of International Life” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 22, in Trinity University’s Laurie Auditorium. His free public lecture will launch Trinity University’s Distinguished Lecture Series for 2008-2009.

Mr. de Villepin was the voice of France and the international community during the Iraq crisis and remains one of the foremost advocates of a new global governance based on multilateralism and a reformist leader in French, European, and global policy.  In his address he will discuss the challenges of our time: terrorism, nuclear proliferation, immigration, and the environment, offering his thoughts on an international response to each.

Throughout his career as a diplomat, Minister of Foreign Affairs (2002-2004), Minister of the Interior (2004-2005), then Prime Minister (2005-2007), Mr. de Villepin has worked to formulate strategies and find solutions to deal with problems and conflicts—from the violence in the suburbs of French cities, which he brought under control by invoking a state of emergency at the end of 2005, to the regional conflicts of Africa and the Middle East. In France, he led the “battle for jobs” that produced a historic reduction of the unemployment rate by nearly 20 percent.

Mr. de Villepin, who was born in North Africa and grew up in South America, is a man of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres who is keen to build bridges between these two worlds. He is also a man with a political and intellectual mission which he has brought to the world stage and written about in political, historical, and literary works. Mr. de Villepin defends an ambitious and original vision of man and his constantly changing world. He is an advocate for the defense of identity and the dialogue of cultures, both of which are indispensable requirements for peace and stability.

The Trinity University Distinguished Lecture Series is made possible through an endowment created by Mr. and Mrs. Walter F. Brown of San Antonio.  For more information, contact Mary Anthony at 210-999-8441.

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