In the "Great Game" as played by Britain and Russia for supremacy in modern Asia, Afghanistan was a vital prize at the crossroads of China, South Asia, and Central Asia.

This presentation, which took place at SFU's Vancouver campus in September 2010, tackled the complex story of today's Afghanistan, in all its diversity of culture, ethnicity, and religion, before asking what the stakes have been since the rise of the Taliban. We attempted to "de-exoticize" such issues as the role of religion and the status of women—and expose the ways in which the challenges for Afghans, as well as Canadians, are, in fact, shared by transitional societies elsewhere.

Eva Sajoo, the speaker, has a master's degree in international development and education, and is a member of the Vancouver Chapter of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.

This forum was sponsored by the SFU Seniors Program and SFU Seniors Lifelong Learner's Society. To learn more about liberal arts courses and events at SFU Continuing Studies, visit www.sfu.ca/liberal-arts

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