Events

Rev Dr Alastair Kirk, Anglican Chaplain, University of Warwick

Emergency relief and peace-building in the midst of conflict: The example of Sri Lanka

15:30 Refreshments

16:00 - 17:30 Seminar

NOTE NEW VENUE R0.14

Alastair Kirk

studied Geography in Durham and Tübingen before embarking on doctoral studies, identifying factors influencing soil crust formation in the eastern deserts of Jordan. He developed a strong interest in the Middle East and, after completing his PhD, Alastair went to work and live in northern Iraq for the major part of three years. His work in Iraq included, first, to provide capacity-building skills in databases/ needs assessment/ GIS and surveying for the Kurdish regional government - a DfID-0 funded programme (coordinated through the Middle Eastern Studies department in Durham). Second, Alastair worked for Save the Children UK, undertaking research used to advocate for a change in the sanctions regime (with a particular focus on access to education and food security). Alastair left Iraq at the end of 2001 and spent a year coordinating the Save the Children team in northern Sri Lanka in the period after the ceasefire agreement had been signed. After a final brief visit to Baghdad at the end of the war in May 2003, he turned his attention to following his vocation in the Church. In 2007, Alastair was ordained in Bradford, where he served on a very impoverished Council Estate before moving to Warwick University in 2010. Alastair combines his chaplaincy role with being the interfaith advisor to the Bishop of Coventry. He is married to Sara and has 2 boys, Barnaby (6) and Benji (4) and one imminent arrival!