BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:Europe/London X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/London BEGIN:VEVENT UID:363@abbottsann.com DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250213T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250213T213000 DTSTAMP:20250121T081243Z URL:https://www.abbottsann.com/events/all-saints-winter-lecture-2025-what- prospects-for-peace-in-the-middle-east/ SUMMARY:All Saints’ Winter Lecture 2025 -- What Prospects for Peace in th e Middle East? DESCRIPTION:Background\nThe Middle East is a region replete with political\ , ideological\, economic\, and religious tensions. Its natural resources f uel global geopolitical interests and competition\, often through regional proxies. The region has seen almost continual conflict since the turn of the last century. The most recent conflicts\, 2011 onwards\, have resulted in regional humanitarian crises and mass migration that has affected Euro pe and the UK.\nThe latest geopolitical shock\, stemming from Hamas’ 7 O ctober 2023 attack on Israel\, is the fall of Assad in Syria. What might h appen next and with what political repercussions? Stabilising this diverse and fractious region is a relentless political process. Is achieving a la sting peace an impossible challenge?\nThe Speaker - Lieutenant General (Re tired) Sir Thomas Beckett KCB CBE\nTom Beckett was born in Bahrain and att ended the Royal Military Academy\, Sandhurst in 1984. During his 34 years in the Army\, his operational deployments included Northern Ireland\, Sier ra Leone\, Iraq (1991\, 2003 - commanding a battalion\, 2007\, 2009 - comm anding a brigade)\, and Afghanistan. His final UK Government appointment w as as the Defence Senior Advisor to the Middle East and North Africa when he was also the Prime Minister’s Security Envoy to Iraq including the Ku rdistan Region.\nOn retirement in May 2018\, Tom joined the International Institute for Strategic Studies as the Executive Director of the IISS-Midd le East office in Bahrain\, where he co-led Middle East research and organ ised the annual \;IISS Manama Dialogue \;and the 2022 \;IISS R iyadh Defence Forum. The latter was the first time an independent-of-gover nment think tank had organised an event of this type in the Kingdom of Sau di Arabia. In June this year\, Tom was appointed Senior Adviser at the IIS S Head Office in London and Corresponding Director of the IISS–Americas office.\nBooking Tickets\nTickets are £15.00 each.\nUse this link \;h ttps://forms.office.com/r/SYXN5Ev4He \;to book and pay for tickets.\nT ickets can also be purchased at:\n\n Clatford Store and Post Office\n Gree nfield Farm Shop\n Abbotts Ann Village Shop\n The Crook and Shears Pub\n\n Funds raised will be split between the \;All Saints’ Fabric Fund\, C ountess of Brecknock Hospice and Upper Clatford Parish Council Chalk Pit R edevelopment Fund.\nIf you need help in booking\, please call Charles (077 30 304 290) or Nicki (07909 902 308) Crosthwaite Eyre.\n ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.abbottsann.com/wp-content/uploads/20 25/01/Upper-Clatford-icon.jpg CATEGORIES:Upper Clatford LOCATION:The King Edward VII Memorial Hall\, Upper Clatford\, Upper Clatfor d\, Hampshire\, SP11 7QL\, United Kingdom X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Upper Clatford\, Upper Clat ford\, Hampshire\, SP11 7QL\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Th e King Edward VII Memorial Hall:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/London BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20241027T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR