Critical Conversation: The New West: Europe from the Nordic frontier

Jessikka Aro and Robert Baines

Critical Conversation: The New West: Europe from the Nordic frontier

Jessikka Aro and Robert Baines

7:30pm

Friday, September 23

Each day of the Festival, authors and industry experts will come together for candid, live conversations to examine a new facet of the culture and politics that shape the world around us and the books we read.

In the 21st century, the influence of global political alliances had been fading, but the conflict in Ukraine is reshaping alliances, reaffirming borders and forcing nations to reassess their governmental and military relationships. For the Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden in particular, geographic proximity to Russia now requires strategic proximity to NATO and the EU. What impact will this have in the digital age of borderless big tech? Is this a return to the deep divisions of East and West in the 20th century? What should Canada’s response and role be? Join our expert panel for insight and discussion, including Jessikka Aro, whose book Putin’s Trolls: On the Frontlines of Russia’s Information War Against the World exposes the Kremlin’s coordinated, military-style social media operations against the West, and Robert Baines.

Moderated by Andres Kasekamp.

Ticket Info:
Date & Time: September 23 at 7:30pm ET
Where: Studio Theatre in Harbourfront Centre
Duration: 75 minutes
Ticket prices: $17 – Regular; $12 – Youth; or Get a TIFA Pass

Presented with support from Nordic Bridges and FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange.

Nordic Bridges 2022 logo  FILI - Finnish Literature Exchange

Each day of the Festival, authors and industry experts will come together for candid, live conversations to examine a new facet of the culture and politics that shape the world around us and the books we read.

In the 21st century, the influence of global political alliances had been fading, but the conflict in Ukraine is reshaping alliances, reaffirming borders and forcing nations to reassess their governmental and military relationships. For the Nordic countries, Finland and Sweden in particular, geographic proximity to Russia now requires strategic proximity to NATO and the EU. What impact will this have in the digital age of borderless big tech? Is this a return to the deep divisions of East and West in the 20th century? What should Canada’s response and role be? Join our expert panel for insight and discussion, including Jessikka Aro, whose book Putin’s Trolls: On the Frontlines of Russia’s Information War Against the World exposes the Kremlin’s coordinated, military-style social media operations against the West, and Robert Baines.

Moderated by Andres Kasekamp.

Ticket Info:
Date & Time: September 23 at 7:30pm ET
Where: Studio Theatre in Harbourfront Centre
Duration: 75 minutes
Ticket prices: $17 – Regular; $12 – Youth; or Get a TIFA Pass

Presented with support from Nordic Bridges and FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange.

Nordic Bridges 2022 logo  FILI - Finnish Literature Exchange

Featured Authors

Jessikka Aro
Jessikka Aro is an award-winning reporter with Yle, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, specializing in Russia, extremism and information warfare. In 2014 and 2015, she published a series of articles on pro-Kremlin social media trolls and their influence outside of Russia’s borders. Due to her investigations, Jessikka became the target of a severe and still ongoing international propaganda and hate speech campaign, which she recounts in Putin’s Trolls. In 2019, the US State Department awarded Jessikka the International Women of Courage Award, but the award was mysteriously rescinded by the Trump administration, allegedly due to her social media criticism of then President Trump. On December 1, 2020 Jessikka Aro received the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award, presented in partnership with the Washington Post and hosted by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Jessikka was recognized for her award-winning investigative reporting of Russian information warfare. Jessikka lives in Helsinki, Finland. Jessikka Aro’s Festival appearance is generously supported by FILI – Finnish Literature Exchange. Jessikka Aro appears as part of Nordic Bridges 2022.

Read more about Jessikka Aro

Robert Baines
Robert Baines is President and CEO of the NATO Association of Canada which is a charitable NGO focused on communicating the importance of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to Canadians (www.natoassociation.ca). Robert is a commentator on NATO issues in the Canadian media and regularly participates on panels discussing security and defence. He received a B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and History from Trinity College at the University of Toronto and an M.A. in History from York University. Robert is also a member of the Canadian Armed Forces Reserve and has received the Canadian Forces Decoration.

Read more about Robert Baines

7:30pm

Friday, September 23

What to read

Putin’s Trolls: On the Frontlines of Russia’s Information War Against the World by ,
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