Ford Institute for Human Security, Global Studies Center, University Centers for International Studies
The presentation will focus on:
• How can conflicts be resolved in states where extremist organizations seek their own territory?
• What does the Arab Spring mean for North and West Africa and what are the prospects of developing democracy in these regions?
• What are the challenges for weak states in trying to combat terrorism and revolution from the grassroot level?
• What makes this region different for analysts to understand?
Penn Highlands Community College, Global Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh
This talk will focus on the transformation of the Syrian uprisings over the last two years and provide an analysis of both the geopolitical and grassroots forces. How can we begin to understand the conflict in Syria? Who are the different actors on the ground? What positions might we consider taking in this country?
Global Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University
Juan R.I. Cole is the Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He has written extensively on modern Islamic movements in Egypt, the Persian Gulf and South Asia and has given numerous media interviews on the war on terrorism and the Iraq War. He lived in various parts of the Muslim world for nearly 10 years and continues to travel widely there.
The Pittsburgh Social Movements Forum, Department of Sociology, Global Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh
Asef Baat is Professor of Global and Transnational studies at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He previously taught at Leiden University in the Netherlands and the American University in Cairo. Among his books are: Street Politics; Poor People’s Movement in Iran; Making Islam Democratic; Social Movements and Past-Islamist Turn; and Life as Politics: How Ordinary People Change the Middle East.
This talk will work through a number of issues that have been tackled by the revolutionaries in the Arab world. Primarily, the analysis of the geopolitical and grassroots forces at work in advancing and countering the revolutions, mainly in Syria but also in Egypt. The politics of international intervention will figure in prominently as it is a question that remains on the table in both policy and academic circles.
The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh will be hosting the lecture "Does Syria Matter? Policy Discussion and Luncheon" on Friday, November 1 from 12:00 pm-1:45 pm at the Duquesne Club at 325 Sixth Ave in Pittsburgh, PA. Michael Doran, a Roger Hertog Senior Fellow will be speaking. Political dissent, general war fatigue, and an international coalition split on what course to take makes any involvement in Syria - either diplomatic or military - frought with untold consequences and ramifications. But to what degree does Syria actually matter? And, why is the Syrian Civil War an increasingly American issue? Join the World Affairs Council and a leading Middle East expert to discuss the complexities of the on-going Syrian conflict. More information can be found at www.worldpittsburgh.org
Come join FORGE (a student group which aims to Facilitating Refugees Growth and Empowerment) as we learn about the current situation in Syria and the more than 2 million refugees produced by the conflict. Dr. Basel Termanini, Laila Al-Soulaiman and Mohammed Bamyeh will speak based on their diverse knowledge of the crisis, informing us of the history and medical relief efforts within Syria, the global impact of the conflict, and the empowerment of youth as a response. It will be held on October 28th in the O'Hara Student Center Dining Room from 8-10pm.
Global Studies Center, UCIS, GSPIA International Development Division, Ford Institute for Human Security
Dr. Dina El Naggar is a Senior Communications Officer at the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency. The World Bank Group's integrity mission is designed to detect, investigate, sanction and prevent fraud and corruption in Bank-financed projects. Prior to joining the World Bank, she was a UNDP project manager managing projects in the environment and child rights sector where she designed and managed the implementation of Egypt's national campaign against female genital mutilation and the social marketing campaign "Think Twice" targeting hazardous behavior among adolescents.
