A glance at a timeline of events in the Arab world since December 2010 shows that much has changed. Anti-government demonstrations in Tunisia have triggered what we now know as the Arab Spring, revealing a swift resetting of the geo-political map of the Middle East.
What followed those heady early days has been a toppling of dictatorships, emboldened public action, a sharpening of divisions within national and religious groups, humanitarian crises, and significant challenges to major world powers.
Ahmed Souaiaia, University of Iowa associate professor in Religious Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is striving to bring the events of the Arab Spring to life for Iowans.
This month, the UI will host experts and researchers from around the world as part of the 2015 Provost’s Global Forum, “The Arab Spring in a Global Context.” Scholars from a variety of academic disciplines will examine a range of issues including social change and justice, racial/ethnic and gender relations, law, public policy, media, and economic development in the context of the Arab Spring.
“This unusual meeting comes at a critical moment in the history of these countries,” says Ahmed Souaiaia (pronounced Ah-med Swai-ai-a), who also is an adjunct professor in the UI College of Law.
He adds that the four-day, multi-event conference will occur just weeks before the U.S. president is scheduled to meet with several Middle East nations to discuss future partnership and coordination.
The forum will take place Tuesday, April 28, through Friday, May 1.
Forum Events:
• April 28th, 5 p.m.: WorldCanvass Discussion at FilmScene
• April 29th, 10 a.m.: Gallery Talk on UI Libraries exhibit, "Unfinished Business: The Arts of the New Arab Revolutions"
• April 29th, 6:30 p.m.: Joel Barkan Memorial Lecture, 6:30 p.m. presented by Shibley Telhami
• May 1, 8 p.m.: Performance by Turkana
The Provost’s Global Forum is made possible through the support of the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization. Other UI sponsors include: International Programs and the Office of the Provost; the Division of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures; Department of Communication Studies; School of Journalism and Mass Communication; Department of Political Science; and Department of Religious Studies, all in CLAS; UI Libraries; and the Center for Human Rights in the College of Law. WorldCanvass program partners are FilmScene and UITV.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in these events, contact Sarolta Petersen in advance at sarolta-petersen@uiowa.edu or 319-335-3862.
For more information on the presentations and people involved in the forum, visit the Provost's Global Forum website.