The Year of Democracy presents "Politics in the Middle East," a 35-minute discussion about the possibilities and issues for peace in the Middle East.
Key speakers, who have expertise in Iran, Israel, Hamas and Palestine, will discuss regional politics and culture.
Dr. Nancy Gallagher is a professor of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and chairs the Middle East Studies Program. Gallagher's latest book is "Quakers in the Israel-Palestinian Conflict." She is also co-editor of the Journal of Middle East Women's Studies and was past president of that association.
Dr. Michael Berenbaum is a writer, lecturer and teacher consulting in the conceptual development of museums and the development of historical films. He is director of the Sigi Ziering Institute where he is also a Professor of Jewish Studies. Berenbaum is the author and editor of 12 books, one of his most noted ones is "After Tragedy and Triumph." He has also co-produced or consulted on several award-winning film and television documentaries on the Holocaust.
Dr. Gitty Amini, an associate professor of political science at the University of La Verne, specializes in international relations, security studies, American foreign policy, East Asian and Middle Eastern politics. She has written on U. S. relations with Iran and North Korea, and she is currently working on nuclear proliferation issues. Some of her publications include "Iran: The Failure of Economic Incentives and Disincentives" and "North Korea and Vietnam," which were published in the book, "The New Great Power Coalition: Toward a World Concert of Nations."
The Year of Democracy looks at the democratic processes of the United States and around the world in depth to develop a deeper understanding.
Co-chair of the Year of Democracy, Dr. Lee Ballestero, sees the underlying value of this event by allowing students to observe other governments.
"One of the reasons why we thought it important to focus on democracies outside of the U.S. is to not just to expand our knowledge but also to provide ideas about how to improve our own government," Ballestero said. "…To learn from the successes and failures of other nations in order to make our nation stronger."
The discussion will be held on Thursday, March 12, from 12 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. in the Communications Building TV Studio. At the end of the event, speakers will take questions from the audience.