How did the Middle East become such a contentious region? Have there been missed opportunities to change its course? What role has the U.S. played in the Middle East? What might be the long-term impact of the Arab Spring? These are some of the questions to be explored in the UW Alumni Association's four-part 2013 Winter Lecture Series, "The Good, Bad, & Catastrophic: Lessons from Global & Mideast Crises," presented in partnership with the Jackson School of International Studies (JSIS). The series begins on January 15 and runs for four consecutive Tuesdays.
"Our world is going through a phase when everything is in flux and things are changing in unpredictable ways," says Reşat Kasaba, JSIS director and a featured speaker in the lecture series. "These conditions have affected the Middle East in
profound ways in recent years. We have witnessed wars, revolutions, occupation, resistance, more revolutions, and more wars. In this series we will reflect on a period early in the twentieth century when political leaders responded to similar challenges in ways that aggravated the conditions and led to more uncertainty, destruction, and chaos. Our aim is to question whether any lessons have been learned from those earlier periods and what, if anything, can be done to avert the onset of further conflict."
All lectures, described below, are open to the public and will be held at 6:30 pm in 130 Kane Hall on the UW's Seattle campus. Series prices are $20 for UWAA/UWRA members, $30 for the general public, and $10 for students. Tickets for individual lectures are also available. Online registration will open on December 6 for UWAA members and on December 7 for the general public. For more information or to register, visit uwalum.com/lectures or call 206-543-0540.