With all the action overtaking the Arab nations these past few weeks, it’s easy to get lost in what exactly people are fighting for or about. Especially with international politics, the lines separating values, positions, and plans of action can be blurred into confusing smudges traipsing down the news article you tried to read. But, we know that you are interested in what these foreign citizens are saying. Protestors, not just in Cairo, are making their voices heard and are drumming the beat for a new type of nation. At Her Campus, we want to make sure you have the chance to hear their words.
Next Wednesday February 23rd, Dr. Moataz Fattah will be speaking in Hamburg Hall 1502 at 12:15pm about these new attitudes rising from abroad. Titled “The Winds of Political Change in Egypt and the Arab World,” Dr. Fattah’s talk will focus on what led to the successful and world-changing protests in Cairo, how the protestors were able to negotiate with the leaders, and what implications these actions will have for Egypt and the rest of the Arab world.
Organized heavily by Facebook pages and international organizations, the protests in Egypt were the first of their kind but surely not the last. Tunisia also made use of Facebook for its protests, and many other Arab nations are already following suit, ranging from Bahrain to Serbia. Perhaps the abstract concepts we constantly discuss in our classes about liberalism, nationalism, freedom will at last have tangible applications. It is an extremely exciting time for the world, and Dr. Fattah will help us understand what perspectives and possibilities are at play and how they are coordinating in order to bring these protests into action and law.
Dr. Fattah is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Cairo University, Egypt and Central Michigan University, USA. He also has forty academic publications in both Arabic and English about the political, economic, and cultural aspects of the Middle Easy and U.S. foreign policy toward the region. This talk will undoubtedly bring you into the spotlight in any political debate, helping you form your own opinions about the Middle East, Egypt specifically, and what the U. S.’s role should truly be.