FIU Middle East Society Presents Lecture on “New Players, New Realities: Does Middle East Peace Have a Chance?”

WHAT: The Middle East Society (MES) of the School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University will present a lecture by Middle East expert Haim Malka titled “New Players, New Realities: Does Middle East Peace Have a Chance?”  A sequence of events-including the recent war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, Barack Obama’s election in the United States and the triumph of the political right in the latest Israeli elections-provide both challenges and opportunities for the Middle East peace process. Malka will address these dynamic variables and how they impact the prospects for peace in the region. The event is co-presented by the City of Sunny Isles Beach, the FIU Judaic Studies Program, and FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus Office of the Vice Provost.

WHO: Haim Malka is Deputy Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies-a prominent think tank in Washington, D.C. He has written and lectured extensively on the region with particular emphasis on the Arab-Israeli peace process, political Islam, and Hamas. Malka spent six years living and working in Jerusalem, where he was a television news producer for Reuters and Fox News Channel. He is a frequent commentator in print, on radio, and on television and has authored numerous publications.

WHEN: Sunday, March 8, 2009 from 2-3:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and R.S.V.P.’s are encouraged. To R.S.V.P. call (305) 792-1706.

WHERE: Sunny Isles Beach Government Center, commission chambers (first level, east side), 18070 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Shlomi Dinar, FIU director of the Middle East Society, at (305) 919-4839.

-FIU- 

Media contact: Sara Friden at 305-348-2232.

About MES:
MES is a component of the School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University. Headquartered in the Biscayne Bay Campus, MES is in the midst of its third year of operation. By bringing different speakers to campus, MES’ ultimate goal is to help secure FIU’s place as a center of debate and learning on matters concerning the Middle East. In addition, through its outreach to the local community, MES hopes to become a funding source for student scholarships and auxiliary programming. MES prides itself on presenting a balanced view of a variety of issues related to the region including ancient and modern history, current events, U.S. and international policies toward the Middle East, art, culture, and religion. MES hosts approximately six lectures throughout the academic year. Our speakers have included published scholars, featured pundits, and award-winning reporters.

About FIU:
Florida International University was founded in 1965 and is Miami’s only public research university. With a student body of more than 38,000, FIU graduates more Hispanics than any other university in the country. Its 17 colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University.” In 2006 FIU was authorized to establish a medical school, which will welcome its first class in 2009. FIU’s College of Law recently received accreditation in the fastest time allowed by the American Bar Association.