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WHAT: Under President George W. Bush’s administration, supporting democratization in the Middle East was considered a major foreign policy goal. While President Obama has been more cautious in the use of the term democratization, his inaugural speech identified the importance of government responsibility to its people and support of civil society in the region. Regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats are in power, the issue has become central to America’s policy towards the Middle East. On Dec. 3 the Prestige Cultural Series at the Biscayne Bay Campus presented by the Office of the Vice Provost of the Biscayne Bay Campus will feature a panel debate discussing how the United States should go about supporting the advancement of political freedom in the region. The event will be co-sponsored by FIU’s School of International and Public Affairs’ Middle East Society; the Cities of North Miami Beach and Sunny Isles Beach; Village of Bal Harbour; Town of Golden Beach; Steinway Piano Gallery Miami; U.S. Century Bank; Dr. Jules Oaklander, member of the Circle of Friends at BBC; and City of Aventura Commissioner Billy Joel together with his wife Sandra.
WHO: The panel will consist of several experts on the region including Eleana Gordon, Executive Director of the Center for Liberty in the Middle East; Russell Lucas, Assistant Professor at FIU’s Department of Politics and International Relations; and Robert Rabil, Associate Professor at FAU’s Department of Political Science. The panel will be moderated by Hilarion “Lari” Martinez, a United States Department of State Foreign Service Officer and Diplomat-in-Residence at FIU’s Department of Politics and International Relations.
WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 from 7-8:30 p.m.
WHERE: The event will take place at the Mary Ann Wolfe Theater located in the Wolfe University Center on FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami. There is a $5 admission fee for the general public. FIU students, faculty, and staff can attend the event free of charge. Parking is free. For more information or to reserve a seat please contact Jan Solomon, Development Officer at the Office of the Vice Provost, 305-919-5700, jsolomon@fiu.edu.
Media Contact: Lissette Lanza at 305-348-2232.
-FIU-
About MES:
MES is a component of the School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University. Headquartered on FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus, MES is an organization dedicated to attracting high-profile speakers and hosting interactive events related to the Middle East. The MES provides its members with a unique opportunity to discuss and debate matters related to the region with top experts from around the globe in an academic setting. 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 is an important funding source for student scholarships. Our speakers have included published scholars, featured pundits, and award-winning reporters. As an MES member you not only support our students and programming in international relations, but you also help secure a future for the university as a thriving center of learning. For more information about MES, visit http://international.fiu.edu/uploads/index.php?name=middle_east_society
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, 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. More than 100,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. FIU has been classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “High Research Activity University”. In August 2009, FIU welcomed the inaugural class of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu.
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