Ann Marie Park,
James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs coordinator, 308.865.8944
The University of Nebraska at Kearney will host the annual James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs on March 10 and 11 in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room. The theme for this year’s event is “Global Power, War and Inequality in the 21st Century.”
Along with a full schedule of presentations and discussions throughout the day on Monday and Tuesday, the conference will host two keynote speakers. On Monday, Gillian Sorenson, senior adviser at the United Nations Foundation, will present “The State of the UN and Its Future Role.” She will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room.
On Tuesday, Dr. Vali Nasr, one of the world’s leading experts on the Islamic world and Muslim politics, will speak on “The Politics of the Muslim World.” His presentation is set for 7:30 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room.
Both keynote addresses as well as the presentations during the day on Monday and Tuesday are free and open to the public. The Midwest Conference on World Affairs, which began in the 1964, was renamed the James E. Smith Midwest Conference on World Affairs in 1988 in honor of the long-time history professor who headed the conference for many years. The is designed to stimulate students’ thinking and encourage discussions about current and pressing world issues. The 2008 conference is sponsored by the College of Natural and Social Science.
Among the conference sponsors this year are Scott and Cheryl Morris, Morris Cookbooks, International Education, UNK Faculty Senate’s Artists and Lecturers Program, Women’s Studies, Department of English, International Students Association, Malaika Foundation, Nebraska Department of Education, the College of Education, the College of Business and Technology, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts and Humanities and the Office of Graduate Studies.
The conference schedule:
Monday, March 10th
9:05 – 9:55 a.m.
Politics of Tolerance and Ethnic Conflict Global War on Terrorism: ‘Home Game’ and ‘Away Game,’ a Canadian perspective.
Dr. Joel Sokolsky, from the Royal Military College of Canada, is with the Canadian Consulate of Minneapolis.
Change in the Middle Eastern Power Balance and Its Reflection on Current Politics and Conflicts
Dr. Andy David is the deputy consul general of the consulate general of Israel to the Midwest / Chicago, IL. Dr. David spent three years in the Israel Air Force and in RAFAEL, the Ministry of Defense’s Armament Development Authority. He is also a graduate of the 2007 Executive Combating Terrorism program of the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Dr. David was recently awarded Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Diplomat of the Year” award.
Politics, Indigenous Rights and Poetry, (poetry presentations courtesy of the Reynolds Series: Honoring the Sandhill Crane Migration Tribute Retreat)
Ramon Palomares, poet, Escuque, Venezuela
· Fredy Chicangana, indigenous poet, Cauca, Colombia
10:15 – 11:30 a.m.
Democracy and the War on Terror – A Discussion
His Excellency Ambassador Pierre Vimont from the Embassy of France and
His Excellency Ambassador Nabil Fahmy from the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
His Excellency Ambassador Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
1:25 – 2:15 p.m.
Challenges in the Middle-East from an Egyptian Perspective
His Excellency Ambassador Nabil Fahmy from the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Foreign Policy Challenges in an Emerging Global Scenario
With an Indian Perspective
Sibi George, political counselor at the Embassy of India in Washington, D.C., is a career diplomat. Before being assigned in Washington, D.C., in February of 2007, he served as the political counselor in the High Commission of India in Islamabad dealing with India-Pakistan bilateral relations.
Achilles Zaluar, counselor, Embassy of Brazil
B. Odonjil, deputy chief of mission & minister counselor. Embassy of Mongolia
Dealing with Strategic Partners in the Muslim World
Dr. Thomas Bagger, counselor and deputy head of Political Section from the German Embassy / Washington, D.C. He will be specifically speaking about “Europe, U.S. and Turkey: Dealing with a Strategic Partner in the Muslim World.”
Yusri Hazran from Harvard University focuses his attention on the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. From 2005-2007, he taught Introduction to the History of the Religion of Islam, Introduction to the Modern History of the Middle East and the Middle East Between the World Wars.
7:30 p.m.
The State of the UN and Its Future Role
Gillian Sorenson
Tuesday, March 11th
9:30 – 10:45 a.m.
Torture and Civil Liberties in the War on Terror
Dr. Stephen Soldz is the director of the Center for Research, Evaluation and Program Development at the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis. He will be speaking about the negatives of using psychology in torture.
Pardiss Kebriaei is a staff attorney and represents Guantanamo detainees.
Conflict Resolution and Democracy
Linda Bishai is the senior program officer in United States Institute of Peace. The education program is where she focuses on secondary and university education in international relations, conflict resolution, human rights and peace studies. She is responsible for curriculum development and developing faculty and teacher workshops throughout the United States and in conflict zones, especially the Sudan.
Dorina Bekoe is a senior research associate in the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, where she specializes in African conflicts, political development, institutional reform and peace agreement implementation.
11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
The Science of War: The Uranium Battlefield
Dr. Alexandra Miller is currently a senior scientist and principal investigator at the U.S. Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md. She will be speaking about the social –environmental consequences of depleted uranium.
Dr. Wayne Briner is a psychology professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Victims- Human Trafficking and Global Inequality
Kristin Wiebe, director of anti-trafficking programs from World Hope International. She will be speaking about anti-trafficking.
Kathleen Murray, program coordinator for the Fort Worth Police Department / Human Trafficking Unit, will also be speaking on anti-human trafficking
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.
Take a Delegate to Lunch – Meet in Atrium of Nebraskan Student Union
2 – 3:30 p.m.
Evaluation of the EU and Challenges Ahead
Dr. Robert Zisch is the consul general from the Consulate of Austria in Chicago.
Dr. Franz Rossler is the Austrian trade commissioner from the Consulate of Austria in Chicago.
Poetry Reading (poetry presentations courtesy of the Reynolds Series: Honoring the Sandhill Crane Migration Tribute Retreat)
Ramon Palomares, poet, Escuque, Venezuela
Fredy Chicangana, indigenous poet, Cauca, Colombia
3:45 – 5 p.m.
The Future of the U.S. in a Post-Bush World
Open Discussion
7:30 p.m.
The Politics of the Muslim World
Dr. Vali Nasr
