Rabat – Titled “Is Peace Possible in the Middle East?” the forum’s final lecture of the season promises a fitting end to the spring series of talks, which were designed to encourage frank discussion and a productive examination of current global issues.
Senator Mitchell brings to the podium an extensive background in diplomacy. In 1998, he was the author of the agreement which finally ended decades of conflict in Northern Ireland. Under the Obama administration, he served as special envoy to the Arab-Israeli peace process from 2009-2011.
His message is one of hope, perseverance and pragmatism. Mitchell describes his philosophy for dispelling conflict in simple terms; humans create the problems, so human can solve them. “I believe there’s no such thing as a conflict that can’t be ended. They’re created and sustained by human beings. They can be ended by human beings. No matter how ancient the conflict, no matter how hateful, no matter how hurtful, peace can prevail.”
The senator’s lecture will take place on May 11, at 7 p.m., in the University of New England’s Tangier Auditorium. It will be the eighth such lecture in a series of talks which began last fall. The lectures have featured topics including challenges specific to the Arab world, the birth of monotheism and “how the lessons of the Enlightenment might be applied to the greatest challenges facing humanity today.”
The idea for the forum was conceived by American-Moroccan scholar, Anouar Majid. The lectures have featured thinkers from around the globe including speakers from America, Morocco and Europe. In addition to the lectures, seminars and workshops have been conducted to explore old and new perspectives on cultures to provide an improved understanding of the contemporary human condition.
To ensure that the information is disseminated to as many people as possible, all the forum’s events are free for the public and streamed live around the globe. Live translation into one or more languages is also available. This year’s “Is Peace Possible in the Middle East?”
lecture will be live streamed at www.une.edu/tgf/live
