Dr. Khalil Barhoum on 'The Arab Spring: Are We There Yet?'

A plethora of events greets us in the news every day as "ordinary people" in the Middle East attempt to rise up and claim their right to self-determination. This movement, often nicknamed the "Arab Spring", has taken on a life of its own. It began with a street vendor's desperate act of self-immolation in Tunisia and continued on a major city square that became almost a city unto itself in Cairo, Egypt. It spread to Libya, as well as Bahrain, Yemen and most recently Syria.

Of course the various governments' responses have also evolved with events - from an ostensibly peaceful surrender of power, then aggression against those pursuing governmental change. The most extreme case has become the civil war (could we call it anything else?) in Libya, along with the international military intervention it has drawn, for better or worse.

Where the "Arab Spring" will go next, and how it will get there, is surely a difficult guess...but on Thursday, May 5, Peace Action of San Mateo County will invite its members and friends to give it some thought. To help us with a measure of first-hand insight, we are proud to present Stanford University Professor Khalil Barhoum, who will give a free talk entitled "The Arab Spring: Are We There Yet?"

Dr. Barhoum is a senior lecturer at Stanford, where he coordinates the Program in Arabic and African Languages and Literatures. He is also a native of Bethlehem, Palestine, and as a frequent visitor to the Middle East, is regarded as a keen observer of the region's societies, politics, and cultures. He is a much sought-after speaker and radio, television and print interview subject regarding U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, as well as the Arab-Israeli conflict. Whatever Middle East developments are making the news on or around May 5 (and anything seems possible), we look forward to hearing Dr. Barhoum's thoughts about them.

The UU is wheelchair accessible at the Ellsworth entrance.