Center for International and Regional Studies

Gary Wasserman on the role of Lobbying Groups in American Foreign Policy
2008-02-11 08:00 - 18:00 (Europe/Moscow)
On February 11, 2008, students and guests of CIRS were treated to a lecture by Gary Wasserman, Professor of Government at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. Wasserman’s lecture, part of the CIRS Monthly Dialogue Series, discussed the question “Democracy and American Foreign Policy: Do Interest Groups Help or Hinder?”

Wasserman argued that allowing interest groups to lobby helps open up the highly centralized U.S. foreign policy process, which is dominated by the executive branch. Wasserman called this executive hegemony “presidentialism.” Presidentialism can be illustrated by many experiences under the Bush administration, Wasserman said. He cited examples of presidential language modeled on rhetoric of the armed forces, and of the increase in classified documents under the Bush administration.

Wasserman claimed that the use of classified documents limits the involvement of outsiders in the political process, and reduces political debate and executive accountability. Moreover, these classified documents are used selectively as a means to an end, as in the case of the buildup of argumentation for the Iraq War, Wasserman said. Serving as another example of presidentialism are governmental sanctions against dissident voices, such as the case of two American Israel Public Affairs Committee lobbyists who have recently been prosecuted for having obtained classified information.

According to Wasserman, the post-9/11 climate has added strength to the tendency of presidentialism; however, over the past few years and with new presidential elections coming up, this trend is beginning to be undermined by others, like globalization. Through globalization, new and different influence groups have risen, and this broadening of the political sphere has made American foreign policy slightly more pragmatic.

Wasserman then anticipated an expected audience question, stemming from the widespread negative image of interest groups and lobbyists: Is greater public involvement in foreign policy desirable? Here, Wasserman referred to Alexis De Tocqueville, who, in the mid-nineteenth century, pointed to the uneasy relationship in the United States between foreign policy and democracy.

Traditionally, these two entities are seen as antagonistic towards each other. Wasserman commented, however, that foreign policy often results from bureaucratic compromises, and that foreign policy is portrayed as more coherent than it actually is. Discussing the people factor, he referred to the work of Benjamin Page, who portrays the public as just as coherent, and stresses that it should not be excluded from the political decision-making process. Page then provides suggestions for the problem at the core of this matter, i.e., how to make democracy work with foreign policy.

Currently in U.S. society, the problem of the “people factor” has led to increasing prominence of experts in all fields. Since in foreign policy, lobbyists are the experts, lobbyists can in fact open up the foreign policy process, and lessen presidentialism, Wasserman claimed.

Wasserman argued against the traditional negative stereotype that surround lobbyists. Adding nuance to their traditional image, he alerted his audience to the potentialities of lobbyists as contributors to foreign policy-making in the democratic state, rather than selfish takers in that process.

Summary prepared by Katrien Vanpee. Katrien is a PhD-candidate at Georgetown University, and works at the Embassy of Belgium in Doha.

Andrew Natsios on "The Sudan in Crisis and the International Response"
2008-01-24 08:00 - 18:00
On January 24, 2008, CIRS sponsored a Distinguished Lecture by Andrew Natsios, Professor on the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University and former U.S. Special Envoy to Darfur. The lecture was titled “The Sudan in Crisis and the International Response” and took place at the Al Sharq Village Hotel. It was attended by fifty invited guests who were treated to dinner and insight into one of the world’s most prominent crises. Earlier in the day, Natsios also spoke on the Sudan in a keynote address to some 350 high school students gathered at the Opening Ceremony of the CIRS-sponsored annual Model United Nations conference.

Commenting on the ongoing crisis in the Sudan, Natsios detailed the complex tensions that have fueled violent conflicts in the Darfur region, building on his firsthand knowledge of the Sudan and its political actors. Beside the tense relations that exist between Sudanese of Arab and African descent, Natsios’ discussion touched upon a series of lesser-known issues, such as the strained relations between the central government and the Janjaweed (tribal militias).

Natsios highlighted the real danger regarding the collapse of central authority in Africa’s largest country should the country return to war between the North and the South which nearly happened in October and November 2007. The ethnic cleansing of Darfur represents only one aspect of a much larger crisis that could lead to the disintegration of the Sudan, with even more tragic political and humanitarian consequences for the whole of eastern Africa. Unless the international community realizes the gravity of the situation and the fragility of central authority in Khartoum, and enjoins all of the political actors involved to alter their current course of action, the country is likely to break up under the pressure of various centrifugal forces.

Natsios argued that the central government in Khartoum has managed to alienate several previously non-political Sudanese social groups. It has, among other things, failed to honor all the articles of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, which was intended to put an end to the long civil conflict between the predominantly Muslim North and the oil-rich Christian South. As a result, the most serious conflict in recent Sudanese history—with casualties ten times those of the Darfur crisis—remains a partially unresolved issue that continues to threaten the stability of the entire country. With high levels of discontent and resentment among the population and a high proportion of government officials who are unwilling to defuse the situation peacefully for fear of a coup or of standing trial for war crimes, the Sudan is becoming increasingly unstable and should the North and South return to war, might well disintegrate as a state.

To bring the current crises to an end and avoid future degradation, Natsios argued that the international community must first and foremost encourage the parties to enforce the Comprehensive Peace Agreement it originally supported, and must normalize political relations with the Sudanese government. Because the International Criminal Court is a sword of Damocles hanging over Sudanese officials, it has become an impediment to conflict resolution. For this reason, Natsios recommended that the international community forgo the right to bring suspected war criminals to justice in exchange for peace and stability. The Sudanese government, for its part, would have to share oil revenues equitably, restrain the hardliners within its own ranks, and give greater regional autonomy to Darfur. These measures, combined with free, fair and open elections, present the only viable options for saving Sudan from fragmenting into its various provinces and bringing the Darfur crisis to an end.

Summary prepared by Henri Lauziere. Henri is a Teaching Assistant at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

Hany El Banna and Azhari Gasim Ahmed
2007-12-17 08:00 - 18:00
As part of a Working Group Symposium on Global Development, Organizations, and Faith in the Muslim World, on December 17, 2007, CIRS hosted a Distinguished Lecture by Hany El Banna, co-founder and president of Islamic Relief Worldwide, and Azhari Gasim Ahmed, Senior Economist, Islamic Development Bank.

Earlier in the day, the Working Group symposium was held at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. The symposium focused on institutions; relationships among public, private, and religiously inspired actors; financing issues; and other issues such as children, education, health, and gender.

Global Development, Organizations, and Faith in the Muslim World
2007-12-17 08:00 - 18:00
On December 17, 2007, the Working Group symposium on Global Development, Organizations, and Faith in the Muslim World was held at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. The symposium, geared toward practitioners across the Muslim world, was a working group consultation event co-sponsored by CIRS and the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the Henry R. Luce Foundation. The symposium focused on institutions; relationships among public, private, and religiously inspired actors; financing issues; and other issues such as children, education, health, and gender. The event ended with a Distinguished Lecture by Hany El Banna and Azhari Gasim Ahmed. El Banna is co-founder and president of Islamic Relief Worldwide and Ahmed is Senior Economist at the Islamic Development Bank.

Participants of the Working Group included Mehran Kamrava, Director of CIRS; Salman Shaikh, Director for Policy and Research at the Office of Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned; Hady Amr, Director of Brookings, Qatar; and Omnia Nour, Director of Reach Out to Asia, among other distinguished international guests.

The Working Group symposium is part of an ongoing joint Luce/School of Foreign Service multi-year research project focusing on institutions inspired by and linked to faith. Kamrava, Director of CIRS, said that the symposium’s program “will be fully integrated into the Georgetown University curriculum and the students will benefit greatly from engaging directly with the research results and actively participating in the creation of a database concerning faith-related organizations, both governmental and non-governmental.” According to Kamrava, the initiative is testimony to the commitment by Georgetown University and CIRS to encourage in-depth scholarship and to also provide a forum for dialogue and exchange of ideas.

The research takes place over three years; the first of which focused on the United States and concluded with a conference debating issues of faith-inspired institutions. The current year is the second stage of the investigation, which focuses on the Muslim world and the role of global Muslim-inspired institutions such as Islamic Relief, the Red Crescent Society, and the Aga Khan Network. Further phases will focus on European faith-inspired institutions in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

The project will be completed in 2009 and the results will be published as a book.

For more information, view the Working Group’s symposium summary prepared by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs.

Sherene Seikaly on Palestinian Businessmen and the British Colonial State
2007-12-10 18:00
As part of the Monthly Dialogue Series, Dr. Sherene Seikaly, the 2007-2008 Qatar Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies in Washington, DC, gave a lecture titled “A Public Good? Palestinian Businessmen and the British Colonial State 1939-1948.” On December 10, 2007, Seikaly spoke to a local audience in Doha, where she defended the view that Palestine had a vibrant and diverse economic culture during the British mandate.

Seikaly claimed that when discussing pre-1948 Palestine, one is influenced by a meta-narrative of impending catastrophe and the failure to achieve a Palestinian state. Thus, she said, the dynamics of social transformation and the vast economic growth in Arab Palestine are often overlooked.

Seikaly’s research aims to contradict the commonly held notions that pre-1948 Palestine was a flatly divided society between corrupt, feuding elites and poor, ignorant masses. Instead, Seikaly assured, Palestine under the British mandate was experiencing rapid economic growth and the development of capitalism as a means of citizenship and of nationalism.

Seikaly stated that contrary to popular belief, Palestinian businessmen conceived of post-colonial Palestine as a state where Jews and Palestinian Arabs could co-exist as equitable citizens, both contributing to the market. From 1939 to 1944, under British mobilization for the war effort, Palestinian exports doubled and the money supply grew sevenfold. While intense rationing and a newly developed income tax hampered many Palestinians’ daily lives, Palestinian entrepreneurs remained actively involved in the economy, petitioning the Brits with concerns and participating in local chambers of commerce. In fact, there were many instances of joint Jewish and Palestinian Arab Chambers of Commerce, including in Haifa until 1921 and Jerusalem until 1936. Even after 1936 the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce remained diverse in its composition, including Christians, Muslims, Armenians and many other minorities. Seikaly encouraged the audience to avoid thinking in generalizations about either Palestinian Arabs or Jews.

Seikaly lectured earlier in the day to students and faculty at Qatar University. She received her Ph.D. from New York University in 2007 in the fields of History, and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. She is also the co-editor of the Arab Studies Journal.

Summary prepared by Kathryn King. Kathryn is a CIRS staff member.

Patrick Laude on the Ambassadors of Inner Islam
2007-11-28 08:00 - 18:00
On November 28, 2007, forty invited guests gathered in the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar Library to listen to Professor Patrick Laude speak about “The Ambassadors of Inner Islam and the Encounter of Religions.”This lecture was part of CIRS’s on-going Monthly Dialogue Series. Laude is Professor of French, a Sorbonne graduate and author of nine books, including Pray Without Ceasing: The Way of the Invocation in World Religion, 2006, Divine Play, Sacred Laughter and Spiritual Understanding, 2005, Singing the Way: Insights in Poetry and Spiritual Transformation, 2005, Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998): Life and Teachings, 2004, Massignon intérieur, 2001, and Approches du quiétisme, 1992.

Professor Laude explained the main tenets of his current research which focuses on the contributions of three eminent European Islamic Studies scholars to Islamic studies and inter-religious studies. Louis Massignon (1883-1962), Henry Corbin (1903-1978) and Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998) set themselves apart from Orientalist research and the abstract detachment that was a prerequisite for scientific objectivity by demonstrating the forgotten but fertile connection between faith and scholarship. Laude explained that the spiritual realm that these scholars were interested in is one that cannot be reduced to the prevalent social or political concerns.

Laude gave a brief account of his own relationship with the subject, explaining what makes these particular scholars worthy of being named Ambassadors of Islam, and explaining what lessons could be learned in relation to the co-existence of religions. All three scholars, although studying the same topic, came from different intellectual paradigms ranging from the Christian and mystical to the phenomenological and the perennialist.

The title “Ambassadors of Islam”, Laude explained, is meant to give the sense that these scholars introduced the West to Islamic ideas found in the realm of a broader spiritual and philosophical understanding. In fact, Massignon was a Catholic scholar and priest who devoted his life to the study of Islam and Arabic, as he believed this language to be the language of transcendence. He was able to partake in a spirituality that extended beyond strict religious boundaries while being grounded in the Christian mysteries of faith. Corbin was steeped in German philosophy and Protestant theology, and became the prominent European expert in Shiite theosophy, while Schuon has been recognized as the foremost expositor of the perennial philosophy based upon the principle of the “transcendent unity of religions.”

Further to being representatives of Islam in the West, these thinkers represented a marginalized and forgotten aspect of Islam; they revived its spiritual and intellectual heritage. These scholars had a profound influence on some sectors of the Islamic intelligentsia especially in South East Asia.

Laude explained how these three Ambassadors of Islam emphasized the importance of a spiritual “congeniality” with or “sympathy” toward the object of religious studies, a re-evaluation of the centrality of the poetic and the imaginal in approaching spiritual traditions, and above all the commonality and transcendence of a universal horizon of spirituality beyond the formal differences that separate religions. As such, they saw Sufism as an embodiment of the spiritual fulfillment of Islam from a law into a spiritual way of being open to other faiths.

All three scholars’ legacy is some measure of recognition in a spiritual and metaphysical unity of all the great religions; an essential commonality that is in no way contradictory with the formal, theological and ritual diversity that characterizes the religious world. Therefore, one lesson that can be learned from these thinkers is not only the recognition of others’ religions but also the understanding of the metaphysical and anthropological necessity of the multiplicity of spiritual traditions. The unity of religions espoused, to varying degrees, by these scholars, in a way that is more implicit and Christ-centered in Massignon, more hermeneutic in Corbin’s works, and fully articulated in Schuon and the perennialist school, is not found in the literal sense of religions but resides in the encompassing and inclusive nature of the spiritual and the philosophical understanding of the religious phenomenon.

Summary prepared by Suzi Mirgani, CIRS staff member.

Environmental Degradation and Conservation: Challenges and Prospects
2007-11-12 08:00 - 18:00
Experts from Education City and around the world came together on Monday, 12 November 2007, to discuss the environmental consequences of Qatar’s rapid industrialization. Panelists from each of the branch campuses at Education City took part in the discussion. The event was sponsored by the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) and the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar).

Timothy Beach, Director of Georgetown University’s Center for the Environment, described how the earth’s climate tends to follow short cycles of warm weather followed by longer eras of cold weather. According to Beach, these cycles explain the desertion of the Mayan people, as well as settlement of people along the Nile river valley. Beach credited An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore’s award-winning film on climate change, on raising the public’s awareness of the problem. However, Beach pointed out that Gore’s film uses low-probability/high-impact actions to drive people to action.

Patrick Linke discussed water resource issues in Qatar. As a chemical engineer at Texas A&M University in Qatar, Linke has been studying the use of seawater and desalinated water to fulfill the needs of the rapid industrialization.

Deborah Lange of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh described the leadership role the University is taking in creating and promoting sustainable business practices. In addition to promoting environmentally-friendly operations at the University, CMU also integrates environmental awareness throughout the undergraduate and graduate programs. For these reasons, Carnegie Mellon was listed by the Sierra Club as one of the top 10 organizations that are committed to environmental action. The Sierra Club is on of the oldest grassroots environmental organizations with more than 1.3 million members in America.

Peter Martin, a professor of communication design from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar explained the unique relationship between environmental problems and cultural problems. In describing the development of modern culture, Martin explained that humanity sees itself are more and more detached from the environment. As we become more comfortable with artificial environments we begin to trivialize time, place and history. Only by reversing this cultural degradation can we build sustainable business practices that will reverse the environmental degradation.

Renee Richer, a biology professor from Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, discussed the challenges of conservation as a result of Qatar’s rapid industrialization. She explained the uniqueness of Qatar’s environment, with its extreme temperatures, low rainfall, and high water salinity. Unfortunately, Qatar’s small size and recent growth have meant that an accurate tally of the diversity of species in the country is not available. The rapid growth means that animal habitats are being destroyed, as well as resources being exploited. The rising population in Qatar is one example. “The fish catch has nearly doubled from 2001 until 2005 from 79,000 tons of fish to 140,000 tons. That is a huge increase in resource usage,” Richer said. Richer did credit the Qatari government’s biodiversity action plan as a step forward to building sustainable environment here in Qatar.

As a continuation of the CIRS’ panel presentation on the environment, Renee Richer published a review paper in March 2008, titled “Conservation in Qatar: Impacts of Increasing Industrialization.”

Article by Suzi Mirgani, CIRS staff member.

Ambassador Stephen Day The Evolution of British Diplomacy since the End of the First World War
2007-11-11 08:00 - 18:00
On November 8, 2007, CIRS hosted a lecture by Stephen Day, British career diplomat and former Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Tunisia and Qatar. Day delivered a lecture on “The Evolution of British Diplomacy since the End of the First World War,” focusing on the underlying dynamics that continue to characterize the basis of British policy globally and in relation to the Middle East.

Day has devoted much of his career to service in and study of the Middle East, and, in his current capacity as the Director of Claremont Associates, he continues to be actively involved in consulting and giving strategic advice on political and economic issues related to the region.

Amira Sonbol on Cairo Women of the Darb
2007-10-30 08:00 - 18:00
On October 30, 2007, CIRS hosted its inaugural Monthly Dialogue Series event with a presentation by Professor Amira Sonbol. Professor Sonbol discussed her research on Cairo women’s lives with an audience of over fifty guests, who ranged from Education City students and faculty to ambassadors and other diplomats posted in Doha.

In her portrayal of Cairo women of the darb —small alley or quarter in Arabic—Sonbol stressed that we must stop viewing women as an object of oppression in the Islamic world. On the contrary, women have been a vibrant part of life in Cairo for centuries—only recently did modern state formation begin to exclude women from professions such as medicine, manual labor, and factories. “Women worked every job you can imagine,” Sonbol said. “They had to work, at least in the darb.”

To prove this thesis, Sonbol has spent years analyzing records in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, Turkey, and the Gulf.

“Text is the product of a living society, not a dead society,” Sonbol claimed.

Using fatawa (judgments made by Islamic scholars) and court records, Sonbol demonstrated women’s active participation in society and, for instance, the ease with which they could obtain a divorce in Egyptian courts. She has also seen considerable proof of the maneuverability of women within the social hierarchy of the time, evidenced by the wealth of prenuptial agreements where women made very specific demands of their husbands. If these agreements were violated, the woman could easily secure a divorce in court.

Sonbol then traced the changes in laws since the British takeover and the arrival of the “modern age.” The many public setbacks that women faced during this period disprove the commonly-held belief in progress—that as time advances, human society necessarily improves. The centralization of the state in the modern era actually relegated women to the private sphere.

“Women are now blocked from jobs they could do before,” Sonbol noted. Additionally, at the beginning of the 19th century women held 40 percent of the property in Egypt, whereas by the end they held only ten percent, she claimed.

In 1827, Muhammad Ali Pasha opened a hospital in Cairo and many women were specialized doctors. It was not until the 1893 British takeover of Egyptian schools that women were excluded from this profession. Only now are women regaining some of the ground they lost in the beginning of the modern age.

One of the results of British rule was the 1920s’ passage of “personal status law”, which illegalized women seeking divorce and women holding property. While many outsiders claim that women’s disadvantages stem from Islam, a deconstruction of the personal status law demontrates that these laws were the real culprit. Only in the modern age did women come to be viewed as dependents of their husbands, and not as individuals, in the legal system.

Sonbol relayed how she first became interested in women’s history as she researched the clergy of Al-Azhar. As she worked in the Egyptian archives, she discovered many documents demonstrating women’s active role in history. She began to realize that the image she held of women in the past was the wrong one.

Currently, Sonbol is working with students to collect a history of women in the Gulf. While it initially appeared that this would imply the construction of a history from scratch, Sonbol has found that the scholarly study of the question of “women” needed to be reframed. Looking for women’s history was a narrow, modern approach. Instead, the group is using a wider variety of sources and has found rich material, especially in Oman.

Summary prepared by Kathryn King. Kathryn is a CIRS staff member.

America and the Middle East after the Bush Presidency: the View from the Outside
2007-10-24 08:00 - 18:00
On October 24, 2007, in conjunction with Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Democracy, CIRS hosted a conference involving key members of the America’s Role in the World Working Group — including Co-Chairs Thomas Pickering (former US Ambassador to the UN) and Chester Crocker (former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs).

A day earlier, on October, 23, 2007, CIRS and ISD hosted a private seminar of the working group members and prominent scholars and observers of US foreign policy from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and East Asia.

Beginning in the Fall of 2006, Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD) undertook a major scholarly initiative to examine the role and nature of American foreign policy in the coming years – The America’s Role in the World Working Group. More specifically, the ISD has sought to identify the geopolitical challenges that a new administration—Democrat or Republican—could face beginning in 2009, and also to define the central foreign policy choices and responses that are likely to be available. The goal is not to offer specific policy prescriptions but to provide the candidates with a comprehensive agenda of issues that could require attention and on which they should be forming views and taking positions. A working group comprised of approximately fifty-five experts on American foreign policy has been assembled to discuss and deliberate the topic.

The following are the participants and their presentations for the October 24th conference:

Keynote Speech: Thomas Pickering, Chairman of the Board, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD), Georgetown University.

Panel I: The United States and the Middle East after the Bush Presidency

Chair: Jim Seevers, Georgetown University

Casimir Yost, Georgetown University America and the World after the Bush Presidency Chan Heng Chee, Singapore Ambassador to the United States America and Its Allies after the Bush Presidency Jeremy Greenstock, Director of the Ditchley Foundation America and the Middle East in the Post-Iraq Invasion Era Chester Crocker, Georgetown University American Foreign Policy-Making During & After the Bush Presidency

Panel II: America’s Role in the Middle East

Chair: Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar

Jaafar Abbas, Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera and US Foreign Policy: An Insider’s View Mehran Kamrava, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar Eldad Pardo, Hebrew University US-Israeli Relations: The View from Jerusalem Steven Wright, Qatar University The United States and the Gulf: The View from the Gulf Thomas Pickering, Chairman of the Board, ISD, Georgetown University Keynote Speech

America's Role in the World
2007-10-23 08:00 - 18:00
On October 23, 2007, the Center for International and Regional Studies and the Institute for the Study of Democracy hosted a private seminar of the working group members and prominent scholars and observers of US foreign policy from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and East Asia.

Beginning in the Fall of 2006, Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy (ISD) undertook a major scholarly initiative to examine the role and nature of American foreign policy in the coming years – The America’s Role in the World Working Group. More specifically, the ISD has sought to identify the geopolitical challenges that a new administration—Democrat or Republican—could face beginning in 2009, and also to define the central foreign policy choices and responses that are likely to be available. The goal is not to offer specific policy prescriptions but to provide the candidates with a comprehensive agenda of issues that could require attention and on which they should be forming views and taking positions. A working group comprised of approximately fifty-five experts on American foreign policy has been assembled to discuss and deliberate the topic.

The following day, on October 24, 2007, in addition to a group of invited scholars, the working group participants delivered their findings in a public conference on the topic of America and the Middle East after the Bush Presidency: the View from the Outside.

The following are the participants that took part in the working group:

Farid Abboud, Ambassador of Lebanon to Tunisia
Gilles Andreani, Conseiller Maitre, Cour de Comptes
Habib Ben Yahia, Secretary General, Arab Maghreb Union
Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador of Singapore to the United States
Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict
Chester A. Crocker, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy – Georgetown University
Álvaro de Soto, Former UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process
Jeremy Greenstock, Director of the Ditchley Foundation
Han Sung-Joo, President of Korea University
Mehran Kamrava, Director, Center for International and Regional Studies
Zyad Limam, CEO, AM International, France
Osman Faruk Logoglu, President, Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies
Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad, President, Qatar University
Thomas R. Pickering, Chairman of the Board, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy
Ahmed Rashid, Journalist, Pakistan
James Reardon-Anderson, Dean, School of Foreign Service in Qatar
James Seevers, Professor, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy – Georgetown University
Amira Sonbol, Professor, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar
Casimir A. Yost, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy – Georgetown University
Vahan Zanoyan, PFC Energy International

Gary Wasserman on the 2008 US Presidential Elections
2007-10-05 08:00 - 18:00
On October 5th 2007, CIRS hosted a luncheon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Doha in which Dr. Gary Wasserman discussed the 2008 presidential elections in the United States. Wasserman, who is professor of Government at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, spoke before a small audience of Doha-based diplomats and business leaders. The event was moderated by CIRS-Director Mehran Kamrava.

To start, Dr. Wasserman asserted that the next presidential election will depend on the moderate and swing votes and not so much on the traditional core Republican or Democratic bases. He explained that in the last election, the Bush campaign was able to secure core Republican votes through issues like terrorism and social conservatism, and by ignoring those issues appealing to moderate voters.

The next election is likely to focus on what may be called “moments.” According to Wasserman, these are brief, key phrases and sound-bites that are fed to the public by the media, the opposition or the candidates themselves, to create for the voters an idea of the candidate’s political agenda or personality. In other words, “moments” dispense of the need for a member of the public to understand an entire political doctrine from start to finish. Wasserman reminded his audience that the general public has daily concerns other than those pertaining to politics. Therefore, it is in need of these “briefs” in order to be able to keep abreast of the political situation and to understand each candidate’s general narrative, without having to follow too closely every move in the long electoral process.

Wasserman also noted that because today’s media-driven climate is “politically correct,” the public does not tolerate outright criticism of women and racial and ethnic minorities. There are, instead, particular “code-words” that are used by campaigners in order to compress an entire history of stereotypes into a single word or phrase without being directly confrontational and offensive. For example, Republicans discuss Hillary Clinton as a woman in order to reinforce traditional stereotypes of weakness and ineffective policy. Another example was the constant use of the word “crime” during Giuliani’s “zero tolerance” policy to stand in for the word “black,” so that the governing discourse would avoid being blatantly racist but would still have the desired effect. The group also discussed the attempt by Republican candidate Mitt Romney to frighten voters away from Barack Obama, when Romney confused Obama’s name with “Osama” on a live television broadcast.

Also important to consider, according to Wasserman, is the changing nature of demographics, especially in terms of minority voters, and the dramatic effects this has on traditional political stances. These minority voters are being paid attention to and are now being canvassed in a way unseen before in political history. Wasserman discussed the significant rise of the under-30 youth vote and how this meant that traditional politics will have to find new and inventive ways to accommodate this growing constituency. Not only are “minorities” now seen as important voters, but they are also regarded as an amalgam of differences and not as the block categories they were in the past. New media technologies such as the internet and micro-targeting capabilities now have increased the ability to distinguish populations into a variety of fragmented constituencies based on a great deal of defining factors, be they age-related, educational, economic, racial, or occupational.

Wasserman said he would like to see a shift in politics towards a discussion of the larger, more important questions about the role of the United States in the world in broader, more encompassing terms, instead of the current trend towards targeting specific populations and the use of advertising techniques. One such crucial issue is the question of climate change and the stance regarding energy consumption and expenditure. Wasserman was optimistic about future policies regarding the environment and was confident that the public is positioning itself ahead of its politicians. He pointed out the positive changes that certain state and local governments in the United States have made with regards to legislation in favor of energy-efficiency, of which building codes and environmentally-friendly mass transportation systems are prime examples.

As for predictions on the election’s outcome, Wasserman warned against reading too much into Senator Clinton’s front-runner status among the Democrats, especially if she fails to rein in high expectations of her campaign’s successes in the primary season. Nevertheless, barring major surprises and slippages by the Clinton campaign, according to Wasserman, all indications point to the Senator’s emergence as the Democratic candidate and, most probably, the next occupant of the White House.

Summary prepared by Suzi Mirgani, CIRS staff member.

Mehran Kamrava on the United States and Iran
2007-09-10 08:00 - 18:00
On September 10, 2007, Dr. Mehran Kamrava, head of the Center for International and Regional Studies housed at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar, spoke to an overflow crowd at the Diplomatic Club in Doha. He prefaced his talk, entitled “The United States and Iran: A Dangerous but Contained Conflict,” by noting the cloud of uncertainty hanging over the region. Compelled each morning to check whether or not war had broken out the night before, Dr. Kamrava described the current state of affairs between the United States and Iran as decidedly grim. Irreconcilable differences in foreign policy and strategic objectives appear to be propelling the two countries towards open conflict.

Painting in broad historical strokes, Dr. Kamrava outlined the guiding principles or “logics” animating American foreign policy in the Middle East, including ready access to oil, the security of the state of Israel, and the containment of threats to American interests. Iran’s own strategic ambition of being a regional superpower whose security is guaranteed by proxies operating inside of Iraq and Lebanon, as well as Tehran’s insistence on a continued nuclear program, set the stage for an intractable conflict of interests between the US and Iran.

Dr. Kamrava interlaced his analysis with a consideration of the role of leadership and personalities. He described the current American and Iranian administrations as populated by leaders whose rigid adherence to ideological precepts exacerbate an already heated situation. Dr. Kamrava noted that what was once an American foreign policy premised on a realpolitik, balance-of-power approach to the region has been replaced by what the Project for a New American Century described as a “Reaganite policy of military strength and moral clarity,” exemplified by the neo-conservative doctrine of “forward defense.” The ideals of “freedom” and “human dignity” emanating from Washington were not just slogans but the perorations of a “presidency of believers.” These ideologues found their counterparts on the Iranian side. Dr. Kamrava went so far as to describe Ahmadinejad as the “Iranian Bush.”

Nonetheless, Dr. Kamrava cautioned against reading too much into the positions of American and Iranian political leaders. Domestic pressures remain an unknown and crucial factor going forward, as both governments face growing discontent and division amongst popular as well as elite elements. In the short term, Dr. Kamrava prognosticated that uncertainty will likely continue to hang over the region. Nonetheless, he argued that certain breaks and mechanisms exist which he deemed “logics,” that could prevent the current impasse from erupting into war.

Dr. Kamrava closed by offering three possible future scenarios, the first being the continuation of an untenable status quo in which unresolved tensions and hostility between Iran and the U.S. spill over into -the second scenario,- open conflict. Dr. Kamrava emphasized that such a war would be a catastrophe for both sides. A glimmer of hope lies in the narrow path of reconciliation that runs between the first two scenarios. Returning to his earlier theme, Dr. Kamrava advocated conditional engagement through the “Baghdad track” as a way for the US and Iran to reconcile their differences.

Summary prepared by Shervin Malekzadeh. Shervin is a Teaching Assistant at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

Education and Change in Qatar and the Arab World
2007-04-21 09:00 - 17:00
April 21, 2007

Panel A: Classical Muslim Education

1. Sebastian Günther: The Principles of Instruction are the Grounds of our Knowledge: Al-Farabi’s Philosophical and al-Ghazali’s Spiritual Approaches to Learning

This study explores the educational concepts advocated by two of the most influential Muslim thinkers: the 10th century philosopher and logician Abu Nasr al-Farabi, and the 11th century theologian, mystic, and religious reformer Abu Hamid al-Ghazali. It hopes to make a contribution to increasing our understanding of the educational foundations of a “learning society” as represented by Muslim civilization in classical times. In establishing a catalogue of data drawn from a variety of al-Farabi’s and al-Ghazali’s writings, this paper helps reveal some of the richness, sophistication, and diversity of scholarly discussion in Islam on educational theory and practice. It shows that the theoretical considerations that al-Farabi and al-Ghazali offer display a great desire for practical wisdom about learning and teaching, along with care for the ethical, moral, and emotional values of education, logic and reasoning, and spirituality. The paper concludes with an examination of the similarities and differences between the educational philosophies offered by these two sages, and ponders the extent to which their pedagogical ideas hold significance for us today.

2. Ahmad Dallal: Scientific Knowledge in Classical Muslim Education

Historians of Islamic culture have often contended that scientific culture developed on the margins of the larger Islamic culture, as evidenced by the exclusion of the sciences from the curriculum of Islamic colleges and institutions of learning. This presentation will revisit the thesis of marginality by exploring the place of science within Islamic education, and more broadly by examining the relationship of scientific knowledge and religious knowledge in classical Muslim societies.

3. Omaima Abou-Bakr: The Role of Women in Islamic Education: Past and Present

Women’s participation in the field of religious sciences in pre-modern Arab Muslim history included being learned scholars (faqihat, muhaddithat, and muftiyat), mystics (sufiyyat and mustafayat), preachers (wa’izat), and managers of hostels/teaching institutions (shaykhat rubut). Whether in the domain of orthodox religious knowledge, spirituality, or social services, women played the prominent role of teachers and guides in a mixed environment and so contributed largely to education and the dissemination of Islamic learning and Sufism. Mamluk sources provide us with very significant, often forgotten, information about women’s specific teaching activities in learning circles at homes or lecturing and preaching at mosques. Accompanying the broad modern phenomenon of Islamic revival, women are making a comeback to the field. Scholars have duly noted the spread of what was termed, in Egypt for example, “the women’s mosque movement”—in reference to the large popularity of women preachers in major mosques and the role they play in disseminating fiqhi knowledge and Hadith interpretations. Azharite women scholars and specialized faqihat are also gaining grounds and more credibility in the public view, largely contributing to major fiqhi debates and modern controversial issues on par with male scholars of the official religious establishment. While this modern contribution of women to the present religious scene has positive implications, the question inevitably arises as to the content and orientation of this knowledge. Exactly what kind of Islamic education are they producing and disseminating? Are they still part of the larger system of the official patriarchal establishment and so re-producing ‘modernist’ (i.e. reactive) conservative concepts and ideologies? Or is a ‘differing’ voice that reveals gender identity and resistance can be discerned?

Panel B: Education and the Modern State

1. JoAnn Moran Cruz: Education, Literacy and the State: A Comparative Perspective

This presentation will focus on definitions of various types of literacy, from rote literacy to pragmatic literacy to reading and writing literacy, as they are understood in the testing of literacy globally and as they are understood in the study of literacy historically. It will then look at some of the cultural determinants of literacy, including religious and linguistic aspects, state needs, the role of printed texts and libraries, as well as the relationship historically between developing literacy and structured, institutionalized education. Finally the main focus of the paper will be on the role of religion in promoting education and literacy comparatively, with an eye on Europe and the Middle East.

2. Monica Belmonte: From Open Sources to Public History: A Case for Official Declassification

In my paper, I intend to address the question of the role of the state in opening access to archival materials, and thus to the process of creating history and dissemination information to the public and educational realms. I will base this paper on my experience as an historian the Middle East at the U.S. Department of State, and, after a general discussion of the issues entailed in selection and declassification of government documents, I will cite examples from my recently-released volume of Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969 – 1976, Documents on Iran and Iraq, 1969 – 1972. I will conclude my presentation with an examination of declassified documents from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Qatar, and a discussion on the importance of the wide release of government papers in expanding educational access to historical documentation as well as fostering national identity.

3. Nubar Hovsepian: The Palestinian Curriculum: The Struggle over/for Identity

Radical reformers wanted to transform society by transforming its members through education. In contrast, the Ministry of Education (MOE) saw its primary task as one of state-building, a process constrained by the influence of political rent and the requirements of the peace process. To verify this hypothesis the textbooks published by the MOE are analyzed to uncover the embedded meanings of Palestinian identity. Is the Palestinian Authority (PA), through the new texts, trying to redefine the terms of reference of Palestinian national identity? To answer this question, the texts are read dichotomously. Do the contents of these texts affirm a resistance identity or do they promote a reconfigured identity which I call institutionalized nationalism? The evidence shows that the PA as nation-builder is trying to change or re-center the basis of Palestinian national identity. The promotion of institutionalized nationalism by the PA at the expense of resistance identity is seen as the beginning of a new but contested affiliative order. This order is contested by oppositional social and political forces who believe that resistance identity should not be compromised as long as Israeli occupation continues. Finally, the essay discusses the World Bank’s new report (MENA Flagship Report on Education…), and its relevance to Palestinian education.

4. Hana Kanan and Ahmad Baker: The Influence of International Schools on the Perception of Local Students’ Individual and Collective Identities, Career Aspiration, and Choice of University

This study examines the influence international schools have on adolescent local students in terms of individual and collective identity, career aspiration, and type and location of the university they wish to attend. A random cluster sample of 270 students attending international, magnet, and public schools was given a questionnaire designed to tap their perceived identities, professional and educational aspirations. The results of the study showed that students attending international schools differed from their counterparts who attend public or magnet schools in the way they perceived themselves and their career choices. The results are discussed in terms of their relevance to future research and the influence international education may have on local students.

Panel C: Education and Social Development

1. Asma Siddiki: Preparing Women for Responsible Citizenship: A Case Study

The proposed presentation will highlight Effat College, the first private institution of higher education in Saudi Arabia, established in 1999 for women, and present it as a case study to elaborate on the environment of private higher education, and in particular, women in higher education, in Saudi Arabia. The presentation will provide a glimpse at the challenges faced from within, as well as the milestones accomplished at the national, regional and international levels that contribute to the environment of change prevalent for its female students in Saudi Arabia today, resulting in the need to re-evaluate its mission and vision to address Responsible Citizenship.

2. Sara Scalenghe: Disability and Education in the Arab World: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Issues

Despite its obvious significance to the lives of millions in the Arab world, the history of disability in the region remains largely unwritten. This paper seeks to begin redressing that imbalance through an exploration of both theories and practices of education for persons with disabilities. The first part of the paper presents a broad historical overview —from the rise of Islam to the late nineteenth century —of the educational opportunities afforded or denied to developmentally and physically impaired individuals, focusing on select and concrete case studies. Primary sources include but are not limited to manuals for teachers, biographical dictionaries, autobiographical accounts, ijazas, and various documents describing the region’s earliest attempts to provide “special education” to people with disabilities, such as the School for the Blind established by the British Syrian Mission in Beirut in1868. The second part comprises a succinct survey and assessment of the successes and failures of contemporary efforts both at the state and private levels to provide educational opportunities and facilities for the deaf, the blind, and the motor and the developmentally impaired in several Arab countries.

3. Asma Al-Attiyah: Quality, Special Education and Individuals with Disabilities: Some Issues and Challenges

The field of special education is not a physical place but rather provides an intensive analysis of curriculum, instruction and the positive environment in order to maximize learning outcomes for children with disabilities. Special education affects not only academic outcomes but also quality of life outcomes of those children. The challenge here is to provide children with access to special education to the maximum extent possible so that all children have opportunities to achieve the highest possible quality of life. This means the key to a “quality education” for children with the full range of special education needs is characterized by access to relevant curriculum and effective instruction within a positive environment. This will promote professional excellence to meet the educational needs of individuals with exceptionalities, through support of professionals, families and others working on behalf of individuals with exceptionalities. Those challenges are met when we embody the concepts of quality, inclusion, diversity, collaboration and democracy.

April 22, 2007

Panel D: Reforms for a Changing World: Conceptual Approaches & Frameworks

1. William Rugh: Conceptual Approaches for Critical Issues in Arab Education

The premise for the paper is that the quality and effectiveness of Arab education is a vital element in the success of the Arab world in meeting the economic challenges of globalization, and therefore Arab education must be scrutinized for possible reforms. Part One will outline the most important areas in Arab education that seem to need reform in order to improve Arab productivity and suitability for the global economy. The issues to be examined include government control and funding, the private sector, rote learning, knowledge production, study abroad and language learning, and effective assessment and quality control. Part two will offer a theoretical framework for considering educational reform, in three categories: (1) performance assessment, goal-setting and standards, (2) policy and bureaucratic constraints, and (3) the credibility of educational institutions among employers and employees in the private and public sectors, as well as among the public.

2. André Mazawi: Educational Policies and ‘Research Imagination’ between Locality and Globality

3. Colin Brock: The Concept of Education as a Humanitarian Response as Applied to the Arab World

Education as a Humanitarian Response is the title of the UNESCO Chair that I hold at the University of Oxford. Such a title is often taken to apply to educational activity related to situations of conflict, post-conflict and natural disasters. But in our UNESCO Chair/UNITWIN project we are taking it to mean educational responses to any human groups that are excluded or marginalized from appropriate mainstream provision physically and/or culturally. The Arab World has had more than its fair share of conflicts and disasters, and some of these are selected to illustrate the obvious physical dislocation in respect of education such as those affecting refugees and internally displaced peoples. Additionally the paper also attempts to illustrate some of the more subtle examples of systemic and cultural dislocation in this region that adversely affect the experience of an appropriate education. It is not just access to education that is a human right, but also the receipt of an appropriate educational experience.

Panel E: Reforms for a Changing World: Practical Assessments & Case Studies

1. Dominic Brewer and Charles Goldman: The Imperative and Challenges of Large Scale Education Reform: The Case of Qatar

This paper discusses the challenges of designing and implementing large scale reforms designed to upgrade the quality of primary and secondary education. Many nations are faced with the challenge of aligning their school systems with the rapidly changing global economy and technological developments. How they respond is complicated by the financial and logistical burdens of carrying out any large-scale change, and the difficulty of fundamentally changing teaching and learning in schools. In much of the Arab region, where the need for change may be great, but the capacity (and sometimes the will) is limited, the challenge is overwhelming. One recent example of reform is the case of Qatar that in 2002 embarked on an ambitious, comprehensive effort to upgrade its educational institutions. The Emir announced a sweeping plan based on (1) new government-funded schools that are not operated by the Ministry of Education but by other parties and (2) standardized national student tests aligned with internationally-benchmarked curriculum standards. The reform includes the development of many types of schools and an information system about school performance that facilitates parental choice and involvement. In this paper, we discuss the imperative for education reform in general and for the Arab region in particular, and match that challenge against what reforms are possible given resources and constraints. We briefly describe the main elements of Qatar’s reform and how they have evolved in responses to implementation obstacles.

2. Zeina Seikaly: Professional Development for Teachers: An Investment in Educational Excellence

This presentation will focus on the teacher as a pivotal member of all education initiatives. Its main premise is that an investment in the continuing education and development of teachers beyond the pre-service course of training is paramount to a successful system of K-12 education. The provision of consistent opportunities to expand teachers’ knowledge and understanding during their careers not only increases their effectiveness but also ensures their retention in the educational system. It is important to offer—and encourage teachers to participate in—professional development opportunities that go beyond pedagogical methods; learning about methodology is crucial for teacher training programs, but continued exposure to new content expands a teacher’s depth of understanding and intellectual inquiry, and enhances critical thinking skills—objectives that teachers aim to cultivate in their own students. In addition, the traditional emphasis on mathematics and the sciences can be expanded to include training in the humanities and social sciences. It is suggested that professional development programs for in-service teachers be more holistic and offer classes and workshops in topics dealing with such disciplines as history, literature, global and ethnic studies, social studies, and the arts.

3. Noor Al Mutawa: Educational Reform in Qatar: The Experiences of Al-Bayyan

The presentation will discuss the Secondary Stage in Al Bayyan Educational Complex as a successful model of The Qatar Education Reform Initiative. It will focus on the mission to create “Education for a New Era” which requires reform of a host of interconnected systems that make up education, as we know it. It also requires a clearly stated “Vision of Reform” which must be deeply believed in by school leaders and teaching faculty. A well-designed curriculum and student-centered teaching methods are also hallmarks of effective education and should be tailored to diverse student needs to ensure significant educational outcomes. The presentation will also discuss the latest accomplishments in Al Bayyan Complex.

4. Saleh Mohammed Jneidi: The Effects of Educational Developments on Teaching Methods and Students: the Experience of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Educational Complex

This presentation concentrates on the effects of educational developments on the teaching methods and on students, specifically taking into consideration the experience of Omar Bin Al-Khattab Educational Complex in the methods for preparing the teacher, ensuring a proper educational environment, methods and styles of teaching as well as quality management for the graduates in guiding them through the It revolution and advising them of the prominent universities.

Panel F: Future Goals and Prospects

1. Sheikha Bint Jabor al-Thani: The Reform in Qatar University in Light of Recent International Changes in the Higher Education Sector

2. James Reardon-Anderson: The Education City Experiment

Education City is engaged in a unique historical experiment, in which leading universities have established branch campuses in a foreign location to deliver a full curriculum leading to their own degrees. Universities are among the last western institutions to “franchise” their brand by establishing independent units far from home that can deliver the common product. While corporations, churches, non-profit organizations and other similar institutions have gone abroad, a Harvard degree has been inextricably tied to experience in the Harvard Yard. Now, five American universities are attempting to replicate themselves in Education City. This creates an interesting problem: How to be Georgetown (or any other university) in a different location and a novel context? This presentation will report on and explore this issue based on the experience of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.

3. Munir Bashshur: Observations from the Edge of the Deluge: Are we Going Too Fast Too Far in Our Educational Transformation in the Arab Gulf?

The thrust of my presentation will be guided by readings in the field of comparative educational policy, and by 40 years of teaching experience at an American university established 140 years ago outside the US in Lebanon. The question to be explored in both cases relates to factors that are likely to impede or facilitate the success of cross-border institutions for both givers and receivers. Exploration will be pursued in light of the explosion in the number of cross-border institutions in the region in the past few years, the context in which they operate, and the appropriate modes of operation, with particular emphasis to cultural aspects as well as to institutional linkages in the Gulf and the broader Arab region.

4. Mourad Ezzine: The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa Region.

This paper will present findings from a World Bank research paper. It examines (i) the case for education reform in MENA region, (ii) Learning from past education reforms in MENA and (iii) maximizing the benefits from education.

American Arts Festival Jazz Week
2007-03-04 11:00 - 2007-03-08 21:00
From 16 February to 8 March 2007, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) in Doha sponsored a series of programs on the American arts, entitled the American Arts Festival. The Center at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar), conducts programs of scholarship, research, and public outreach in the fields of international and regional affairs. CIRS keeps in touch with its surrounding environment by providing various cultural and educational programs that communicate with both the local population and the larger international arena.

Jazz is America’s greatest contribution to music, and among the most distinctive expressions of twentieth-century American culture. Originating in West African and African-American roots, later joined by Latin, European and other influences, jazz exhibits the rich diversity of American society. Its swinging rhythms, improvised melodies, and angular sound evoke the dynamism of a fast-paced, urban and industrial world. It is difficult to define “jazz,” just as it is difficult to grasp the essence of “America” – which makes this Festival an invitation to grapple with the question, more than a ticket to the answer.

The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra is the big band of the Juilliard School of music in New York City. Composed of graduate and undergraduate students and directed by Victor L. Goines, the Orchestra has performed throughout the United States and around the world, bringing its music to audiences and education to students, expanding the enjoyment and appreciation of jazz. While in Qatar, the Orchestra gave public performances at the Qatar National Theater and Education City.

Jazz Week Participant Biographies:

The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra made its debut in October 2001. Since then, the orchestra has appeared in venues throughout the United States, Europe, and Central America, performing repertoire from across the spectrum of jazz history, from Duke Ellington and Hoagy Carmichael to Wynton Marsalis and other composers of our time. Works by the jazz students themselves are often highlights of the concerts. The orchestra is conducted by Victor L. Goines, the program’s artistic director, and faculty member Wycliffe Gordon.

Victor L. Goines is the artistic Director of Jazz Studies at Juilliard. He has performed with numerous renowned jazz artists and has many recordings and film soundtracks to his credit. A member of the Winton Marsalis Quartet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, he is also Educational Consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has taught at the University of New Orleans, Florida A & M, Loyola, and Xavier Universities.

Wycliffe Gordon is a faculty member in the Jazz Studies department at Juilliard. Mr. Gordon leads frequent workshops and master classes, and serves as a mentor during the annual Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival. Mr. Gordon was received the 2006 Jazz Critics Award for Best Trombone from the Jazz Journalists Association. He has been a Juilliard Jazz faculty member since the program’s inception in 2001. He began playing trombone at age 12. He is a member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and Wycliffe Gordon Quartet.

Doha Jazz Band The Doha Jazz Quintet, formed in 2003, is a collective of Qatar’s ex-patriot jazz musicians. Many different musicians have come and gone through the 4 years since its inception, however the two main stays throughout this time have been Chris Coull (Trumpet) and John Petrie (Bass) who are currently joined by Richard Perks (Guitar), Fraser Dodd (Saxophone) and Adil Rhassan (Drums). The Doha Jazz quintet can be seen at the Ritz Carlton every Friday for brunch and at the fortnightly jazz evenings in Habanos cigar bar.

American Arts Festival Photography Week
2007-02-25 11:00 - 2007-02-28 21:00
From 16 February to 8 March 2007, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) in Doha sponsored a series of programs on the American arts, entitled the American Arts Festival. The Center at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar), conducts programs of scholarship, research, and public outreach in the fields of international and regional affairs. CIRS keeps in touch with its surrounding environment by providing various cultural and educational programs that communicate with both the local population and the larger international arena.

Prior to 1940, the United States was a predominantly rural nation. After the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) industrialization and the movement of peoples, both internal migrations and immigration into the United States, changed the face of America. Rapid industrialization created a need for an unskilled labor force that drew people to America’s cities. During the same period, photography emerged as an important form of artistic expression. The growing middle class in America provided an audience and patrons for this bold new vision, while the grace and chaos of urbanization inspired artists to document these cities and the people who made them so vibrant. What has survived is an elegant record of a nation experiencing the growing pains of entering the industrial world. Qatar is poised at the same moment in its history growth and we hope that by giving you this glimpse into the history of the American city the similarities and differences can contribute to our mutual understanding.

Photographs depicting the American City from 1880 to 1950 were on display at Landmark Center throughout the American Arts Festival. A lecture by Sam Abell, National Geographic Photographer, as well as workshops by Georgetown University faculty, and members of the Qatar Photographic Society was offered.

Photography Competition:

The Photography Section of the American Arts Festival also featured a photography competition that was open to the public. This was a unique opportunity for those interested in the art of photography to actively take part in the fulfillment of that dream and to present their work to their fellow colleagues and to professionals of the field. Sam Abell, National GeographicPhotographer, formed part of the judging panel for the photography competition and was there to offer advice and support to those taking part in this prestigious event. Submissions were accepted between 15 November 2006 and 8 February 2007.

Photography Week Participant Biographies:

Sam Abell is a veteran National Geographic photographer and one of only four staff photographers in the history of the magazine. The archetypal National Geographic photojournalist, Abell’s work often tells evocative stories of time and place: Lewis and Clark, the Mississippi River, the Amazon, Australia, and Japan’s Imperial Palace. Most recently he told his own story in his book Sam Abell: The Photographic Life. His photographs capture the beauty of both culture and nature. He has photographed dozens of stories, authored award-winning books, and shown his work worldwide. Abell shares the excitement, intrigue, frustration, heartbreak, and joy of spending 35 years on assignment around the world for the world’s most trusted magazine.

Khalifa Al-Obaidly is an artistic photographer. In 1993 he received a degree in Marine Biology from Qatar University which spurred his interest in underwater photography. He served as Director of the Qatar Photography Museum and worked on building their collection. He constantly challenges the medium of photography and pushes its boundaries with new and unique techniques and designs. Currently he is Head of PR at the Civil Aviation Authority.

Kate Sampsell-Willmann, a U.S. intellectual and social historian and a fine art photographer, received her Ph.D. (with distinction) from Georgetown University in 2002, her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1991. She is the author of If I Could Tell This Story in Words . . . : Lewis W. Hine and the Intellectual History of Social Documentaryforthcoming from The University of North Carolina Press, “‘Three Generations of Grass’: Photography, Liberalism, and the American Yeoman,” History of Photography (Dec. 2003), and “Ellis Island and Lewis Hine’s Lived Experience: Photographs as Ideas” forthcoming from The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Dr. Sampsell-Willmann is currently a member of the history faculty at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar and has also taught American history in Turkey and the U.A.E.

Abir Al Kuwwari was the first member of the Qatar Photographic Society in 1988. Her photographs focus on nature, still-life and children. Her talent lies in her ability to bring profound meaning to the simple and the everyday, where she captures her subject matters in their natural environment. She has exhibited her work in various indoor and outdoor events and has won several awards.

American Arts Festival Poetry Week
2007-02-19 08:00 - 2007-02-22 18:00
From 16 February to 8 March 2007, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) in Doha sponsored a series of programs on the American arts, entitled the American Arts Festival. The Center at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar), conducts programs of scholarship, research, and public outreach in the fields of international and regional affairs. CIRS keeps in touch with its surrounding environment by providing various cultural and educational programs that communicate with both the local population and the larger international arena.

Many cultures, including Arab and Middle Eastern cultures, have understood poetry as their most intimate source of identity; so much so that sharing one’s poetry amounts to sharing oneself. But this access to proximity or intimacy is not without difficulties. How can we translate poetry from one language into another, from one culture into another? And still, the 13th century Muslim poet Jalal-ad-Din Rumi is one of the most popular poets in 21st century America. This suggests that poetry might be the best means of crossing cultural boundaries, while being also perhaps the most arduous.

The American Arts Festival featured American poetry, which spanned the songs of Native American shamans to the contemporary lyrics of people celebrating their diverse origins and their common destiny. Can American and Arab poetry mirror each other, enrich each other, and converge in expressing universal aspirations? Our series of poetry readings, workshops, lectures, discussions, and panels of American and Qatari poets, explored these questions and others.

Poetry Week Participant Biographies:

Robert Pinsky served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1997 until 2000. Pinsky is an ambassador for poetry and the founder of the Favorite Poem Project, where the American public is given the opportunity to share their favorite poems. In addition to being a distinguished poet, Pinsky is an editor, essayist, teacher and translator. Robert Pinsky’s translation of The Inferno of Dante is a best-seller that has received the Los Angeles Times Book Award and the Howard Morton Landon Prize for translation.

Peter Fortunato is a graduate of Cornell University, with a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. He has taught at Cornell Summer College and at Ithaca College for many years. Mr. Fortunato is a poet and performer and the founder of two poetry and performance theater groups in the US – Spideroot Theater and Spirit Horses. He has published collections of poetry, essays and short stories, and worked as a holistic counselor and life coach. His awards include the Emily Dickinson Prize of the Poetry Society of America and the Pablo Neruda Prize of the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Mohammed Al-Odadi received his Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University in Wahington DC in 1996. He then moved back to Saudi Arabia, his native country, where he has taught at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, King Khalid University, Abha. He compiled and translated into English poems by HRH Prince Khalid Al Faisal Al-Saud, entitledFires of Love & Mirages of Time: Vernacular Poetry of Saudi Arabia (Barzan Publishing Ltd., 2004).

Roger Bensky, professor of French at Georgetown University, specializes in modern theater. His fields of interest include mysticism, principally Kabbalah. Published works include two books on the symbolism and thematics of puppetry (Nizet, Paris), articles in major French reviews on contemporary dramatists (Beckett, Ionesco, Dubillard, Gatti, Benedetto) and directors (Lavelli, Lassalle, Mesguich, Marechal, Lavaudant).

Amira El-Zein of Tufts University is a translator and published poet. She received her Ph.D. in Arabic language and literature from Georgetown in 1995. Dr. El Zein has published and lectured extensively in Arabic, French, and English on topics ranging from medieval and modern Arabic thought, to Francophone literature, to comparative mysticism, and comparative folklore. Her last book of poetry, The Jinn and Other Poems has just been published by Arrowsmith Publishers in Cambridge, Boston, MA.

Ahmed Abdul-Malik is a writer and visiting lecturer at Qatar University. He received his Ph.D in Journalism from the University of Wales, UK in 1989. Dr Abul-Malik has extensive experience in media and journalism. He has held different positions in Qatar TV and was Editor-in-chief of the English daily (Gulf Times), and the Arabic daily (Al- Sharq). Moreover, he was the Director of Media Department at the Gulf Countries Council (GCC) General Secretariat. He was also the Media Advisor to the Islamic Summit General Coordinator. He has published a variety of professional, social, and literary books.

Zakia Ali Malallah is a Qatari poet, writer and author. She received her Ph.D in Pharmacy from Cairo University in 1990. Currently, Dr. Malallah works for the National Health Authority and also writes for the Al Watan newspaper. She is a member of the National Council for Arts, Culture and Heritage in Qatar. Dr. Malallah has many poetry and translation publications and has received awards for her work including the King Khalid Prize for poetry.

Hessa Al Awadi is a Qatari poet, playwright and author. She has published six volumes of poetry and numerous illustrated books of poetry and short stories aimed at entertaining and educating children and young readers. Al Awadi’s work appears in both English and Arabic.

Ali Mirza is a Qatari artist, and poet. He has acted in, produced and directed numerous plays and has published many volumes of poetry. He is a founding member of the theater movement in Qatar in 1970. He currently heads the Department of Play script and Programs evaluation Department at Qatar television.

American Arts Festival Opening Ceremony
2007-02-16 08:00 - 18:00
From 16 February to 8 March 2007, the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) in Doha sponsored a series of programs on the American arts, entitled the American Arts Festival. The Center at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar), conducts programs of scholarship, research, and public outreach in the fields of international and regional affairs. CIRS keeps in touch with its surrounding environment by providing various cultural and educational programs that communicate with both the local population and the larger international arena.

The Opening Ceremony of the American Arts Festival took place on February 16, 2007 at Al Bidaa Park on the Corniche Road in Doha. The Ceremony was open to the public.The American Arts Festival 2007 was designed to provide an opportunity for Qatar, and the region, to experience and engage with different aspects of American culture through its arts. The festival focused on three areas: poetry, photography and jazz. Each program included multiple activities over a number of days. All three programs were designed to present — through performance, lectures, and discussion — the art-form in question; to show what the American expression of this art form reveals about American history, culture and society; and to engage and promote dialogue with Qatari and Arab artists and students of art.James Reardon-Anderson, Dean of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, gave the welcome speech and introduced the Keynote Speakers Abdulla Al Thani from Qatar Foundation, Aisha Al Thani from Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), and US Ambassador to Qatar Chase Untermeyer.
