Date & Time - March 28, 2012 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Location - Seattle Central Community College, Room BE1110
Prices - Member: $10.00 - Non-member: $15.00 - Student: $10.00
If you were to name the biggest foreign policy stories of 2011, the Arab Spring would top the list. The dominant story of the year began in Tunisia in December 2010 and resulted in government overthrow in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. Revolutions also occurred in Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria. What do did these revolutions truly have in common? Which revolutions succeeded and which failed? What lead to these various outcomes?
On March 28, Seattle-area experts will answer these questions in small groups focused on Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, and Yemen in the final installment of our three-part in-depth exploration of the Arab Spring. This is also an opportunity to engage in an intimate, dynamic conversation with our experts and ask the questions you would like to have answered about the Arab Spring. Light refreshments will be served.
About our discussion group leaders:
Dr. Robert Burrowes
Burrowes is an expert on Yemen and Middle Eastern Affairs. He is the author of The Yemen Arab Republic: The Politics of Development, 1962-1986; Historical Dictionary of Yemen, 2nd ed.; and the entry on “Yemen” in the 2000 edition of Encyclopedia Britannica. Throughout his distinguished career, he has worked as a project designer for Save the Children in Yemen, has held professorships at several universities, and from 1990-2003 he began teaching political science at the Henry M. Jackson School of international Studies (JSIS) at the University of Washington. Dr. Burrowes has also been a consultant and writer on Yemeni affairs for USAID, Exxon, and the Middle East Institute.
Kay Tarapolsi
Koloud 'Kay' Tarapolsi is a Libyan American who creates art and crafts to promote a positive image of Arab culture. She currently sells these items under her company, A Crafty Arab. She received her BS from Oklahoma State University in Sociology and Art History, with a specialty in African art. Kay moved to Seattle in 1992 and started volunteering at the Seattle Art Museum, where she has been a Docent since 1994. In 2001, Kay received her Masters from the University of Washington from the Jackson School of International Studies, with an interest in Middle East studies and also obtained Museumology certification from the Burke Museum. She founded Arab Artists Resources & Training, an international non-profit, was an Arts Commissioner for the City of Redmond for 6 years, served on the Salaam Cultural Museum board and African Council at SAM and is the current Arabic storyteller for the King County Library System. Kay was Board Director of the Arab Center of Washington from 2005 to 2007 and was a producer of the 2007 Arab Festival. She lives in Redmond with her husband and three young daughters.
Dr. Jawed Zouari
Professor Zouari has presented research papers at international conferences in the United States, Europe, and North Africa. His Master’s thesis was on “The Effects of Ben Ali’s Democratic Reforms on the Islamist Movement in Tunisia”, and his doctoral dissertation focused on “European economic expansion in North Africa during the 19th century.” His publications include, “French Speaking North Africa, The Cultural Component of Foreign-Language Learning,” National Textbooks, 1995; “Social Change, Stress, and Mental Health among Tunisian Women,” The International Journal of Psychology, 1995, 30; North Africa: Morocco, Glenview: IL, Good Year Books, 1997. He has also presented several papers at the Middle East Studies Association of North America on democratic and economic reforms in North Africa.
