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March 19, 2007
Stein and Ross to speak about the Middle East

By carol Clark

Building on the interest generated by former President Jimmy Carter’s most recent book, “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid,” the Provost’s Office has planned a series of events to encourage dialogue about conflict in Israel and Palestine.

Under the title “Inquiry, Conflict and Peacebuilding in the Middle East,” the series will include major lectures by Emory’s own Kenneth Stein, the William E. Schatten Professor of Contemporary Middle Eastern History, Political Science and Israeli Studies, as well as by professor Marc Gopin of George Mason University and Dennis Ross, former U.S. envoy to the Middle East under Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

“Professor Stein’s talk is part of a series of events planned by President Jim Wagner and Provost Earl Lewis to present the Emory community with a balanced view of the dialogue on efforts toward peacebuilding in the Middle East,” said Santa Ono, vice provost for academic initiatives and deputy provost of the University.
The Provost’s Office also announced dates for other programs related to the initiative including:

• Marc Gopin, James H. Laue Professor, George Mason University, as part of the Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding Initiative, will speak on interfaith diplomacy, Wednesday, March 21, 5–7 p.m., 111 White Hall;

• Kenneth Stein’s lecture,“The Carter Book controversy,” will take place on Thursday, April 5, 4:30 p.m. in 208 White Hall.

• Dennis Ross is scheduled to speak on Tuesday, May 1 at 4 p.m. at Glenn Memorial Auditorium;

• In August 2007 and January 2008, Emory faculty, administrators and staff will travel to the Middle East under the auspices of the “Journeys” program organized by Susan Henry-Crowe, dean of the chapel and of religious life at Emory;

• The Center for Lifelong Learning will sponsor an Emory continuing education course on the Middle East conflict beginning in fall 2008.

Plans for a fall 2007 campus panel discussion with Carter on the topic also are under way. “These events are designed to facilitate a scholarly analysis of this important world issue,” Ono said.

The series began during an Emory Town Hall on Feb. 22 when Carter, a University Distinguished Professor at Emory since 1982, talked about his efforts toward bringing peace to the Middle East and the reasons he wrote “Palestine Peace Not Apartheid.”

Stein served as the first director of The Carter Center, from 1983–86. He was also a Middle East Fellow of The Carter Center from 1983 until he resigned in 2006, to protest the publication in November of Carter’s book, which Stein has described as “replete with falsehoods.” In his April 5 talk, Stein will discuss Carter’s book and its implications, and take questions from the audience.

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