Fall 2008 Lecture Series Topics Include Jihadists, Middle East, Fair Trade, Climate
Contact: Doug Allen, 581-3860
ORONO — The fall 2008 Socialist and Marxist Studies Series focuses this season on a variety of controversial topics of public interest, including: dealing with Jihadists; Israel, Palestine and Iran and the threat of war; fair trade coffee and NAFTA; and climate change.
Sponsored by Marxist-Socialist Studies interdisciplinary minor, the series is coordinated by philosophy professor Doug Allen and held Thursdays, 12:30-1:45 in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union, unless otherwise specified. The program is supported by Campus Activities and Events and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and cosponsored by the Maine Peace Action Committee. Speakers do not necessarily present socialist or Marxist viewpoints.
The schedule is as follows:
Sept. 11: “Mahatma Gandhi and Socialism,” with professor Doug Allen;
Sept. 18: “Going to War: Israel, Palestine and Iran,” with history professor Alex Grab;
Sept. 25: “The Two Fair Trade Movements: Bridging the Divide Between Buying Coffee and Repealing NAFTA,” with Sarah Bigney, UMaine graduate and organizer at the Maine Fair Trade Campaign, a statewide coalition of 50 organizations for building a just, sustainable and democratic economy;
Oct. 2: “Climate, Economics, Growth and Happiness,” with professor Mark Anderson, senior instructor in the School of Economics, and Coordinator, Ecology & Environmental Sciences Program;
Oct. 16: “Coming to Terms with the Jihadists,” with Moorhead Kennedy, who began thinking seriously about Islamic extremists while some of them held him hostage in Iran, 1979-1981. A Foreign Service Arabist, he is a long-time student and lecturer on Islamic Law and on contemporary political and cultural crises. Some of his conclusions may startle you. 12:30-1:45 p.m., Totman Room, Memorial Union;
Oct. 23: “Globalization and Suppression of Civil Societies in China, Korea and Vietnam,” history professor Ngo Vinh Long, Bangor Room;
Oct. 30: “What are the Key Issues in the November 4th Election?” with Ilze Petersons, program coordinator, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine; Amy Fried, political science professor; Michael Howard, philosophy professor; and Doug Allen;
Nov. 6: “Russia: The War with Georgia and Nationalistic Policies to Restore Russia’s Sphere of Influence,” with political science professors James Warhola, Paul Holman and Seth Singleton;
Nov. 20: “The Challenges of Creating Community or Why ‘Medical Marijuana Collective’ Doesn’t Mean You Just Come And Collect,” with Wendy Chapkis, professor of sociology and women and gender studies at the University of Southern Maine; her most recent book, Dying to Get High (New York University Press) examines contemporary debates surrounding the medical use of marijuana.
For additional information, contact: Prof. Doug Allen, Coordinator, Marxist-Socialist Studies, The Maples, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469. Phone: 581-3860. E-mail: douglas.allen@umit.maine.edu.