'Understanding Terrorism' Lecture Series Brings
International Experts to SDSU

Contact: Lorena Nava
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Tel: (619) 594-3952, Cell: (619) 309-5179
lnava@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO – (Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2006) – Starting Thursday, Feb. 2, San Diego State University is presenting a semester-long lecture series exploring the current state of terrorism worldwide.

The series, “Understanding Terrorism and Global Conflict,” is free and open to the public and is being organized by Dipak K. Gupta, SDSU political science professor and current Fred J. Hansen Professor of World Peace, and the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs. Other parties involved in organizing the series include the Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies, the International Security and Conflict Resolution Student Society and KPBS.

The comprehensive series will discuss issues related to Iraq and al Qaeda and also tackle an array of other topics, including Northern Ireland and Russia, the role of women in leading peace movements, what the United Nations is doing to fight terrorism and more.

“We have made every effort to make the lecture series very diverse,” Gupta said. “The series explores different perspectives on terrorism—from foreign policy experts, to the victims, to those working towards peace.”

The lecture series starts Feb. 2 with a presentation on the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland by James C. Dingley of Ireland’s University of Ulster in Belfast and concludes on May 4 with a SDSU faculty panel discussion on whether the war on terror can be won. A full series schedule is listed below.

The series is funded by the Fred J. Hansen Foundation and the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs. Hansen was one of the San Diego region’s first avocado growers and, based on his travels around the world, Hansen became convinced that if adversary nations could be encouraged to work together on projects of mutual benefit, they could help heal their differences. Hostler is a former U.S. ambassador to Bahrain and a former SDSU adjunct professor of political science.

To learn more about the lecture series, please contact Dipak K. Gupta at dipak.gupta@sdsu.edu or (619)594-4067.

Feb. 2— Road to Peace? Northern Ireland features a presentation by James C. Dingley, professor of sociology at the University of Ulster, Belfast, Ireland.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 9— Four Waves of Modern Terrorism features a presentation by David Rapoport, professor emeritus at the University of California Los Angeles. Rapoport will discuss how the four waves of modern, international terrorism have been fueled by the global spread of ideas.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 16— Analysis of the Iraqi Constitution features a presentation by Kristen Stilt, professor of the School of Law at the University of Washington. Stilt will discuss the new Iraqi Constitution and the repercussions for the country’s new democracy.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

Feb. 23— “Women Peacemakers: Leading the Way to Peace” features a film screening and panel discussion featuring SDSU faculty members Natalie Pearl, criminal justice, and Huma Ahmed-Ghosh, women’s studies. The film depicts the lives of four brave women from conflict-prone areas of the world.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

March 2— “Occupation: Dreamland” features a film screening and discussion with director Garrett Scott. The film follows a squad from the U.S. Army around Falluja, Iraq for six weeks during the winter of 2004, offering a glimpse into the lives of the six soldiers involved.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

March 9— Understanding Terrorism: What the Post 9/11 Generation Should Know features a keynote address by Anthony Cordesman, the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D. C.
Reception: Casa Real in Aztec Center, 5:30-7 p.m.
Lecture: Geological, Mathematics and Computer Science building, Room 333, 7-9 p.m.

March 23— New Terrorism features a presentation by Martha Crenshaw, the John E. Andrus Professor of Government at Wesleyan University. Crenshaw will address the question of whether the current terrorism wave is “new” compared to past terrorist activities.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9- p.m.

March 30— When Hatred is Bred in the Bone: Psycho-cultural Foundations of Contemporary Terrorism features Dr. Jerrold R. Post, MD and professor of psychiatry, political psychology and International Affairs in the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 6— International Terrorism and Human Rights: The United Nations’ Perspective features Alex P. Schmid, the officer in charge of the United Nations Terrorism Prevention Branch in Vienna, Austria.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 13— Migration and Ethno-religious Hostility in Russia features SDSU political science faculty members Mikhail Alexseev and Richard Hofstetter.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 20— Battle Zone Iraq: An Eye Witness Account features National Public Radio reporter Deborah Amos. Amos will discuss her experience in Iraq, as well as her experiences with Muslims around the world.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

April 27— Insurgent Iraq, Zarqawi, and the Next Generation features Loretta Napoleoni, an independent journalist, former Fulbright Scholar and chairman of the Club of Madrid's Counter-Terrorism Finance Group.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

May 4— Can We Win Against Terrorism? Summing it all up will feature a panel discussion with SDSU faculty members Brian Loveman, Jonathan Graubart, Khaleel Mohammed and Farid Abdel-Nour.
Hardy Tower, Room 140, 7-9 p.m.

SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 and doctorates in 16. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct faculty contact and an increasingly international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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