PEORIA, IL -- From a news release:
The small, but influential nation of Qatar, and its impact on American foreign policy in the Middle East, will be topic of a public forum hosted by the Peoria Area World Affairs Council at Bradley University.
Dr. Janice Jayes, a professor of Middle East history at Illinois State University, will join Don Samford, a recent guest of the government of Qatar and a national World Affairs Councils leader, and Julia Ghantous, a former Qatar resident, in exploring the country’s strategic importance, its enormous wealth and its application of Sharia law.
The presentation, titled “Qatar: Kingdom of Contrasts” will be Thursday, March 28, at Westlake Hall, Room 116, on the Bradley campus. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m., with the presentation beginning at 7 p.m.
As a small nation surrounded by much larger neighbors, Qatar has several complex foreign relations entanglements. It has defense agreements with the United States and Britain, but is broadening its relationship with China. U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and Egypt have imposed an economic and diplomatic embargo against Qatar. The country has the highest per capita income in the world, due in part to its large reserves of oil and natural gas.
Dr. Jayes is a teacher, researcher, writer and political risk analyst specializing in the Middle East and Latin America. She’s been an instructor at ISU for nine years, earning her doctorate in philosophy, history, U.S. foreign relations and Latin America from American University in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Samford is a retired social studies teacher at Eureka High School, and a former board member of the World Affairs Councils of America and former PAWAC president. He has traveled extensively in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Ghantous, a native of Lebanon, lived in Qatar for 23 years and visited frequently because her parents lived there until two years ago. She is an adjunct professor at Illinois Central College.
There is no cost to attend this discussion. Cost to enjoy the dinner is $30 for PAWAC members and students and $35 for the general public. All are welcome. To make dinner reservations, email director@pawac.org
The Peoria Area World Affairs Council is a community-based volunteer organization that brings the world to Central Illinois by holding a variety of forums on international history, culture and current events. Along with expert speakers, PAWAC offers guided travel opportunities, book club meetings and public discussion forums. In an era of increasing communication and globalization, the organization provides an interactive and engaging international perspective to our local community. The Peoria Area World Affairs Council held its first conference in 1970. PAWAC is affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America.
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