Stories this week at Wake Forest
Facing Down Saddam
The United States may face trouble if it continues to pursue a go-it-alone policy toward the use of military force against Iraq, says Charles Kimball, chair of Wake Forest’s religion department and an expert on the religion and politics of the Middle East. Kimball, who has made more than 35 visits to the region, can analyze lessons learned in the Gulf War; political and social dynamics in neighboring Iran and Israel; the nature of Islam and the political rhetoric used by Hussein and other Arab leaders; and diplomatic and economic options to resolving the current standoff. “The potential dangers posed by chemical and biological weapons must not be ignored,” Kimball said. “But the U.S. is not the only country concerned about the problem. The challenge for the U.S. is to provide strong, appropriate leadership in clear collaboration with others in the international community.” Kimball has provided expert commentary to National Public Radio, the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, the Los Angeles Times and other national media outlets. He is also the author of three books on the Middle East, including “Religion, Politics and Oil: The Volatile Mix in the Middle East.”
Wake Forest Students Host Amnesty International Conference
Human rights activists from across the state will gather for Amnesty International’s 1998 state conference to be held at Wake Forest University Feb. 21-22. The conference, hosted by the Wake Forest chapter of Amnesty International, is open to the community but registration is required. Journalist Allan Nairn, who has covered U.S. foreign policy and human rights since 1980, will be the keynote speaker. Nairn won numerous awards for his coverage of a 1991 massacre of East Timorese people by the Indonesian army. The conference begins at 12 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, in Benson University Center. It will include a series of lectures and workshops on such topics as the sociology of war and war crimes; human rights in Latin America, Sudan and Central Africa; and the death penalty. At 8 p.m. Saturday, Amnesty International members will present poetry, ethnic dances, theater and music.
Law School Discussion on Court System’s Future
The School of Law will host a free, public discussion on the court system’s future on Tuesday, Feb. 24, with Wake Forest law professor and former state supreme court justice Rhoda Billings and Wachovia Corporation’s Chairman of the Board John Medlin Jr. The discussion will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Worrell Professional Center, Room 1312. Medlin and Billings both served on the “Commission on the Future of Justice and the Courts in North Carolina.”
Gerontology Expert Part of National Conference
Charles Longino, sociology professor and director of the Reynolda Gerontology Program, will be among hundreds of professionals at the annual Association for Gerontology in Higher Education conference from Feb. 19-22 in Winston-Salem. Longino, who helped organize the event, is a national expert on retirement migration and other aging issues. For more information on Longino, contact the News Bureau at 336-758-5237. Contact the Winston-Salem Convention and Visitors Bureau for more information on the conference.
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