St. Louis Weather

Initial Information on Civitas Middle East Conference

November, 2003

Civitas 2003 Conference on the Middle East

You can’t watch a news show, read a newspaper, or scan the internet without running into references to the Middle East. There’s the war in Iraq and its aftermath; suicide bombings in Israel; the push for Palestinian statehood; terrorist attacks around the world carried out by fanatics and/or sponsored by Middle-Eastern governments; the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; disputes over oil and water among Middle Eastern countries; the world’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil; and human rights issues involving refugees, the rights of women and children, unequal distribution of resources, hunger and poverty.  

There are no easy answers. The issues are complex and intertwined, and they have provoked debate, wars, peace initiatives and continuing consternation in the world community. The need to understand them and resolve them is urgent, because they have consequences for the whole world.

As a delegate to Civitas’ 2003 Conference on the Middle East, you’ll talk about these issues and collaborate with others to try to develop creative solutions.

This two-day conference will be serious, intense, and intellectually challenging. You’ll use skills in communication, research, collaboration, reasoning, conflict resolution and debate. The conference is a place to learn, to be heard, to meet new people, to work collaboratively, and to add your creative thinking to important discussions with worldwide implications.