The conflict in Syria continues to raise questions regarding the international community’s role in providing aid or relief to the country. The country’s situation is eerily reminiscent of that in Bosnian town Srebrenica, which was under United Nations protection but became a symbol of genocide during the late 20th century.
Noted peace activist Mient Jan Faber and other experts will compare the fate of Srebrenica and the future of Syria during a panel discussion at the University of Houston’s Honors College Commons (second floor of M.D. Anderson Library).
“Assessing International Intervention: Applying Lessons from Srebenica to Conflict in Syria” will feature insight from Honors College scholar Faber and UH faculty members Irene Guenther, Dina Alsowaye, Terry Hallmark, and Cyrus Contractor. The event kicks off at 4 p.m., Nov. 13. It is free to the public. It will be conducted in an open discussion format, and audience members are encouraged to offer comments or pose questions. To RSVP, visit the event’s website.
Before the panel discussion, Honors College students who recently traveled to Bosnia will deliver a presentation on the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica.
Faber has visited a number of conflict zones and written numerous articles on Iraq, Kashmir, Palestinian/Israeli relations and nuclear proliferation. As an activist, he has focused his energies on the war in Yugoslavia, the Caucasus, the Middle East and Iraq. He also has taken particular interest in survivors of the massacre in Srebrenica. He has taught Human Security in War Situations at the Vrje Universiteit in Amsterdam and was the political director of the Helsinki Citizen’s Assembly in Baku/Paris. For 30 years, he served as the secretary general of the Interchurch Peace Council in the Hague.
The Honors College at UH is a hub of excellence that serves the needs of gifted undergraduates in more than 100 fields of study and reflects the rich diversity of the University of Houston in its courses, faculty and students. For over 50 years, the Honors College has offered students the best of both worlds: the advantages of a small college together with the comprehensive resources and rich diversity of a large university. For more information about the Honors College, visit http://TheHonorsCollege.com.