Rising Challenges from the Middle East (Part 1)

With Iran on the verge of deploying nuclear weapons, the Al-Qaeda global militant Islamist organization becoming more active throughout the region, the ongoing armed conflict in Syria between forces loyal to the Syrian Ba’ath Party government and those seeking to oust it and the ever changing political and security situation in Egypt, the world stands at a critical moment in Middle East affairs. The speaker will discuss the impact of these challenges for the peace process in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the international geopolitical landscape. He will describe the numerous effects on human security, environment, energy, business, and the evolving geostrategic situation. When it comes to understanding the range of both benefits and risks, few has more knowledge to furnish comprehensive observations and honest assessments than our speaker. Speaker: Gershon Baskin Ph.D. Dr. Baskin was the initiator and the person responsible for the secret back channel between Israel and the Hamas that successfully negotiated the release of Israeli abducted soldier Gilead Schalit in October 2011 after more than five years of imprisonment. His book, The Negotiator: Freeing Gilad Schalit from Hamas was published in 2013. As Co-Director and founder of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) Dr. Baskin was part of a joint Israeli-Palestinian public policy “think” and “do” tank located in Jerusalem. Since January 2012, he is the Co-Chairman of IPCRI’s Board of Directors. He initiated the founding of IPCRI in 1988 following ten years of work in the field of Jewish-Arab relations within Israel, in Interns for Peace where he lived for two years in the Israeli-Palestinian village of Kufr Qara. Dr. Baskin is also a member of the steering committee of the Palestinian-Israeli Peace NGO Forum, a member of the Board of board of the Alliance for Middle East Peace and a member of the Editorial Board of the Palestinian Israeli Journal. Since January 2012, Dr. Baskin has been working to develop renewable energy projects around the Middle East. Moderator: Tad Mitsui Date: Thursday, March 13, 2014 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM Location: Country Kitchen Catering (Lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr S Cost: $11.00 (includes lunch)