Nearly 50 members of the Elon community gathered on Tuesday evening, February 1st to discuss the recent events in Tunisia, the on-going civil unrest in Egypt, and growing protests throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Students, faculty, and staff took part in the discussion. First year student, Ala Eddine Maaref from Tunisia spoke about the recent unrest in his country and provided those present with some of the historical background that set the stage for the protests.
Dr. Shereen Elgamal, Assistant Professor of Arabic and a native of Egypt, shared her personal experiences of growing up in Egypt and living under an oppressive regime. When asked by a student what young people in the United States could do, Elgamal responded that, “knowledge, in my opinion, is the best way to fight negativity and ignorance.” She encouraged those present to take time each day to learn something new and share it with others in their circles.
Several students who had studied abroad at The American University of Cairo and the University of Haifa shared their insights and those of their friends and fellow students in the region. First year student Toorialey Fazly offered his perspectives based on the situation in his home country of Afghanistan.
The event was organized by the Isabella Cannon International Centre. Woody Pelton, Dean of International Programs, introduced the session and moderated the discussion. Paul Geis, Assistant Director for Affiliations and Exchanges gave an update at the start of forum on the status of Elon study abroad students who had been safely evacuated from Egypt.
Photos by Brian Allenby