Rami George Khouri, executive editor for the Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star, discussed the promise and perils of communication between the Middle East and the West during a presentation at the 麻豆原创.
Khouri spoke to an audience of nearly 100 Thursday, Dec. 2. His presentation was part of the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office鈥檚 yearlong Global Peace and Security program.
Khouri also pens a column titled 鈥淎 View from the Arab World鈥� for the The Daily Star, the largest English-language newspaper in the Middle East. In addition, he serves as director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.
During his talk, Khouri addressed the importance of understanding the history between the Middle East and the West. He noted that what is going on today is anchored in historical traditions.
Promise lies in cross-cultural communication, because it is the driving force behind human advancements, he said. According to Khouri, everyone benefits from good relations with the Middle East.
鈥淲hen people interact, they learn, grow, prosper, become more creative, and generate wealth, stability and security,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ost importantly, they share human dignity in all of its dimensions.鈥�
Unfortunately, the perils are equally as numerous and striking, Khouri said, noting that the Middle East and the West have a long tradition of invasions, wars, tensions, fears and resentment.
Often, nations in the Middle East also clash with each other. The four key players in the region — Arabs, Iranians, Turks and Israelis — have different languages, governmental systems, cultures and traditions. Right now, they鈥檙e all interacting in a confrontational way, Khouri said.
However, Khouri said there are ways to expand the promise and minimize the peril. He said we must try to understand the baggage that ancient legacies bring to contemporary conflicts. That also applies to the region鈥檚 relationship with the West, he said.
It is also important to separate values from policies. Khouri said people in the Middle East and in the West have similar values of justice, democracy and accountability, and that the biggest disagreements are about policy. The policies of government can cause hostility because when they change, people鈥檚 opinions of each other often change, too, Khouri explained.
鈥淲hen you listen carefully to the United States and Middle Easterners, they want justice, democracy and to live peacefully with each other.鈥�
Sponsors of Khouri鈥檚 presentation included the 麻豆原创 Global Perspectives Office, 麻豆原创 Global Peace and Security Studies Program, 麻豆原创 Middle Eastern Studies Program, Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, 麻豆原创 Political Science Department, 麻豆原创 Nicholson School of Communication, 麻豆原创 Terrorism Studies Program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, 麻豆原创 International Services Center, 麻豆原创 LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.