CURRENT AFFAIRS DISCUSSION FORUM

A branch of JCMUN's Club activities, the Current Affairs Discussion Forum is a bi-weekly session that is open to all students, faculty, and other interested community and campus members.

The purpose of this forum is to bring together people with different perspectives and from different backgrounds to talk about events in the media, and through a process of moderated debate express their take on the events.

It is hoped that by conducting such discussions, awareness of the events taking place around the globe will increase among the student body- an issue of no little concern in today's world. With the increased U.S. involvement around the world and the aftermaths of such unprecedented involvement, the importance of holding such discussions at grassroots level and of increasing awareness about the extent and impacts of U.S. foreign policy around the world has only been underscored.

Of course with the fast pace of events happening around the world during the past couple of years, and particularly during the first half of this year, the abundance of issues for discussions like this is ensured. Some of the past two years' topics for discussion include the aftermath of 9/11, the war in Afghanistan, the crisis in the Middle East, US foreign policy towards Cuba (and Latin America), the Death Penalty, and American Cultural Hegemony.

On the agenda for this fall are some other equally interesting issues that relate to the various events taking place around the world today, and that blitzed across our TV screens and down our newspaper columns over the summer:

        -    North goes Nuclear: North Korea's Excellent Art of "Blackmailmanship" and the U.S. Response

        -    Unreconstruction at Full Speed: Iraq and Afghanistan After the War

        -    The Ups and Downs of the Roadmap: The Well-known Saga of Peace in the Middle East

        -   Jihad vs. McWorld - RELOADED (Continuation of a Discussion Led Last Year by Dr. Bradly Andrew)

        -    Africa, AIDS, and Apathy

        -    And More...

Each session will be led by a different person, and moderated by the organizer of the Current Affairs Discussion Forum. This year's forum organizer is Ahmed Javaid Zeerak, a second year student of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Afghanistan.

Look out for Emails from Model UN Club announcing topics, dates, and venues for the forums this fall.

Meanwhile, if you have any ideas or questions, contact the forum organizer at gardime3@juniata.edu.