Series of UW–Madison Talks to Examine Culture, Conflict in Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ronnie Hess, Director of Communications, Division of International Studies, UW–Madison, (608) 262-5590, rlhess@wisc.edu SERIES OF UW-MADISON TALKS TO EXAMINE CULTURE, CONFLICT IN IRAQ Madison – The UW–Madison Division of International Studies announces a series of talks, “Three Perspectives on Iraq, Three Years Later,” to be held on the UW–Madison campus Monday, April 17 and Tuesday, April 18. The talks will feature Columbia University professor Muhsin Al-Musawi, one of the Arab world’s leading literary critics; UW–Madison professor Neil Whitehead, author of several books on violence, warfare and terrorism; and Duke University history professor Alex Roland. The speakers will raise questions surrounding culture and power in conflict in Iraq; how violence can be a form of cultural expression; and how the war in Iraq may provide a window on the future of American military operations. The series includes: • Monday, April 17 “Reading Iraq: Culture and Power in Conflict” Muhsin Al-Musawi, professor of Arabic literature, Columbia University 4:00 p.m., 8417 Social Science, 1180 Observatory Drive Sponsored by the Division of International Studies, Middle East Studies, African Languages and Literature, Global Studies • Tuesday, April 18 “Wars without End: Addictive Violence and the Mission of Democracy” Neil Whitehead, professor of anthropology and religious studies, UW–Madison 12:00 noon, Room 126 Memorial Library, Library Mall Sponsored by the Legacies of Violence Research Circle of the International Institute with the participation of the Memorial Library • Tuesday, April 18 “The Long War Dead: The Politics and Reality of Casualties in Iraq” Alex Roland, professor of history, Duke University 7:00 p.m., Wisconsin Veterans Museum, 30 W. Mifflin Street, Suite 200 Sponsored by the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy and co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, UW–Madison Department of History, the Harvey Goldberg Center