São Paulo – Course Reflection for the Contemporary Arab World should take place from next Thursday (12) in Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná. The course is promoted by the Institute of Arab Culture (Icarabe) together with company Andrade Vieira – Communications and Marketing and should take place at the Trade Association of Paraná.
The course should have geopolitical focus and should cover current questions. It was promoted in São Paulo last year. The classes should include, for example, the situation of Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq for people to understand, from historic elements about the region, which is currently taking place now.
"There should be a study on the current conjecture of Arab societies, people marked by an evident paradox: they have lived in the Middle East for millennia, but currently live within borders marked less than eight decades ago by foreign powers. On the other hand, it would be a mistake to imagine a homogenous and glorious past, a supposedly mythical period, when the Arab identity was plain among the people who were part of history," according to an Icarabe press statement about the course.
"It is a fascinating debate, which concentrates the history of the 20th century, clearly exposing the value crisis that is so characteristic of our time and launching a question about the limits of civilisation. Reflecting on the contemporary Arab World, however, is seriously facing the challenge of understanding our world," says the Icarabe on its website. The first lesson, for example, should have as its theme "A brief history of Syria and Lebanon" and should be taught by José Farhat, who graduated in Political Science in Beirut.
Apart from Farhat, the speakers and moderators of debates should be personalities like Arlene Clemesha, a doctor in history from the University of São Paulo (USP), José Arbex Jr., a doctor in Social History, also from USP, and Valério Aracary, a Marxist historian.
The classes should take place on the 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th of March, between 7:30 pm and 10:00 pm, at Carlos Alberto Pereira de Oliveira Auditorium, which is within the Commercial Association. Further information may be obtained through telephone number (+55 41) 3320 2990 or through e-mail ulc@acp.org.br.
*Translated by Mark Ament
