The presentation was organized by the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office and held during a special open meeting of �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE. The program was part of the 2011-2012 theme, “People Power, Politics and Global Change.”

In his overview of cross-strait relations, Kastner – an associate professor at the University of Maryland – outlined the historical impediments that have led to the current stalemate over Taiwan’s political status. Since the Chinese Nationalist Party, the Kuomintang, fled to the island in 1949 and established the Republic of China, there has been a struggle over whether the island is technically a part of the People’s Republic of China on the mainland, Kastner said.

Until recently, Taiwan’s internal debate over its political status had been a severe irritant to China, which considers the island a province. Kastner discussed how other countries, such as the United States, play a role in maintaining a precarious power balance in the region.

Taiwan’s current president, Ma Ying-jeou, has been able to ring in “a new era of more constructive cross-strait relations with a policy of “Three Noes” – no unification, no independence and no use of force,” Kastner said. Citing results of multiple national surveys, he indicated that many Taiwanese prefer the status quo, which leaves the question of the island’s status for future generations.

Taiwan’s presidential election Saturday may determine the course of future relations between the two governments, Kastner said.  Ma supports continuing the “Three Noes” policy, while opposition candidate Tsai Ing-wen fears Taiwan has grown too dependent on China in recent years.

One audience member, who referred to himself as a Chinese-American from Taiwan, underscored the importance of the election, and said he would be flying there this weekend to cast his vote.

Another audience member mentioned that, beyond politics, there is an unresolved question of identity, which is an emotional issue driving both sides that cannot be forgotten or overlooked.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office and �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE, sponsors and partners included the �鶹ӳ����ý China-Taiwan Cross-Strait Program, C.T. Hsu and Associates, the �鶹ӳ����ý Political Science Department, The Chinese American Scholars & Professionals Association of Florida, and the Global Connections Foundation.

Shadid, the former Baghdad bureau chief for the Washington Post, has been a foreign correspondent for The New York Times since December 2009. During his presentation, organized by the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office, Shadid jumped among first-person tales from the frontlines in Egypt, Libya and Syria, and musings on the Middle East’s history.

Shadid painted a picture of what individuals are going through in the midst of Arab revolutions, and noted that he dislikes the term “Arab Spring,” a popular reference to the region’s upheaval.

He said the revolutions are unprecedented in their transnational nature and that they are a product of globalization. For the first time, he said, they cross both physical and mental borders between countries due to youth-driven social media.

Shadid then spoke of the brutal days in March he spent as a prisoner of government soldiers in Libya. He contrasted that with a story of the enthusiastic spirit and new found sense of self he saw in the youth that gather in Syria’s streets by night. The Syrian people, he said, have passed the point of no return in their uprisings. They “have already liberated themselves,” he said, because there is “no more fear of the regime.”

When asked a question about journalistic objectivity, Shadid responded that he doesn’t believe in it. While he stressed the importance of being fair, he said objectivity is used as an excuse to remove justice and righteousness from stories. If a journalist sees and experiences brutality from the government, he said, the journalist owes it to his or her readers to convey it; anything else leads to misunderstanding.

Although Shadid acknowledged that there will be danger, volatility and uncertainty in the Middle East and North Africa for the foreseeable future, he contends that there is reason for optimism. In the long term, according to Shadid, the region will benefit from the political changes that are taking place today.

Along with the Global Perspectives Office, sponsors and partners of Shadid’ s presentation included the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Peace and Security Studies Program, the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship Program, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, the �鶹ӳ����ý Nicholson School of Communication, the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, LarsonAllen LLP, the �鶹ӳ����ý Islamic Studies Program, the �鶹ӳ����ý Diplomacy Studies Program, the �鶹ӳ����ý Middle Eastern Studies Program, the �鶹ӳ����ý Political Science Department, the �鶹ӳ����ý International Services Center, the �鶹ӳ����ý Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.

For a full list of upcoming events or to learn more about the Global Perspectives Office, visit .

“America and the Rising Powers,” held Oct. 28, focused on America’s evolving international role among emerging global leaders.

Hosted by the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office, about 250 students, faculty, staff and members of the community, attended the event. The conference was part of a yearlong series of presentations on global peace and security.

Robert Sutter, a visiting professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, discussed the evolving relationship between the United States and China. Sutter said both governments can benefit from positive interaction and engagement, and that both countries are dependent on each other.

Shubhro Sen, co-founder and executive director of the Massachusetts-based Conscious Capitalism Institute spoke about India on the global stage. He said this millennium appears to be India’s time to shine.

“India wants a return to its place in the world, and many in India view it as a return to global primacy,” Sen said.

João Castro Neves, a founding partner of and analyst for CAC Political Consultancy, a Brazil-based political strategy and consulting organization, highlighted the country’s global ascent and its ties with the United States. He said Brazil and the United States have a sort of “benign indifference” to one another, but will have to deal with each other more substantially in the near future.

The United States’ relationship with Russia with an emphasis on arms control was discussed by Jack Mendelsohn, a member of the Arms Control Association’s board of directors.

In recent years, relations between the two powers have grown cold, he said. However, last year the two countries set to rebuild their relationship. A new nuclear agreement between the two countries to reduce nuclear weapons, “New Start” is a “key component to U.S. and Russia relations,” Mendelsohn said.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Paul Wolfowitz, former president of the World Bank, concluded the conference with a talk on the importance of peace.

Wolfowitz, who also served as Deputy Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush, spoke about the role economic prosperity plays in stability. And although disagreements may arise among the powers, it’s important they be resolved calmly.

“There is no reason to repeat the sorry history of the past century,” Wolfowitz said. “We can maintain peace.”

The conference was co-hosted by the National Conference of Editorial Writers and the Global Connections Foundation.

Other sponsors included �鶹ӳ����ý’s Student Government Association, Nicholson School of Communication, Global Peace and Security Studies Program, Diplomacy Program, Terrorism Studies Program, Political Science Department, International Services Center and China-Taiwan Cross-Strait Program. Additional sponsors are the India Program at �鶹ӳ����ý, �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE, the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, C.T. Hsu International (Group) Co., Lawrence J. Chastang and The Chastang Foundation, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande Foundation and Larson Allen L.L.P.

“America and the Rising Powers” will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, in �鶹ӳ����ý’s Student Union. The conference, hosted by the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office, is part of a yearlong series of presentations on global peace and security.

The international global issues forum will feature experts from around the world, including former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, who will give the keynote address on the United States’ relations with established and rising powers.

Other speakers include Robert Sutter, a visiting professor of Asian Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service who will discuss American and Chinese relations, and Shubhro Sen, co-founder and executive director of the Massachusetts-based Conscious Capitalism Institute. Sen will speak about India on the global stage.

Joao Castro Neves, the founding partner of and analyst for CAC Political Consultancy, a Brazil-based political strategy and consulting organization, will highlight the country’s ascent and ties with the United States. Jack Mendelsohn, a member of the Arms Control Association’s board of directors, will give a presentation on the United States’ relationship with Russia with an emphasis on arms control.

The public is invited to attend the conference, and attendees must register by Thursday, Oct. 21. Registration is $50 per person. The fee includes breakfast, lunch, refreshments and conference materials, and it can be paid at the conference. The conference is free for �鶹ӳ����ý students, but they must register in advance.

To register, contact the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office at 407-823-0688 or global@mail.ucf.edu.

The National Conference of Editorial Writers and the Global Connections Foundation are also co-hosting the conference.

Other sponsors include �鶹ӳ����ý’s Student Government Association, Nicholson School of Communication, Global Peace and Security Studies Program, Diplomacy Program, Terrorism Studies Program, Political Science Department, International Services Center and China-Taiwan Cross-Strait Program. Additional sponsors are The India Program at �鶹ӳ����ý, �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE, the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, C.T. Hsu International (Group) Co., Lawrence J. Chastang and The Chastang Foundation, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande Foundation and LarsonAllen L.L.P.

Organized by the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office in a partnership with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jay Garner, the forum will take place in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union from 3 to 5 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, is part of the office’s annual focus on “Women and Leadership: A Global Perspective.”

Presentations will be given by actress Sarah Culberson, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Zhala Sabir and the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Jacqueline H. Wilson. The forum will be moderated by Ambassador Harriet Elam-Thomas, director of �鶹ӳ����ý’s Diplomacy Program.

Culberson appeared in television shows such as “Strong Medicine,” “All of Us,” “Boston Legal” and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and in the film “American Dreamz.” She learned later in life that she was from a royal family in Sierra Leone. After learning of the difficulties a brutal 11-year civil war inflicted on Sierra Leone’s people, she co-founded the Los Angeles-based Kposowa Foundation to help educate young people in Sierra Leone.

Sabir serves as the director of congressional and academic affairs for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s office in the United States. She oversees the office’s congressional and think tank outreach, following legislation, polices and reports relevant to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.  She is also the office’s point person on strengthening relations with U.S.-based research and academic institutions. Sabir previously worked for the Department of Foreign Relations of the Kurdistan Regional Government in its capital, Erbil. She also has served as a member of Iraq’s foreign service, with assignments in Baghdad and Ottawa, Canada.

Wilson is a senior program officer at the United States Institute of Peace’s Education and Training Center/International. Previously, she spent more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves. Her military career included assignments in analysis, training and counterterrorism. She served overseas in the Middle East and Africa, and she was a Middle East foreign area officer. After Sept. 11, 2001, she was assigned to the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, serving in the defense attaché and Kenya-U.S. liaison offices. She hosted Sudanese peace talks and was an international observer for Kenya’s elections in 2002.

In addition to the Global Perspectives Office and Gen. Garner, sponsors of this forum include Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, the �鶹ӳ����ý Diplomacy Program, the Sibille H. Pritchard Global Peace Fellowship program, the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Peace and Security Studies Program, �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE, the �鶹ӳ����ý Political Science Department, the �鶹ӳ����ý Women’s Research Center, the �鶹ӳ����ý Women’s Studies Program and the Global Connections Foundation.

Giridharadas discussed his exploration of those ideas with nearly 200 attendees during a presentation Tuesday at the �鶹ӳ����ý.

The forum, part of the ongoing 2010-2011 India Speaker Series, was organized by the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office. Giridharadas also made presentations at other community events during his visit to Orlando.

Giridharadas was the �վ������’ first Bombay- based correspondent in modern times, beginning in 2005. He began writing the “Letters from India” series three years later, and he is presently focused on “Currents,” a column focused on globalization and the increasing effects of technology. His first book, “India Calling,” is due out in January.

Giridharadas, who is of Tamil and Punjabi ancestry, grew up in Ohio and wasn’t interested in India as a young person. Short visits to his parents’ country of birth did not help, and he was guided by negative preconceptions, he said.

Later, though, after spending more time in India, he experienced an awakening. Most important and exciting, he said, was the realization that “Indians were coming to believe that their destinies are in their own hands. They were coming to believe in the power of their own dreams.”

Those dreams, he said, are what separate the past from the present and mark a stark contrast between the land his parents had left and the one to which he had returned.

It was in this context that Giridharadas elaborated on the “rise” that will make India a world leader. He noted that the next generation of Indians will be of major significance because they will provide a new model for globalization, challenging how Americans learn and being ambitious.

In addition, Giridharadas urged the audience to see India as an experiment, one that will have a major effect on international politics, economics and social organization. Democracy, cutthroat capitalism, pluralism and poverty are all factors in India that have the capacity to drastically alter the country’s path, he said.

“Even if you don’t care about India, you should care about its experiment, because it is, in so many ways, your experiment, too,” said Giridharadas.

The sponsors of this event included the �鶹ӳ����ý Global Perspectives Office, The India Program at �鶹ӳ����ý, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund, Lawrence J. Chastang and the Chastang Foundation, the Orlando Area Committee on Foreign Relations, �鶹ӳ����ý’s Political Science Department, �鶹ӳ����ý’s Nicholson School of Communication, �鶹ӳ����ý’s International Services Center, �鶹ӳ����ý LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.