CCC to Host Egypt Forum

The Egyptian revolution that resulted in the ouster of dictatorial president Hosni Mubarak last week has sparked conversation around the globe about the future of Egypt and the rest of the Muslim-dominated Middle East.

On March 1, Camden County College will host several panelists connected to Egypt, including two University of Pennsylvania scholars, to discuss Egypt's alternative futures, potential roadblocks to democracy and the revolution's implications for the U.S., Israel and the rest of the Middle East.

The college's Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility, in concert with the University of Pennsylvania's Middle East Center and African Studies Center, presents "Egypt After Mubarak."

The discussion, which is free to the public and slated to begin at 7 p.m. in Civic Hall, will feature Marie Grace Brown, a doctoral candidate in the University of Pennsylvania History Department.

Brown recently returned to the United States from Egypt, where she witnessed the unrest that preceded the uprising that caused Mubarak to step down after nearly 30 years in power.

Brown is studying nationalism and feminism in Egypt and Sudan during the independence movement in the 1950s.

Also scheduled to be an "Egypt After Mubarak" panelist is Heba Fadel, a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant with the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

Fadel earned her bachelor's degree in English from Cairo's Ain Shams University, and is pursing a master’s degree in linguistics.

Although she is not due to return home till June, Fadel has been keeping abreast of developments in her native country.

"Egypt After Mubarak" will hold particular value for educators, as it will help teachers translate a historical event into a teachable moment for students at any age. Official New Jersey Professional Development credit is available for attendance to state-certified educators, according to the college.

For additional information or to attend, contact the Camden County College Center for Civic Leadership and Responsibility by telephone at 856-227-7200 ext. 4333 or via e-mail at CCLRregistrations@camdencc.edu.