WMU faculty expert discusses stabilizing IraqOct. 12, 2010 KALAMAZOO--Developing democratic institutions and rebuilding infrastructure in Iraq are topics of a lecture Thursday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Fetzer Center's Putney Auditorium at Western Michigan University. The event is open to the public free of charge.
The talk will outline the functioning of Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Iraq, discuss progress in creating a decentralized system of governance, and provide a first-hand assessment of the challenges of doing development work in a conflict zone. Results of the March 7 Iraqi election will be used as an aid to understanding the Iraqi political culture and government. A reception will follow the talk in the Fetzer Center lobby. Mingus worked for the U.S. State Department in Iraq in 2009-10. In 2005, he served as the Fulbright Research Chair at the University of Ottawa's Centre on Governance, conducting field research on democratic reform at the provincial and national levels in Canada. His research on cross-border and intergovernmental networks, democratic reform, U.S.-Canada comparative administration, and the changing nature of borders and national sovereignty has been published in numerous journals and edited books For more information, contact Susan Hoffmann, director of WMU's Institute of Government and Politics, at susan.hoffmann@wmich.edu or (269) 387-5692. Media contact: Deanne Puca, (269) 387-8400, deanne.puca@wmich.edu WMU News |
Dr. Matthew S. Mingus, former senior governance specialist for the U.S. State Department, will speak on "Stabilizing Iraq: A View from the Front Lines of Democratic Development." Mingus is a professor in the WMU School of Public Affairs and Administration.