April 4, 2011
These University of Wyoming Students will discuss current events related to emerging
democracies in their home countries during a panel discussion at 3:30 p.m. Monday,
April 11, in the Wyoming Union East Ballroom. From left, standing, are Ismail El Fallah,
Libya, and Ali Hamodi, Iraq. Seated are Nayla Abdulla, Bahrain, and Carol Tadros,
Egypt. (UW Photo)
The Malcolm Wallop Fund for Conversations on Democracy will host a student panel event,
"Emerging Democracies and Their Struggle Against Authoritarian Rule," at 3:30 p.m.
Monday, April 11, in the Wyoming Union East Ballroom.
The panel, consisting of four international students, will discuss current events
related to emerging democracies in countries like Egypt and Libya. Pete Simpson, a
professor in the UW Department of Political Science, will moderate the panel. The
audience will be invited to ask questions.
"Emerging Democracies and Their Struggle Against Authoritarian Rule" is free and open
to the public.
"We are eager to give these international students an opportunity to speak to the
underlying relationships that feed into recent political events in the Middle East
and to share with the community how significant these events are to democracy throughout
the world," says Oliver Walter, dean of the UW College of Arts and Sciences. "We hope
conversations, such as this, will open the door to more dialogue about how and why
democracies develop."
Founded by former Wallop staffers, the Malcolm Wallop Fund for Conversations on Democracy
is a newly-created UW initiative named in honor of the three-term Wyoming senator.
The goal of the fund, which collaborates primarily with the UW American Heritage Center,
the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Political Science, is to provide
opportunities through symposia, keynote speakers, student projects and workshops to
educate others about democracy, both from an American and international perspective.
"The bottom line is, we want Sen. Wallop's legacy to be honored and remembered for
many years to come," says Kristi Wallin, a former Wallop staffer who now works for
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyoming).
For more information about the student panel, call Jan Romsa at (307) 766-2755 or
email JRomsa@uwyo.edu. For more information about the Wallop Fund, call Leslie Waggener
at (307) 766-2557 or send email lwaggen2@uwyo.edu.
