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We have two events coming up as part of our Arts & Humanities Festival<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/ahfest> at King's, which will be of interest to scholars of the Middle East: Conflict and coexistence in deeply divided societies: Consolidating internationally brokered power-sharing arrangements Inaugural Lecture by Professor Michael Kerr 6pm, Tuesday 22 October 2013 Safra Lecture Theatre, King's College London, Strand Campus Free, but booking is required: https://michaelkerr.eventbrite.co.uk/ Proponents of power-sharing offer a compelling vision for the long-term regulation of ethnic conflict in deeply divided societies, yet the negotiation, implementation and consolidation of such arrangements has proved arduous since the end of the Cold War. One of the oddities of contemporary ethnic conflicts, such as the current contest over the state in Syria, the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, or the troubles that tore Northern Ireland apart for three decades, is that although sharing power presents a way forward in ending the human suffering caused by the outbreak of political violence, the lack of international support for this controversial idea prolongs that violence. In this lecture, Professor Michael Kerr examines the politics and international relations of forging power-sharing agreements between deeply divided communities in contested states, describing when and how such internationally brokered arrangements may be successful. In the long-term, he argues that without robust international support for such arrangements, power-sharing agreements can merely regulate ethnic conflict rather than resolve it. Biography: Michael Kerr<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mems/people/staff/academic/kerr/index.aspx> is Professor of Conflict Studies, Director of the Middle East & Mediterranean Studies Programme<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/mems/index.aspx>, and Director of the Centre for the Study of Divided Societies<http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/ahri/centres/divsoc/index.aspx>. He teaches on the history and politics of conflict regulation in contested states. Michael joined King's in 2008 from the London School of Economics & Political Science where he was Leverhulme Research Fellow. His latest publications include The Destructors: The Story of Northern Ireland's Lost Peace Process (Irish Academic Press, 2011), Lebanon: After the Cedar Revolution (Eds. with Are Knudsen, Hurst & Co, 2012 & OUP 2013), and The Alawis of Syria: War, Faith and Politics in the Levant (Eds. with Craig Larkin, forthcoming Hurst & Co 2014). -------------------------------------------- Fragile Humanity: Syrian Refugees in the Middle East 6.30, Wednesday 23 October 2013 Anatomy Lecture Theatre, King's College London, Strand Campus Free, but booking is required: https://fragilehumanity.eventbrite.co.uk/ With the number of registered refugees approaching 2 million and no signs of decrease in border crossings to Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq, Syrian refugees posit the largest humanitarian crisis in the world at this moment. Yet while refugees base their claims on the fragility of their mere existence and states are theoretically bound to protect them on these grounds, refugees are never solely "human." Our speakers will delve into the ways humanitarian discourse and practice intersect with the socio-political and economic realities of the host states in the region. As the refugee presence throws into turmoil delicate balances or exacerbates existing tensions within host countries, what is the meaning and function of their humanity? Biographies: Andrej Mahecic is Senior External Relations Officer currently with the UNHCR representation in the UK. Andrej is a former journalist and UN radio producer with more than 15 years served with UNHCR. He has served with UNHCR in South East Europe, UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva and with numerous emergency missions including Iran, West Africa, Great Lakes, Horn, North Africa and the Middle East. Jeanine Jalkh is Reporter and Analyst for the Lebanese Newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour specializing in political, security and juridical issues. For the past 2 years, she has written extensively on Syrian refugees in Lebanon and on Syrian dissidents. In her twenty year long experience as a journalist in the region, Jeanine has produced documentaries for Al Mayadeen TV, Al Jazeera TV and LBC and has cooperated with a number of European media.