In early 2011, Egyptian youth—many using modern technology and social media—helped to successfully overthrow their country’s government. Brian Barber, a UT professor, went to Cairo shortly after President Hosni Mubarak’s resignation to study youth involvement in the revolution. He has returned five times since.
Barber, founding director of the UT Center for the Study of Youth and Political Conflict, will share his experiences from his trips to Egypt at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, at the UT International House, 1623 Melrose Avenue.
The presentation, “From Rally to Revolution: Inside the Minds of Egyptian Youth Activists,” will focus on the roles of key youth based on Barber’s research in Egypt over the past two years. Barber’s presentation will include pictures, video clips from his time in Egypt, and a documentary trailer.
Barber and colleagues won a $450,000 grant from the Swiss-based Jacobs Foundation in 2011 to fund this study, which includes extensive interviews, a national survey, and the development phase of a documentary.
The UT Middle Eastern Student Association, in collaboration with the UT Issues Committee, is sponsoring the event. It is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Tuesday’s presentation will address how the Egyptian youngsters accomplished a fast overthrow of one of the strongest governments in the Middle East, how they effectively spread the spirit of revolt across the globe, their hope for meaningful change, their disappointment with the pace and degree of change, and how accurately the media has covered the role of youths in the revolution.
Barber is a professor of child and family studies in the UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and specializes in the study of cross-cultural parent-youth relations and adolescent development in the context of political conflict, with a particular focus on youth from the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and Bosnia.
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CONTACT:
Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, lola.alapo@tennessee.edu)