What we’re about
We believe that conflict doesn't have to result in violence or war at home or abroad. All action begins at the local level and activism begins with education. Join us at one of our free monthly events, view a topical film or listen to engaging Bay Area activists, educators and social justice advocates working to reduce militarism at home and abroad. Lively Q & A follows. Free refreshments and wheel chair accessibility.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Sunday, October 13: “U.S. Foreign Policy and the Effects of Gaza"Link visible for attendees
Every day we are reading and hearing about the extent to which the tragic war in Gaza has turned the Middle East region topsy-turvy – politically, diplomatically, militarily and emotionally. The prospects of a wider war have only recently increased. As citizens and residents of the U.S., it behooves us to pay attention to such effects on policies here at home.
The chain of events that were set off (we might well say continued) last October 7 have led to foreign-policy implications in our own government, and we would do well to focus on them…for the benefit of both the present and the future. And the next occupant of the White House will surely be a determining factor of what happens in the coming months, into next year and beyond.
Questions abound. How can we prevent this kind of war in the future? What kind of steps can our country take to help repair the damage to the Palestinian people? What should be our relationship with Israel and the Palestinian government(s)? What should be our relationship with Iran, which is an indirect player in the conflict and whose involvement threatens the possibility of a wider regional war? Connected to that, is there hope for reviving a nuclear weapons agreement with Iran? And as always, what can activists in the U.S. do in order to weigh in and try to influence U.S. policy?
Toward shedding some light on these questions a year after the Israel-Gaza war began, on Sunday, October 13 PASMC will present Dr. Assal Rad, an Iranian-American southern California-based scholar of Middle East history. Dr. Rad’s talk is entitled “U.S. Foreign Policy and the Effects of Gaza”. Questions and comments from the audience will of course be part of the evening.
Dr. Rad brings to the conversation an ongoing exploration of Middle East-related issues. She has a PhD in History from UC Irvine, and is the author of “The State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran” (Cambridge University Press, 2022). Her writing has also appeared in Newsweek, The National Interest, The Independent, Foreign Policy and other publications, and she has given commentary on BBC World, Al Jazeera, CNN, and NPR. Dr. Rad has previously served as the Research Director for the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), and as a Fellow at the Eurasia Group Foundation (now known as the Institute for Global Affairs).
Paraphrasing what we sometimes say, events between now and October 13 could well change the content and tone of Dr. Rad’s discussion. In any case, we look forward to seeing you on October 13 for an insightful take on the U.S., the Middle East, and the possible future we face.
