James Traub came to UCF Tuesday to discuss how the Middle East is in a state of flux with dictatorships falling and democracy trying to rise in several countries.
The speech titled, "You Can't Mistreat People Forever: The Revolution in the Arab World" enlightened the audience about Middle Eastern affairs and how the people of these Arab countries are fighting for their rights.
Traub is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and author of the book, "The Freedom Agenda: Why America Must Spread Democracy (Just Not the Way George Bush Did)." Traub has traveled to and covered countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Haiti as a traveling journalist since 1998 and has a weekly column titled, "Terms of Engagement," which focuses on foreign policy.
The Pegasus Ballroom in the Student Union was filled with about 105 people from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to hear Traub speak about the spread of democracy in the Arab world.
Traub's speech centered on the differences between six months ago and now in the Arab world.
The "Arab Spring" of half a year ago has been replaced with a sense that things have gone wrong, according to Traub.
Traub began speaking about how upheaval began in the Middle East with the help of television and social media because people no longer would put up with the suppression of their dictators.
On Dec. 17, 2010, a man set himself on fire in protest in Tunisia. That act sparked people, according to Traub. The people of Tunisia rose up and forced the ruler of 30 years to flee the country. Then the same thing occurred in Egypt for which Traub gives credit to Al-Jazeera, the Pan-Arab satellite television network, because the people of Egypt watched the events of Tunisia unfold and acted on them.
"Social media made it possible to gather under the radar…and that was important," Traub said.
Traub then went on to discuss the transitional period that the Arab world is now in. Traub explained that the Middle East is in a dangerous and fluctuating time, and that the final stage will be sustaining democracy.
While many think this is an impossible task, Traub believes it can be done but ended his speech by acknowledging that he might just be hoping.
"I admit I might be something of a wishful thinker," he said.
This event, which was put on by the UCF Global Perspectives Office, was received well by students.
Daniella Urrego, a freshman majoring in health sciences, thought the event was worthwhile.
"[I] learned a lot about what is going on over there [in the Middle East]," she said. "He [Traub] was more engaging than past speakers and made it interesting."
Whitney Hamrick, a senior majoring in philosophy, attended the event to hear how social media affected young people in the Arab world versus in the U.S.
"I was interested in his [Traub's] perspective on social media in the Middle East," she said. "The political culture of youth in America doesn't understand the power it has."
Mark Freeman, public affairs coordinator for the UCF Global Perspectives Office, had been eager to get Traub to come to UCF.
"The Arab Spring is a major political and social development that has global implication," he said, "including for the United States."
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