seal  Purdue News
____

October 22, 2003

Panelists debate America's international role in military, humanitarian issues

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University's political science department is participating in the national program, The People Speak: America Debates its Role in the World, with its own international politics roundtable focusing on military intervention and humanitarian aid.

The panel, which is free and open to the public, is 7:30-9 p.m. on Oct. 30 in Stewart Center, Room 218A-B. After the panelists debate U.S. involvement in international affairs, the audience will be asked to vote on two resolutions.

"Hundreds of students and community groups across the country are working with America Debates its Role in the World to organize debates that focus on United States foreign policy from a variety of perspectives," said Ann Marie Clark, political science professor and coordinator. "Our debate will focus on criteria for military intervention and humanitarian aid. For example, what role should the U.S. play in devoting more resources to confront nonmilitary problems such as poverty, illiteracy and the spread of infectious diseases? Our panelists also will address the criteria for military intervention."

The panelists are:

• Pete Kissinger, founder, chairman and CEO of the international company Bioanalytical Systems and Purdue professor of chemistry. He will talk about involvement in the global marketplace and its relationship to America's role in the world.

• George Lopez, professor of political science at Notre Dame and the director of policy studies at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Lopez is an expert on recent United Nations policy toward Iraq. His research focuses on the problems of state violence and coercion, especially economic sanctions and gross violations of human rights.

• Robert Melson, Purdue professor of political science. He researches Israeli politics and international ethnic and racial conflicts. Melson, president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, is the winner of an international human rights award for his book "Revolution and Genocide."

Mike Piggott, Purdue director for community relations, will be the moderator.

Support for the panel is from a grant from America Debates its Role in the World.

Writer: Amy Patterson-Neubert, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Ann Marie Clark, (765) 494-7437, clarkam@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu


* To the Purdue News and Photos Page