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Tragedy in Beirut

An America and the World Conversation
Free, live and online on Thursday, November 19 at 12:00 pm

Lebanon is no stranger to adversity, but the massive explosion in Beirut this past August was devastating. It left 6000 injured, at least 200 dead, and 300,000 homeless. Chris McNaboe, living in Beirut when the explosion occurred, will provide an eyewitness account on what happened and the aftermath. Why is the health and recovery of this country so important to the United States? Lebanon is vital for helping to maintain peace and stability in the Middle East. Our discussion will explore the history of Lebanon leading up to the tragedy, the impact of the blast compounded during a pandemic, and what the prognosis will be for this small country moving forward.

Chris McNaboe is a dual US-UK citizen who grew up in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Kuwait. He spent brief periods in the US while growing up due to evacuations during the Gulf War, the 1998 Indonesian Revolution, and the US invasion of Iraq. This final evacuation became permanent when he enrolled in the University of California Santa Cruz to study politics and linguists. McNaboe attended graduate school at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, majoring in international policy studies and conflict resolution. 

McNaboe spent some time working as an english language teacher in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and as a mediator at the Superior Court of California in Monterey before joining the Carter Center in 2012. In late 2012, he started the Syria Conflict Mapping Project at the Carter Center, which he managed until 2018, whereupon he took up a position as the Center’s field officer in Beirut, Lebanon.

Dr. Brent Nelsen is professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University where he has taught since 1990. He received his BA from Wheaton College (IL) and his MA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His teaching and scholarship focus on Europe and the European Union with an emphasis on religion and politics. His most recent book, co-authored with James L. Guth, is titled, Religion and the Struggle for European Union: Confessional Culture and the Limits of Integration. (Georgetown University Press).  For more information on Dr. Nelson click here.

 Please join us live online Thursday, November 19 at 12:00 pm
Presentations generally run from 12-1:00 with plenty of time afterwards to ask your specific questions.