The next event in the Spring 2023 International Seminar Series, FIFA Football World Cups – Joy and context, is now open for registration. It will be presented simultaneously in person in the Old Main Hall of the Bone Student Center and online via Zoom. The event will take place on Wednesday, March 29, from noon to 1 p.m. All events in this series are free and open to the public. RSVP is required for in-person attendance.
With the Men’s World Cup taking place late last year and the Women’s World Cup this summer, the spring semester provides an ideal opportunity to take an in-depth look at how these events shape the world stage. International sporting events bring fans together around the world around a shared passion and enthusiasm for players, teams and competitions. However, these events carry a dark connotation of corruption, gender inequality and violations of human and labor rights. This series aims to take an in-depth look at some of these topics and provide broader context on how these events impact issues beyond the world of sports.
The theme of this event will be “Labor and human rights and the 2022 FIFA World Cup”, which will be led by Dr Noha Shawki from the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, Dr Yusuf Sarfati politics and government, Dr. Irv Epstein studies in peace, social justice and education from Illinois Wesleyan University, and Dr. James Simeone of Peace, Social Justice and Political Science from Illinois Wesleyan. Speakers will provide an overview of human rights issues related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Focus will be on Qatar’s domestic and regional politics for context. Part of the discussion will focus largely on violations of academic freedom, intimidation of academics, incarceration and targeted killings in Qatar and the Persian Gulf region. This will be linked to broader aspects of academic freedom involving human rights and democratic governance. There will also be an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the monitoring carried out by the United Nations International Labor Organization in the case of Qatar.
Upcoming Series Event
- April 19: “Corruption in the world of football”
Those wishing to attend the event in person must register in advance. A free buffet lunch will be offered to in-person attendees before the event at 11:45 a.m.
If you cannot attend in person and would still like to join, you can do so via this Zoom link. (Advance registration is not required for online participation.)
Anyone with questions, concerns, or regarding any accommodation to fully participate should contact Emmy Buonomo or call him Office of International Engagement at (309) 438-1651. Allow plenty of time to arrange accommodation.
Speaker biographies
Dr Yusuf Sarfati is an associate professor of politics and government, where he teaches comparative politics of the Middle East. He is director of the Middle East and South Asian Studies minor program. Sarfati’s research interests revolve around politics and religion, social movements, identity politics, and comparative democratization.
Dr Noha Shawki is a professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University, where she also serves as director of the Minor in Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies and co-director of the Center for a Sustainable Water Future. His research focuses on transnational activism, transnational social movements for human rights, and sustainable development. She teaches courses focused on global issues, has led the Model United Nations program for many years, and has designed and led numerous immersive and experiential learning opportunities. Many of these involve week-long study trips abroad.
Dr. Irv Epstein is the Rhodes Distinguished Professor of Peace and Social Justice at Illinois Wesleyan University. He has published widely in the field of comparative and international education in areas such as Chinese education, children’s rights, student social movements, and social theory. His most recent book is Theory of effects and comparative education discourse (Bloomsbury, 2019), and he is currently finishing Education, affect and cinema: visual imaginations, global explorations, which will also be published by Bloomsbury. He is particularly proud of his years of service on the Board of Directors of the Scholars at Risk Network, an international organization of more than 600 universities and institutional members, dedicated to protecting scholars at risk and promoting risk defense globally. academic freedom.
Dr. James Simeone is the Ben and Susan Rhodes Professor of Peace and Social Justice and professor of political science at Illinois Wesleyan University. His research examines how liberal democratic values and institutions develop amid the countervailing pressures of free market capitalism and group identity politics. His most recent publication is The Saints and the State: Mormon Unrest in Illinois (2021). He enjoys cycling and playing soccer and is the faculty advisor for the IWU Peace Garden.
