Muslims in India
Abbas Akhil, NM House of Representatives
July 19, 2019 (Fri), 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Journal Auditorium
7777 Jefferson NE
The roots of Islam in India can be traced to the 6th and 7th centuries along the Western coast to Arab traders and in the North to Turkic invaders and Persian conquerors who came later in the 12th and 14th centuries. The influence of Islam through these two separate routes took different forms. Abbas Akhil will focus on the spread of Islam through these two origins to eventually become the largest minority religion of 200 million in a dominantly Hindu country. He will explore the cultural and linguistic influences of Muslim culture, the complex political ramifications of the Muslim identity, the partition of India along religious lines in 1948 and the more recent rise of Hindu nationalism that lead to the overwhelming victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in national elections last month. +More Info
Politics and Paranoia: India from Gandhi to Modi
Dr. Aroop Mangalik
August 11, 2019 (Sun) 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Museum
2000 Mountain Rd NW
India is unique, not only for its diverse cultures, but also for its turbulent politics, which Aroop Mangalik will explore in this lecture. After independence from Britain in 1947 and traumatic turmoil as the subcontinent was separated into Muslim Pakistan and secular India, the country settled into imperfect democracy under the India National Congress Party. Although 80 per cent of Indians remained locked in poverty, the middle class bloomed. But India’s Hindu majority, particularly those who had prospered, began to feel uneasy about the growing power of the Muslim minority. By 2014 a charismatic politician, Narendra Modi, fanned that unease into outright paranoia and became Prime Minister. All dissent was suppressed. Even the constitution, which explicitly declared that India was a secular state, is under attack. How did India’s leadership evolve to this state and what’s next? +More Info
Futures, Design and Global Security
Elizabeth Kistin Keller, Ph.D., Sandia National Labs
August 23, 2019 (Fri) 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Journal Auditorium
7777 Jefferson NE
National and Global security used to be simple. All you needed was Mutually Assured Destruction and a solidly built back yard fallout shelter. (OK, there was the problem of the “Mine Shaft Gap”). Those golden days are long gone. Over the next two decades we are likely to encounter an increasingly complex and rapidly changing global security environment. Elizabeth Kistin Keller will discuss some of the trends and critical uncertainties likely to shape global security over the next 10-20 years and the implications for work being done today to shape that future. She will also share how partnerships with design thinkers have advanced her work in strategic foresight. +More Info
Golden Prague: From the Middle Ages to Today
Pavlina Peskova Kalm, UNM
September 8, 2019 (Sun) 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Museum
2000 Mountain Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
Prague is a historical jewel that offers a rich architectural heritage with many centuries of historic buildings, bridges, and parks. Not only is it a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it is also the cultural and economic heart of the Czech Republic and, because of its geographic location, of Europe as well. Dr. Peskova will discuss some of the key historical moments that have made Prague such a fascinating city, both culturally and historically. She will also share some fun facts about Prague. +More Info
The Global Counterterrorism Fight Since 2017
Col. Christopher Costa, International Spy Museum
September 27, 2019 (Fri) 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Albuquerque Journal Auditorium
7777 Jefferson Blvd. NE
The Trump administration quietly undertook a range of counterterrorism efforts during its first year, allowing President Trump to rightfully claim at the State of the Union address in January 2018 that, under his administration, ISIS suffered substantial territorial loss to its physical caliphate. But, that’s not enough. Christopher Costa will update the terrorism challenge in light of policy choices, a new National Counterterrorism Strategy and international pressure on terrorist actors. +More Info
