As the scope of unrest in the Middle East widens, it is often difficult to understand the influence the situation will have our nation’s foreign policy. Stephen Kinzer, author and professor at Boston University, spoke at a Schemel Forum luncheon at The University of Scranton on April 3 to help discern fact from fiction.

Kinzer stressed that, most importantly, the crisis in the Middle East is a chance for global social and political change.

“The arc of crisis is also an arc of wonderful opportunity,” Kinzer said.

Kinzer noted that although the series of revolutions in the Middle East may have seemed sudden to Americans, the demand for democracy is inevitable. He pointed out that with a growing population of young, educated and employed people, citizens were bound to demand representative governments.

Despite a move toward democracy in the Middle East, Kinzer warned that representative governments would not necessarily embrace American policies in the region. According to Kinzer, the United States needs to make dramatic concessions in order to work with Arab democracies. He challenged policy-makers to widen their breadth of vision in the region and embrace opportunities that may go against traditional foreign policy.

“The central challenge of the U.S. is to break out of the policy habits we have had since the Cold War … our policies are for a decade that is over,” Kinzer said.

Kinzer first visited The University of Scranton in the fall of 2010 to address the school’s incoming freshman class, whose summer reading requirement was his book “A Thousand Hills: Rwanda’s Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It.” Kinzer was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University at the new student convocation.

Kinzer’s talk can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSWuINmjtdU.