News & Events

Retired U.S. Ambassador James Larocco to Speak on Arab Spring at OLLI of UNC Asheville

September 24, 2012

Retired Ambassador James Larocco will discuss "The Arab Spring: Is it Summer (or Winter) Yet, And Why Does it Matter?" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2 in UNC Asheville's Reuter Center, home of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI at UNC Asheville). Larocco is director of the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Students at the Department of Defense/National Defense University.

Larocco served for more than 35 years as a diplomat in the Near East region, working as Director General of the Multinational Force and Observers, 2004-2009; Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East, 2001-2004; and U.S. Ambassador to the State of Kuwait 1997-2001. His earlier positions include key posts in American embassies in Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Larocco has received numerous awards during his time of service, including the Distinguished Service Award, presented by then Secretary of State Colin Powell.

This talk is sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Western North Carolina, in cooperation with the UNC Asheville Department of Political Science and OLLI at UNC Asheville. Admission is $8.00; free to World Affairs Council members and UNC Asheville students. For more information, call George Peery of the World Affairs Council at 828.242.6380.