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WINTER
2012
21
Mabrouk!
“We are collectively living through a sig-
nificant moment in Arab history, perhaps
the most important since the collapse of
the Ottoman empire almost a century ago.
The Arab world has been convulsed with
citizen revolts in many countries, and the
outcome of this prolonged transformation
is impossible to guess at, or even imag-
ine.The challenges and opportunities are
formidable: to restructure governmental
systems; to redefine what it means to be
a citizen in an open society; to honor
peoples of diverse origins and beliefs; to
re-examine the concept of national iden-
tity; and to accept the huge responsibilities
of citizenship as well as its privileges. A
number of these questions lie at the heart
of Lebanon’s future. I take comfort from
knowing that an educated young genera-
tion is rising, eventually to participate in
these challenges and opportunities.”
Peter Dorman,
AUB President, Commencement Address,
June 12 2012