The Middle East will be the topic on Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m. when Mohamed Defaa gives a Vermont Humanities Council Speaker's Bureau presentation. The talk is part of "Talk of the Times: Exploring Critical Issues" series cosponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington, the Greater Bennington Peace and Justice Center and Community College of Vermont.

The presentation is free and open to the public. The UU Meetinghouse, at 108 School St., is fully accessible and the talk will be amplified.

The term "Middle East" is a changing geopolitical concept. Defaa will talk about how, throughout recent history, this term referred to a political, a cultural, and a geographical region with no clear boundaries. Moreover, this concept serves to generate stereotypes and misunderstanding. This multimedia presentation by Defaa provides an analytical framework to understand the histories, social identities, and cultures behind this complex concept of "Middle East."

Mohamed Defaa, certified by the International Center for Educational and Cultural Consulting in Lyon, France.