Pollster Tells "What Iraqis Think” Oct. 8 at Simmons College
Researcher Polled Wide Range of Iraqi Residents for “Everyday Iraqi” Views

BOSTON (October 2, 2002) - A nationally known researcher who recently queried everyday Iraqi citizens on their views of Iraq’s future and its new political dynamics, will speak on his findings and how they apply to the current scene on Wed., Oct. 8 at 4:00p.m. in a public lecture at Simmons College.

Thomas O. Melia, director of research at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and an adjunct professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, will discuss “Post-war Perspectives from the Iraq Street: What Iraqis Think” as part of the Warburg Lecture Series. The event, free and open to the public, will be in the third floor Conference Center of the Main Campus Building at Simmons College, 300 The Fenway.

Melia and his team conducted field research in June and July for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI), a leading non-governmental organization in the promotion of democracy worldwide. He has followed Iraq closely since, and will talk about how what he has learned applies to today's situation.

The team conducted interviews in eight Iraq cities and towns and with 15 focus groups with randomly selected citizens representing men and women from Shiite, Sunni, Kurdish, Arab and Christian segments of the population.

The NDI polling was to introduce the perspectives of ordinary Iraqi men and women into the high-level discussions about Iraq’s future, because, they say, there have been few ways for those Iraqis who are not deeply involved in the new politics to make their views known.

The focus groups took place in large cities and small villages across the country.

CONTACT

Diane Millikan
617.521.2364

Visit

The Warburg Chair in International Relations

 

 

 

type size
normal large