From fears of nuclear radiation to US soldiers fighting in three wars -- world events aren't so foreign any more. KCET's Global Watch special gives you a passport to understand what's happening far beyond our borders and how it directly affects us at home. Our anchor, Reza Aslan, is a world-renowned scholar and writer who has his finger on the pulse of the planet.

The show examines how the Middle East's surging population of young people and their embrace of technology are shattering old political structures in the region. Global Watch opens with a background story on the Arab world's "youthquake" by correspondent Saul Gonzalez featuring blogger Amira Al Hussaini. (Amira on Twitter.) Afterwards, Reza will be joined in-studio by blogger Uzma Atcha, Moroccan-born writer Laila Lalami (Laila on Twitter), and Middle East expert Anthony Chase.

Global Watch will also explore the high stakes and high tech war between repressive goverments trying to censor the Internet and the plugged-in band of bloggers fighting to keep the Web free and open. Reza's guest is technologist and anti-censorship activist Austin Heap. (Austin on Twitter.) Austin will show us how authoritarian governments try to police their citizens' on-line activities and what bloggers in countries like Iran and China do to keep governments off their digital trail.

Finally, Reza offers an essay about what the West often gets wrong about the role of Islam in the Middle East. Hint: religion isn't always as important as you think.