“Sumud and the Wall” conference

Contributed by Arab Educational Institute on 28.04.2010:

“Sumud and the Wall” conference 30 April- 1 May, 2010Venue: Bethlehem University, Furno Hall, BethlehemThe conference is organized by Oxford Brookes University (UK), Paris-Est University (France) and the Arab Educational Institute (AEI-Open Windows, Bethlehem), in cooperation with Al-Quds Open University, Bethlehem University (Department of Humanities) and Utrecht University (Center for Conflict Studies) as academic partners. The Arab Educational Institute (AEI-Open Windows) is locally responsible for coordination.There will be simultaneous English-Arabic and Arabic-English translation.Registration at the Furno Hall. No fees, except costs for lunch. Please communicate in advance whether a lunch should be reserved.PROGRAMFriday 30 April8:30 – 9:00 Registration9:00 – 12:30 Morning program 9:00 – 9:10 Welcome: Br Peter Bray, Vice-Chancellor of Bethlehem University9:10 – 9:30 Film: Hanna Musleh Walling In Walling Out: A Bethlehem Story: Documentary | Palestine/USA | 2005.9:30 – 9:50 Brigitte Piquard (Oxford Brookes University, UK, Université Paris-Est, France), Sumud and the Wall: Introduction to the conference.Session 1: The Wall, Space and Violence 9:50 – 10:30 Chair: Toine van Teeffelen Harriet Malinowitz (Long Island University, US), Zionism and Propaganda in the Age of Unreason: The Massive Walls of Public Opinion.  Jane Toby (State University of New York, New Paltz, US) Communicating Across Walls: Extending the Concepts of “Sumud” and the “Wall.”11:00 – 12:30 Chair: Irna van der Molen Toine van Teeffelen (AEI-Open Windows, Bethlehem), Sumud vs the Wall.  Yara Sharif (University of Westminster), In Search for Spaces of Possibility: Re-reading the Palestinian Spatio-Political Map. By Skype conference.  Discussion with all speakers session 1.12:00 – 14:30 Prayer break / Lunch at Bethlehem University. 14:30 – 18:00 Afternoon program Session 2: Life near the Wall 14:30 – 15:50 Chair: Imad Hodali Saida Affouneh (Al Quds Open University), Salam says ‘The Wall is a Snake’: Impact of the Wall on Palestinian Children’s Education.  Imad A. Ishtayyeh and Hosni Awad (Al Quds Open University), The Influence of the Wall on the Structure of Social Relations in the Palestinian Family. In Arabic.  Discussion with speakers.15:50 – 16:20 Coffee/Tea breakContinuation session 2 16:20 – 18:00 Chair: Imad Hodali Claudia Devaux (Holy Land Institute, San Francisco, US), Reaching Customers beyond the Wall: A Case Study of the Praxis.  Inge Tiemann, Lucia Russo, Andrea Merli, Elise Aghazarian, Rachel’s Tomb: An Alien in her Hometown? Perceptions from the Other Side of the Wall.  Discussion with speakers.18:00 – 18:30 Transport to Rachel’s Tomb area in Bethlehem18:45 – 20:30 Cultural event near the Wall at Rachel’s Tomb Testimonies of women living near the Wall  Two brief animated films about children/youth and the Wall developed by Camera Etc. and AEI: Warde and Hduud (2008): 30 minutes.  Snacks ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬Saturday May 19:00 – 12:30 Morning program 9:00 – 9:10 Opening and reflection May 1, Workers’ Day Session 3: Activism and Sumud practices 9:10 – 10:30 Chair: Walid Mustafa Ratib Abu Rahmeh (Al Quds Open University), The Experience of Bil’in in Popular and Peaceful Resistance against the Wall and the Settlements. In Arabic.  Mazin Qumsiyeh (Bethlehem University), Popular Resistance: Past Successes and Future Prospects.  Bill Thomson (University of St Andrews, Scotland), Effective Non-Violent Action: The Wall and Beyond.  Rami Isaac (Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands), Moving From Pilgrimage to ‘Dark’ Tourism: Reinventing Palestine.10:30 – 11:00 Coffee/tea breakContinuation session 3 Chair: Walid Mustafa 11:00 – 11:40  Discussion with speakers session 3.Session 4: Towards Wall Studies Chair: Brigitte Piquard 11:40 – 12:30  Adnan Ayash (Al Quds Open University), The Segregation Wall in the West Bank: Social Reflections on the Future of the Palestinian People. In Arabic.  Anwar M. Akash (Al Quds Open University, Gaza Educational Region) and Asmaa M. Obaid (Al Aqsa University – Gaza), Spatial Monitoring of the Israeli Apartheid Wall: Design and Implantation of an Interactive Web-GIS based on KML Database Technology.12:30 – 14:00 Lunch at Bethlehem University 14:00 – 18:00 Afternoon program Continuation session 4: Towards Wall Studies Chair: Mark Swenarton 14:00 – 15:30  Laura McAtackney (Global Irish Institute, UCD), Peace Maintenance and Political Messages: The Significance of Walls during the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland.  Irna van der Molen (Utrecht University, Center for Conflict Studies), Reflections about Wall Studies and Conflict Resolution Studies  Discussion with all speakers of this session.15:30 – 16:00 Coffee/Tea BreakContinuation session 4: Towards Wall Studies Chair: Mark Swenarton 16:00 – 18:00  Parallel workshops on the future of Wall Studies.  Launching Wall studies: Round Table with Mark Swenarton (Oxford Brookes University, Head of Department of Architecture), chair, and including reporters from the groups as well as the representatives of the academic conference committee.  Discussion.  Conclusion by Mark Swenarton.Please stay informed about any possible changes, to be communicated at the beginning of the conference.For more information: Toine van Teeffelen 02-2776573, 0522-789156 (mob) tvant@p-ol.com info@aeicenter.org