Interfaith and other Dialogues 1983 – Present

"The 1967 War: The Historical and Political Dimensions," a lecture delivered at the 19th Session of The Christian-Muslim Dialogue Conference, Al-Liqa' Center, Bethlehem, 21 June 2007.   Peace Research Institute in the Middle East (PRIME): First International Seminar on the Israeli-Palestinian Textbooks (historical narratives): Workshops: March  2002, June 2002, August 2002, January 2003, April 2003, September 2003, January 2004,  New Imperial Hotel, East Jerusalem. A workshop was held in Antalya,Turkey,10th-14th of August 2003. Another workshops were held in Beit Jala and Jerusalem in December 2004, April 2005, June 2005, Nov. 2005, January 2006, Feb. 2006, May 2006, November 2006, December 2006, March 2007 and June 2007. I served as a facilitator for the Palestinian high school teachers (March 2002 - August 2007). Preliminary drafts of Learning Each Other’s Historical Narrative: Palestinians and Israelis, Part 1 (2003), Part 2 (2005) and Part 3 (2007) were published. In addition, the three parts are being revised and integrated in one final book along with a teacher’s guide.   I was invited by the Georg Eckert Institute in Braunschweig, Germany to attend  seminars for Palestinian and Israeli high school history teachers which revolved around the bi-national history textbook “Learning Each Other’s Historical Narrative: Israelis and Palestinians” which the Peace Research Institute in the Middle East (PRIME) sponsors. I served as a facilitator for the Palestinian history teachers. 2nd to the 6th of August 2004, and 8th to 12th of August 2005; 23rd -28 July 2007.   “Obstacles and opportunities: Is there still Hope for Peace with Justice between Israel and Palestine”, a lecture tour of American universities campuses (Smith College, 20, 21 October 2003, University of Massachusetts, 22 October 2003, and Ithaca College 29 October 2003). Sponsored by Faculty of Israeli Palestinian Peace (FFIPP). I coordinated FFIPP’s delegations’ visits to the Bethlehem and Hebron areas, 2003, 2004, 2005.   Seeking to understand each other’s Discourse: Palestinian-Israeli faculty and student encounters led by faculty members from Bar Ilan and Bethlehem, school year 2000–2001.  Sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. First meeting held on 24 September 2000.   Workshop on academic exchange with the University of Oldenburg (Germany), held at the University of Haifa’s Center for Multiculturalism, Haifa, 28 – 30 May 2000. Bethlehem – Haifa – Oldenburg group held a follow-up workshop in Oldenburg, 11 – 14 September 2000.   “Building democracy in developing world,” a lecture presented to Palestinian, Swedish and Israeli graduate students associated with University of Gutenburg (Sweden)’s Peace College Project in Jerusalem, 20 April 2000.   Meeting of the national coordinators of the MEDA-Democracy program “Two conflicts, four countries: Teachers work with students on the respect for human rights,” which is coordinated by University of Athens’ Thalia Dragmas. Bogazici University, Istanbul, 11th,12th July 1998. Follow up meetings in Fall 1998 and Spring 1999 with local teachers as well as joint Palestinian Israeli meetings in 1999,and study days in Mermaras, Turkey, 5 - 8 Aug. 1999.   The Seminar: “Peace Game ‘99: Crisis Avoidance through Conflict Prevention,” organized by the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy, the Jordanian Armed Forces and UNESCO, April 4-5, 1999, Amman, Jordan. Spoke on “Conflict Prevention in an Information Age.” Organized with Professor Majed Al-Haj of Haifa University a joint Palestinian-Israeli workshop on “Pluralism/Multi culturalism and Nation -State Building.” Held in Bethlehem on 4 and 5 December 1998. Proceedings have been published.   Workshop in Germany on setting up on Israeli / Palestinian (PRIME) Peace Research Institute Middle East sponsored by Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, Germany, (1) 12-15 March 1998, (2) 8 August 1998. Palestinian and Israeli university faculty members continue to meet in 1999 and 2000.*Workshop on “Conflict Resolution in the Middle East”, 19-20 Oct. 1997, Marmara University Research Center for International Relations, Istanbul, Turkey.  I gave a paper on “Palestinian historical discourse and prospects for healing and reconciliation in the Arab-Israeli Conflict”.   Workshop on Palestinian and Israeli historical narratives and “Youth and History” Project, met in October 1997, March 1998, and May 1998. Encounter between Israeli and Palestinian educators. Workshop on (healing) in the Israeli-Palestinian, Conflict.  The Hebrew University’s Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace and Wi’am Conflict Resolution Center, Bethlehem, June 20-21, 1997 in Bethlehem.  I gave a brief paper on a Palestinian view of the Arab-Israeli conflict.  Met on several occasions in 1997, 1998 and 1999.   University of Haifa's International Workshop to prepare for an International Symposium: Social Sciences in the Service of Peace  19-20 Dec. 1996, Haifa.  And workshop on 4 November 1997 where I gave a presentation on “Education for Peace and the Palestinian Curriculum”.   International Workshop on Collective Identities and Communities in the Middle East, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Dept. of Middle East History. I presented a paper on the emergence of collective Arab identity and the role of Christian Arabs.  Met every Tuesday, March-June 1995.   The Palestinian Contextualized Theology, 1987-2003 (11 conferences); organized by Al-Liqa' Center, Bethlehem/Jerusalem. Al-Liqa' Center's International Conference on Theology of the Land, June 1996, Bethlehem.  I presented a paper on emigration and the problem of the land.   Al-Liqa' Center's Palestinian Young People's Conference, Aiya Napa, Cyprus, Sept. 1995. I was a group leader and gave a lecture on history of Christian Muslim relations.   Interfaith Dialogue/Al-Liqa' Center and the Israel Interfaith Association, Jerusalem.  Christian-Muslim-Jewish Dialogue in light of peace developments.  Jerusalem 16, 17 Dec. 1994; 9 June 1995; Feb. 1998; and Sept. 2000.   Muslim-Christian Workshop, "Nationalism today: problems and challenges" organized jointly by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (the Vatican) and the Royal Academy for Islamic Civilization Research (AL Albeit Foundation), 18-20 January 1994, Amman, Jordan.  I presented a paper on Christian Arabs and Arab nationalism.   World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan, Nov. 5 - Nov. 12, 1992.  I was invited with other Palestinians , both Christians and Muslims, to join Jordanians, Lebanese, and Israelis to discuss the role of religion in peace making in the Arab-Israeli conflict.    The Christian-Muslim Dialogue Conference organized annually by Al-Liqa’ Center for Heritage & Religious Studies in the Holy Land, Jerusalem/Bethlehem, 1983-2007. (19 conferences).