The Palestinian Right to Education: Second Annual Tree of Life Conference on Israel-Palestine « Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee

30Oct/12

The Palestinian Right to Education: Second Annual Tree of Life Conference on Israel-Palestine

Please join us this Friday for...

The Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee and the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, CT present...

The Palestinian Right to Education

Second Annual Tree of Life Conference on Israel-Palestine

When: Friday, November 2nd

Time: 6-8pm; a reception with food, reception, and the speakers will take place following the conference.

Where: First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA - across Cambridge Commons and next to the Sheraton Commander Hotel)

This event is open to all who desire to attend, regardless of institutional affiliation or background. Entry is free of charge; the suggested donation is $5.

This annual conference on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict will address the Palestinian right to education. We will take a look at the “facts on the ground” and the complexity of the conflict. The conference will focus on education and the critical role it plays in encouraging children to cherish their unique identities while embracing their common humanity. We will hear educators and other voices ofconscience from both Israel and Palestine, who will share with us their work, the challenges they face and their inspiring visions of a more peaceful world.

Speakers:

Daoud Nassar: Palestinian founder of Tent of Nations, an interfaith and intercultural grassroots reconciliation NGO

Oren Yiftachel: Chair of human rights group B'Tselem and Professor of Urban Studies and Political Geography at Ben Gurion Universtiy, Beersheba

George Saadeh: Principal of the Shepherd's Field Greek Orthodox School in Beit Sahour and Deputy Mayor of Bethlehem

Maya Wind: Israeli conscientious objector and Student at Columbia University

Eran Efrati: Member of Breaking the Silence, Israeli veteran NGO

Palestinian music performed by Tamer Al-Sahouri (oud), Cristina Awad (singer), Naseem Atrash (cellist), Moez Dawad (percussionist)

Co-sponsoring organizations (Harvard): Harvard Undergraduate Council, Harvard Islamic Society, Progressive Jewish Alliance, Just Peace, the Palestine Caucus at HKS.
Co-sponsoring organizations (Cambridge and Boston): Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights, Cambridge to Bethlehem: People-to-People Project, and the Palestine-Israel Task Team of the First Church in Cambridge, Congregational.

For additional information, please email Giacomo Bagarella (giacomo.bagarella@college.harvard.edu) or Eliza Nguyen (enguyen@college.harvard.edu).

In addition to the Friday conference, we will be offering a series of open workshops on Saturday:

When: Saturday, November 3rd

Time: 10am-12pm

Where: First Church in Cambridge (11 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA - across Cambridge Commons and next to the Sheraton Commander Hotel)

Introduction (10-11am): Palestine 101

Sa’ed Atshan: Joint Phd Candidate in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard and a Lecturer in Peace and Justice Studies at Tufts University. He was born to a Palestinian refugee family and raised in the occupied territories.

Workshops (11am-12pm)

Mark Braverman: Jewish American author and activist, will offer a workshop on the pro-peace movement Kairos USA and the broader ecumenical movement in the US.

Don Wagner: Director of Sabeel, will offer a workshop on Christian Zionism