Alternative Strategies for Realizing Justice in Palestine

13-15 December 2015
Palestine
The Alternative Strategies for Justice in Palestine conference convened between 13-15 December 2015 and represented the organizing efforts of a coalition of partners, (Civic Coalition for Jerusalem, Stop The Wall, Birzeit University’s Institute of Law, the Arab Studies Institute-George Mason University, Mada al Carmel, the Trans-Arab Research Institute) of nearly two years. The conference took place in Jerusalem, Birzeit, and Nazareth, in a conscious effort to both highlight and resist Palestinian national fragmentation. With the exception of Nazareth, where our partners failed to conduct proper outreach, the sessions were very well-attended. The organizers attempted to implement a unique model for participation in order to elicit proposals for moving forward and to minimize the number of talks aimed at providing a diagnosis of our current conditions. Despite our best efforts, the conference defaulted into a traditional structure of presentations by the panelists followed by questions and comments from the participants. Nevertheless, the conference was very successful for the new energy and conversations it initiated. Al Quds Al Arabi described the legal panel as one of the most significant on the matter to date. The conference resulted in several concrete proposals for moving forward, in the form of workshops, written round tables, proposals, and publications.

Highlights

Nader Shalhoub-Kevorkian,  Mada Al- Carmel
"Jerusalem"

John Reynolds, Maynooth University
"Anti-Colonial Legalities: Tactics and Strategies"
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Patrick Wolfe, La Trobe University 
*Settler Colonialism in Relation to Other Forms of Colonialism:
Some Strategic
Implications*

Noura Erakat, George Mason University
*Legal Strategies*

Ghada Madbouh, Birzeit University
*Diplomatic Strategies*

Samieh Botmeh, Birzeit University
*Economic and Popular*

Omar Barghouti, BDS Movement
 *International Solidarity*

Suhad Bishara, Adalah
*Struggle from Within*

Jamil Dakwar, ACLU Human Rights Program
*Restoring Unity, Restoring Rights*

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