Int. Conference Europe and Palestine: Past Disappointments & Future Hopes

Register for the Int. Conference Europe and Palestine: Past Disappointments & Future Hopes

The Palestinian Return Centre (PRC), in partnership with the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster, is hosting a one-day conference on Europe and Palestine. The exciting event will bring together a number of leading experts from around the world.

Europe is the historical backdrop for the creation of the state of Israel and subsequent Palestinian nakba (’catastrophe’). However with the United States now playing the dominant role on the question of Palestine, Europe’s position, influence and room for manoeuvre  has attracted less attention. It is also a decade since the formation of the Quartet in which Europe has been a less than effective partner.

This conference will present a wide-ranging appraisal of Europe’s involvement in Palestine and its possible future roles.  It will provide historical context of Europe’s connection with Palestine, its current position on key issue and how the EU could emerge as a more significant player in any future resolution to the conflict.

Confirmed speakers include:

·         Dr Federica Bicci (LSE Department of International Relations)

·         Dr Dimitris Bouris (Research Fellow, European Neighbourhood Policy Chair, College of Europe)

·         Andres Dessi (Centre for European Policy Studies)

·         Professor Norman Finkelstein (author of numerous books including “This Time We Went Too Far”)

·         Professor Michelle Pace (Roskilde University Denmark)

·         Professor Rosemary Hollis (Professor of Middle East Policy Studies and Director of the Olive Tree Scholarship Programme at City University London)

·         Bishop Riya (Bishop of Jerusalem)

·         Dr Phyllis Starkey (Former Labour MP)

·         Yousef Suood (Palestinian academic researcher, Faculty member at King Abdulaziz University)

·         Adeeb Zeyadeh (Palestinian academic specialising in EU foreign policy towards Palestine)

More speakers are still to be confirmed.

Date: Thursday 13 March 2014.

Time: 10.00 – 19.00

Venue: The Boardroom, University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street London W1B 2HW.

Nearest Station Oxford Circus.

There is limited space. To avoid disappointment please confirm your attendance by contacting PRC info@prc.org.uk.