Weekendkonference: Fredsprocessen i Mellemøsten

Time: Saturday 29. January – Sunday 30. January, from 9.30 (sat.) to 15.00 (Sun.)

Venue: Room U91 University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense. (University map)

Time: Saturday 29. January – Sunday 30. January, from 9.30 (sat.) to 15.00 (Sun.)

Venue: Room U91 University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense. (University map)

The latest years have seen only few attempts at restarting the Peace Process in the Middle East. The planned talks in September 2010 and in Washington seem, together with negotiations in 2008 between Israel and Syria (with Turkey as a mediator) and initiatives by Saudi Arabia to be exceptions from a deadlocked situation characterized by hostile relations between the Palestinians and Israel – and by tragic internal conflicts in the Palestinian territories.

The new American administration seem to fail to be able to put pressure on the parties, for instance by more or less accepting continued expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The EU is presenting the MENA-region for a low-profiled foreign policy, being engaged in developing its own internal political infrastructure – an important part of which consists of building new foreign policy instruments finally having finished a prolonged ratification process of the Lisbon-treaty.

In the Mashreq-region (Northern Africa) a large number of local and regional challenges prevail. Syria is, compared to years of relative isolation, playing a stronger regional role, whereas Lebanon still suffers from years of political crisis.

The Kingdom of Jordan appears to be weakened by the difficult prospects of the region.

Strong non-state actors dominate the agenda in both Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

The aim of this conference is, from an interdisciplinary point of departure, to discuss recent developments in the regional and local conditions for achieving progress in the Peace Process and their international dimensions.

It is the idea to focus on the Palestinian dimension of the process in order to address recent challenges in the Palestinian territories and their repercussions in the region.

The programme will be organized so that international and regional aspects are discussed in two separate sections. Invited scholars will present and discuss central themes related to the overall theme.

It is at the same time an ambition to bring together researchers from Europe and the Middle East as well as practitioners from relevant governments, organizations and NGO’s.

TOPICS OF INTEREST
* The Palestinian state as an option for peace in the Middle East
* Contradictions in Gaza and the West Bank
* The role of Jordan in the Peace Process
* The Arab peace initiative
* The impact of the failures of the Peace Process
* The role of Northern Africa
* US foreign policy and the Peace Process
* The role of the EU in the Peace Process

SPEAKERS AND PRESENTERS
* Professor Ilan Pappé, University of Exeter
* Professor Mohammad Masalha, Dean, Faculty for International Studies, University of Jordan
* Dr. Martin Beck, Resident Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – Jordan Office
* Dr. Zaid Eyadat, Associate Professor, Faculty for International Studies, University of Jordan
* Dr. Salam Kawakibi, Senior Researcher, Arab Reform Initiative, Paris
* Erik Mohns, PhD-Researcher, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark
* Dr. Francesco Cavatorta, Senior Lecturer, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University
* Dr. Vincent Durac, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin
* Dr. Peter Seeberg, Associate Professor, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark
* Dr. Vincent Durac, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin
* Dr. Hasan al-Momani, Assistant Professor, Faculty for International Studies, University of Jordan
* Professor Dietrich Jung, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark

PROGRAMME:

Saturday

9.30-10.30
Registration, coffee and tea

10.30-11.00
Welcome by Peter Seeberg and Mohammad Masalha

11.00-12.00
Israel and Palestine – Squaring the Circle – Professor Ilan Pappé, University of Exeter

12.00-13.00
Lunch break

13.00-15.00

Regional perspectives

The Palestinian state as an option for peace in the Middle East – Professor Mohammad Masalha, Dean, Faculty for International Studies, University of Jordan

Contradictions in Gaza and the West Bank – and the role of Jordan – Dr. Martin Beck, Resident Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung – Jordan Office

Reviving the Arab Peace Initiative Dr. Zaid Eyadat, Associate Professor, Faculty for International Studies, University of Jordan

Chair: Dr. Vincent Durac, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, University
College Dublin

15.00-15.30
Coffee Break

15.30-17.30

Local dynamics and regional consequences

The impact of successive failures of the Peace Process on Arab societies within and outside the Arab countries – Dr. Salam Kawakibi, Senior Researcher, Arab Reform Initiative, Paris

The Palestinian organizations and movements: internal divisions and their regional consequences
Erik Mohns, PhD-Researcher, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of
Southern Denmark

The Arab Israeli conflict: a Maghreb perspective? – Dr. Francesco Cavatorta, Senior Lecturer, School of Law and Government, Dublin City University

Chair: Professor Dietrich Jung, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of
Southern Denmark

18.00
Conference Dinner

Sunday

9.30-10.00
Registration, coffee and tea

10.00-12.00

The international perspective

US foreign policy and the Arab-Israeli conflict – Dr. Vincent Durac, Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, University College Dublin

The Venice Declaration Thirty Years After: Explaining Changed European Agendas in the Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict – Dr. Peter Seeberg, Associate Professor, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University
of Southern Denmark

EU peace efforts in the Middle East – Dr. Hasan al-Momani, Assistant Professor, Faculty for International Studies, University of Jordan

Chair: Professor Mohammad Masalha, Dean, Faculty for International Studies, University of
Jordan

12.00-13.00
Lunch break

13.00-15.00
Panel discussion: Israel and Palestine – squaring the circle

The conference will be held in English.

Fee for participation:
300 DKR – with conference dinner and lunch included
150 DKR – with only lunch included
50 DKR – Only participation in the programme

Registration is required, please use the online registration form

More information:
Centre for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark, tlf: 65 50 21 83 or by e-mail: [email protected]

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