EVENT:
"Why Israel? Why Palestine? -- The Jerusalem Dialogue" is a multi-faith conference at UC Irvine that will examine the cultural forces at work behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Six speakers -- three representing the Arab/Palestinian perspective and three representing the Jewish/Israeli perspective -- will present their views on the dispute, then participate in panel discussions and answer audience questions. RenÊe Montagne, host of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," will moderate the event.
WHEN:
1-6 p.m. Sunday, May 7
A dinner will be served following the conference for registered participants. Seating is limited and will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis.
WHERE:
Crystal Cove Auditorium, UCI Student Center
Campus map: www.uci.edu/campusmap
INFORMATION:
Free and open to the public, but registration is required. For registration and more information, visit www.whyisraelwhypalestine.org/.
BACKGROUND:
Planned by a collaboration of Muslim and Jewish groups, this conference will facilitate a thoughtful, outside-the-box dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, one of the world's most complex and polarizing conflicts. The creation of a free Palestinian state is important to Muslims around the world, while the security of Israel is important to Jews. Essential to the peace process here and abroad is achieving a better understanding and appreciation of the wants, motivations and cultures of both sides.
Event speakers include Michael Herzog, a brigadier general in the Israel Defense Forces; Rabbi Bradley Hirschfield, vice president of The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; Sari Nusseibeh, president of Al-Quds University; Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder and chief executive officer of the American Society for Muslim Advancement; Robert Satloff, executive director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland.
UCI sponsors include the Difficult Dialogues Project, the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, the Society of Arab Students and the Middle East Studies Student Initiative. Sponsors also include the Cordoba Initiative, the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, the America Society for Muslim Advancement, and the Hillel Foundation of Orange County.
About the UCI Difficult Dialogues Project: This conference is made possible in part by a $100,000 grant awarded to UCI in December by the Ford Foundation to promote academic freedom and constructive dialogue on campus. The Difficult Dialogues Project will develop new courses to educate students about contemporary issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, traditions of religious conflict and tolerance and peace building. UCI also will develop teaching seminars to increase the ability for instructors to facilitate dialogue in existing courses that deal with sensitive topics. For more information, visit www.vcsa.uci.edu/projects/DifficultDialogues/