Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, December 1997, Pages 79-80

Education

Full Schedule of Fall Conferences Underway

By Betsy Barlow

The Association of Arab-American University Graduates will hold its 30th annual convention at the Georgetown University Conference Center in Washington, DC Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. The theme will be "Arabs, Arab Americans, and the Global Community."

The program starts on Friday with a 5 to7 p.m. roundtable, "AAUG 30 Years On—A Retrospective: AAUG Past Presidents Look to the Future." Naseer Aruri, Halim Barakat, Husni Haddad, Elaine Hagopian, Abdeen Jabara, Jamil Jreisat, Hala Maksoud, Albert Mokhiber, and Fauzi Najjar will participate. A reception will follow.

On Saturday, Nov. 1, the program begins at 9:00 am with a plenary session entitled "Globalization and the Arabs: Seeking Balance in a Turbulent World." Speakers include Mohammed Sid Ahmed, Saeb Jaroudi, Michael Nojeim, and Abdullah al-Ashtal (invited), and Mona Serageldin (invited).

From ll:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. concurrent panels will focus on "The Quest for Legitimacy, Democracy and Human Rights," with Cherif Bassiouni (invited), David Khairallah, and Mona Makram Obaid, and also on "The Communications Revolution: Information at the Expense of Knowledge?" with Issa Batarseh, Mazin Abu Ghazaleh, Michael Hudson, and Dr. Samer Jabbour.

The luncheon program will feature "The World Trade Organization: Threats and Promises." From 3:00-4:45 p.m. two concurrent panels will be offered. Speakers at the first, on "Social and Economic Transformation: Risks and Benefits," will be Rogaia Mustafa Abusharaf, Moez Doraid, Waleed Hazbun, and Rosina Hassoun. The second panel, organized by ADC, is entitled "Issues Facing Arab Americans," with Edmund Ghareeb, Sam Hussseini, Hala Maksoud, and Houeida Saad.

A plenary roundtable on Globalization will take place at 5 p.m. A banquet will follow at 8 p.m., with Hoda Gamal Abdel Nasser, the daughter of the late president of Egypt, as speaker.

The concluding session will be brunch on Sunday, Nov, 2, from l0 a.m. to l:30 p.m. with Edward W. Said as the featured speaker. The convention chair is Dr. Clovis Maksoud, director of American University's Center for the Global South.

To register for the convention, contact AAUG, 2121 Wisconsin Av. NW, Suite 310, Washington, DC 20007, telephone (202) 337-7717, fax (202) 337-3302. To reserve accommodations at the conference hotel, run by the Marriott Corporation, call 1 (800) 228-9290, and mention the AAUG convention.

MESA Annual Meeting in San Francisco

The Middle East Studies Association (MESA) will hold its 31st annual meeting Nov. 22-24 in San Francisco. Over 50 panels and a business meeting will be offered from noon on Saturday through Monday at 6 p.m. A program of Persian classical music and traditional Afghan music and dance will be offered on Sunday and Monday evenings respectively. The 14th annual FilmFest will take place concurrently, including six cineforums with filmmakers and/or directors. Forty organizations are holding meetings in conjunction with the MESA convention. Over 70 exhibitors are expected to show books about, software on, and textiles of the Middle East. Retiring MESA president Prof. Leila Fawaz of Tufts University will give her presidential address Sunday at 6:15 p.m.

To register for the conference, contact MESA (by Nov. 1 for the earlybird special) at 1643 Helen St., University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0410, phone (520) 621-5650, fax (520) 626-9095, e-mail  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . For reservations at the headquarters hotel, the Hyatt Regency, 5 Embarcadero Center, San Franciso, CA 94111, phone the hotel directly by Oct. 21 at 1 (800) 233-1234, or fax them at (415) 291-6538.

American Academy of Religion Schedules Palestine Session in San Francisco

The American Academy of Religion is also holding its annual conference in San Francisco Nov. 21-23. On the program is a special consultation on "Palestinian Theology and Interreligious Dialogue," which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 23, from 9:00 to ll:30 a.m. at the Hilton Hotel in San Francisco. Rosemary Ruether, professor of theology at Garrett-Evangelical Seminary, will preside. Speakers are Mahmoud Ayyoub, professor of Islamic studies, Temple University; Marc Ellis, visiting fellow at Harvard; the Rev. Mitri Raheb, Incarnation Center, Bethlehem; and Don Wagner, director of the Middle East Center, North Park College, Chicago. Respondents are Kathy Bergen, national coordinator, Middle East Peace Education, American Friends Service Committee; and Amina Beverly McCloud, De Paul University, Chicago. Those wishing to register for the session or the conference as a whole should call the American Academy of Religion, (404) 727-2345.

Sabeel Conference in Bethlehem, Jerusalem

Sabeel, an ecumenical Palestinian Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem, will hold its third international conference Feb. 10-15, 1998 in Bethlehem University and Jerusalem. The theme is: "The Challenge of Jubilee: What Does God Require?" The program planners tell us that "50 years is an historical benchmark to remember the past, assess the present and prepare for the future: in our Biblical heritage, the Jubilee vision calls for re-establishing God's holy order of justice, compassion, mercy and forgiveness, good news to the poor, release of the captives, recovery of the blind, and freedom for the oppressed."

Throughout the year of 1998 the State of Israel will celebrate 50 years of statehood while the Palestinian people will remember 50 years of dispossession and tragedy. The Sabeel Center states that it is timely for faith communities whose roots are in the jubilee vision to discover anew what God requires.

On Tuesday, Feb. 10, an optional full-day tour will take participants to the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of the Beatitudes, destroyed villages, and settlements. Wednesday, Feb. 11, starts with an optional tour of the Old City of Jerusalem and a keynote address by Columbia University professor Edward Said.

Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 11-13, sessions will be held on Palestinian historical accounts, religious fundamentalism, Christian Zionism, Christian/Muslim relations, human rights, Jewish reflections on the Jubilee, and international models of peacemaking.

On Sunday, Feb. 15, participants will have the opportunity to take a full-day trip to Gaza or a half-day trip to Hebron sponsored by the Christian Peacemaker Team. The program includes audio-visual presentations, a photo exhibit, and an evening of drama, music, and Arabic dancing. On Monday, Feb. 16, a special seminar will take place for invited theologians.

Registration for the conference costs $250 and includes the conference lectures and events, 3 box lunches, a reception, the celebration dinner, refreshments during breaks, and land transportation between Bethelehem hotels and all conference sites. Please register for the conference with Sabeel, PO Box 1248, Jerusalem via Israel. Participants can either make their own travel arrangements, or work through the official conference travel agency, Shepherds Tours and Travel, which can be reached through the Sabeel office: phone 011-972-532-7136 or fax 011-972-2-532-7137.

Edward Said and Terry Anderson Are Featured Speakers

Edward Said responded to talks given in his honor at a two-day conference in Windsor, Ontario Sep. 19-20, which was very well attended (see August issue of WRMEA for the program). On Sept. 22 he spoke on "Imperialism and the Clash of Civilizations" at the University of Michigan, where he was introduced by the new president of the university, Lee Bollinger. He also met in a private session with graduate students in the humanities.

Former hostage Terry Anderson spoke on Saturday Oct. 11 at the ninth annual banquet of the Greater Toledo Association of Arab Americans, which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the organization's existence. Anderson, former chief AP correspondent in the Middle East, a prisoner for seven years in Lebanon and author of Den of Lions, and currently a talk show host, is an advocate for human rights and grassroots change around the world. He also gave the Msgr. Michael J. Doyle Lectureship at Lourdes College on Sunday Oct. 12 at the Franciscan Center, Sylvania, OH.

MEPC Teaching Workshops With Audrey Shabbas

The Middle East Policy Council (MEPC) continues to offer workshops for K-12 teachers or college educators with Audrey Shabbas, president of Arab World and Islamic Resources (AWAIR). The generic title for the programs is "Content and Strategies for Teaching About the Arab World and Islam," but the program for the day can be negotiated with the sponsor. The MEPC funds Audrey's travel, accommodations, meals and honorarium. The local sponsor arranges publicity, the meeting place, and refreshments.

Programs scheduled in the next month are: Oct. 27-28, San Bernardino County Office of Education, San Bernardino, CA; Oct. 29-31, National Association of Multicultural Education, Albuquerque, NM; Nov. 6, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA; Nov. 7, Catholic Archdiocese Schools, New Orleans, LA; Dec. 3, Maryland Association of Independent Schools, Baltimore, MD; Dec. 6: Dearborn Public Schools, Dearborn, MI. To attend these workshops, contact the sponsor. To arrange a workshop in your area, call the MEPC'S program director, Mary Lee Ball, at (202) 296-6767.

"Religions in the World" Workshop at Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan's Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies presented a workshop for teachers Oct. 4 on "Religions in the World," with the Rev. Dr. Don Wagner, Northpark College, Chicago, speaking on Christianity in the Middle East, Dr. Marc Ellis, research fellow at Harvard University, speaking about Judaism, and Prof. Sherman Jackson, University of Michigan, speaking about Islam.

Call for Information on Islamic Education in the U.S.

Dr. Nimat Hafez Barazangi, research fellow at Cornell University, will be the guest editor of a special edition of the Winter 1998 issue of the scholarly journal Religion and Education. A call for papers has already been issued. Ms. Barazangi is now developing a special list of the available educational services to be included in this special issue. She is seeking information about organizations that deal with Muslim children and youth education in the U.S. Please send the goal of the organization, the approximate number and nature of its constituents, the number and qualifications of the educators or consultant scholars attached to the organization, and the full title and circulation of any publications. Information should be sent by Oct. 30 on letterhead stationery or e-mail with the full name of the contact person, his or her work and home number, the exact name, address, phone, fax and email of the organization to:

Dr. Nimat Hafez Barazangi; Women's Studies Program, 391 Uris Hall; Cornell University; Ithaca, NY 14853; phone: 607 255-2195; fax 607 257-4199; email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it