Media, Law & Policy

Maxwell School to Host Webinar on ‘Stories From the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict’ Jan. 30

Thursday, January 25, 2024, By News Staff

The Middle Eastern Studies Program will host a webinar titled “Dialogue Meeting: Stories from the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Interested students, faculty and staff at 鶹ƵUniversity should .

The webinar will include members of the Parents Circle-Families Forum (PCFF), a grassroots organization of Palestinian and Israeli families who have lost immediate family members due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The PCFF believes that the process of reconciliation between nations is a prerequisite to achieving a sustainable peace. Through the years, the PCFF has arranged about 8,500 dialogue meetings, with about 250,000 participating youth and adults.

During this virtual discussion moderated by Maxwell School Professor of Practice Catherine Gerard, PCFF members Arab Aramin (Palestine) and Ofer Lior (Israel) will tell their personal stories of bereavement and explain their choice to engage in reconciliation instead of revenge. Following their stories, Aramin and Lior will answer questions from the audience.

鶹Ƶ the Speakers

Catherine Gerard (moderator)
Interim Director, Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration
Professor of Practice, Department of Public Administration and International Affairs
Gerard is professor of practice of public administration and international affairs. She served as director of the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC) from 2005-2020 and as associate director of executive education. She continues to play a leadership role in PARCC as interim director and co-director of the Collaborative Governance Initiative. As professor of practice, she participated in several international conflict management and reconciliation projects as trainer and evaluator.

Arab Aramin (panelist)
Parents Circle-Families Forum member, Palestine
Aramin is 30 years old. In 2007, his sister, Abir, was shot and killed in front of her school by an Israeli border police officer. Aramin is a member and activist in the Parents Circle-Families Forum. His father, Bassam Aramin, has served as the Palestinian co-director of the organization.

Ofer Lior (panelist)
Parents Circle-Families Forum member, Israel
Lior lives in the Western Galilee, Israel. He has spent his career facilitating and coordinating joint activities between Israelis and Palestinians, most recently coordinating the Center for Learning and Dialogue in the Nes-Ammim community in the north of Israel. His brother Oren was killed in 1989 during his time in reserve duty at the Jordanian border. He has been active in the Parents Circle for about 15 years and has participated in many dialogue meetings.