Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Conference in USJ to commemorate Samir Kassir (June 8-9)

The Samir Kassir Blog

BEIRUT: To commemorate the first anniversary of Samir Kassir’s death, the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences and the Institute of Political Science at the Université Saint Joseph (USJ) are holding a two-day conference entitled The Middle East: Conflicts and Issues. The conference will be held on June 8 and 9, 2006 at USJ's Social Sciences campus, Rue Huvelin, Beirut.
The opening session will include words from Samir Kassir’s widow, Gisèle Khoury, the president of USJ, as well as welcome notes from the French embassy in Beirut and the Institute of Political Sciences.
The first session is entitled Which Arab Renaissance in the International Context? Panelists include the VP of Arab and Islamic studies at USJ Ahyaf Sinno, the poet Adonis, professor and journalist Katrin Kneisel, and Director General of Le Monde Diplomatique Samir Aita.
The second day will include three sessions covering a wider range of topics. The morning session will discuss the current religious and political situation in the Middle East. The afternoon session will entertain the Palestinian situation titled The Fate of Palestine and the Future of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. The concluding session is titled Testimonies and Experiences in Mass Mobilization in the Arab World.
Participants in this academic conference comprise journalists, academics, poets and politicians including prominent public figures such as the Knesset member Azmi Bechara, former minister Samir Makdissi, and Democratic Left Movement member and writer Elias Khoury.