São Paulo – Academicians, students and politicians from Palestine are attending a conference from Thursday (27th) to Sunday (30th) in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The meetings will also be attended by Israelis and Brazilians to discuss proposals for resolving the conflict between Palestine and Israel, under the theme “Meetings and Dialogues between Palestinians and Israelis: Dilemmas and Perspectives on the Path to Peace.”
According to information released by the press office of the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, the goal is to outline to the public the views of both peoples as they seek a common path for peace. The conference is hosted by the Amnesty Commission affiliated with the Ministry, by the Federal Attorney’s Office for Citizens’ Rights, and by the private non-profit teaching and research institution Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).
“It is an important initiative that will see civil society discuss and share information on the conflict and the need for peace,” says the Palestinian ambassador in Brasília, Ibrahim Alzeben, who is planning on partaking in the activities in Rio. The diplomat stresses the fact that the meetings will give Brazilians a chance to hear the opinions of both sides. He notes, however, that this is an unofficial event held by civil society, rather than by the governments of Israel and Palestine.
There will be participants from the Al-Quds University, in Palestine, and the Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, as well as the president of the Al-Fattah’s Iberoamerican Committee, Mohamed Amer Odeh Abdel Hadi, the former Israeli minister of Justice and Finance, Dan Meridor, and the former Israeli parliament member Nitzan Horovicz.
The panels will also feature Palestinian and Israeli students as commentators, the rabbi and chairman of the Tzohar Organization, David Shlomo Stav, and the sheikh and CEO of the Jerusalem Center for Studies and Islamic Media, Barakat Fawzi Hasan.
The discussions will cover religion, politics, international agreements, economy and conflict, perspectives and future, among other topics. On Thursday and Friday, the meeting will take place at the noble Hall of the FGV’s School of Business Administration of São Paulo (EAESP), and on Saturday at the A Casa institute, also in São Paulo, and on Sunday at Rio de Janeiro’s Midrash Cultural Center.
The conference is part of the celebrations of the 2015 Amnesty Week, on occasion of the 36th anniversary of the Amnesty Act, through which the Brazilian government granted amnesty to citizens convicted of political crimes during the dictatorship era. The program began last Monday (24th) and will continue until Sunday (30th), with cultural and artistic activities, such as debates, photo exhibits, film screenings, book launches and other events in several cities across Brazil.
Conference “Meetings and Dialogues between Palestinians and Israelis: Dilemmas and Perspectives on the Path to Peace”
August 27th to 30th in São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro
Additional information and programming (in Portuguese): http://www.justica.gov.br/noticias/sao-paulo-e-rio-de-janeiro-sediarao-conferencia-entre-palestinos-e-israelenses
In São Paulo
August 27th and 28th, 2015
At the Noble Hall of Fundação Getúlio Vargas’ School of Business Administration of São Paulo, Nove de Julho Ave., 2029, 4th floor, Bela Vista district
On the 27th at 4pm and on the 28th at 11pm
On August 29th, 2015, at 8pm
At A Casa, on Ibiapinópolis Street, 762 – Jardim Paulistano district
In Rio de Janeiro
August 30th, 2015, at 3pm
At the Midrash Cultural Center, on Venâncio Flores Street, 184, Leblon district
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum