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Joint Project 1995/96
BUILDING A BASE
FOR COMMON SCHOLARSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING:
PALESTINE - JORDAN - ISRAEL
IN THE NEW ERA OF THE MIDDLE EAST
1. THE PALESTINIAN ACADEMIC SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (PASSIA), JERUSALEM.
PASSIA was established in 1987 as an independent non-profit making Palestinian institution, unaffiliated with any government, political party or organization, which undertakes studies and research on the Palestine Question in its national, Arab and international contexts. PASSIA has accumulated considerable experience in academic research, publishing and hosting seminars on issues of specific importance to the Palestinians and related international concerns, and has produced numerous publications, ensuring that research undertaken under its auspices be specialized, scientific and objective.
PASSIA also pioneered a series of seminars focusing on Strategic Studies, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, the European Union, and the Question of Jerusalem. Working connections and academic scholarly exchange have been established with institutions, and scholars in Europe and North America. Thus, PASSIA has access to an extensive pool of Palestinian academic expertise as well as links with Israeli and international institutions. It has a proven record of dialogue, symposia and workshops - international, inter-regional and intra-Palestinian - which have always been open, self-critical and conducted in a spirit of harmony and cooperation.
2. THE MOSHE DAYAN CENTER FOR MIDDLE EASTERN AND AFRICAN STUDIES AT TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, TEL AVIV
The Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies is a research center devoted to the study of modern history and contemporary affairs in the Middle East. It was first established as the Shiloah Institute in 1959 under the auspices of the Israel Oriental Society. In 1965, it was incorporated into Tel Aviv University and 1983 saw the establishment of the present center which combined the Shiloah Institute and various documentation units dealing with the Middle East. The center is funded by the University of Tel Aviv and by its own endowment.
The Moshe Dayan Center seeks to impart a better understanding of the Middle East - past and present - to academic and general audiences in Israel and abroad. Some of its conferences have dealt with Shi'ism and Politics, Iranian Foreign Policy, Central Asia, the Middle East, Minorities in the Middle East, the Intifada, and Demography and Politics in the Region. Since 1976, the center has produced the Middle East Contemporary Survey, an annual account of political, socioeconomic change in the Middle East. The center also contains an outstanding documentation center which includes the most comprehensive collection of post-1950 Arabic press in the world. The center is the largest of its kind in Israel with some 25 research associates and a large number of support staff.
3. CENTER FOR STRATEGIC STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JORDAN, AMMAN
The Center for Strategic Studies was established in 1984, and its first director was Dr. Kamal Abu Jabr. The objectives of the center have always been to conduct research studies in the fields of politics, economics, social science, and military issues.
The center succeeded, together with the Al-Ahram Strategic Studies Center, in holding the first Arab conference on strategy and following this success, held two more. Three years ago, the center turned its attention to redefining the concept of strategy in line with new regional and global developments. It paid special attention to Jordanian related issues and strongly promoted the necessity of more far-sighted and long-term planning. The general direction of its research then became more focused on issues such as political change, the economy, democracy, demography, and the environment, and it was the first institute of its kind to conduct and publish a variety of wide ranging polls. Among others, the center established a unit for Israeli studies in order to study Israeli society and its development from an objective scientific approach.
4. ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE STUDIES (RUSI), LONDON
As part of the project, a conference was to be held in London. In order for the conference to succeed, the fourth partner involved in this project was the coordinator and facilitator of all activities in London on 1-2 July 1996. RUSI already had connections with PASSIA and the Dayan Center through previous programs and it is currently developing contact with the Center for Strategic Studies in Amman.
RUSI is a long-established, independent professional body based in London with world-wide membership of individuals and organizations, dedicated to the study, analysis and debate of issues affecting defense and international security. One of the oldest institutions of its kind in the world, RUSI has been at the forefront of contemporary political-military thought through debates, public and private seminars, conferences, lectures and a wide range of publications.
5. INTER-UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM FOR ARAB STUDIES (ICAS), AT McGILL UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL
The Inter-University Consortium for Arab Studies (ICAS), established in 1989, is a collaborative undertaking of McGill University and the University of Montreal together with other associated Canadian research institutions. It seeks to promote and facilitate research on issues concerning the Middle East and the Arab world as a whole.
In order to achieve this, ICAS has pursued four mandates dealing with the following:
Encouraged by the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv as well as by the substance of the project, the Department of Political Science of the McGill University approached PASSIA in 1994, proposing to be the fifth partner involved in the project.