2015 Middle East Workshops

This workshop will present first-hand accounts of Palestinian children held in Israeli detention, a description of the practices used by the Israeli army to arrest and detain Palestinian children under separate rules from those applied to Israeli youth, the impact these policies have on children, their families, and communities, and ways we can advocate for change.

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The population of Gaza, currently 1.8 million but predicted to grow to 2.1 million by 2020, live in what has been described as an open air prison. All movement and access of people and goods is tightly controlled by Israel and by Egypt along the southern border. This workshop will look at the devastating impact of recent wars and the continuing blockade, and will explore long-term remedies that will allow the people of Gaza to live a normal life in peace with their Israeli neighbors.

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This panel will provide a window into the reality of occupation in Palestine, including land confiscation, resource theft, economic isolation, severe restrictions of movement, the separation barrier, and a network of discriminatory laws. Expert panelists will provide information from the region as well as opportunity for dialogue with participants on strategies to bring about a just peace.

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The top recipients of U.S. military assistance include numerous countries with well-documented violations of human rights and due process. This workshop will examine how U.S. military aid has helped advance practices that violate U.S. and international law, and ways advocates can help to bring about changes in U.S. support for systems of oppression in the Middle East.

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