The 2012 Palestine Center Annual Conference
Where are We Headed? The U.S. and Middle East After Elections
Friday, 9 November 2012
2425 Virginia Ave NW,
Washington, DC 20037
8:00-9:00am
Registration
9:00-9:15am
Welcome Remarks
9:15- 11:00am
Panel I - U.S. Policy After the Election: A Reason for Change?
What will the outcome of the Presidential election mean for U.S. Middle East policy? If re-elected, will President Obama maintain similar policies or make significant adjustments? If Governor Romney is elected, what changes can we expect? Panelists will discuss the impact of the election on U.S. policy towards various actors in the region.
Hrair Balian
Director of the Conflict Resolution Program
The Carter Center
Mark Perry
Independent Author
Helena Cobban
Independent Publisher and Journalist
11:00-11:30am
Coffee and Pastry Break
11:30am-1:00pm
Panel II - Taking Stock in the Arab Uprisings: Where are we headed?
Uprisings have led to the disappearance of some governments and the emergence of others. The political map of the region is changing and many questions remain about which direction the region is headed. Panelists will discuss the foreign policies of states in the region, the role of regional organizations like the Gulf Corporation Council and the impact of election outcomes in shaping policy changes.
Nathan Brown
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs
George Washington University
Adel Iskandar
Scholar of Media and Communications, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Georgetown University
Kristin Diwan
Assistant Professor of Comparative and Regional Studies, School of International Service
American University
1:00-1:45pm
Break for Lunch
1:45-3:15pm
Panel III - Public Discourse on Palestine: Reasons for Optimism?
As occupation persists and technology develops, a growing number of Americans are challenging the long-held Israeli narrative of events and history in the region. We ask what changes there have been in U.S. media coverage, what role new and social media plays in that and what we can expect of these trends going forward.
Samer Badawi
Communications Manager
Institute for Middle East Understanding
Will Youmans
Assistant Professor of Media
George Washington University
3:20-4:45pm
Panel IV - Palestinian Strategy: Reform, Representation, and a New Framework
Two decades after the start of the Oslo process there are more settlers and settlements in the West Bank today than ever before. Panelists will discuss whether the two-state solution is still viable, what challenges Palestinian reconciliation and representation present and evaluate Palestinian strategies for liberation.
Noura Erakat
Freedman Teaching Fellow, Temple Law School; and Legal Advocacy Coordinator, Badil
Khaled Elgindy
Fellow, Saban Center for Middle East Policy
Brookings Institute
Leila Hilal
Director
The New American Foundation Middle East Task Force
