Konferenz-Programm in Deutsch

Saturday 18 April 2009

Venue: Hotel Le Grenil, Avenue Sainte-Clotilde 7, 1205 Geneve
Languages: English

A day of expert presentations and debate that will examine and develop the analysis of Israel's regime over the Palestinian people as a regime of apartheid, colonialism and occupation. Legal experts are invited to help human rights activists understand what legal analysis and strategies are worth pursuing in terms of their likelihood to achieve a situation where Israel can be held accountable to international law.

08:30 Registration

09:00 – 10:00 Opening and Orientation by the organizers
Welcome and brief statements by the organizers: BNC, ECCP, IJAN
Overview of events planned for the week of the Durban Review Conference

10:15 – 13:00 Examining the Applicability of the Crime of Apartheid to Israel

Israel's Practices in the OPT and the International Legal Prohibition on Apartheid (30 min)
by Prof. Virginia Tilley, Head of the Middle East Project and Chief Research Specialist, Democracy and Governance Programme, Human Sciences Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa

Applying the Crime of Apartheid to Israel's Regime over the Palestinian People(30 min)
by Karine MacAllister, PhD candidate, University of Montreal, Canada

Commentary and Recommendations by:
Mascha Madörin, Swiss feminist economist; she was coordinator of the South African Boycott Coalition in Switzerland and is an expert on financial sanctions (30 min)
Jackie Dugard, senior researcher, Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (30 min)

Q&A / Participant Discussion (45 min)

Chair and Moderation: Joseph Schechla, coordinator of Habitat International Coalition-Land and Housing Rights Network (HIC-LHRN)

------
13:00 - 14:00 lunch break
------

14:00 – 17:00 Legal strategies towards accountability to international law

Screening of short film “Universal Jurisdiction” (28 min) [Click here to watch the film online

Civil torts claims and related mechanisms in US courts
by Prof. Susan Akram, Boston University School of Law (20 mins)

The International Criminal Court, special tribunals and domestic courts in extra-territorial or universal prosecution of international crimes (30 min)
by Daniel Machover, advocate, U.K.

European regional mechanisms (European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights) in enforcement of state responsibilty and human rights (30 min)
by Prof. Bill Bowring, London University School of Law

Q&A / Participant Discussion (60 min)

Chair and Moderation: Zaha Hassan, civil rights attorney and human rights advocate, USA

------

Evening: Various Events organized by the Civil Society Forum and hosts in Geneva

(To be announced during the day)
------

Sunday 19 April 2009

A day of self-organized workshops and planning meetings of activists and experts aimed at:

developing the BDS Campaign, in particular the priorities set by the Bilbao Initiative;
• sharing resources and campaign tools;
• finalizing preparations for the Durban Review Conference;
• and/or for networks to conduct membership meetings.

10:00 – 12:30 Morning Workshops

All Day (10:00-16:00): Film Screening: “Chronicles Of A Refugee”

A 6-part documentary film series looking at the global Palestinian refugee experience over the last 60 years. Through the voices of Palestinian refugees, the first three episodes recount the experiences of Palestinian refugees since 1947. The second three episodes tackle current issues and are mean to to open up debate.
Directed and produced by: Perla Issa, Aseel Mansour and Adam Shapiro; music by Tarek “Excentrik” Kazaleh and the Palestinian collective Ramallah Underground.
Venue: Room-1
Click here for a complete description of "Chronicles of a Refugee"

=======================

Workshop 1:
United Against Racism: The building of joint struggles against racism and Zionism

Venue: Room-2

This panel will provide an overview of the political and practical relationship between the growing US movement to challenge Israeli Apartheid and movements for immigrant and indigenous rights and against racism in the United States. It will share the process of building this joint struggle, the principles and political goals and the activities at the early stages of our organizing. Monadel Herzallah, national coordinator of the US Palestinian Community Network, will provide an overview of the history of movements for Palestine liberation and solidarity in the US and the importance of joint struggle in order to advance our goals and demands. Kali Akuno, a national organizer with Malcom X Grassroots Movement, will offer an analysis of the historical moment in the United States and the opportunity to build a united front against racism and US imperialism that includes Israeli apartheid. Mariana Viturro, an organizer with a US-based immigrant rights organization and network, will offer an overview of the points of unity and opportunities for joint struggle between Palestinian communities struggling for self-determination and immigrant rights organizing. Jahahara Alkebulan-Maat of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparation in America (N'COBRA) will discuss the relationship of the struggle of Blacks in the USA for reparations to the global struggle against racism and xenophobia. Finally, Mich Levy, member of the International Jewish anti-Zionist Network, will provide an overview of the points of unity, goals and initiatives of this emerging network.

Speakers:
Kali Akuno, Malcom X Grassroots Movement
Monadel Herzallah, US Palestinian Community Network
Mariana Viturro, St. Peter's Housing Committee
Jahahara Alkebulan-Maat, National Coalition of Blacks for Reparation in America (N'COBRA)
Mich Levy, International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network
Facilitator & Rapporteur: To be Nominated

=======================

Workshop 2:
The Problem with Para-Statal Organizations: Confronting the Jewish National Fund

Venue: Room-3

This panel will provide an overview of the problem and function of para-statal organizations as part of the institutionalized racism of the Israeli apartheid and as supported by the United States, Europe and a network of organizations across the globe. It will offer an analysis of the importance of a campaign against these organizations and institutions as part of a broader movement against Israeli Apartheid. Joseph Schechla, from Habitat International Coalition, will provide an overview of Zionist para-statal organizations and their relationship to Israeli apartheid. The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) will then provide an overview of the problem of Zionist ideology and practice and Jewish nationality with a specific focus on the role of the Jewish National Fund in both. Finally, IJAN, the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Committee and the Palestinian BNC will then offer political goals based on their specific approaches to and roles in challenging Israeli apartheid.

Speakers:
Joseph Schechla, Habitat International Coalition, Cairo
Sofia MacLeod, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Committee
Sara Kershnar, International Jewish anti-Zionist Network
Facilitator & Rapporteur: Hazem Jamjoum, BADIL

------
12:30-13:30 lunch break
------

13:30-16:00 Afternoon Workshops

Workshop 3:
“Legal BDS” - popular tribunals and public petitions as tools for building accountability

Venue: Room-1

In continuation of the debate in the legal strategy session of 18 April, a number of recent popular initiatives will discussed and examined in order to determine if and how they can become tools for achieving public visibility and recognition of Israel's violations of IHL and international human rights law in a situation where institutional recognition and responses are denied at a national and international level. Initatives suggested for presentation and assessment include the Russel Tribunal on Palestine (ECCP), a public petition to the UN General Assembly (ASFP) and the initiative from Ecuador for the creation of an Ethical and Advisory Tribunal on war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the Palestinian people will be presented.

Speakers:
Francisco Bonilla, representative of the office of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Ecuador
Pierre Galand, president of the ECCP
Bernard Ravenel / Elsa Putelat, Representatives of Association Solidarite France-Palestine
Facilitator and Rapporteur: Ingrid Jaradat Gassner, BADIL

=======================

Workshop 4:
Labor for Palestine

Venue: Room-2

This workshop will focus on the importance of labor as a site for BDS work both in challenging US and European aid to Israel and divestment of labor funds from Israeli bonds. The workshop will share the challenges and opportunities for organizing and the emerging campaign ideas in these early stages of labor organizing.

Speakers:
Monadel Herzallah, US Palestinian Community Network and Arab American Union Members Council
Mick Napier, Scottish Palestine Solidarity Committee
(to be confirmed: representatives of CUPE, UNISON, a.o.)
Facilitator: Nidal Alazza, BADIL
Rapporteur: To be nominated

=======================

Workshop 5:
From the BDS-Call to a BDS-campaign

Venue: Room-3

What are the next steps needed to develop a real BDS-Campaign in Europe?
Since the BDS-Call was launched in 2005, much has been done at the level of awareness-raising. Most of the solidarity committees and parts of the left parties and organizations nowadays subscribe to this strategy. What are the next steps to be taken in coordination with the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), especially in Western Europe (Switzerland and beyond)? What are the characteristics and strategies of a real "campaign" that has an concrete impact? How to get and how to organize real support in organizations outside the solidarity movement, based on what has been achieved during the last years?

The workshop/meeting will discuss concrete steps to be undertaken next and suggest a common focus for 2010 (speakers tours, common publications, common activities) and possibilities to share material, work (research, documentation) resources (websites see www.bdsmovement.net; www.bds-info.ch) between committees, cities, neighboring countries.
Language: German plus French and English, depending on the audience

Facilitator: Birgit Althaler, Palästina-Solidarität Region Basel/PASO
Rapporteur: Margrit Dutt, Gerechtigkeit und Frieden in Palästina/GFP Bern

16:00 – 17:00: Final Plenary session

Venue: Room-2 (Salle AVIVO)

Reports from the workshops (rapporteurs)
Discussion

Conference close

Additional self-organized events

Outside the Israel Review Conference, additional self-organized events will be implemented in the framework of the Civil Society Forum for the Durban Review Conference and in cooperation with Swiss host organizations from 17 April onwards:

Saturday 18 April 2009 at 15:00
Demonstration Against Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia
Place Neuve • Genève

Click here for Demonstration announcement and details in French

Monday, 20 April, 19:00 – 22:00
“De Varsovie a Gaza: memoire et responsabilite (From Warsaw to Gaza: Memory and Responsibility)”

Venue: Uni Mail Hall MS150, blvd du pont-d'Arve 40, 1205 Geneva
On the occasion of the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) organizes this event in Geneva which will launch a public campaign for an International Day of Resistance to Genocide.

For coordination of other self-organized events with the Civil Society Forum:
visit: www.genevaforum2009.org
or contact: info@genevaforum2009.org