Palestinian Academic Society For The Study Of International Affairs
The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) was founded in Jerusalem in March 1987 by Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi and a group of Palestinian academics and intellectuals. PASSIA is not affiliated with any government, political party or organization, and maintains a completely independent financial and legal independent status.
PASSIA deals with the various national, Arab and international aspects of the Palestinian Question through its academic Research Studies Program, dialogue and publication.
A major component of PASSIA’s activities is its Roundtable Meetings Program, and with over 100 publications to its credit, many of which include the minutes of these meetings, PASSIA has proved most successful at promoting understanding of international relations as they affect the Palestinian struggle for justice and peace. As part of its Religious Studies Unit PASSIA also holds regular meetings with religious leaders (mainly local Muslim and Christian dignitaries, but also involving Jews and foreign scholars) in an effort to foster scholarly understanding.
Considered to be of equal importance by those familiar with PASSIA’s activities is its Seminar Program, which provides a much-needed venue for Palestinian graduates to benefit from the experience and knowledge of local and foreign experts of the highest caliber. PASSIA’s educational and training seminars are divided into two categories: International Affairs – including seminars on Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, Strategic Studies and Security, the EU, Education on Democracy, The Foreign Policies of Arab States, Japan and the Middle East, and The United States and Canada: Political Systems, Policy-Making and the Middle East – and Civil Society Empowerment, with seminars held to date including those on Policy-Making, Strategic Planning & Media & Communication Skills.
Jerusalem has been and will continue to be the core of the Palestine Question. It is also the focus of the majority of PASSIA’s activities due, in part, to its centrality to the Palestinian-Israeli struggle and the now inevitable establishment of a Palestinian state. PASSIA hosts regular workshops that address different but inter-connected issues pertaining to Jerusalem, such as freedom of access, Israeli settlements, and the various religious, political, cultural, historical, and civil aspects of life in the city, in addition to municipal arrangements for Jerusalem as the capital of two independent states. In these meetings, as during all other events held at PASSIA, it is the desire to promote communication, cooperation and coordination between those with an interest in the fate of this region that overrides any other consideration, and which inevitably results in a dialogue that is as stimulating as it is productive.
Read more about Palestinian Academic Society For The Study Of International Affairs: PASSIA Publications
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