Palestinian Academic Society For The Study of International Affairs

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.