Intensive weekend Course for Professionals Series

Seven Decades of Forced Displacement: Legal, Political and Humanitarian Responses to the Palestinian Refugee Question

June 26th -27th 2021

9:00 am to 5:00 pm Jerusalem time

The Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development’s (ARDD) Question of Palestine (QoP) program and Birzeit University (BZU), in partnership with Law for Palestine, are pleased to announce an intensive online course, on Saturday and Sunday, June 26th -27th 2021, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Jerusalem time, for researchers and practitioners (UN officers, diplomats, journalists, grassroots organizations, researchers) on the Palestine refugee issue.

The course intends to provide a must-have knowledge regarding the Palestinian refugee question’s historical, political, legal, and humanitarian context. The course traces down the origin of the Palestinian refugees and the evolution of the Palestinian physical and political fragmentation, within the national QoP context and beyond, and provides indispensable understanding to better engage with the issue, aiming to ensure both effective protection and just and durable solutions for Palestinian refugees.

Objective:

This course will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the Palestinian refugee question in the context of the development of the international refugee and human rights regimes and the responses that the international community has provided to Palestinian refugees compared to other contemporary refugee movements. The distinctive regime set up for Palestinian refugees (made of UNCCP, UNRWA, UNHCR) and their status and treatment in over seventy countries will be illustrated, together with an overview of their fundamental rights and entitlement to protection and durable solutions. By the end of the course, participants will have a solid understanding of the different international stakeholders involved in the QoP and their humanitarian, political and legal response to the Palestinian refugee question.

Methodology

Due to COVID19 restrictions, the course will be offered initially on an online platform only (to be transformed into a hybrid course with in-person classes in Amman and Birzeit o a rotational basis as soon as circumstances allow) . Essential course materials will be distributed both ahead of the start of and during each course. The course will consist of 13 sessions of 45 minutes eac

At the end of the course, participants will be invited to join a panel with representatives from academia, grassroots organizations, journalism, and UNRWA (including Palestinian refugees themselves). This will allow participants to test what they have learned through the course and discuss in person with practitioners involved in the daily life of Palestinian refugees.

Language

The course will be offered in English and Arabic (depending on the speaker) with simultaneous translation.

Participants

Each course will be open to a maximum of 25 participants. Ideally, interested participants may be lawyers, UN, NGOs, government officials, journalists and researchers interested in gaining a better understanding of the Palestinian refugee question. Participants with a strong motivation and relevant working experience may be preferred, in case of high demand. Applicants will be duly informed of subsequent dates and training opportunities.

Facilitators and Guest Speakers

The course will be facilitated primarily by the authors of Palestinian Refugees in International Law (Oxford University Press, 2020), Francesca Albanese, Coordinator of ARDD Question of Palestine Program, Dr. Lex Takkenberg ARDD Senior Policy Advisor (both former UNRWA staff) and academic staff from BZU, including Professor Asem Khalil, Dr. Raed Eishnaiwer and others (to be confirmed in due course). Distinguished guest speakers will be invited primarily from ARDD’s Global Network on the Question of Palestine.

Programme Synopsis

Foundations & Current State of Affairs

• History of Palestine and its people, including the origin of Palestinian displacement and its evolution
• Normative and institutional regime for Palestinian refugees
• The value of international law ‘as a whole’ in protecting the Palestinians
• Legal features and political dynamics Palestinian refugees/dispersal worldwide: from the Arab world, to Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific and Africa

Zooming in on rights and solutions

• Right to self-determination
• Right of return, compensation/restitution
• The relevance of a human rights based approach to Palestinian refugees
• Negotiating solutions for Palestinian refugees

Fees

The course fees will be USD 350 per participant.

Scholarships

Law for Palestine will have 15 sponsored seats (8 will be reserved to its volunteers, while the other 7 seats are open for the public).

Registration:

• To register and apply for the sponsored seats: Please send a one-page motivation letter in a pdf file containing your name and e-mail address to the following e-mail: [email protected] (Please write (Refugee Program:  Scholarship) in the subject of the email.
• Deadline: The last time to apply for a scholarship is Tuesday 22 June 2021 (11:00 pm Jerusalem time).