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| From the right: Rawan Damen, senior producer at AlJazeera; Dr. Arafat Shoukri, public relations manager at AlJazeera Media Network; and Sameh Haseeb, session moderator [AlJazeera] |
The “World War I: Impact on Palestine” conference, organised by AlJazeera Centre for Studies (AJCS) and the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) and attended by prominent public and media figures, ended on 9 November 2014 in London.
The conference’s sessions included research papers presented by participants and discussions focused on human rights, legal aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and analyses of changes that have taken place in the balance of power inside and outside Palestine. Several future scenarios of this conflict were presented, taking into consideration both one-state and two-state solutions.
The concluding session included a condensed overview of the most important documentaries and programs produced by AlJazeera Media Network marking the hundredth anniversary of World War I and its impact on the region in general and Palestine in particular. Dr. Arafat Shoukri, public relations manager at AlJazeera Media Network, said the dozens of documentaries and programs produced by AlJazeera about Palestine over the past few years reflect the network’s interest in this conflict as a pivotal issue in the Middle East. They also demonstrate AlJazeera’s passion for keeping this issue alive in collective regional and international memories.
Rawan Damen, senior producer at AlJazeera, said the network will soon launch a key new project titled, “Remix Palestine”, to bring together all films, programs and meetings about Palestine prior to and after the Palestinian Nakba (Exodus) on a single electronic platform. It will be available on the internet and linked to social media for all those who wish to understand and share credible information on the conflict’s background and how it developed over the years.
Dr. Ezzeddine Abdelmoula, Researcher Manager at AlJazeera Centre for Studies, said in his concluding remarks that the Centre will continue its research efforts with the same level of depth and objectivity it adopts on regional issues, one of the main ones being the Palestinian cause. This is based on the Centre’s belief that finding a solution to this issue is one of the most important factors for securing stability in the Middle East. Research papers produced from this conference will be edited in line with the discussions and debates that took place at the conference and will be issued in a book to enhance the Centre’s library.
In his concluding remarks, PRC board chairman Mohamed al-Hamed mentioned the importance of holding such conferences to raise awareness by examining the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rather than through theoretical analysis. In his view, such conferences help to keep the Palestinian cause alive in young people’s memories, particularly those living in far-away lands who are working long-distance to secure its freedom.