Jordan
Middle East Conflict and Cooperation in Jordan and Jerusalem
June 7-15, 2009
Itinerary
This 9-day seminar begins and ends in Amman, Jordan and includes a 3-day excursion to Jerusalem. Click here to see the 2008 Seminar itinerary.
Seminar Fee
CIEE Member: $2,800 Non-Member: $3,000
Academic Content (please note this is tentative and subject to change)
Lectures
- Water in the 1994 Peace Agreement with Israel
- Challenges of conducting cross-boundary research
- U.S.-Jordanian Relations
- Challenges of Economic Normalization
- The 1994 Peace Agreement with Israel
- Legacy of Regional Cooperation on Refugee Issues
- Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation at the Grass Roots Level
- The Future of Jerusalem
- Building Inter-Faith Dialogue
Co-curricular Site Visits & Field Trips
- ACOR (The American Center of Oriental Research)
- Qualified Industrial Zones, Irbid, Jordan
- UNWRA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East)
- Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information, Tantur Ecumenical Institute
- Walking tour of Conflict Management in the Old City of Jerusalem
Rationale
The association between the Middle East and Conflict is known. It is hard to imagine a day in recent history when the news from the region was not filled with stories of on-going violence, political intransigence and diplomatic deadlock. What grabs fewer headlines are the countless examples of cooperation that take place every day on an individual, national and regional level. This seminar approaches the Middle East from the unusual perspective that cooperation not only exists but in many areas is rapidly becoming the regional norm. Participants receive an historic overview of the major sources of conflict in the region. Then the seminar shifts gears to reviewing real life examples of how conflict management has evolved into ongoing cooperation in areas such as environmental protection, education, economic development and inter-faith dialogue.
Host Institution
Regional Center for Human Security
The Regional Human Security Centre is a non-profit, independent institution that seeks to advance the human security agenda through applied research, training and the facilitation of dialogue around practical policy recommendations. The Centre focuses on the region of West Asia, to include North Africa, the Middle East, as well as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although the Centre is independent, the importance of the financial and political support provided by the Government of Jordan (through the Higher Council for Science and Technology), should not be underestimated. The Jordanian political structure is also characterized by a willingness to open dialogue with all regional partners including Israel, which is vital for the success of the Centre. Areas of research include Armed Conflict, Forced Migration, Reconstruction, and State Sovereignty and Civil Society
Israel Palestine Center for Research and Information
IPCRI, founded in Jerusalem in 1988, is the only joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think-tank in the world. It is devoted to developing practical solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. IPCRI deals with the cardinal issues in the Israeli-Arab conflict - issues where the two sides find themselves at loggerheads, and where cooperation is necessary. IPCRI has been active in researching solutions and generating dialogue on the major stumbling blocks dividing the Israelis and Palestinians.
Seminar Leadership
Allison Hodgkins has more than 10 years experience in the Middle East, and whose research interests focus on Peace and Conflict in the region. Allison has lectured in departments of Political Science and International Studies, and previously served as Academic Director for a Peace and Conflict study abroad program in Palestine and Jordan. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) in The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and holds Master’s Degrees in Public Affairs (Lyndon Baines Johnson School), Middle Eastern Studies (University of Texas at Austin), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science (Bates).
Dr. Mohammad Mommani is an Assistant Dean at Yarmouk University and Director of Training for the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy, where he instructs Jordanian Foreign Service officers on international relations and regional politics. A core faculty member for CIEE’s Study Center at the University of Jordan since 2004, Dr. Mommani is also a consultant on different projects related to democratization and governance. Dr. Mommani received his PhD from the University of North Texas and served as an adjunct faculty member in Political Science at Rice University. He has written extensively on civil society, political development, and economic reform in Jordan.
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