Time and Location
29. – 30. September 2009
Diplomatic Academy, Festsaal, Favoritenstraße 15a, 1040 Vienna
Program
Revisiting the Palestinian Economy after 40 years of Israeli Occupation: Present Realities and Future Challenges
Leila Farsakh, University of Massachusetts Boston
Perspectives beyond Food Aid and Poverty Administration? On the Role of International Institutions and Development Agencies in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Gerhard Pulfer, Aid Coordination – Palestine
Leila Farsakh, University of Massachusetts Boston
Rami Sublaban, Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency
Samia Botmeh, Birzeit University
Palestinian Civil Society beyond Development Policy?
Afaf Aqel Hamayel, In’ash al-Usra
Ghassan Amayra, Welfare Association
Maysoon Al-Ramahi, Al-Khansa
Detailed program
Perspectives beyond war and crisis II Food Aid, Poverty Administration and Development Policy in the Isreali-Palestinian Conflict
Background
„We Palestinians are sitting in a cage, Israel has the key for it and the international community is feeding us.“
This was the picture Samia Botmeh from the Center of Development Studies of Birzeit University utilized for describing the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Leila Farsakh form University of Massachusetts Boston confirmed this pessimistic view in using the expression “pauperization” for characterizing the situation after 40 years of Israeli Occupation of the Palestinian territories.
So fare billions of US-Dollar has been spend as donor assistance to the Palestinian people. Yet the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories today is the most catastrophic than ever. Knowing this the two days conference questioned the effectiveness of development cooperation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Representatives of international organizations and Palestinian NGOs discussed together with academics the failures made so far and possible development policies despite the blockade of the Gaza Strip and the societal fragmentation in the West Bank.