Links with Bethlehem University

In June 1996, Palestine's Bethlehem University faculty representatives were in residence for four weeks at the Institute, participating in meetings and workshop sessions hosted by Professor Christopher Mitchell. They engaged in discussions about the field of Conflict Studies and the teaching of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, familiarizing themselves with the range of independent and university-linked institutions that form the "practice arm" of the discipline. Under the guidance of Mitchell and his assistant, Alma Abdel-Hadi Jadallah, the three visiting professors from the West Bank, Dr. Vivienne Kharnis, Chair of the School of Social Sciences, Professor Mai Alqasasfa of the English Department, and Professor Marouf Dweikat, Chair of the Business School, were briefed on ICAR's academic and practice programs by members of the faculty, directors of Northern Virginia Mediation Service, Consortium on Peace Research Education and Development, University Dispute Resolution Program, National Conference on Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution, Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy, and the host of other organizations connected with ICAR, and on how George Mason's curriculum in Conflict Studies might fit into a proposed curriculum at Bethlehem. This visit represented the second stage of a developing relationship between George Mason University and Bethlehem University aimed, primarily at fostering an appropriate undergraduate program in Conflict Analysis at the latter, and at developing joint research projects.

Early on, it became apparent that faculty members from both ICAR and Bethlehem share an interest in studying indigenous methods of conflict resolution starting with those cormnonly used among Palestinian communities on the West Bank and ultimately all societies in the Islamic and Mediterranean worlds.

The present faculty exchange program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Information Agency's Office of Citizen Exchanges. It will result in similar summer visits to ICAR in 1997 and 1998 by faculty members from a variety of Bethlehem University departments. The faculty members will be guided in the development of Conflict Studies curricula, suitable teaching materials, and scenarios for role plays and simulations.

Their visits will be returned by visits to Bethlehem each spring semester by ICAR faculty/student teams to learn about local conditions and conflicts, to participate in workshops and training sessions, and to "field test" some of the material developed for use in the program.

To some degree, the successful completion of even the initial stages of this program will depend on the political situation on the West Bank. Apart from the normal stresses and strains of university life, faculty and students at Bethlehem University have had to cope in recent years with numerous interruptions and disruptions to the contemplative life, occasioned by the vicissitudes of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The university has been closed down, semesters necessarily extended; graduations delayed, and travel to and from the university constantly disrupted. Listening to our colleagues from Bethlehem, we realized that--as stressed out as everyone is at ICAR--we live a relatively straightforward academic life.