Philadelphia Sabeel Conference, April 25-26, 2008

Villanova University, Connolly Conference Center

Begins 12 noon on Friday, April 25
Concludes at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.

IN SEARCH OF A HOMELAND
The Quest for Place and Peace in Israel and Palestine

Contact: The Rev David Yeaworth
(610) 525-2776 d.Yeaworth@worldnet.att.net

Bishop Allen Bartlett
(215) 928-0506 Allen.jerrie@worldnet.att.net

KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The Rev. Naim Ateek, Director of Sabeel in Jerusalem, will deliver the keynote address, The Quest and the Crisis: What Americans Can Do,  at the Philadelphia area Sabeel Conference April 25 and 26 at the Connelly Center at Villanova University. Sabeel (Arabic for “the way”) is a Palestinian liberation theology center in Jerusalem.  Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) sponsors a number of regional conferences in the United States and Canada to promote education and advocacy about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Villanova conference features a number of international and nationally known speakers: 

Dr. Marc Ellis, Director for Jewish Studies at Baylor University, will speak on “The Jewish Dream and the 1948 Reality.”  

Dr. Elia Zureik, a Palestinian emeritus faculty member of Queens University, Kingston, Ontario, will describe “A Journey of 60 Years; the Story of Palestinian Refugees.”

Dr. Jeff Halper, Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and a nominee for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, will address the topic, “Reframing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:  A View from the Ground.” 

Retired Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of the Archdiocese of Detroit will address “The Radical Challenge of Non-Violence.” 

The Rev. John Hubers, former Middle East Director for the Reformed Church in America will speak on the topic “Whose Homeland Is It?  Confronting Christian Zionism”.

Dr. Yvonne Haddad, Professor of History of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at Georgetown University, on “Understanding Our Muslim Friends”

Several concurrent workshops, most of them offered twice over the two days, offer the opportunity for active participation.  They are:

• “The Environmental Impact of War” led by Dr. Linda Hanna and Leila Barclay
• “The Role of Lebanon in Middle East Peace” led by the Rev. Kail Ellis, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Science at Villanova University
• “The Literature of Palestine” led by Dr. Roger Allen, Professor of Arabic at the University of Pennsylvania
• “Constructive Local Involvement” led by Susan Abulhawa, founder of Playgrounds for Palestine and author of The Scar of David, winner of the Best Book Award, USA Book News
• “Jewish Anti-Occupation Activism” led by the Philadelphia chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization opposed to Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem
• “Experiencing Two Peoples, Two Narratives, One Reality” led by Fr. John Sullivan and Sr. Maria Rieckelman, Maryknoll Missionaries who have led nine pilgrimages to the Holy Land.  This workshop will be offered on Saturday only.

In addition to workshops and plenary sessions, the conference will include a film screening, cultural event and exhibits by renowned international Palestinian American artist Rajie Cook and award-winning photojournalist Linda Panetta.

A panel discussion featuring several of the principal speakers on the question “Is the Two-State Solution Still Possible?” will conclude the conference. This discussion will be moderated by the Rt. Rev. Allen Bartlett, retired Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania and convener of the Ecumenical Working Group for Middle East Peace, a principal sponsor of the conference.

Additional conference sponsors are the Villanova Center for Peace and Justice Education and the Office of Justice and Peace of the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. 

Partial List of CoSponsors

Presbytery of Philadelphia Peacemaking Committee
Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
Eastern PA Conference of the United Methodist Church
American Friends Service Committee Middle East Peacebuilding Project
Jewish Voice for Peace (Philadelphia Chapter)
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions—USA
Forum for American/Arab Understanding, Villanova University

Registration Fees:

$95 ($105 after April 11) and $35 for students.
(Villanova students will be admitted free.)

$65 One-day registration, for either day

Anyone for whom these fees are prohibitive is invited to request a waiver and to contribute whatever he or she can afford. 

Register on-line at www.fosna.org or by calling or emailing David Yeaworth
at 610-525-2776 ----   D.Yeaworth@worldnet.att.net.