The Irvine Dialogue
May 7, 2006
Crystal Cove Auditorium
University of California, Irvine
1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
At 1 PM on Sunday, May 7, 2006, "Why Israel? Why Palestine?" -- a multi-faith conference -- will convene in the Crystal Cove Auditorium located in the UC Irvine Student Center. The program will run from 1-6 PM.
Registration is required, and advance registration is
recommended to insure adequate seating. The
program is free of charge.
(05/05/06) Click here to view the day's complete program schedule!
The Irvine Dialogue is a project of the Cordoba Initiative, CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, and the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA). Joining us as co-sponsors are the UCI Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, the UCI Difficult Dialogues Project, the Hillel Foundation of Orange County, the UCI Middle East Studies Student Initiative and the UCI Society of Arab Students.
The conference will examine the cultural forces at work behind the Israeli/Palestinian dispute and illuminate (and demystify) the aspirations and fears on both sides.
The Israeli/Palestinian dispute, one of the world’s most complex and intractable conflicts, remains an inflammatory issue. The creation of a free Palestinian state is the most important international cause for Muslims around the world, while the security of Israel is critically important to Jews. At home in the United States, these two issues are paramount for Jewish and Arab Americans and often divide their communities.
For what purpose do/would Israel and Palestine exist?
To fulfill historic national aspirations?
To respond to divine will?
To provide safe haven to a persecuted people?
To realize a set of cultural values and ethics?
To allow a refugee community its rightful place among the nations of the world?
We are convinced that until each side gains a deeper appreciation
for how the other would answer these questions -- the questions of what you want
and why you want it -- peace efforts are unlikely to succeed. This conviction
has inspired us to convene the Irvine Dialogue.
Achieving a better understanding by all of the competing cultural narratives nurtured by each people is essential to the peace process. What is the “Palestinian story” familiar to most Muslim children but seemingly misunderstood by many Jews? What is the “Israeli story” taught lovingly by Jewish parents but seemingly misunderstood by many Muslims? These cultural narratives appear to pass in space with little recognition of each other’s existence. But what would happen if they were explored together and linked through a respectful and non-confrontational civil dialogue? The Irvine Dialogue has been designed to explore this very possibility.
c. 2006 WhyIsraelWhyPalestine.org