Background

Building on many years of interactions and debates between Finnish and Palestinian scholars, officials, diplomats, religious figures, media and civil society representatives, PASSIA, the Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME), and the Finnish Representative Office in Ramallah decided in 2008 to embark on a joint project, culminating in a two-day workshop. The international seminar on Palestine & Finland, which was held on 22-23 November 2008 in Jericho, brought together over 50 participants – officials, diplomats, representatives of civil society, and academics with a wide range of fields of specialization, who discussed the history, presence and future of Palestinian-Finnish relations and took an in-depth look at Palestinian internal politics as well as on the prospects of the peace process. The proceedings of the workshop were published in a book.

Participants: Jehad Draidi, DG MEHE; Nisreen Al-Aref, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung-Finance Manager; Jamal El-Aref, Deputy M.E Rep/Anera; Fouad Dakkak, Engineer; Sanna Negus, Journalist; Shaher Hijtani, PDLFEP local Programme coordin.; Hannu Taimisto, Lawyer/COPPS; Kari Lamperi, EUPOL COPPS Prosceutium Exp.; Dr. Olli Ruohomaki, Senior Adviser MFA Finland; Dr. Hennu Juusola, University Lecturer; Sirpa Maenpaa, Deputy Director; Pia Rantala Engberg, Represantative of Finland; Sylvia Akar, Dr/University lecturer; Martti Tuhkanen, Director /lecturer; Outi Saarikoski, Deputy Head Rep.Office; Anna Savolainen, Desk Officer/Ministry for Foreign Affairs; Mona Shamma’, Office&Program Manager; Dr. Ghazi Hanania, Deputy speaker of PLC; Dr. Nafiz Nazzal, Dr. Laila Nazzal, Professor; Jamal Jawabreh, D.General; Nihekiesson, Consul General; Ghassan Khatib, UN. Lecturer; Luay Shabaneh, OCBS; Adnan Al-Masri, Badael center; Rana Halaseh, Head of technical assistance Unit; Philip Hokaptel, Pol.officer German Rep.off; Anna Brudin, Political Swedish consulate affairs; Sabri Saidam, President’s office; Musa Abu-Gharbieh, Fateh Movement; Khalil Nakhleh, Consultant; Lois Nakhleh, Artist; Sahar Jallad, Advisor to the PLA chairman; Mikko Louhivuori, Rockefeller Museum; Ibrahim Nuaimi, Supervisor of computer labs; Rana Al-Helsi PhD, Head of technical assistance unit; Riina Isotalo, Research University of Helsinki; Saleh Rafat, FIDA.

Nov. 22, 2008

9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Opening Remarks

Sirpa Mäenpää, Deputy Director General for Middle East and Africa, MFA Finland

9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. – SESSION ONE: HISTORY OF RELATIONS – The Identification of the so-called Hisham Palace by R.W. Hamilton

Dr. Mikko Louhivuori, Rockefeller Museum

10:15 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Hilma Granqvist’s Research: Reflections on Historical and Contemporary Relevance in Finland and Palestine

Dr. Riina Isotalo, University of Helsinki

11 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – Break

11:15 a.m. – noon – Palestine and Finnish Media – A Reporter’s Perspective

Sanna Negus, Middle East Correspondent, YLE, Finnish Broadcasting Co.

noon – 12:45 p.m. – Cooperation between Palestinian and Finnish Churches

Martti Tuhkanen, Director, Conference Center Paivakumpu, FELM

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Lunch

2 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – SESSION TWO: FUTURE CHALLENGES – The Development of the EU’s Political Role in the Context of the Palestinian-Israeli Relations

Dr. Flora Kurikkala, Foreign Ministry

2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – Finland and the PA: Official Relations Since 1995

Dr. Olli Ruohomaeki, Foreign Ministry

3:30 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Break

3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – The Palestinian Minority in Israel and Minorities in the Future Palestinian State: Some Thoughts in the Light of the Finnish Experiences

Dr. Hannu Juusola, University of Helsinki & Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East

4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. – Discussion continued

Dr. Hannu Juusola, University of Helsinki & Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East; Dr. Sylvia Akar, University of Helsinki

5:15 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Dinner (with life oud performance)

Nov. 23, 2008

9 a.m. – 10 a.m. – SESSION THREE: PALESTINIAN INTERNAL POLITICS – Visit to Hisham’s Palace, Jericho

10:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Introduction

Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi, Chairman of PASSIA, Jerusalem

10:45 a.m. – 11 a.m. – Hamas and its Agenda

Hani Al-Masri, Head of Bada’el Research Center, Ramallah

11 a.m. – noon – Fateh at the Crossroads

Dr. Loay Shabaneh, Director of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, and Member of Fateh

noon – 12:15 p.m. – Break

12:15 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Chances and Challenges for Palestinian National Unity

Dr. Ghassan Al-Khatib, Vice-President of Birzeit University

1 p.m. – 2 p.m. – Lunch

2 p.m. – 4 p.m. – SESSION FOUR: PANEL ON THE IMPASSE IN THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT AND THE PROSPECTS FOR A PALESTINIAN STATE

Dr. Khalil Nakhleh, Senior Researcher and Author on “The One State Option”