A large part of the conference is devoted to the workshops based on the following three working groups:
1. “Engines of the Conflict: Security and Fear”:
The workshop will deal with the existential fear that both parties in the conflict are experiencing and with their continuing desire to achieve a feeling of
security. Both feelings seem to play a very dominant role in the behaviour of both Israelis and Palestinians and therefore have a lot of influence on their actions. The role of these feelings in the national narratives
of both sides will also be discussed by the participants. The discussions will also deal with the security measures that both sides use, their legitimacy and their consequences on the conflict as a whole.
Europe's
understanding of these settings will be examined thoroughly, as will it's possible contribution to alleviating them.
2. “Refugees & Settlements”:
Participants will examine past European
attempts to solve the refugee problem and the question of the settlements. Different approaches to realize the repatriation of Palestinian refugees and the resettlement of the settlers will be discussed. In order to
make it less complex the participants will decide at the beginning of the workshop on which of the two issues to put more emphasis.
3. “Mass Media and Education”:
Mass Media & Education
form the perceptions of both sides. As such, the workshop will examine the media and education's roles in the conflict – both as an obstacle and as a resource. Participants will also discuss the effects of both forums
on national narratives. Coverage of the conflict in the European media and European education regarding the conflict will receive special attention during the discussions.
These workshop topics result
from several discussions that took place during the Hofgeismar conference. The participants considered these issues as very crucial and recommended to further discuss them.
Several lectures will examine
certain issues related to the workshops and esp. regarding Europe’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Beside the workshops, this meeting will focus on the realization of the projects initialised
and developed during and after the former conferences (see ‘project’ section on our website). Thus, it will give the possibility to continue the work and to develop new joint PIE (Palestinian-Israeli-European) projects.
- This conference is one of a series of conferences organised by the PIE Project Team that aim at establishing a network of committed young people that promote constructive projects.
Participants will present the
results of their working groups at a public panel discussion that will take place on the last working day.
A cultural and social programme
during the evenings and the ‘travel day’ will be organized by the AEGEE-local Copenhagen. (For information about the city:
