The Galilee Conference: The Galilee as a Multi-Cultural Space

"The Galilee as a Multi-Cultural Space Conference" at the Oranim Academic College of Education will address the richness of the Galilee region, where many different sectors and populations, cultures and religious traditions live alongside one another, and will discuss ways of creating a space for coexistence and inter-cultural dialogues.

The Galilee region is a valuable and challenging cultural and educational test case.  It invites one to examine, learn, research and use it to advance knowledge and mutual understanding, creativity and development, empowerment of the residents-citizens of the Galilee - culturally and socially.

The conference will have 60 presenters, Jews and Arabs, lecturers and students, who will discuss ideas and present culture, some as individuals and some representing organizations.  Topics will cover a range of academic research, with symposiums focused on ideas and concerns from society and culture, with art events and exhibits from residents of the Galilee and their creative works that address a spectrum of dilemmas. 

Institutions represented include: Oranim College, JDC Israel, Abraham Fund Initiatives, Emek Yezreel College, Safed College, Western Galilee College, Beit Berl College; Haifa University, Al Quds University, Ben Gurion University;  kibbutzim, Beit Lohamei Haghetaot, Amutat Dorov, the City of Sachnin; and artists, theatre groups and journalists from the Galilee, and more.

The daily academic and social activities at Oranim College - which has great diversity in its student body, and an equally diverse faculty - serves as a practical microcosm for ongoing partnership and active co-stewardship by its varied residents and sectors.  Since Oranim is situated in the Galilee, it is its educational mission to serve as a space that will host discussions on principles, values and examine ideas, and serve as a space to implement them, to better the lives of all those in the northern periphery, both socially and culturally.

The Opening Session will be addressed by Prof. Avishay Braverman, Minister for Minority Affairs, and Mr. Ramez Jaraysi, the Mayor of Nazareth.  The opening session will be chaired by Mr. Hagai Merom, Treasurer of the Jewish Agency for Israel and Board Chair of Oranim Academic College of Education.

Date: February 24-25, 2009
Location: Oranim Academic College of Education

For more information and to register, click here [1].