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May 2007

AIC General Assembly 2007

The Alternative Information Center (AIC) held its 2007 General Assembly in Beit Sahour on Friday May 4. Attended by an invited group of approximately 50 Palestinians, Israelis and internationals committed to promoting the AIC vision and success of the organisation’s programs, the General Assembly provided an excellent opportunity to review the AIC and its ongoing work in light of political and organizational developments.

Political Discussions

The morning session was comprised of three structured political discussions, initiated by brief comments from pre-selected panels that presented AIC work within Palestinian society, Israeli society and the international context. All discussions were a continuation of online discussions and the presentation of papers held by members of the AIC wider community during the two months prior to the General Assembly.

AIC Political Director Nassar Ibrahim and newly elected AIC Co-Chairperson Dr. Naim Abu Thir, commenced with brief comments on current and potential developments within Palestinian society. Both Ibrahim and Dr. Abu Thir stressed the current instability of the Palestinian Authority given the forced Hamas-Fatah coalition, the continued international sanctions against the PA, the ongoing Israeli occupation and its manifestations and the ensuing socio-economic and political strife within Palestinian society. A lively discussion commenced about potential political frameworks that would engender a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the non-existence of a Palestinian alternative given the recently formed Hamas-Fatah coalition government and severe limitations of the Palestinian left and the organizational weakness of social movements and social organising within Palestinian civil society.

Staff member Shir Hever, newly elected Co-Chairperson Professor Yossi Schwartz and Board of Directors member Marcello Weksler opened a critical discussion about how the AIC should work within Israeli society. A minority but well supported voice, Shir challenged the AIC to deprioritise its work within Israeli society, noting that only Palestinian resistance and international pressure would induce Israel to end its 40 year occupation. Professor Schwartz added that while a year ago he would have completely agreed with Shir’s assessment, he believes that a new opening for work with the Israeli public has been created following Israel’s summer 2006 war against Lebanon and the subsequent utter disillusionment with Israeli politicians and the government. Board Member Marcello Weksler spoke strongly about how the growing poverty rate and social gaps in Israel prove how the state is no longer meeting the fundamental needs of increasingly large swathes of the Israeli public. These publics, Weksler contended, could prove new and fertile grounds for work on building a joint future between Palestinians and Israelis.

AIC outgoing Co-Chairperson Michael Warschawski stressed how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the focal point of the global war, and must thus be analysed as such. If the original role of the AIC was to act as a bridge between Palestinian and Israeli societies, now the AIC must actively facilitate a triangular relationship of research and activism for Palestinians, Israelis and internationals.  

Overview of 2006

The afternoon session opened with an overview of the AIC’s 2006 activities and financial reports, which were subsequently approved by the General Assembly. On a financial level, it was emphasized that while the AIC is currently working with a deficit for 2007, this deficit was approved by the outgoing Board of Directors and is being carefully monitored. Additional funds and a diversification of funders are currently being sought. Topics discussed during the afternoon session also include the enhancement of marketing and publication dissemination as a function of deeper work with and within relevant communities; the need for better synergy among AIC projects; the imperative for a pro-active Board of Directors; and a reorganization of AIC work into thematic areas which will greatly facilitate creativity and flexibility in and among AIC activities.

Elections for 2007/8 AIC Board of Directors

Finally, the General Assembly elected a new Board of Directors for 2007/2008:

(* denotes new member)

Dr. Naim Abu Thir (Co-Chairperson): Director of the Bisan Center, Jerusalem

Professor Yossi Schwartz (Co-Chairperson): Professor of History, Tel Aviv University

*Hulud Badawi: Fieldworker with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Jerusalem

*Dr. Pierre Beaudet: Department of Sociology, University of Ottawa

Dr. Shimshon Bichler: Economist teaching at Israeli colleges and universities, Tel Aviv

*Professor Daniel Boyarin: University of California – Berkeley, California USA

*Daud Darawi: Attorney with Defence of Children International, Bethlehem

*Sharf Muhanna: Director General of the Economic and Trade Department of the Palestinian Economic Ministry in the Hebron region, Hebron

Maha Nassar: Chair of the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees, Ramallah

Dr. Majed Nassar: Deputy Director of the Union of Health Work Committees, Ramallah

*Michele Sibony: Vice President of the French Jewish Union for Peace, Paris

Marcello Weksler: Director of Educational Program for Marginalised Youth, Tel Aviv

In selecting a new Board of Directors, the AIC General Assembly prioritized the election of active civil society leaders committed to the AIC and who represent in a balanced manner the various sectors, communities and regions of the organisation. 50% of the members are new to the Board of Directors, although long-time supporters of the AIC, and 25% of the members are women, a 14% increase over 2006. The AIC will continue to work and increase the number of women in the coming years.

In conclusion, the General Assembly thanked outgoing Co-Chairpersons Dr. Majed Nassar and Michael Warschawski, who guided the AIC with the greatest dedication, insight and political direction in the past few years.