Seminar to introduce the first session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine 24 November, 2009
A citizens’ initiative to put international law back at the centre of the Israel-Palestine question
Wednesday 16 decembre 2009
9h00 – 17h00
Bruxelles, les Halles
22a, rue Royale Ste Marie
1030 Schaerbeek
Why a public opinion tribunal?
What does international law say?
What are Europe’s responsibilities?
How is the first session of the Tribunal taking place in Barcelona being organised?
Considering Israel’s repeated breaches of International law and the suffering of the Palestinian people for more than 60 years, a newRussell Tribunal is being put in place on the lines of what was started by Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre and others with the Russell Tribunal on Vietnam in the 1960s. Basing itself on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on July 9th 2004 about the wall, as well as on the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations, this Russell Tribunal on Palestine is a people’s initiative which proposes to recast international law at the centre of the Israel-Palestine question.
The first international session of this new citizen tribunal will take place in Barcelona in March 2010. On December 16th 2009 you are cordially invited to a preparatory seminar for this initial session. You will have the opportunity to listen to prominent witnesses, and to debate the position of the European Union on the Israel-Palestine question. This seminar will also allow us to further raise awareness of Belgian public opinion on the matter of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Day proceedings:
10h00 – 10h30: Hosted by Leila Shahid (fr) and Pierre Galand (fr), with Introduction by Ambassador Stéphane Hessel (fr)
10h30 – 11h00: What impact can a people’s tribunalhave on public opinion? Intervention by Marcel Francis Khan (fr) concerning the Russell Tribunal on War Crimes in Vietnam, and Gianni Tognoni (fr or en) on the historical impact of people’s tribunals.
11h00 – 11h15: François Dubuisson (fr) on the opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the building of the wall and its subsequent use.
11h45-12h25: Desmond Travers (en), on the “ Goldstone Report “ of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict of 15/09/09, and Paul de Waart (nl), on the report by the independent committee to establish the facts on Gaza, presented by the League of Arab States on 30/04/09. Presentation of the reports and of the resulting measures.
12h25- 13h00: Questions
13h00-14h00: Lunch
14h00-14h20: The position of Belgium and the European Union on the Israel-Palestine question. Intervention by Jos Geysels (nl).
14h20-14h40: The Israel-Palestine question as viewed from inside both national and European governments: Intervention by former Netherlands Prime Minister Dries Van Agt (nl).
14H40-15h00: Questions
15h20-15h35: Presentation by Pierre Galand (fr) on the general workings of the R.T.P., on the organisation of the Barcelona session, and on the sessions that will follow.
15h35-16h00: Presentation of the work of different National Support Committees : Belgium and Catalan Committees for the Barcelona session. Presentation by Paul Troop (en) for the British Committee on a future session on the mater of complicities and omissions by corporations.
16h00 – 16h30 : Questions
16h30 – 17h00 : conclusions by French Ambassador Stéphane Hessel (fr)
Speakers presentation:
Stéphane Hessel: French Ambassador, co-writer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Member of the International Support Commitee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Leila Shahid: General Delegate for Palestine to the European Union, Belgium and Luxemburg.
Pierre Galand: Former Belgian Senator (2003-2007), President of the European Co-ordinating Committee of NGOs on the Question of Palestine (ECCP), Member of the International Organising Committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Gianni Tognoni: Physician and member of the Institute Mario Negri of Milan, Italy. Secretary General of the Permanent Tribunal of the People since its foundation.
Marcel-Francis Kahn: Physician, spokesman for the ‘Collectif des citoyens français d’origine arabe et juive’. Has participated in the works of the Russell Tribunal on War Crimes in Vietnam War. Member of the International Organizing Committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
François Dubuisson: Assistant Professor at the ‘Faculté de Droit de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles’, researcher at the ‘Centre de Droit International’ and director of the ‘Centre de Droit de l’Information et de la Communication’ de l’ULB..
Desmond Travers: Member of the administration council of the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI), member of the fact finding Mission of the United nations on the conflict in Gaza.
Paul J.I.M. de Waart: Professor Emeritus of International Law, Vrije Universitijt Amsterdam. Member of the independent committee for establishing the facts in Gaza presented to the League of Arab States on 30/04/09.
Jos Geysels: State Minister, President of 11.11.11., the ‘Coalition du Mouvement Nord-Sud en Flandre’.
Dries Van Agt: Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Member of International Support Commitee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Paul Troop: Barrister on questions of human rights and civil liberties, domestic and international level. Works for Took Chambers – London .
To arrange interviews with speakers prior or during seminar, contact:
Virginie Vanhaeverbeke, trp_int@yahoo.com
www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com
Tel +32 (0)2 231 01 74, Mobile + 32 (0)479 12 95 32
Practical information
Les Halles
Rue Royale sainte Marie 22A
1030 Bruxelles
Contact press Virginie Vanhaeverbeke
trp_int@yahoo.com
www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com
Tel +32 (0)2 231 01 74
Mobile + 32 (0)479 12 95 32
24 November, 2009
A citizens’ initiative to put international law back at the centre of the Israel-Palestine question
Wednesday 16 decembre 2009
9h00 – 17h00
Bruxelles, les Halles
22a, rue Royale Ste Marie
1030 Schaerbeek
Why a public opinion tribunal?
What does international law say?
What are Europe’s responsibilities?
How is the first session of the Tribunal taking place in Barcelona being organised?
Considering Israel’s repeated breaches of International law and the suffering of the Palestinian people for more than 60 years, a newRussell Tribunal is being put in place on the lines of what was started by Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre and others with the Russell Tribunal on Vietnam in the 1960s. Basing itself on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on July 9th 2004 about the wall, as well as on the pertinent resolutions of the United Nations, this Russell Tribunal on Palestine is a people’s initiative which proposes to recast international law at the centre of the Israel-Palestine question.
The first international session of this new citizen tribunal will take place in Barcelona in March 2010. On December 16th 2009 you are cordially invited to a preparatory seminar for this initial session. You will have the opportunity to listen to prominent witnesses, and to debate the position of the European Union on the Israel-Palestine question. This seminar will also allow us to further raise awareness of Belgian public opinion on the matter of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Day proceedings:
10h00 – 10h30: Hosted by Leila Shahid (fr) and Pierre Galand (fr), with Introduction by Ambassador Stéphane Hessel (fr)
10h30 – 11h00: What impact can a people’s tribunalhave on public opinion? Intervention by Marcel Francis Khan (fr) concerning the Russell Tribunal on War Crimes in Vietnam, and Gianni Tognoni (fr or en) on the historical impact of people’s tribunals.
11h00 – 11h15: François Dubuisson (fr) on the opinion of the International Court of Justice regarding the building of the wall and its subsequent use.
11h45-12h25: Desmond Travers (en), on the “ Goldstone Report “ of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict of 15/09/09, and Paul de Waart (nl), on the report by the independent committee to establish the facts on Gaza, presented by the League of Arab States on 30/04/09. Presentation of the reports and of the resulting measures.
12h25- 13h00: Questions
13h00-14h00: Lunch
14h00-14h20: The position of Belgium and the European Union on the Israel-Palestine question. Intervention by Jos Geysels (nl).
14h20-14h40: The Israel-Palestine question as viewed from inside both national and European governments: Intervention by former Netherlands Prime Minister Dries Van Agt (nl).
14H40-15h00: Questions
15h20-15h35: Presentation by Pierre Galand (fr) on the general workings of the R.T.P., on the organisation of the Barcelona session, and on the sessions that will follow.
15h35-16h00: Presentation of the work of different National Support Committees : Belgium and Catalan Committees for the Barcelona session. Presentation by Paul Troop (en) for the British Committee on a future session on the mater of complicities and omissions by corporations.
16h00 – 16h30 : Questions
16h30 – 17h00 : conclusions by French Ambassador Stéphane Hessel (fr)
Speakers presentation:
Stéphane Hessel: French Ambassador, co-writer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. Member of the International Support Commitee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Leila Shahid: General Delegate for Palestine to the European Union, Belgium and Luxemburg.
Pierre Galand: Former Belgian Senator (2003-2007), President of the European Co-ordinating Committee of NGOs on the Question of Palestine (ECCP), Member of the International Organising Committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Gianni Tognoni: Physician and member of the Institute Mario Negri of Milan, Italy. Secretary General of the Permanent Tribunal of the People since its foundation.
Marcel-Francis Kahn: Physician, spokesman for the ‘Collectif des citoyens français d’origine arabe et juive’. Has participated in the works of the Russell Tribunal on War Crimes in Vietnam War. Member of the International Organizing Committee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
François Dubuisson: Assistant Professor at the ‘Faculté de Droit de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles’, researcher at the ‘Centre de Droit International’ and director of the ‘Centre de Droit de l’Information et de la Communication’ de l’ULB..
Desmond Travers: Member of the administration council of the Institute for International Criminal Investigations (IICI), member of the fact finding Mission of the United nations on the conflict in Gaza.
Paul J.I.M. de Waart: Professor Emeritus of International Law, Vrije Universitijt Amsterdam. Member of the independent committee for establishing the facts in Gaza presented to the League of Arab States on 30/04/09.
Jos Geysels: State Minister, President of 11.11.11., the ‘Coalition du Mouvement Nord-Sud en Flandre’.
Dries Van Agt: Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Member of International Support Commitee of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine.
Paul Troop: Barrister on questions of human rights and civil liberties, domestic and international level. Works for Took Chambers – London .
To arrange interviews with speakers prior or during seminar, contact:
Virginie Vanhaeverbeke, trp_int@yahoo.com
www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com
Tel +32 (0)2 231 01 74, Mobile + 32 (0)479 12 95 32
Practical information
Les Halles
Rue Royale sainte Marie 22A
1030 Bruxelles
Contact press Virginie Vanhaeverbeke
trp_int@yahoo.com
www.russelltribunalonpalestine.com
Tel +32 (0)2 231 01 74
Mobile + 32 (0)479 12 95 32
Recent news and reports
- National Lawyers Guild report on Gaza (February 09)
- Israel's war crimes by Richard Falk (March 09)
- Human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories by Richard Falk (March 09)
- Physicians for human rights independent report on Gaza (April 09)
- Fact finding committee on Gaza to the League of Arab States (May 09)
- Euro-mediterranean human rights network report on EU's response on Israel's attack in Gaza (May 09)
- The states of Human Rights in East Jerusalem: Facts and Figures (May 09)
- Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid? a Human Sciences Research Council report (May 09)
- Ill treatment and torture of Palestinan children. A DCI report (June 09)
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