[Reader-list] Connecting with educators in India on the Palestinian question

[hpp at vsnl.com]

My name is Howard Davidson. I am Associate Professor, Extended Education, at 
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

I plan to be in Kolkata during January 3 - 19, 2007 and want to use this 
opportunity to expand an international network of educators concerned with 
the Palestinian question.

I have been visiting the West Bank and Israel since 2003 to work with 
Palestinian and Israeli educators on various projects. In November 2006, a 
group met in Biet Jalla (West Bank) to form a network of educators who will 
pursue an internationalist approach to creating educational practices that 
support liberation from occupation. When I mentioned that I planned to visit 
Kolkata this January, participants at the Beit Jalla meeting encouraged me 
to make connect with progressive Indian educators. There is a need for 
Indian perspectives to be better known among Palestinian and international 
intellectuals working to end the occupation.

A brief introduction:  Following my initial trip to the West Bank, I 
co-organize a Summer Institute on Education and Democracy in a Global 
Context at the University of Manitoba (July 2004). The Institute brought 
together 60 Canadian and 7 Palestinian educators to discuss the formidable 
challenges of teaching for genuine democracy in the midst of conflict. Dr. 
Sami Adwan at Bethlehem University led the Palestinian group. Later, Dr. 
Adwan and I co-organize an Educators' Forum on Education and Conflict at 
Bethlehem University (July 2005). 70 Palestinian and 10 international 
educators participated in the Forum. These two web sites describe that 
event. 

http://youth.zajel.org/Study_visits/studyvisits7.htm

http://www.bethlehem.edu/archives/2005/2005_056.shtml

These activites led to forming the educators' network I mentioned above.

Currently, I am writing about these educational projects. I am also a 
founding editor of the Journal of Prisoners on Prison http://www.jpp.org/, 
which has been publishing articles by prisoners and former prisoners on the 
politics of crime and punishment since 1988. I am editing a book on politcal 
prisoners and their political education.

I look forward to hearing from people. Perhaps we can meet during this trip; 
if not, I do hope we can open communication on this issue.

Howard Davidson, Ed.D
Associate Professor Extended Education
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 (Canada)
Ph. 1-204-982-4895
Fax 1-204-982-6290
howardsdavidson at yahoo.com