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Program of the Fair Trade for Peace and Sustainable Development in Palestine Conference

General Introduction to the conference :

The conference will be held from 27-29 November 2006 at Zabadeh Agricultural Institute near Jenin in the north of the West Bank. The informal opening will take place on 26 November at 19 hrs by a welcome reception at which few short speeches will be delivered by the organization team and representatives of PARC in addition to the Governor of Jenin and the representative of Zabadeh Municipal Council.

This is the first Fair Trade and international conference that PARC through its Fair Trade Department has been able to prepare, organize and manage from the beginning. PARC decided to hold this conference in light of the exasperating situation of farmers and agrarian sector resulting from the international blockade, Israel’s escalation of its oppression against the Palestinian people and the erection of the Apartheid Wall that impose serious challenges on the Palestinian farmers, NGOs and cooperative unions. PARC recognizes the pressing need to convene an international conference on fair trade to explore potential international interventions to defy and alleviate the agonies of the Palestinian farmers and rural families. Therefore, we hope that the participation of the fair trade associations from different parts of the world will find a way to help the agrarian sector to once again become the revitalizing force in the Palestinian economy.

PARC proposes to use the participative methods and therefore we have reserved a limited time for plenary presentations so as to allow a substantial time for thematic discussions and exchanges of experience by all the participants. As such, we hope to maximize the benefits from the conference proceedings and deliberations.

A central element in the conference will be the informal meetings and events which will enable the participants and particularly the guests from abroad to meet public figures, farmer grassroots groups and agricultural technical people, politicians, etc. These events will focus on diverse subjects and provide information pertinent to the Palestinian context.

We hope that through this conference the participants will be able to draw concrete results for a lively exchange of thoughts.

Program of the Conference

Sunday 26 November 2006

17.00 - Departure from PARC’s headquarters in Ramallah to Zabadeh

18.30 - Arrival of participants and accommodating in hotel rooms

19.30 -Reception and informal opening

Monday 27 November 2006

7.30 - Breakfast at the main restaurant

8.30 - Registration

9.00 - Presentation of the conference program and working methods by the organization team

9.30 - coffee break

10.00 - Plenary Session : Palestinian de facto situation and the international trade

Facilitator : Mrs. Salam Hamdan, Rural Women’s Development Society

Reporter : MRS. Alia Sarsour, PARC

Speakers :
D^r. Ismail Daiq, Maisam Company for Agricultural
Marketing & PARC Board of Directors : Agricultural
marketing : the obstacles & potentialities.

Mr. Issa El Shatleh, Palestinian Farmer Union : Political, social and economic situations of the Palestinian farmers.

D^r. Saeb Bamyeh, Advisor Trade Policy and Economic
Consultant : The integration of the Palestinian economy into the international trade

11.40 - Discussion

13.30 - Lunch

15.00 - Plenary Session : Fair Trade, sustainable development and national independence

Facilitator : Judeh Jamal, Golden Wheat Mill Company & PARC Board of Directors

Reporter : Rula Nesnas, PARC

Speaker : Bassam Salhi, PLC Member : The role of Fair trade in the struggle for national independence.

Speaker : Jamal Salameh, Continuous Education, Bethlehem University : A Palestinian vision of fair trade as an alternative development approach.

Speaker : IFAT Representative : Successes of fair trade in supporting small farmers’ economies in developing countries.

Speaker : Saleem Abu Ghazaleh, PARC : The impact of fair trade on developing the economies of the Palestinian small farmers.

16.40 - Coffee break

17:00 - Discussion

19.00 - Dinner

20.30 - The Iron Wall Film Screening and Discussion

Tuesday 28 November 2006

9.00 - Key notes from first day sessions
By Ms. Annina Mattsson, PARC

9.30 - Plenary Session :
Information about and exchange of fair trade experiences with the developing countries

Facilitator : Jamal Salameh, Bethlehem University
Reporter : Rania Khayyat, Arab Agronomist Association
Speakers :
Representative of Oxfam Wereldwinke, Belgium

Representative of AltroMercat (CTM), Italy

Representative of Olive Oil Campaign, Switzerland

Representative of Alternative Trade Japan, Japan

Engineer Mohamad Hmaidat, Al-Reef Company

11:15 - Coffee Break

11.30 - Discussion

13.30 - Lunch

15.00 - Plenary Session :

Presentation of a proposal for the final declaration and general discussion

By Khalil Shiha, PARC Acting General Director
Reporter : Ms. Ghada Zughayar, PARC

19.00 - Dinner

20.30 - Political Forum

Wednesday : 29 November 2006

9.00 - Departure to Silat al Haritheyeh village

10.00 - Meeting with the Olive Oil Producers Cooperative

11.0 Olive Picking- Farms

12.0 Olive oil Press

13.0 Lunch

14.0 Solidarity Festival

16.0 Back to Zabadeh to pick luggage and departure for Ramallah

End of Conference