Global Utilities

La Trobe University
Centre for Dialogue

Trip to the Middle East

Between 12 April and 8 May 2009 Prof Joseph A. Camilleri, Dr Michális S. Michael and Dr Luca Anceschi from the Centre for Dialogue visited seven countries in the Middle East to explore possibilities of on-going projects between the Centre for Dialogue and different institutions in the Middle East.

The delegation attended more than 35 meetings during the four-week trip including visits to the following institutions:

  1. United Arab Emirates: Tabah Foundation; Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research; Dubai School of Government.
  2. Kuwait: Ministry of Information; Kuwait University; Centre for Research and Studies on Kuwait; the Kuwait Public Relations Association.
  3. Saudi Arabia: the General Secretariat of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference; Political Science Department of King Saud University.
  4. Lebanon: Free Patriotic Movement Block; Hizbullah.
  5. Syria: Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Expatriates, Ministry of Higher Education; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Damascus University.
  6. Egypt: Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Al-Azhar al-Sharif; Egyptian Council on Foreign Relations; El-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies; Egyptian Council for Human Rights; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Cairo University.
  7. Occupied Palestine: Negotiations Support Unit, PLO; Birzeit University; Ministry of Foreign Affairs Palestinian National Authority.
  8. Israel: Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Bar Ilan University; Hebrew University.

As a result of this trip the Centre for Dialogue is exploring the possibility of organising a Joint International Workshop on Arab-Iranian relations. The Centre is currently also in the early stages of developing projects to establish bilateral dialogues with Syrian, Egyptian, and Saudi counterparts. Preliminary arrangements are also being made to organise a National Consultation of Arab students in Australia.

A number of Arab institutions agreed in principle to explore future avenues of cooperation with the Centre for Dialogue in relation to cooperation in the scholarly field. The Centre is currently exploring the possibility of establishing an ambitious research project which will culminate in the joint organisation of an International Symposium, preliminary titled Obama's "Comprehensive Peace Plan" for the Middle East: Empty Rhetoric or Practical Possibility.