Friday, 1 May—Friday, 8 May 2009

School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG (tube Russell Square)

Film: The London Palestine Film Festival

Celebrating its 10th year, The Palestine Film Festival returns with another selection of vital documentary, fiction, art, and animation work related to the question of Palestine.  Films are unticketed and admission free.  For a full listing of films click here.

Thursday, 7 May 2009, 18:30

School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG (tube Russell Square)

Film: A Summer Not to Forget
Carole Mansour’s excellent documentary on the Summer 2006 War in Lebanon.  Full synopsis here.   Presented as part of The Palestine Film Festival, the film portrays the realities of human suffering brought on by Israeli aggression.  The film will be introduced by Dr Ghassan Abu Sittah and Nick Denes, who will draw parallels between the civilian casualties of the 2006 War in Lebanon and the in 2008/9 War in Gaza. Free admission.  Please click here to learn how you can obtain a copy of the film dvd from Friends of Lebanon.

Monday, 11 May 2009, 17:15—19:15

Brunei Gallery Room: B102, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG (tube Russell Square)

Seminar: Charles Malik’s Lebanon in Theory and in Practice

Tony Nasrallah discusses Lebanese academic and political figure Charles Malik.  Malik is best remembered as founder of the Lebanese Front, a coalition of Christian forces, in 1976 at the beginning of the Lebanese Civil War.  More info here or contact Dr. Heidi Walcher at hw15@soas.ac.uk. 

Monday, 11 May 2009, 18:45
The Gallery, 70/77 Cowcross Street, London EC1M 6EL (tube Farringdon)

Lecture: The history and historiography of the Arab-Israeli conflict

Featuring Professor of International Relations at Oxford University, Avi Shlaim. The Gaza war and the recent Israeli elections have shown the continuing intractable nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the challenges that face the new Obama administration in the search for peace in the Middle East. Professor Shlaim will discuss the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict as the background to an understanding of the current situation in the Middle East. Presented by the Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique at Café Diplo.  Doors open 6.30pm; £3, concessions £2, tickets on door. More info here.

Thursday, 14 May 2009, 18:00—19:30
Room J116, Cowdray House, LSE, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE (tube Temple)
Lecture: The Concept of Public Opinion (part 1; see also 19 May)

Featuring Dr Jonathan White, Lecturer in European Politics at the European Institute, LSE, this evening will explore conceptually two central features of modern democracy: public opinion and the political party. Both are widely conceived in terms of the aggregation of units, be it opinions, preferences, interests, or another. This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.  For more information contact Juliana Cardinale +44 (0)20 7955 7539 j.cardinale@lse.ac.uk Weblink: www.philosophy-forum.org. If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, please refer to Coming to an event at LSE.  More info here.

 

Saturday, 16 May 2009, 12 noon

Central London; assembly point Mallet Street: rally Trafalgar Square

National demonstration: Free Palestine, End Israeli Occupation, End the Arms trade

Called by: Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.  Please contact the PSC office for more information:  Tel: 020 7700 6192, Email: info@palestinecampaign.org, or click here.

Saturday, 16 May 2009, 11:00—17:00
St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, 78 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AG (tube Liverpool Street)

Workshop: Muslims in Britain: Contemporary Issues

Dr Chris Hewer leads an exploration of the current situation on a range of issues concerning Muslims in Britain today.  Cost: £15 (+ £2 booking fee), includes coffee, tea and biscuits. Please bring your own lunch. More info here. 

Saturday, 16 May 2009, 11:00—15:00

Brunei Gallery Room, Lecture Theatre, School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS), Thornhaugh St, Russell Square, London WC1H OXG (tube Russell Square)

Conference: Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid?

This study considers whether Israeli practices in the OPT are consistent with colonialism and apartheid according to definitions provided by international law and the consequent implications for international action and responsibility, including prospects for bringing the question to the International Court of Justice.  Based on research conducted by an international team of experts in human rights law and international humanitarian law, the study was supported by the Middle East Project (MEP), a project of the Democracy and Governance Programme of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), South Africa.  More info here.

Thursday, 19 May 2009, 18:00—19:30
Room J116, Cowdray House, LSE, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE (tube Temple)
Lecture: The Concept of the Political Party (part 2; see also 14 May)

Featuring Dr Jonathan White, Lecturer in European Politics at the European Institute, LSE, this evening will explore conceptually two central features of modern democracy: public opinion and the political party. Both are widely conceived in terms of the aggregation of units, be it opinions, preferences, interests, or another. This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.  For more information contact Juliana Cardinale +44 (0)20 7955 7539 j.cardinale@lse.ac.uk Weblink: www.philosophy-forum.org. If you are planning to attend this event and would like details on how to get here and what time to arrive, please refer to Coming to an event at LSE.  More info here.

Thursday, 21 May 2009, 19.30

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street London E8 1EJ (tube Bethnal Green)

Drama: Two plays for Gaza

A Barebones Production to raise funds for the Gaza Music School and the Stop the War Coalition.  Featuring Seven Jewish Children, by Caryl Churchill, and The Trainer, by David Wilson and Anne Aylor.  Also featuring music by Reem Kelani,

percussion by Eugene Skeef.   Tickets £15 from the Hackney Empire box office on

020 8985 2424.  More info here. 

Friday, 22 May 2009, 19:00

Brunei Gallery, SOAS,Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG (tube Russell Square)

Poetry & Short Fiction Readings: Refuge in Words: Voices From Gaza

The Palestine Film Foundation, English PEN and The Poetry Translation Centre present  an evening of poetry and short fiction from Palestine celebrating the publication of new work in translation from Gaza commissioned by the English PEN World Atlas.  MC Michael Rosen; details of line-up here.  Free event but spaces are limited so online registration is recommended.  Online registration here.

Click here for more events in May.

Click here for more events in May.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009, 19:00

Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, London W2 1QJ, (tube Paddington)

Book Launch: The Secret Life of War: Journeys Through Modern Conflict

The Observer’s foreign affairs editor Peter Beaumont will discuss his new book The Secret Life of War: Journeys Through Modern Conflict. Drawing on his extensive experience, Beaumont examines the changing nature of war, focussing the human cost to the combatants and civilians in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq and Israel.  “I knew from the beginning that I wanted to write a book about the nature of those kinds of modern conflicts I had encountered during my career – ambiguous, intractable, long-lasting and very largely unresolved affairs which amounted to chronic afflictions of violence,” he writes. “When I began I was clear that what I wished to do was to give back a voice – or rather voices – to those affected by war, free from the organising justifications of those who order conflict.” £10 admission. Online booking now available here.  Book can be purchased online here.

Wednesday, 20 May 2009 18:30

St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly London W1J 9LL (tube Piccadilly Circus)

Lecture: Open Bethlehem

Facilitate Global and Open Bethlehem present a special evening with the founder of a vital campaign to save Bethlehem.  Leila Sansour will talk about the challenges facing Bethlehem today and the inspiring work carried out internationally.  Open Bethlehem is an initiative set up to address the state of emergency in Bethlehem that has secured global attention as well as endorsements from such world figures as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter. Open Bethlehem aims to bring international support to a ‘Save the City’ campaign to help reverse the erosion of Bethlehem’s historic character and the dissipation of a community that stands as a living example of a multi-faith and multi-ethnic Middle East.  £10 admission fee payable at the door

No registration required. Contact: 07906 43 55 61 or email info@FacilitateGlobal.org.

Click here for events in June

Click here for events in June

Sunday, 3 May 2009, 10:55—12 noon

Speakers Corner Café, just south of Speaker’s Corner, Hyde Park (tube Marble Arch)

Public Walk: Walk in Peace

A little bit of peace, starting with yourself, is an inspirational gathering held the first Sunday of every month. Please join in a slow, silent walk in peace, for peace. Meet by at 10.55am to start walking at 11.00am, returning to starting point at 12 noon. Contact: Clare 020 8755 0353 or beatricemillar@freeuk.com www.walkinpeace.co.uk