Conference Circuit

Sunday, November 12 The World Jewish Congress (WJC) will hold a day-long meeting of its Governing Board in Paris, attended by over 100 Jewish leaders from around the world, among them WJC President Edgar M. Bronfman, Chairman of the WJC Policy Council Israel Singer, WJC Secretary General Stephen Herbits, President of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) Pierre Besnainou, and CRIF President Roger Cukierman. The sessions will be open to members of the general public. Delegates representing the Jewish communities in over 80 countries will discuss issues such as the threat posed by terrorism and its state sponsors like Iran, and the situation in Middle East. Guest speakers at the meeting will include Dr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Commissioner for External Relations; Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights at the Council of Europe; and Ambassador Marc Otte, EU Special Representative to the Middle East Peace Process. At a session on inter-religious dialogue, Dr. Dalil Boubakeur, president of the French Muslim Council (CFCM); the Chief Rabbi of France, Joseph Sitruk, and Msgr. Andr Vingt-Trois, Archbishop of Paris, will discuss on the issue of "Working towards peace." In the evening, France's Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin will deliver the keynote address at a special dinner for Governing Board delegates at the French Senate, in honor of Edgar M. Bronfman and chaired by Pierre Besnainou. As a pre-event kick-off to the meeting, French philosopher, writer and journalist Bernard-Henri Levi will host, on Saturday, November 11 at 8 p.m., a debate on the theme of "Global security and its impact on Jews," moderated by Israel Singer. For further details and registration, e-mail: jewcong@wanadoo.fr. Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni will deliver the keynote address at the opening plenary of the four-day United Jewish Communities General Assembly at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The session will deal with the effects of the recent war on Israel, how Jewish communities responded and what more needs to be done. Livni is part of a large Israeli contingent led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. who, towards the end of the GA, will discuss Israel's foreign policy challenges. Among the other Israelis participating are Opposition Leader Binyamin Netanyahu, Education Minister Yuli Tamir, Tourism Minister Isaac Herzog, Governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer, Bank Leumi CEO Galia Maor, business tycoon and philanthropist Eitan Wertheimer and other leading figures representing Israeli organizations and institutions. The GA attracts more than 4,000 leaders from around the Jewish world. Beyond the regular topics focusing on Jewish education, the prevention of assimilation, fostering Jewish identity, fighting anti-Semitism and dealing with Jewish communities in crisis, this year's GA will be heavy with Israel-related discussions. The comprehensive agenda includes the integration of Ethiopian immigrants; in the footsteps of Ben-Gurion towards the strategic development of the Negev; the volunteer sector and Israeli philanthropy throughout the war; fighting Hizbullah - a new kind of warfare; media coverage of Israel; how Israel looks to the average American; Israel on the North American campus; making the case for Israel; women on the frontline; investing in Israel; the challenges of radical Islam; US-Israel relations; what's next for Israel and the Palestinians; the Iranian threat; anti-Zionism as the new anti-Semitism, the United Nations and other related subjects. Concurrent with the GA, the Ben-Gurion Society, a philanthropic organization for people in the 25-45 age group will hold a National Young Leadership conference in Los Angeles to mark the 120th anniversary of the birth of Ben-Gurion and to discuss what remains to be done to realize his vision for the Negev. Monday, November 13 The Fifth Annual David Bar-Illan Media Conference will be held at the College of Judea and Samaria where it was inaugurated and where it is held each year. The full day academic forum is held in memory of former Jerusalem Post Editor-in-Chief and senior Israel government spokesman David Bar-Illan Topics on the agenda for this year's forum include: Foreign News Reporting during the 2006 Lebanon conflict; The Propaganda War: Israel vs Hizbullah; Political Satire and its Impact on Israeli Society, the Media during the War in Lebanon and Foreign news reporting the 2006 War in Lebanon. For registration and further information, telephone: (052) 451-4011 or e-mail: anglodtp@netvision.net.il. "Arab Imperialism and its Effects on Israel" is the topic of an address to be given by Prof. Ephraim Karsh, head of Middle East Studies at Kings College London to the BESA Center. The address will be delivered at 5:30 p.m. in Hall 216 of the Physics Building on the Bar Ilan University Campus. Tuesday, November 14 A symposium (in English, with simultaneous translation to Hebrew) on "Regional Dynamics and Diplomatic Initiatives: Can Turkey play a role in the Arab-Israeli Conflict?" will be held at 5 p.m. at the Konrad Adenauer Conference Center, Mishkenot Sha'ananim. Speakers: MP Mehmet Dulger, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Turkish Parliament; Ambassador Murat Bilham, director of the Foreign Policy Platform, Kultur University; Dr. Menachem Klein, Bar Ilan University; and Dr. Eran Lerman, director of the Israel and M.E. office, American Jewish Committee. The lecture is under the auspices of the Hebrew University Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and TC Istanbul Kultur University. For further details, call: (02) 588-2329 or (02) 567-1830; http://truman.huji.ac.il. Greece's 11th annual two-day energy conference and exhibition will take place at the Eugenides Foundation, Athens, under the auspices of the Ministry of Development. The conference which is convened by the Institute of Energy for South East Europe (IENE), has established itself as a major event for energy policy and business. The conference will be attended by senior executives, government officials, policy makers, scientists and engineers from all major Greek energy-related companies. A large participation is expected from other countries, especially from the European Union and from S.E. Europe. Among the Greek dignitaries will be Minister for Development, Dimitris Sioufas; Deputy Minister in charge of Energy, Anastasios Neratzis; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Euripides Stilianidis; the Chairman of Greece's Energy Regulatory Authority, Prof. Michael Karamanis; the managing director of Public Power Corporation (PPC); the managing director of the Public Gas Corporation; the chairman of Hellenic Petroleum; along with CEOs from Greece's major oil, gas and electricity companies, all of whom will address the conference. Subjects to be covered include: Greece's expanding role as an energy corridor in SE Europe; competition in the European and Greek electricity sector and the liberalization of the Greek energy market; the development of the regional SE. European electricity and gas market; high oil prices and their impact on the emerging energy markets; new dilemmas for energy strategy; investment and development of the energy sector in Greece; the broader implications of the energy market in SE Europe with reference to ECSEE; the role of RES in the new energy landscape; new technologies; and alternative fuels. Participating companies, corporations and research institutes will display examples of their work and projects. The conference is sponsored by several leading Greek and international energy companies. There will be simultaneous translation from Greek to English and vice versa throughout the conference. For further information and registration, contact the Conference Secretariat at: 30210-3640278, 3628457, 3624245, fax: 30210 - 3646144, e-mail: marketing@iene.gr. Wednesday, November 15 The Venezia Institute for Multi-Culturalism is hosting a conference on Multi-Cultural Education from Early Childhood in the belief that it is important to give children an open-minded perception of different societies from kindergarten age onwards. The conference begins at 3 p.m. at ZOA House, 26 Ibn Gvirol Street, Tel Aviv. For details and registration, call (03) 731-4118 or (054) 486-9612. Thursday, November 16 A seminar in Hebrew on "Sexuality and Establishment," will be held at 7:30 p.m., in the Teddy Kollek Hall, the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, 20 Radak Street. The event will include a fellowship awards ceremony of the Hebrew University Lafer Center for Women and Gender Studies. For further details, call: (02) 588-3455, e-mail: mslaferc@mscc.huji.ac.il. Monday, November 20 Defense Minister Amir Peretz will be the guest of honor and final speaker at a conference on Israel's Defense Industries - a strategic partnership in Israel's independence. The event cosponsored by the Israel Management Center, The Israel Export Insurance Corp. and the Manufacturers Association of Israel will take place in the Israel Air Force Auditorium, 15 Jabotinsky Street, Herzliya. For details and registration, call Orit Goldberger-Sadowski (03) 671-1911. Does Israel have a policy on International Property? The question will be dealt with in English and Hebrew by visiting and local speakers at a conference to be held at Prime in the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, beginning at 8:30 a .m. Guest speakers will include Dr. Peter P. Balas, Deputy Director General DG Trade, European Commission and Francis Gurry, Deputy Director General World Intellectual Property Organization. Wednesday, November 22 Alvaro de Soto, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process, will address the English Speaking Friends of Tel Aviv University and staff and students of TAU's Department of Political Science on The UN-Israel Relationship. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in Hall 003 of the Naftali Building of Social Sciences on the TAU campus. The national business conference for members of the construction and real estate community will take place at Meridian Hotel on the Dead Sea over a three-day period during which participants will hear lectures on new trends and developments and will be able to network with a view to doing business. A special session will be for CEOs and CFOs. For details and registration, call Tasya (09) 951-8061, ext. 147. The opening address will be delivered by Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit. Thursday, November 23 The Association for Public Law will hold its annual three-day conference at the Dan Caesarea Hotel. Discussions will focus on various aspects of public law in relation to compensation claims, the criminal process, reforms and innovations, regulation of salaries with regard to maintaining dignity in comparison to maximum salaries. There also will be a session devoted to reviewing the past decade of the Supreme Court. For registration and further information, contact Arnon Paz (Sigal): (03) 617-2082. Friday, November 24 Dr. Martin Sherman, Department of Political Science and Security Studies Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, will speak to the Israeli Friends of Tel Aviv University on Assessing Israel's Strategic Alternatives: What would Sherlock Homes have said? The meeting will take place at 11 a.m. in the Leigh Auditorium of the Cohen-Porter United Kingdom Building of Life Sciences on the TAU campus. Wednesday, November 29 The S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies at Tel Aviv University will host Prof. Jeffrey Lesser, Fullbright Distinguished Chair of the Humanities Dept. of History, Emory University, who will speak on Latin American Jewry: A View from the Multi-Ethnic Brazil. The meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the Drachlis Conference Hall of the Gilman Building on the TAU campus.