The Decolonisation of Palestine: Looking Ahead

Within the context of Hidden Hearth’s Roots, Fruits & Future, we will be hosting a Panel on the de-colonisation of Palestine. The purpose of this event is to build awareness about practical steps which can be taken to further the cause of Palestinian freedom, and strengthen cultural ties between Ireland and Palestine, by amplifying the work and activism of Palestinian artists in Ireland, and by connecting Palestinian arts and cultural organisations with similar groups in Ireland.
https://irishartistsforpalestine.com/

The Panel will be a discussion focused on moving forwards - how the de-colonization of Palestine will be brought about and a future vision for what Palestine will be post-colonisation. It will feature some of the leading advocates for Palestine in Ireland. Speakers will discuss their own work in Palestine and explore the role that the arts and activism have played in highlighting the Palestinian cause and maintaining its high profile, despite an almost total blackout in the mainstream media.

There will be time for questions at the end.

Keynote Speaker - Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Ireland Dr. Wahba Abdalmajid has a long career in the Palestinian diplomatic service.  She began her diplomatic service at the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995 as Asst. Chief of Protocol. She came to Ireland seven years ago as deputy to the former Ambassador & became Ambassador to Ireland in January 2020.  She is the mother of three children.  https://palestinemission.ie/

Éamonn Meehan, Sadaka Board Chair Sadaka, The Ireland Palestine Alliance, is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political organisation committed to the achievement of political and human rights for the entire nation of Palestinian people.  Sadaka’s work is framed within the context of international law and is ultimately aimed at advancing Irish and EU foreign policy on Palestine. https://www.sadaka.ie

Éamonn Meehan joined the board of Sadaka-the Ireland Palestine Alliance in 2019 and took over as Chair in 2023.  He is a former Director of Trócaire and has also served on the boards of Irish Aid, Dóchas (the Irish association of international development organisations), the Irish Council for Justice and Peace, and as President of CIDSE, an international network of social justice organisations.

Ramez Alhayek - Irish Centre for Human Rights & School of Law, University of Galway The ICHR is one of the world’s premier university-based institutions for the study and promotion of human rights and humanitarian law.

Professionally, Ramez serves as a research assistant to Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.

His experience spans several key roles in human rights advocacy and legal research, having worked with renowned organizations such as UNICEF, PEN America, SWEDO, Amnesty International, and the Shoruq Organization. https://www.universityofgalway.ie/irish-centre-human-right‍

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