Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations marked the tenth anniversary of its founding with an event that was held at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beirut on 26/11/2014. The event featured wide participation of experts, intellectuals, journalists, specialists in the Palestinian issue, and a number of politicians.
The event commenced with an opening speech delivered by Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, Al-Zaytouna General Manager, who welcomed the audience noting that the Centre has been distinguished by its high dynamism and strong youth spirit, thus contributing to better involvement of the younger generation, as two-thirds of the researchers at the Centre are under the age of 35.
Dr. Saleh mentioned that our “Zaytouna” (the Centre’s name—Arabic for olive tree) has “grown and matured” for 10 years, and has begun yielding its “academic fruit.” He pointed out that the center has issued more than 120 specialized books, 3,400 electronic bulletins, 70 Strategic Assessments, and 75 specialized translations, along with holding more than 30 conferences and panel discussions. He stated that the Centre’s academic materials, that are available for everyone, have become indispensable for any student pursuing Master’s or Doctoral degree in Palestinian affairs. He affirmed that Al-Zaytouna Centre’s website takes lead among other similar websites in terms of traffic and materials downloading.
Dr. Saleh also pointed out that the Centre was able to work in several areas, serving not only as a data center, but also as a center for studies, research, thinking, and training.
On behalf of the Centre’s consultative committee, Chairman of the Drafting Sub-Committee of the Palestinian Constitution and former Justice Minister, Dr. Ahmad Mubarak al-Khalidi delivered a speech in which he thanked al-Zaytouna team. Dr. Khalidi stressed that what distinguishes al-Zaytouna is that it has employed the efforts of senior researchers and intellectuals regarding the Palestinian issue, to the extent that its outputs are now regarded as reference for decision makers. He reiterated that research, analysis and extrapolation of events, which are at the core of al-Zaytouna’s work, are the most important tools to determine the compass of Palestinian work in facing foreign challenges.
Former Lebanese University lecturer and expert in Modern Palestinian History, Dr. Bayan Nuwayhed al-Hout, delivered a speech on behalf of academicians and researchers. She stated that the publications of al-Zaytouna have become an important source for any researcher working in intellectual, political and crucial issues that shape and affect the present and future of the Nation, namely the Palestinian issue.
Dr. Hout noted that there are three centers concerned with books related to the Palestinian issue. She indicated that there are also three historians, each of whom has unforgettable impact on sponsoring scientific research, producing the best sources related to the Palestinian issue and the Arab-Israeli conflict, and distributing books internationally. These are namely: Professor Walid Khalidi, secretary general and co-founder of the Institute for Palestine Studies; Dr. Anis Sayegh, director of PLO Research Centre; and Prof. Dr. Mohsen Mohammad Saleh, founder and general manager of al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations.
The event included a short documentary entitled “Al-Zaytouna in Ten Years,” which is a brief introduction to the Centre, its vision, achievements, and fields of work. It also included granting the 2014 Best Employee Award to Rabih Murad, while Wael Sa‘ad received the Ideal Employee Award over the ten year period (2004–2014).
Full text of Dr. Bayan Nuwayhed al-Hout’s speech is available in Arabic at the following link:
Speech of Dr. Bayan Nuwayhed al-Hout on Behalf of Academicians and Researchers Delivered at the Event Marking Al-Zaytouna’s Tenth Anniversary
Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations, 5/12/2014
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