Institute for Middle East Understanding
Encyclopedia
Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation, not aligned to any political or government organisation. It was founded by Americans and describes its mission as entailing working "with journalists to increase the public's understanding about the socio-economic, political and cultural aspects of Palestine
, Palestinians
and Palestinian Americans."
Since its founding in October 2005, IMEU's commentaries have been published in mainstream media
, introducing journalists to Palestinian spokespeople. In 2006 it received a grant from the The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development which was used to undertake the first compilation of profiles of prominent Palestinian-Americans in the fields of the arts
, literature
, academia
, business and community service
, which were then disseminated to news media and on the Internet
As an example, the IMEU sent a letter to news outlets in November 2007 that provided the names and profiles of Palestinian-Americans who could be contacted to discuss the upcoming Annapolis conference
. The names included, Samar Assad, Executive Director of the Washington, DC-based Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, Diana Buttu
, a Ramallah
-based attorney and former advisor to Palestinian negotiators, Omar Dajani
, a San Francisco-based law professor and former legal advisor to United Nations
Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larson and Nadia Hijab
, a Senior Fellow at the Washington, DC-based Institute for Palestine Studies.
One of the organization's co-founders is Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, who is also a member of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
(ADC) Seattle chapter. As Secretary and Treasurer of the IMEU, she and the organization were featured in the Non-Profit Spotlight of the e-magazine The Mideast Connect.
The IMEU also publishes 'Letters from Palestine' (2006), which are cited as a good resource for first-hand testimonies from Palestinians about their daily lives by Deborah Pike in the Borderlands journal.
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Palestinians
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
and Palestinian Americans."
Since its founding in October 2005, IMEU's commentaries have been published in mainstream media
Mainstream media
Mainstream media are those media disseminated via the largest distribution channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to encounter...
, introducing journalists to Palestinian spokespeople. In 2006 it received a grant from the The Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development which was used to undertake the first compilation of profiles of prominent Palestinian-Americans in the fields of the arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, business and community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
, which were then disseminated to news media and on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
As an example, the IMEU sent a letter to news outlets in November 2007 that provided the names and profiles of Palestinian-Americans who could be contacted to discuss the upcoming Annapolis conference
Annapolis Conference
-Attendees:U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice organized and hosted the conference. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and U.S. President George W. Bush attended the meeting...
. The names included, Samar Assad, Executive Director of the Washington, DC-based Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development, Diana Buttu
Diana Buttu
Diana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former spokesperson with the Palestine Liberation Organization. She is best known for her work as a legal adviser and negotiator on peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian organizations. President George W...
, a Ramallah
Ramallah
Ramallah is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank located 10 kilometers north of Jerusalem, adjacent to al-Bireh. It currently serves as the de facto administrative capital of the Palestinian National Authority...
-based attorney and former advisor to Palestinian negotiators, Omar Dajani
Omar Dajani
Omar Dajani is a Palestinian-American professor and former member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Negotiations Support Unit.Dajani was born in Texas in 1970. He received his B.A. from Northwestern University in Illinois and his J.D...
, a San Francisco-based law professor and former legal advisor to United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Special Envoy Terje Roed-Larson and Nadia Hijab
Nadia Hijab
Nadia Hijab is a prominent Palestinian political analyst, author and journalist who comments frequently on human rights and the Middle East, and the situation of the Palestinians in particular.-Biography:...
, a Senior Fellow at the Washington, DC-based Institute for Palestine Studies.
One of the organization's co-founders is Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, who is also a member of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee states that it is the largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States. According to its web page it is open to people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities and has over 40 chapters in 24 states and members in all...
(ADC) Seattle chapter. As Secretary and Treasurer of the IMEU, she and the organization were featured in the Non-Profit Spotlight of the e-magazine The Mideast Connect.
The IMEU also publishes 'Letters from Palestine' (2006), which are cited as a good resource for first-hand testimonies from Palestinians about their daily lives by Deborah Pike in the Borderlands journal.