Palestinian Centre for the Study of Nonviolence
Encyclopedia
Palestinian Centre for the Study of Nonviolence (PCSN) was founded in 1983 by Mubarak Awad
, a Palestinian-American psychologist
, and an advocate of nonviolent resistance
.
Awad, who was born in Jerusalem, returned to the city on a tourist visa in 1983 to establish the nonviolence
centre. His plan was to collate information about reconciliation, peace, justice and nonviolence from Arabic literature and Islamic texts and use the material to inform Palestinians that these ideas came from their cultural heritage. He believed that these ideas would help Palestinians generate their own ideas on these issues. Awad was part of a group of twenty Palestinian intellectuals who advocated nonviolent tactics of Intifada
and wrote leaflets calling for sit-down strikes local production of food and wrote a long article containing 120 ways nonviolence ways to resist Israelis. Awad traveled through the West Bank
on scooter, organizing seminars. A preparation meeting for opening the center was held in 1984 in which Awad, human rights lawyer Jonathan Kuttab and American nonviolence strategist Gene Sharp
took part. Initially Kuttab raised the money in United states and in 1985 the center got founding from Hisham Sharabi
, Chair of Arab Culture at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
, Georgetown University
in Washington, D.C.
, who was familiar with Awad's work and the center was oficially established.
In 1987, Awad attempted to renew the residency permit he had been issued in 1967. His application was declined and he was ordered to leave the country when his tourist visa expired. Awad claimed, with strong support from U.S. consular officials, that under international conventions Israel did not have the right to expel him from his place of birth and he refused to leave. The Israeli government stayed the deportation order mainly at the insistence of the U.S. In May 1988, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
ordered Awad arrested and expelled. Officials charged that Awad broke Israeli law by inciting "civil uprising" and helping to write leaflets that advocated civil disobedience that were distributed by the leadership of the First Intifada
. No evidence was provided to support the charge and Awad appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The court ruled that he had forfeited his right to residence status in Israel when he became a U.S. citizen and he was deported in June 1988. U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz's appeal to Shamir to revoke the deportation order was declined.
In 1998 Holy Land Trust (HLT) was established out of PCSN and The Journey of the Magi (JOM) by Sami Awad, Mubarak Awad's nephew.
Mubarak Awad
Mubarak Awad is a Palestinian-American psychologist and an advocate of nonviolent resistance.-Early life and move to the United States:Awad, a Palestinian Christian , was born in 1943 in Jerusalem when it was under the British Mandate...
, a Palestinian-American psychologist
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, and an advocate of nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, and other methods, without using violence. It is largely synonymous with civil resistance...
.
Awad, who was born in Jerusalem, returned to the city on a tourist visa in 1983 to establish the nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
centre. His plan was to collate information about reconciliation, peace, justice and nonviolence from Arabic literature and Islamic texts and use the material to inform Palestinians that these ideas came from their cultural heritage. He believed that these ideas would help Palestinians generate their own ideas on these issues. Awad was part of a group of twenty Palestinian intellectuals who advocated nonviolent tactics of Intifada
Intifada
Intifada is an Arabic word which literally means "shaking off", though it is usually translated into English as "uprising" or "resistance" or "rebellion". , not to be confused with the Arabic plural ...
and wrote leaflets calling for sit-down strikes local production of food and wrote a long article containing 120 ways nonviolence ways to resist Israelis. Awad traveled through the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
on scooter, organizing seminars. A preparation meeting for opening the center was held in 1984 in which Awad, human rights lawyer Jonathan Kuttab and American nonviolence strategist Gene Sharp
Gene Sharp
Gene Sharp is Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He is known for his extensive writings on nonviolent struggle, which have influenced numerous anti-government resistance movements around the world.-Biography:Sharp was born in Ohio, the son of an...
took part. Initially Kuttab raised the money in United states and in 1985 the center got founding from Hisham Sharabi
Hisham Sharabi
Hisham Sharabi was Professor Emeritus of History and Umar al-Mukhtar Chair of Arab Culture at Georgetown University, where he was a specialist in European intellectual history and social thought...
, Chair of Arab Culture at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States is a notable academic center and "the only academic center in the United States focusing essentially on the Arab world."-Funding:...
, Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, who was familiar with Awad's work and the center was oficially established.
In 1987, Awad attempted to renew the residency permit he had been issued in 1967. His application was declined and he was ordered to leave the country when his tourist visa expired. Awad claimed, with strong support from U.S. consular officials, that under international conventions Israel did not have the right to expel him from his place of birth and he refused to leave. The Israeli government stayed the deportation order mainly at the insistence of the U.S. In May 1988, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
Yitzhak Shamir
' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
ordered Awad arrested and expelled. Officials charged that Awad broke Israeli law by inciting "civil uprising" and helping to write leaflets that advocated civil disobedience that were distributed by the leadership of the First Intifada
First Intifada
The First Intifada was a Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories. The uprising began in the Jabalia refugee camp and quickly spread throughout Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem....
. No evidence was provided to support the charge and Awad appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. The court ruled that he had forfeited his right to residence status in Israel when he became a U.S. citizen and he was deported in June 1988. U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz's appeal to Shamir to revoke the deportation order was declined.
In 1998 Holy Land Trust (HLT) was established out of PCSN and The Journey of the Magi (JOM) by Sami Awad, Mubarak Awad's nephew.