Post-Doctoral Fellows: The Sophie Davis Forum on Gender, Conflict Resolution and Peace
DR. TAL NITSAN
Dr. Tal Nitsán is a feminist scholar critically examining socio-cultural, global and local perspectives on the intersections between gender, violence, and law and society. Her interdisciplinary projects navigate between three main research sites: Israel/Palestine, Guatemala, and North America. Her research on transnational women’s human rights discourse in theory and practice offers a comparative perspective on the role of dignity and diversity in promoting social justice in Guatemala and Israel.
The Sophie Davis Forum on Gender, Conflict Resolution and Peace
In the 2018-2019 academic year the Sophie Davis Forum on Gender, Conflict Resolution and Peace engaged in three main endeavors:
1. Organizing public academic events on/off campus.
2. Organizing two events (a round table entitled, “Gendered Aspects of Conflicts and their Resolutions” and a panel entitled, “Feminism and Queer theory in IR”) for the Israeli Association for International Studies Annual Meeting
3. Taking a lead role in creating a new Gender and Diversity Master’s program at Hebrew University (to be open in the academic year of 2020-2021).
Our public events included two series:
WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICTS included two events that took place on campus. The first, Naila, the Uprising, and other Armed Conflicts (November 7, 2018, in collaboration with Gender Studies), featured a discussion about women’s role in conflicts following the screening of the documentary film, Naila and the Uprising (2017). The second, Beyond Victimhood: Inclusive Security and Women’s Role in Stopping Armed Conflicts (November 26, 2018, in collaboration with the Davis Graduate School of International Relations) was a workshop led by US former Ambassador Swanee Hunt.
THE LEARNING COMMUNITY: CONCEPTUALIZING TRANSFORMATIONS included six events, held on and off campus, all focusing on agency-related concepts and how they can generate changes in a conflicted reality. For Hope, Gender and Conflict Resolution (December 5, 2018, in collaboration with Gender Studies) we hosted two key figures in the current struggle for a dignified and safe life for (Jewish and Palestinian) women in Israel: Adv. Michal Gera Margaliot, Managing Director of Israel Women’s Network and Ms. Maisam Jaljuli, Chairperson of Na’amat in the southern triangle region. Our first event on Gender, Conflict, and Performance as a Practice of Cultural Resistance (January 9, 2019, in collaboration with the Theater Department at Haifa University) was held at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute and featured the work of three Palestinian artists: Manar Zuabi, Samira Saraya and Khulood Basel and was followed by open discussion with the audience. Over the term break we hosted a threeday international workshop titled: Borders, Walls, and other Possibilities - Theorizing Gender in Conflicted Spaces (February 18-20, 2019) that also included various off campus public events and several walking tours. For our fourth event, Gift Economy, Gender, and Conflict Resolution (March 13, 2019, in collaboration with Gender Studies) we hosted Dr. Erella Shadmi, independent feminist scholar-activist and former head of the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Beit Berl Academic College. Our second event on Gender, Conflict, and Performance as a Practice of Cultural Resistance (April 16, 2019, in collaboration with the
Theater Department at Haifa University) was held at the Reuven Hecht Arts Center at the University of Haifa. It featured the play “Maternity” (by Hana Vazana) and was followed by a panel of experts discussing the tragedy of missing children and the power of performance to address such topics. Our final event, Gender, Diversity and Conflict Resolution (June 19, 2019 in collaboration with the Center for the Study of Multiculturalism and Diversity) was hosted by the Mt. Scopus Main Library in a form of bio-library. It featured 15 individuals from various location within Israeli society, who shared their lived encounters with gender, diversity and conflict with library patrons and students.
BEYOND VICTIMHOOD: INCLUSIVE SECURITY AND WOMEN’S ROLE IN STOPPING ARMED CONFLICTS
November 26, 2018
In this workshop, Ambassador Hunt broke open traditional concepts of security and tackled an array of leadership skills while examining the littleunderstood structures and critical roles for women and other participants in forestalling or stopping violent conflict. Using a multidisciplinary approach, we explored theoretical, hotly debated questions at a practical level, teasing out the frameworks of successful women-led initiatives from conflicts around the world.
The workshop was organized by The Department of International Relations and The Sophie Davis Forum on Gender, Conflict Resolution and Peace.
THE SOPHIE DAVIS LEARNING COMMUNITY
November 7, 2018 Naila, the Uprising, and other Armed Conflicts
November 26, 2018 Beyond Victimhood: Inclusive Security and Women’s Role in Stopping Armed Conflicts, led by US former Ambassador Swanee Hunt.
December 5, 2018 Hope, Gender and Conflict Resolution
January 9, 2019 Gender, Conflict, and Performance as a Practice of Cultural Resistance
February 18-20, 2019 Borders, Walls, and other Possibilities - Theorizing Gender in Conflicted Spaces
March 13, 2019 Gift Economy, Gender, and Conflict Resolution
April 16, 2019 Gender, Conflict, and Performance as a Practice of Cultural Resistance
June 19, 2019 Gender, Diversity and Conflict Resolution