Amnesty Conference tomorrow in Lancaster. Palestine panel 3-4pm

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL UK: NW REGION CONFERENCE

SAT 26 SEPTEMBER 2009

CONFERENCE

The conference will be at the Storey Creative Industries Centre, Meeting House Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1TH: very close to the rail station. The conference runs from 10am - 4pm.

The main theme of the overall conference is Dignity, which is Amnesty's current major international campaign, focusing on poverty as an abuse of Human Rights.  

Technical facilities will be available for showing slides, powerpoint, DVD etc if required.

PANEL DISCUSSION

The panel discussion will be the final session of the day, from 3.00-4.00pm. This is a Talk plus Q&A session on the theme of the situation and living conditions for Palestinians in the West Bank / Occupied Territories.

The panel will be 3 speakers. Following a brief introduction, each speaker will make a 5-7 minute presentation, followed by a Q&A session for 30-40 mins. The panel speakers are:-

• Kristyan Benedict, Campaigns Manager AI UK

• Dr Victoria Mason, lecturer at Lancaster University specialising in Middle East politics and human rights issues

• Dr Asad Khan, consultant in respiratory and general medicine at Fairfield Hospital, Bury, and activist on Palestinian rights

PANEL SPEAKERS

Kristyan Benedict is Campaign Manager, Crisis Response & Country Priorities with Amnesty International, UK. Israel Occupied Territories is the top priority country for AI.
Kristyan is preparing a report on water supply restrictions in the OT and will speak on this.

Dr Victoria Mason is a lecturer in the Richardson Institute for Peace and Conflict Research in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University. She works on Middle East politics and human rights issues. She focuses particularly on the Palestinian question, conflict and conflict resolution, and issues relating to refugees and minorities. She also works on issues of Islamophobia and anti-Arab discrimination in the West.

Dr Asad Khan

I'm a consultant in respiratory and general medicine at Fairfield Hospital, Bury. I became a political activist through the Iraq War and my attention soon turned to Palestine. I led a group of 7 from all walks of life to the West Bank in summer 2007, where we participated in nonviolent direct action and met human rights organizations and ordinary civilians. Since my return I have kept a blog and written for the medical press and produced a DVD of my visit. I have given numerous talks at universities and hospitals to doctors, students and the lay public on the issue, with a focus on the violation of the right to access healthcare. Member of Stop the War, PSC, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and Physicians for Human Rights- Israel. My particular interest is the violation of the right to health in the occupied territories.

Some of his writings can be seen at:-

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/335/7611/124#177732

http://chestdocinpalestine.blogspot.com

Dr Khan will speak about the conditions for Palestinians, which he has witnessed.