The CIC National Capital Branch is pleased to invite you to a virtual panel of experts to discuss Canada’s development assistance strategies in the Middle East and review a grassroots initiative that involves collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian volunteers providing assistance to sick Palestinian children. This event will be held on Thursday, July 15 at 10:00am (ET) and will feature Dr. Akram Amro, Dr. Nipa Banerjee, and Dr. Ruby Dagher. Jon Allen, a distinguished former Canadian diplomat and an active member of the CIC will moderate the discussion.

DATE AND TIME:
Thursday, July 15, 2021
10 – 11 am (ET)

FORMAT:
Online event – Zoom

TO REGISTER: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QvV0H293STa9EjRbux9MCQ

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Speaker Bios:

Dr. Akram Amro is the executive manager of a Palestinian NGO named green land society for health development. He was born in Bethlehem and now lives in Hebron. Dr. Amro is chief executive of Green Land Society for Health Development, a Hebron-based non-profit organization dedicated to improving health and environmental conditions in Palestinian society. He completed his schooling at the Arabic School in Bonn, Germany and gained a BSc in Physical Therapy at Bethlehem University in 1996, followed by a Master in Public Health from Al-Quds University, and in 2013 a PhD in Physiotherapy and rehabilitation from Western Cape University in South Africa. He has been the Director of Green Land Society for Health Development in Hebron since 2010 and has extensive professional experience as a university lecturer at different Palestinian universities. He has undertaken considerable research in physiotherapy and public health, and has published and presented widely in the two  fields. Dr. Akram lives in Hebron west bank and speaks fluent Arabic, English, and Hebrew.

Dr. Nipa Banerjee is a Senior Fellow, International Development and Global Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa. Dr. Banerjee’s extensive development experience covers her representation of the Canadian government as a diplomat  in Bangladesh, Indonesia, India/Nepal, Thailand/Cambodia/ Laos, and Afghanistan. Professor Banerjee strives to promote debates and dialogue on development and aid, fragile and conflict affected countries, aiming to influence public opinion and public policies. She has to her credit several published policy briefs and chapters in books on Canada’s and the international community’s role in Afghanistan. Dr. Banerjee has been invited to participate in numerous media events spanning different mediums such as radio/television and on the internet in Canada, the United States, EU and Asia.

Dr. Ruby Dagher is a replacement Professor at the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa, a researcher, and a consultant. She has a PhD in Public Policy and Administration with research focused on conflict, development studies, donor-recipient relationships and aid policies, fragile states, evaluation, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. She previously worked at the Middle East Desk for the Canadian International Development Agency, now Global Affairs Canada – Development, and the Caribbean Development Bank.

Jon Allen joined Canada’s then Department of External Affairs in 1981. In addition to various postings abroad, Mr. Allen spent his early career in the Legal Bureau where he represented Canada in disputes under the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement and worked in the areas of human rights and humanitarian and environmental law. Later, Mr. Allen held senior positions: he served as Director General, North America Bureau, Minister (Political Affairs) at the Embassy of Canada in Washington and Assistant Deputy Minister for the Americas. From 2006 to 2010, he was Ambassador of Canada to Israel. Afterwards he served as Ambassador to Spain and Andorra and was Chargé d’affairs a.i. to the Holy See. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and he is a sought-after media commentator on Middle East affairs. Mr. Allen is also a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian International Council (CIC).