College of Law & Political Science Participates in a Peace & International Law Conference in South Korea

Dr. Mutaz M. Qafisheh, Dean of the College of Law and Political Science of Hebron University, participated in a conference on the world peace and cessation of war held in Seoul, South Korea (17-19 September 2016), which was organized by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) and attended by some one thousand participants from 170 countries and thousands of students from Korean universities. Participants in the event included professors of international law, ministers of justice, chief justices, religious leaders of all faiths in the world, former heads of states and governments, ambassadors, leaders of non-governmental organizations, leaders of youth and women's groups. The meeting aimed to adopt, for the first time, a universal binding declaration on the cessation of war and to achieve a global peace based on the respect for human rights, preventing occupation and foreign domination, religious tolerance, and spreading a culture of peace. Palestine was also represented by its consul in Japan and Korea, and representatives of a number of human rights and youth associations.
 
Dr. Qafisheh provided two interventions at the conference. The first focused on ways to adopt the Universal Declaration on Peace and Cessation of War as a binding instrument through the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly. The second intervention focused on the needs of Palestine for peace based on justice and on the Palestinian people as a victim of the absence of peace. He also referred to the harassments that the Palestinians are subjected to by the Israeli occupation, especially university students, through closures, humiliation and restrictions of movement and even extra-judicial assassination of students at Israeli military checkpoints or by settlers.
 
Qafisheh discussed with HWPL a plan of action to undertake a series of peace related activities and programs in Palestine, including spreading the culture of peace, organizing of workshops and conferences, adopting of academic courses related to peace and to prevent war. They particularly discussed the integration of peace education in a number of courses, develop a joint Master program on peace studies and establish a Korean peace institute at Hebron University. It is to be noted that Hebron University and HWPL have been in a regular contact over the past months. Two Korean delegations from HWPL have visited Hebron University and met its President, Dr. Salah Zaro, and a number of its professors and staff.