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DTSTART:20251102T020000
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DESCRIPTION:Panelists will discuss NEF’s work on the ground with refugee\, 
 displaced\, and other conflict-affected populations to develop sustainable
  solutions to local development challenges\, and create opportunities from
  within. Moderated by Peter Castro\,&nbsp\;Associate Professor\, Anthropol
 ogy and Robert D. McClure Professor of Teaching Excellence.&nbsp\;Panel Me
 mbers are:&nbsp\;Dr. Charles Benjamin / PRESIDENT: Dr. Benjamin has over t
 wenty-five years of experience in international development\, with extensi
 ve experience in community development and natural resources management th
 roughout the Middle East and Africa. He began his affiliation with the Nea
 r East Foundation in 1993 as Country Director in Morocco. Before joining N
 EF he spent several years in Morocco as a Fulbright Scholar and as a Peace
  Corps Volunteer. After leaving Morocco\, Dr. Benjamin was Senior Manager 
 for a large international development consulting firm based in Washington 
 DC and a Professor of International Environment Issues and Development at 
 Williams College in Williamstown (MA). Dr. Benjamin became NEF’s President
  in 2010. Under Dr. Benjamin’s leadership\, NEF has seen steady growth. Dr
 . Benjamin holds a PhD from the University of Michigan with a focus on dec
 entralization and local institutional development in West Africa. He is a 
 published author in the areas of natural resource management and policy.Sa
 lah Abu-Eisheh / COUNTRY DIRECTOR\, PALESTINE\, AND REGIONAL PROGRAM COORD
 INATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST: Mr. Abu-Eisheh joined the Near East Foundation
  in 2004 as Project Manager. Since 2010 he has served as NEF’s Palestine C
 ountry Director and Regional Advisor. Prior to joining the Near East Found
 ation\, Mr. Abu-Eisheh worked as Program Coordinator for the Land-O-Lakes 
 Foundation and as Technical Supervisor for the Palestinian Ministry of Agr
 iculture-Veterinary Services. A native of Nablus\, Mr. Abu-Eisheh holds an
  undergraduate degree in agriculture and a master’s in business administra
 tion (MBA) from An-Najah National University in Nablus.Mireille Dika\, Dep
 uty Country Director\, Lebanon: Ms. Mireille Dika joined the Near East Fou
 ndation in 2016 as Deputy Country Director in Lebanon\, where she currentl
 y oversees all programs for NEF's Lebanon office. Prior to working at NEF\
 , ​Ms. Dika&nbsp\; spent the past decade working for INGOs​. She served as
  the Country Director at​ ​Solidar Suisse-Lebanon\, Head of Mission for Le
 banon and Syria at Relief International\, and&nbsp\; Program Manager at In
 ternational Relief and Development\, Lebanon. ​Ms. Dika graduated from Leb
 anese University with a degree in English and Architecture\, where she fir
 st developed her passion for humanitarian and social work.If you require a
 ccommodations\, please contact Deborah Toole by email at datoole@syr.edu o
 r by phone at 315.443.2367.&nbsp\;Sponsored by the Program for the Advance
 ment of Research on Conflict and Collaboration
DTEND:20171010T160000Z
DTSTAMP:20260516T060601Z
DTSTART:20171010T150000Z
LOCATION:
SEQUENCE:0
SUMMARY:Managing Change at the Grass Roots of the Middle East: A Panel Disc
 ussion with the Near East Foundation 
UID:RFCALITEM639144939614269033
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:<p>Panelists will discuss NEF’s work on the gr
 ound with refugee\, displaced\, and other conflict-affected populations to
  develop sustainable solutions to local development challenges\, and creat
 e opportunities from within. Moderated by <strong>Peter Castro</strong>\,&
 nbsp\;Associate Professor\, Anthropology and Robert D. McClure Professor o
 f Teaching Excellence.&nbsp\;<br></p><p><br></p><p>Panel Members are:&nbsp
 \;</p><p><strong>Dr. Charles Benjamin</strong> / PRESIDENT: Dr. Benjamin h
 as over twenty-five years of experience in international development\, wit
 h extensive experience in community development and natural resources mana
 gement throughout the Middle East and Africa. He began his affiliation wit
 h the Near East Foundation in 1993 as Country Director in Morocco. Before 
 joining NEF he spent several years in Morocco as a Fulbright Scholar and a
 s a Peace Corps Volunteer. After leaving Morocco\, Dr. Benjamin was Senior
  Manager for a large international development consulting firm based in Wa
 shington DC and a Professor of International Environment Issues and Develo
 pment at Williams College in Williamstown (MA). Dr. Benjamin became NEF’s 
 President in 2010. Under Dr. Benjamin’s leadership\, NEF has seen steady g
 rowth. Dr. Benjamin holds a PhD from the University of Michigan with a foc
 us on decentralization and local institutional development in West Africa.
  He is a published author in the areas of natural resource management and 
 policy.<br><br><strong>Salah Abu-Eisheh</strong> / COUNTRY DIRECTOR\, PALE
 STINE\, AND REGIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST: Mr. Abu-Eish
 eh joined the Near East Foundation in 2004 as Project Manager. Since 2010 
 he has served as NEF’s Palestine Country Director and Regional Advisor. Pr
 ior to joining the Near East Foundation\, Mr. Abu-Eisheh worked as Program
  Coordinator for the Land-O-Lakes Foundation and as Technical Supervisor f
 or the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture-Veterinary Services. A native o
 f Nablus\, Mr. Abu-Eisheh holds an undergraduate degree in agriculture and
  a master’s in business administration (MBA) from An-Najah National Univer
 sity in Nablus.<br><br><strong>Mireille Dika</strong>\, Deputy Country Dir
 ector\, Lebanon: Ms. Mireille Dika joined the Near East Foundation in 2016
  as Deputy Country Director in Lebanon\, where she currently oversees all 
 programs for NEF's Lebanon office. Prior to working at NEF\, ​Ms. Dika&nbs
 p\; spent the past decade working for INGOs​. She served as the Country Di
 rector at​ ​Solidar Suisse-Lebanon\, Head of Mission for Lebanon and Syria
  at Relief International\, and&nbsp\; Program Manager at International Rel
 ief and Development\, Lebanon. ​Ms. Dika graduated from Lebanese Universit
 y with a degree in English and Architecture\, where she first developed he
 r passion for humanitarian and social work.<br><br><em>If you require acco
 mmodations\, please contact Deborah Toole by email at datoole@syr.edu or b
 y phone at 315.443.2367.&nbsp\;</em></p><p><em>Sponsored by the Program fo
 r the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration</em></p>
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