GAZA: New Dynamics, Future Prospects

An address by Dr. Sara Roy of Harvard University, talking about her extensive experience in Gaza. This lecture looks at the unprecedented dynamics that have emerged in Gaza in the aftermath of last summer's devastating war and its future implications. Dr. Roy will also explore how we can move beyond fear and militarism to envision something different: a world where dissent is mandatory and our capacity to witness is restored.

She was invited to be guest speaker at this year's James Graff Memorial Lecture. This annual lecture series was established in memory of University of Toronto philosophy professor, husband, father, and tireless peace advocate Dr. James Graff, founder of NECEF Sabeel, Canada’s oldest Middle East peace education NGO. Dr. Roy's talk is an event hosted by Necef Sabeel.

Dr. Sara Roy (Ed.D. Harvard University) is a senior research scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies specializing in the Palestinian economy, Palestinian Islamism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She is the daughter of two holocaust survivors.

Dr. Roy began her research in the Gaza Strip and West Bank in 1985 with a focus on the economic, social and political development of the Gaza Strip and on U.S. foreign assistance to the region. Since then she has written extensively on the Palestinian economy, particularly in Gaza, and on Gaza’s de- development, a concept she defined.

Dr. Roy also has authored over 100 publications dealing with Palestinian issues and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has lectured widely in the United States, Europe, The Middle East, and Australia among other international venues.