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April 2004 New Land for Peace Conference Program

New Land For Peace: Constructing Prosperity in the Middle East
is a conference composed of a series of public and private sessions among leaders, investors, scholars, students and the public to be held at Roger Williams University April 15-16, 2004. The goal of the conference is to display and debate the potentials that large-scale constructive projects could offer toward peaceful resolution of the Middle East crisis, and in the process to frame an initiative capable of attracting diplomatic, legal, and financial support for its realization.

“New Land for Peace” explores the potential benefits of establishing new economic initiatives in conjunction with land reclamation from the sea and other areas, as steps forward toward a better future in the Middle East. It is envisioned that, together, these ideas could contribute to prosperity and environmental change in the region conducive to peace and security, with prospects for additional advances in the future.

The Conference begins with a public presentation of proposed concepts, followed by presentations by international leaders on diplomatic, economic, legal, historical, technical and other issues. An afternoon session features an interactive design review session of several alternative architecture design proposals created specially for the Conference. The day concludes in discussion among presenters, conference attendees, and the public.

On Day Two, New Land for Peace advances through collaborative Strategic Working Group Sessions to develop key topics, led by presenters from the first day and including conference attendees. Afternoon addresses seek to place the work in context with previous efforts of a similar magnitude and relevance. A concluding panel discussion seeks to frame constructive next steps, including the organization of a follow-on conference for stakeholders, investors and sponsors meeting under the auspices of the Center, proposed for later in 2004.

Macro Project Design Proposals will be prepared by teams affiliated with the Center, working in collaborative study groups informed by input from diplomatic, legal, financial, environmental, foundation, engineering and architecture leaders. The design process will be furthered through an intensive charrette process—where leaders convene at Roger Williams University at intervals during Spring 2004, working together to develop project proposals.

Presentations and project proposals will form the basis of a new publication series envisioned as a key component of the Center’s activities.

Morning Session Chair: Roy J. Nirschel, President, Roger Williams University

Roy J. Nirschel, President, Roger Williams University Frank P. Davidson, American Co-Founder, Channel Tunnel Study Group, Founding Advisor, Center for Macro Projects and Diplomacy Stephen White, Dean, School of Architecture, Art and Historic Preservation Director, Center for Macro Projects and Diplomacy

Ernst G. Frankel, Board Member and consultant to numerous international shipping companies; Professor Emeritus of Ocean Engineering and Management, MIT

Mark Sawoski, Professor of International Relations, Roger Williams University

Karl Sabbagh, author; England

Discussion: Hiroshi Hori, Halil Copur, Maling Ehbrahimpour, Janet Caristo-Verrill

John Noyes, Professor of Law, California Western Law School, San Diego

Dame Margaret Joan Anstee, DCMG, Undersecretary General (retired), The United Nations

Timothy Rothermel, Special Representative, The United Nations Development Program, Jerusalem

Discussion: Henri Teissier du Cros, Issa Kassissieh, Shula Gilad, Louis Kramp, Kathleen Brooke Lusk

Afternoon Sessions Chair: Suha Ozkan, Secretary-General, Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Charles Hagenah, Associate Professor of Architecture Patrick Charles, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Roger Williams University Roger Williams University Architecture Student teams

Discussion: Suha Ozkan, Ulker Copur, Hasan Khan, James Kishlar, Peter Papesch, Okan Ustunkok, Marion White

Alexander Rossolimo, Center for Security and Social Progress, Inc., Waban, MA

Lucien Deschamps, Secretary-General, Prospective 2100, France Norio Yamamoto, Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation, Tokyo

Discussion: Wallace Sellers, Harald Fedriksen, Andrew Lemer, John Evans

Lester Thurow, Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Professor of Management and Economics, MIT

New Land for Peace Architecture projects will be on display in the Architecture Building throughout the conference until 8:00pm each evening.

Morning Session Chairs: Roy J. Nirschel, Ernst G. Frankel, L. Michael Hager, Christoph von Braun

Working groups composed of Conference attendees each work to further “New Land for Peace” proposals engaging the areas of environment, diplomacy, economic development, finance, technical, architecture (design review and working group) and other issues.

Architectural Design Review of Seven New Land for Peace proposals
Reviewers: Pat Askew, Peter Papesch, Steve Ehlbeck, Andrew Lemer, RWU Faculty

Afternoon Session Chair: Christoph von Braun, Andrea von Braun Stiftung, Munich

New Land for Peace Architecture projects will be on display in the Architecture Building throughout the Conference until 8:00pm each evening.