New Land for Peace:
Constructing Prosperity in the Middle East

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The Center's first initiative, New Land for Peace, culminated in a two day conference held on April 15-16, 2004 in Bristol, Rhode Island, USA. New Land for Peace: Constructing Prosperity in the Middle East explored the benefits of establishing new economic initiatives in conjunction with land reclamation from the sea and the desert, as steps forward toward progress in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

In preparation for the conference, simultaneous undertakings at the University and beyond were in process among economic, diplomatic, engineering and architecture leaders, faculty and students.

Macro Project Proposals were prepared by teams affiliated with the Center, working in collaborative study groups informed by interactive input from diplomatic, legal, financial, environmental, foundation, engineering and architecture perspectives. Project proposal development was furthered through an intensive charrette process—where leaders convened at Roger Williams University at intervals during Spring 2004, and worked together to develop project proposals. These resulted in the formulation of position papers and demonstration projects for display and debate at the Conference itself.

The distinguished gathering of presenters and session leaders of the April 2004 conference included:

  • Dame Margaret Anstee, Undersecretary General, United Nations (retired)
  • Frank P. Davidson, American Co-Founder, The Channel Tunnel Study Group
  • Ernst G. Frankel, ocean engineer and shipping consultant
  • Lester Thurow, Lemelson Professor of Management, MIT
  • Suha Ozkan, Secretary-General, The Aga Khan Award for Architecture
  • Timothy Rothermel, Director of the UNDP, Jerusalem, and Co-Founder, the United Nations Project for Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP)
  • John Noyes, International Law Expert, California Western School of Law
  • Karl Sabbagh, author; television producer, BBC Television
  • Alexander Rossolimo, Center for Security and Social Progress
  • Norio Yamamoto, Executive Vice-President of the Global Infrastructure Fund Research Foundation, Japan
  • Christoph von Braun, Technology Consultant, Munich
  • Harald Frederiksen, Water Resources Management Consultant
  • Lucien Deschamps, Secretary-General, Prospective 2100, France
  • Hiroshi Hori, International Water Resources Association
  • Wallace O. Sellers, The Hudson Institute
Along with presentations by Roger Williams University Professor of International Relations Mark Sawoski and Architecture professors Charles Hagenah and Patrick Charles, and their students’ work.

A parallel event brought the renowned William Polk Carey to campus through the Gabelli Lecture Series.

The Center’s follow-up Study Group created a four-part Preliminary Proposal now being considered for major feasibility funding, involving:

  1. The establishment of a joint “Free Industrial Zone” at the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip
  2. Construction of an offshore deepwater seaport and large artificial island within Palestinian jurisdiction off Rafah and Khan Younis – connected by causeway to the mainland
  3. Construction of a secure rail link connecting Gaza and the West Bank, designed for the transport of commercial containers headed for the seaport as well as for the secure flow of passengers and messages
  4. Strengthening of regional planning and development processes to promote broad oversight of the project and also to guide implementation of other related projects, including major infrastructure improvements and the development of culturally-sensitive, sustainable housing communities.