Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs

The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) was founded in March 1987 by Dr. Mahdi Abdul Hadi and by a group of Palestinian academics and intellectuals in Jerusalem. PASSIA is an Arab non-profit institution located in Jerusalem with a financially and legally independent status. PASSIA seeks to present the question of Palestinian national determination in its Palestinian-national, Arab and international contexts through academic research, dialogue and publication. (source)

PASSIA believes that:

• Christian, Muslim and Jewish communities in the region have enormous potential to either encourage peaceful coexistence or support sectarian hatred
• Religious dialogue can help in building bridges and dispelling existing stereotypes
• The three monotheistic faiths have bases of unity among them and others may be discovered in the course of such a dialogue.

See also: Palestinian homeland, PASSIA homepage