The Palestinian Refugee Question: A Constitutive Constructivist Interpretation

The paper aims to present a constitutive constructivist interpretation of the Palestinian refugee question by examining the speeches and other public documents. The proponent questions the perennial inadequacy of mainstream theories particularly realism, thus its purpose is to present an alternative theoretical framework, and with the help of a method to deeply understand the problem.

The constitutive version of constructivism differs from the conventional strand because it gives importance to the potency of the use of language. This will be undertaken through the verbs-in-context-system (VICS) method of content analysis. Consequently, the findings are not as good as we would hope for because based on the calculative verbs that were gathered using VICS, it gave us a negative and even pejorative interpretation whether all of the agreements and public statements were done in the spirit of pacta sunt servanda. However, there are glitches in the evaluated statements stating some plethoric and unbinding declarations.

Most, if not all, were unilaterally declared based on their perspectives and insinuate some argumentative issues particularly on the right of the refugees to return to their homeland or acquire their lost properties.

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Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, Vol. 8, No. 4, Winter 2009.

Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Law eJournal, Vol. 11, Issue 73 (November 17, 2010)

Political Methods: Qualitative & Multiple Methods eJournal, Vol. 3, Issue 24 (October 28, 2010)

Philippine Madrassas

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XIV World Congress for Comparative Education Societies

Theme: Bordering, Re-Bordering and New Possibilities in Education and Societies

XIV WCCES Istanbul, 14-18 June 2010

Panel:

Education in Post-Conflict Societies - I

Presenters:

Nassef M. Adiong, Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Dr. Jayson W. Richardson, University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA 
and Dr.Edward Brantmeier, Colorado State University, USA

Esperance Ibuka, Florida International University, USA

Date and Time:

 June 15, 2010 (Tuesday), 8:45 - 10:15 AM

Venue:

North Campus (NH 201) of Boğaziçi University

Abstract:

The Philippines, the only Catholic-dominated Asian country, is continuously bombarded by Muslim rebels from the south. All of the main government agencies are located in the north while the south is considered the food basket of the nation. The Muslims in the south have been living there peacefully and were, in fact, able to resist foreign invaders because of their strong skills in combat. However, during the first republic, immigrants from the north started to flock the south and amassed lands away from the Muslims. Then, never ending fightings and hostilities started.

With participants from different countries in Africa

Fast-forward to the present, the government and the rebel group are in the negotiation table again. As part of the earlier agreements, the government implemented Madrassa in the primary education with an objective of bridging the gap between Christians and Muslims. It made the children as the first actor to be oriented (educated) regarding religious, cultural, social and ethnical diversities so as to instill respect and understanding of one another. The question that this paper aims to present is how effective Madrassa in a Catholic country that is full of prejudices towards Muslims, from Christian families that have no Muslim contact experiences, Catholic universities to the media?

At the Southern Campus of Boğaziçi University.