An Introduction to Effective Legislative Advocacy of Congress 
The Case of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Guest Speaker: SHAI TAMARI

“We want the occupation to end!” and “Call Barak Obama!” are some of the demands made by constituents concerned about US foreign policy in Israel/Palestine. “Write your Member of Congress!” is another demand made by email to move constituents to pressure their representatives.  While these tactics reflect urgency and passion, they are in no way the most effective means to communicate opinions or influence policy with Members of Congress. 

This presentation will provide a better understanding of the system as it actually functions on Capitol Hill. It will also provide a framework of options to affect real change. It will aim to answer the following questions from an insider’s perspective:

• Which congressional offices, committees, and subcommittees should one approach?

• How do bills and resolutions reach their final destination and what obstacles might they confront? 

• How does the appropriation process, with a focus on foreign affairs, work?

• How does Congress influence U.S. foreign policy?

• What are the limitations of Congress in the field of foreign policy?

• What role can constituents play in affecting foreign policy?

Shai Tamari, the Associate Director of the Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations at UNC-Chapel Hill will share his perspective from 2008-2010, as the foreign policy adviser for Congressman James P. Moran (D-VA) at the U.S. House of Representatives.

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Shai served in the Israeli military between 1994 and 1997. He earned a B.A. in Journalism from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and a Master's degree in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London in the UK. In 2006, Shai was awarded a Rotary Peace Fellowship and studied for a second Master's in Global History, along with Arabic and Conflict Resolution at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While a Rotary Peace Fellow, Shai worked in the summer of 2007 with the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International in Amman, Jordan, where he researched the Jordanian education system for the benefit of Iraqi refugees.

After graduating from UNC in 2008, Shai was awarded the Katherine Davis Peace Fellowship for study in an intensive Arabic language program at Middlebury College, Vermont. Shai specializes in the history and politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is fluent in Hebrew, and is a continuing student of Arabic. He lives in Chapel Hill, NC, with his wife and three kids.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011 @ 7:00 PM

Durham Friends Meeting
404 Alexander Ave.
Durham, NC 27705

Get directions

Email cpwj.contact@gmail.com or call 919-490-5546