Call for Papers: Understanding Israeli Practices of Forced Displacement and Settler Colonialism in the OPT (Deadline: 1 May)

Understanding Israeli Practices of Forced Displacement and Settler Colonialism in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Journal of Internal Displacement

Guest Editor: Lamya Hussain   Deadline: May 1^st 2014 

Emerging literature on Palestine studies continues to explore the policies and practices of Israel in forcefully displacing Palestinians from their lands. Recent scholarship has placed an emphasis on the West Bank and East Jerusalem area where an estimated 44,100 Palestinians that live across 130 villages in Area C[1] are at high risk of systematic displacement and require humanitarian assistance as a direct result of demolitions. Further, an overwhelming of Palestinian communities continue to live in the context of daily violence or risk of violence through military orders, firing zones, retroactive taxes and inequitable distribution of local resources that impact community and individual livelihoods. 

In East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities demolished more than 670 Palestinian buildings and structures between the years of 2000 to 2008. An approximate 28% of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem are currently at risk of being demolished, which means some 60,000 residents face the possibility of forced displacement. Home demolitions, eviction orders and land confiscation policies are key contributing factors towards the on-going forced displacement and loss of livelihoods for Palestinian communities. However, other tactics are employed by the state of Israel including denying residency rights and family reunification to Palestinians in an attempt to systematically force communities from East Jerusalem areas. 

In an attempt to document the impact of Israeli policies on Palestinian livelihoods this issue will deal with the trauma and devastation of communities through on-going evictions and demolition orders that forcefully displace Palestinian communities in Area C and East Jerusalem. This special issue seeks to examine histories, narratives and the daily experiences of communities that currently face forced displacement or have been displaced as a result of settler-colonial practices of the state of Israel. In documenting the narratives, this issue aims to present the legal tools employed by Israel to systematically displace Palestinians in Area C and East Jerusalem. Further, the issue will seek papers that highlight the socio-economic and political motivations that inspire shifts in geographies and population transfer induced to maintain hegemonic control/access of resources (land and water) and population dynamics. Submissions and case studies that detail the impact of Israeli policies and practices of forced displacement are also welcome through this call. 

It is against this backdrop that JID seeks to stimulate inclusive and discursive dialogue from interested scholars, practitioners, and policy makers around the nature, characteristics, and experiences of forced migration and displacement across Palestinian territories with an emphasis on Area C and East Jerusalem. 

We invite submissions that examine and investigate diverse perspectives on the above issues with respect to the following list of themes: 

• Settler Colonialism 
• War and Conflict 
• Environment, conflict and displacement 
• Peace building and state-building 
• International relations and peace process 
• Gender, military occupation and migration 
• Non-governmental organizations, humanitarian assistance, grass roots organizations/movements 
• Donor patterns/ peace process/ donor dependency 
• Peace Accords/Negotiations: Oslo I, Oslo II and Paris Protocol 

Submission Guidelines: 

• Articles: 20-30 pages (10,000-15,000 words) single space, Times New Roman, 12 point font size with 150 words abstract and 5 keywords.
• Book Review: 3-4 pages (1500 – 2500 words) 
• Commentaries: 6-8 pages (3000 – 4000 words) 
• JID accepts all reference styles as long as they are standard and consistent 
• Submission must be original (not published elsewhere) and in Microsoft word 
• Submit a one-page cover letter with author’s name, address, email, phone number and 200 words (max) biography 
• Email submission to: jid@evresearch.ca no later than May 1^st, 2014, please specify your last name, first name and “ Israel-Palestine Issue” in the subject line (eg. Said_Edward: Israel-Palestine Issue)

For more information see the “Author’s Guidelines” by visiting: http://journalinternaldisplacement.webs.com/

Guest Editor Bio:

Lamya Hussain is a PhD Candidate at SOAS with the Department of Development Studies. She holds a Masters in Environmental Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Refugee Studies from York University. Lamya has dedicated several years towards researching Palestinian refugee communities across the MENA region including Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories. Through her findings, Lamya founded a not-for-profit organization called Refutrees, which currently is developing sustainable projects that intersect issues of food security, water and waste management. Her areas of expertise include design and implementation of projects that merge local capacities, needs and resources. Her professional career comprises applied research, consulting and developing entrepreneurship models in order to improve local livelihoods in displaced communities. In addition to her role as Editor with the JID, Lamya continues to engage with various research centre’s including the Centre for Palestine Studies (SOAS), Centre for Forced Migration and Displacement (SOAS) and the London International Development Centre (LIDC).  Currently, Lamya is cultivating original research which investigates issues of land, agriculture, food sovereignty and environment across local farming communities.