Lecture by Mayor of the town of Bethlehem, Mayor Vera Baboun
There will be a lecture by the Mayor of the town of Bethlehem in Palestine, Mayor Vera Baboun entitled
BETHLEHEM
in the Clinton Auditorium, in UCD Belfield at 5.30 pm on Friday February 12th. Nearby car parks are free from 5.00 pm.
Mayor Baboun will be introduced by the Vice-Chancellor of Bethlehem University Brother Peter Bray and who will speak of the educational mission of Bethlehem University and of its role as an oasis of peace in that troubled land.
In her talk, Mayor Baboun will speak of life in Bethlehem under the military occupation of the Israeli Government, of her hopes and beliefs for a peaceful solution to the situation there and of the vital importance of the international world in achieving that peace.
Mrs Vera Baboun is the first woman to be elected to the post of Mayor of Bethlehem. She holds a Masters degree in American Ethnic Literature and is currently a candidate for a doctorate degree in that same discipline.
Prior to her election, Mayor Baboun was a lecturer in Bethlehem Uniuversity in its Department of English Language & Literature for 21 years in addition to being the Dean of Student Affairs.
She is Secretary General and Chairman of the Committee on International Relations of the Association of the Palestinian Local Authorities, member of the Board of Trustees of the Yasser Arafat Foundation, vice President for Global Coordination of Local Authorities in the Mediterranean, Chairman of the Permanent Conference of the Historic Cities of the Mediterranean, member of the Council on Arab Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, and member of the Jury for the arcVision Award the of ItalcementiGroup.
Amongst many other responsible positions, she is an authorized researcher in the Network GRACE for women’s empowerment in the Middle East and has published extensively on issues relating to gender equality.
Mayor Baboun has been recently appointed as a member of the Supreme Presidential Commission for the affairs of churches in Palestine. She is the mother of five children and wife of the martyr Hanna Ibrahim Baboun .
Admission will be restricted to those who confirm their attendance at this lecture by contacting the FBUI by Wednesday 10th February.