AMP SoCal Conference: Professor Hatem Bazian

Dr. Hatem Bazian headlined a half-day conference and gala dinner hosted by American Muslims for Palestine on Saturday, October 8th. In addition to Taher Herzallah and Osama Abuirshaid, he spoke on the progress of the Palestine movement in the U.S. and internationally. The Palestine Youth Movement co-facilitated this event. A leading Palestinian advocate on the West Coast, Dr. Hatem Bazian, spoke on the different actions and campaigns toward liberation on a local and national level. 

"We held our last major conference in Southern California in the winter of 2013. A lot can change in nine years—Palestine advocacy organizations with an office in the nation's capital.". Thanks to your support, AMP's grassroots education and advocacy work now reaches every major city in the US. Palestine is being brought to the halls of power by more Palestinians and Muslims than ever before. Getting more community members into Palestine advocacy work nationally is a crucial part of our strategy to expand our work to Southern California."

During these events, community members, families, youth, activists, and community leaders come together to reflect on the growth of their collective work. People with similar interests can collaborate, network, grow, and connect. Inspire youth seeking a sense of direction by reflecting on the work, campaigns, and grassroots organizing initiatives they have led over the years and how they contributed to Palestine advocacy. 

Hatem Bazian is also a co-founder of the American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). AMP aims to educate the American public about justice in Palestine from a perspective on human rights and international and American law. Over the years, this organization has grown exponentially in size, chapters, and impact. 

Dr. Hatem Bazian is considered a pioneer in America for the Palestine movement. He is a founding member of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the principal group that brings together and mobilizes students on college campuses in America to support Palestine. The mission of National Students for Justice in Palestine, as stated on their website, is to "empower, unify, and support student organizers as they advance demands for Palestinian liberation and self-determination on their campuses, building on the legacy and impact of the student movement in occupied Turtle Island (U.S. and Canada).

The General Union of Palestinian Students was established in the 1950s, marking the beginning of the student movement for the freedom of Palestine (GUPS). GUPS chapters inspired thousands of students to support a liberated Palestine from the US to Palestine. The liberation movement as we know it was altered by the surge of dishonest politicians and bad agreements of the 1990s, and many institutions, including the student movement, fell apart.

Organizations like SJP developed on occupied Turturle Island (U.S. and Canada) in the absence of a Palestinian student movement as a tool to inform, advocate for, and mobilize support for Palestinian liberation.

The movement for Palestine has swept through North American colleges and institutions nearly two decades after the founding of the first SJP. Students have taken the lead in elevating calls for the Palestinian people's freedom, justice, and equality thanks to the more than 200 university Palestine solidarity organizations across the continent.