Internationally Renowned Media Critic and Middle East Expert to Speak in Portland at Central Library

The event will include a lecture and slide-show by Alison Weir discussing "Israel-Palestine: Behind the Headlines" – what the news media are not telling Americans.

20 May 2006 photo of Alison Weir. To learn more please visit: alisonweir.org

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - As Americans move into a new age of understanding regarding Israel and the ongoing conflict with displaced Palestinians, an important voice will be heard in the state of Oregon.

Alison Weir's voice is extremely well known in the sound, peaceful struggle to raise awareness about the systematic elimination of the Palestinian culture, and the continued erosion of their rights under Israel's laws, which are increasingly being compared to the former system of South Africa.

The goals are peace and understanding and the realization of a real multi-cultural place where people are not continually scrutinized and referred to as 'terrorists' in order for one side to further its difficult political position.

As a former journalist, Weir will describe traveling throughout the West Bank and Gaza and will discuss media coverage of the region, including statistical studies and in-depth analyses. She will show slides and a short video clip.

Weir speaks widely on this topic and has given two briefings on Capitol Hill, three talks at the Asia Media Summit in Kuala Lumpur (at the end of the month she will be speaking at the Summit in Beijing), presentations in Ramallah and Bethlehem, and lectures at numerous campuses across the US, including Harvard Law School, Stanford, Yale, UC Berkeley, MIT, Vassar, and the Naval Postgraduate Institute.

A former US Congressman wrote of her talk:

Weir narrated the award-winning documentary "Occupation 101.""Occupation 101"

“Ms. Weir presents a powerful, well documented view of the Middle East today. She is intelligent, careful, and critical. American policy makers would benefit greatly from hearing her first-hand observations and attempting to answer the questions she poses.”

A New York Times article about her presentation reported:

“When the speech ended, Ms. Weir was met with thunderous applause, and across the room there was a widespread sense of satisfaction that someone was saying what needed to be said."

Awards:

Weir has received awards from the Council on American Islamic Relations and the American Arab Anti-discrimination Committee, and she was asked to contribute a chapter to Project Censored's 2005 volume. She was inducted into membership of Phi Alpha Literary Society, founded in 1845 at Illinois College, the award citing her as a “Courageous journalist-lecturer on behalf of human rights." She was the first woman to receive an honorary membership in Phi Alpha history.

Weir's writings on this topic have appeared in publications including The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, The Link, CounterPunch, the Bay Guardian, and anthologies published in the US and abroad. She was the narrator of the award-winning documentary "Occupation 101."

Weir was the subject of the Public Access program "Off the Charts," produced by Alternate Focus, and is a member of the board of directors of the Council for the National Interest and New Policy.

The event takes place 18 May, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Multnomah County Library, 801 Southwest 10th Ave, Portland, Oregon.