CMEPP Events: 2005
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Former Wisconsin Energy CEO joins CMEPP Advisory Board
The RAND Center for Middle East Public Policy is delighted to welcome Richard A. Abdoo to the Advisory Board. Mr. Abdoo retired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Wisconsin Energy Corporation, a Fortune 500 Company, in April 2004, after serving in that capacity for thirteen years. Currently, he is President of R. A. Abdoo and Company, LLC. Mr. Abdoo has devoted most of his adult life to business leadership and issues of national and international importance and has spoken out forcefully on matters that reflect his strong social conscience and commitment to justice for all in the Middle East.
Mr. Abdoo is currently president of the American Task Force for Lebanon; a trustee of the Lebanese American University; a member of the Board of Directors of AMIDEAST; a member of the Board of Directors of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital; a member of the Advisory Board of the RAND Corporation Center for Middle East Public Policy; a trustee of the Medical College of Wisconsin; and on the Boards of Directors of AK Steel Corporation, Catalytica Energy Systems, Inc., and M&I Marshall and Ilsley Corporation.
Over the years, Mr. Abdoo’s community involvement has earned him numerous awards and honors, including: the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations in 2002; the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Dayton in 2002; the Energy Daily Individual Leadership Award for his contributions to the energy industry in 1996; and, the Distinguished Service Award—Human Relations from the National Conference of Christians and Jews (now the National Conference for Community and Justice) for his efforts to promote religious and racial harmony in 1991.
Mr. Abdoo graduated from the University of Dayton in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering. He received a master of arts degree in Economics in 1969 from the University of Detroit.
Amabassador Avi Gil leads Israeli politics roundtable
On December 5, Ambassador Avi Gil, Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute and the former Director-General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was the featured speaker at a roundtable discussion titled, "Upheaval in Israeli Domestic Politics and the Effect on the Peace Process."
Ambassador Gil said that the combination of the Israeli evacuation of Gaza and the split in the Likud party opened a window of opportunity for further progress in peace efforts that would become even more visible after the elections in Israel and Palestine.
He added that they also represent a ripening movement showing that more of the building blocks for a peace settlement are being assembled. Ambassador Gil urged that, in light of these events, the U.S. was best prepared to take advantage of the window of opportunity and should work with both parties to activate the road map.
Ambassador Gil served as the Director General of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs from April 2001-November 2002. Prior to this, he served as Director-General of Israel's Ministry of Regional Cooperation, Deputy Director-General of the Peres Center for Peace; the Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Media Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Finance, and Executive Policy Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has been closely involved in Israel's policy-making and peace efforts, including the negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords and the peace treaty with Jordan. Currently he serves as a Senior Strategic Adviser at the Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation and as a Senior Fellow at the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute.
Kawasmi discusses economic development models for Palestine
On November 29, CMEPP hosted a visit from Hazem Kawasmi, an Advisor to the Palestinian Authority Ministry of National Economy and a 2005 Eisenhower Fellow, for a dialogue on economic development models in Palestine and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. As an Eisenhower Fellow, Mr. Kawasmi visited RAND to gain a greater understanding of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, specifically with Israel and Palestine. He also engaged in a discussion about U.S. economic development models and entrepreneur development programs that could be transferred to Palestine. Mr. Kawasmi, who is also the founder and vice president of the Young Entrepreneurs of Palestine, advises the Ministry of National Economy on institution building, economic policy formulation, and management information systems.
Palestine book wins architectural award
On October 27, The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State (http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG327/) and Doug Suisman, its lead author, received an Honor Award, the highest design distinction awarded by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In selecting the award, "The jury was unanimous on this entry, whose strength derives from the simplicity of its diagram and its depth of research…the project integrates complex systems in an unprecedented and breathtaking way."
Along with New York's AIA chapter, the L.A. chapter is considered the most competitive in the country.
For its annual awards program, the LA/AIA this year received more than 300 entries for projects in Los Angeles and for projects around the world by Los Angeles firms.
Of the 300 submissions, fewer than 20 were given awards. These were divided into "Built" and "Unbuilt" categories, The Arc falling into the latter. It was the only "Unbuilt" project to receive an Honor Award.
RAND Executive Vice President Michael Rich and members of the Suisman Urban Design team joined Suisman to receive the award. RAND researchers Bob Brook and Mary Irvine, Palestine project donors Carol and David Richards, and Center for Middle East Public Policy Board member Ann Kerr also attended the ceremony.
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