News Release

MIT Global Seed Funds program awards more than $2.6 million

The Center is thrilled to announce another banner year for the MIT Global Seed Fund (GSF) program.  A total of 107 international research projects received more than $2.6 million in funding for the 2023-2024 cycle. These projects were selected from among 226 proposals submitted by faculty and research scientists across the Institute.

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Freeman and Garcia-Montes receive Jeanne Guillemin Prize

Suzanne Freeman and Mariel Garcia-Montes are the recipients of this year’s Jeanne Guillemin Prize at the Center for International Studies (CIS). The prize provides financial support to women studying international affairs, a field that has long been dominated by men.

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Brazilian human rights journalist joins CIS as the 2023 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow

Passionate about the intersection of human rights and climate change, Gabriela Sá Pessoa plans to explore the Amazonian economy and how the policies forged by the government of Brazil affect the lives of Indigenous communities who are attempting to survive amidst environment crimes and deforestation.

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Republics of Myth, a new book by CIS scholars, offers insight into the US-Iran conflict

From the coup d'état that overthrew Iran's legitimate premier Mohammad Mosaddeq to the hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq War, the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing, post-9/11 antagonisms, and other points of conflict, the book illustrates anew the weight of historical narratives on present circumstances.

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Pakistani journalist Maham Javaid is the Center’s 2022 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow

Pakistani journalist Maham Javaid will be joining CIS as its 2022 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. The fellowship is awarded annually by The International Women’s Media Foundation(IWMF).

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Evan Lieberman named faculty director of MISTI, MIT's hub for global experiences

In this new role, Evan Lieberman, Total Professor of Political Science and Contemporary Africa, will continue to steer and nurture MIT’s international research and teaching opportunities for current students and into the future. MIT's primary international program, MISTI is a pioneer in “applied international studies”—a distinctively MIT concept. MISTI helps MIT undergraduate and graduate students experience the world while advancing knowledge, tackling tough challenges, and preparing for lives of impact, service, and leadership in an interconnected global society.

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Kelly M Greenhill, PhD ’04, named director of the MIT Seminar XXI Program

A post-graduate education program, Seminar XXI links policymaking and academia by bringing together military and civilian executives with scholars from MIT and beyond.

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Human rights journalist Ada Petriczko joins CIS as its Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow

Petriczko will research topics from her recent reportage, including the rise of Hindu nationalism in India and the stability of democracy in her home country of Poland

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Beyond 9/11: Homeland Security for the Twenty-First Century

Drawing on two decades of government efforts to “secure the homeland,” experts offer crucial strategic lessons and detailed recommendations for homeland security.

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Robert Art retires as director of the Seminar XXI Program after 20 years of dedicated service

The Center for International Studies (CIS) announces today that Robert Art will step down from his role as the director of the Seminar XXI Program effective June 30.  Art has directed the CIS Seminar XXI program since 2000.

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At CIS, a student endowment for women in international affairs

The Center for International Studies has announced that its longtime colleague, the sociologist of science and national security Jeanne Guillemin, has established an endowed fund to provide financial support to female PhD candidates studying international affairs.

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Nigerian journalist Shola Lawal joins the MIT Center for International Studies

The Center for International Studies announces the selection of Nigerian journalist Shola Lawal as the 2019 International Women’s Media Foundation’s (IWMF) Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. Lawal was selected from a field of 100 applicants spanning 43 countries. This unique fellowship, now in its 15th year, provides journalists with training and experience reporting on human rights and social justice issues.

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Saudi scholar and activist Hala Aldosari joins CIS as the Robert E Wilhelm Fellow

Hala Aldosari, a Saudi scholar and activist in women’s rights in Arab societies, violence against women, and the “guardianship” system in Saudi Arabia, joins the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) as its Robert E Wilhelm Fellow.

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Urban transportation resource center for Latin American and Caribbean cities

The Resource Center, which will be run through a collaboration between World Resources Institute Mexico (WRI Mexico), Massachusetts Institute for Technology’s Civic Data Design Lab, and Columbia University’s Earth Institute, will support the development of open digital urban transport data for and with Latin American and Caribbean cities.

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MIT International Policy Lab (IPL) issues fourth call for proposals to faculty and researchers

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Admiral Scott Swift joins CIS as a Robert E Wilhelm Fellow

Adm Scott H Swift, former commander of the US Pacific Fleet, joins the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) as a Robert E Wilhelm Fellow. Swift arrives at MIT on August 1, 2018. He retired from the US Navy on July 1, 2018.

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MIT International Policy Lab (IPL) issues third call for proposals to faculty and researchers

The Center announces today the third Call for Proposals from the International Policy Lab (IPL), which helps MIT faculty develop the policy implications of their research and thus better inform the global policymaking community.

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MIT International Policy Lab sends delegation to UN’s Minamata Convention

The MIT International Policy Lab (IPL) sent representatives to participate as observers to the first Conference of Parties (COP-1) to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, through a delegation led by co-faculty director Noelle Selin.

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Judge James E Baker joins CIS as a Robert E Wilhelm Fellow

James E Baker, former chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, will use his one-year fellowship at MIT to conduct research on emerging technologies and national security challenges.  

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CIS Starr Forum hosts events with former foreign ministers

The Center’s signature public event series, the MIT Starr Forum, is featuring talks with former foreign secretaries: April 6 with Jack Straw of the United Kingdom and April 12 with Celso Amorim of Brazil.

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MIT urges President Trump to take action on cybersecurity

The digital systems that control critical infrastructure in the United States and most other countries are vulnerable to attack. This report identifies the most strategic of these challenges and proposes a policy and research agenda that has the potential to achieve significantly higher levels of security in critical networks.

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International Policy Lab issues second request for proposals

“We are very pleased with the success of this initiative so far,” said faculty director Chappell Lawson, associate professor of political science. “Solving the challenges facing our country and the world is central to MIT's mission; better connecting MIT researchers and policymakers contributes to that goal.” 

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Melgar named Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow

Mexico's former deputy secretary of energy for hydrocarbons, Lourdes Melgar, has been named a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow. Melgar played a key role in the design and implementation of Mexico's historic energy reform. Her work has begun to transform Mexico's energy sector into a modern and competitive environment.

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Bustani Middle East Seminar turns 30

The Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT is celebrating its 30th anniversary this academic year. This spring semester it will host two lectures on contemporary Middle East affairs.

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Prominent East Asia Expert Joins CIS

The Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Eric Heginbotham, one of this country's foremost political-military analysts of East Asia, to the post of principal research scientist. Heginbotham comes to MIT from the RAND Corporation, where he was a senior political scientist for 10 years. He earned his PhD at MIT in 2002, winning the Lucian Pye Award for the best doctoral dissertation in the Department of Political Science that year.

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Journalist Meera Srinivasan joins CIS

Meera Srinivasan, formerly a senior assistant editor with The Hindu, has been selected as the 2015-16 IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. The award is offered through the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) and is sponsored in part by CIS. Srinivasan is the 11th recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist the opportunity to develop expertise while focusing on human rights journalism and social justice issues.

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Former national security advisor of India joins CIS

Shivshankar Menon, a former national security advisor of India, has been named a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow. The Indian diplomat will be at CIS for one month beginning February 3, 2015. During his time at MIT, Menon will be working on a history of India-China relations. He also will meet with faculty and students to discuss regional issues.

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Former NSA Inspector General joins CIS

Joel Brenner, former inspector general and senior counsel at the National Security Agency (NSA), has joined the MIT Center for International Studies (CIS) as a 2014–2015 Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow. Brenner specializes in cyber and physical security, data protection and privacy, intelligence law, the administration of classified information and facilities, and the regulation of sensitive cross-border transactions.

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African technology and innovation leaders visit MIT

High-ranking African leaders in science, technology and innovation will gather at MIT on Sept 23 and 24 to explore areas for mutual cooperation. The visit is a reflection of the rising interest among African countries in putting science and technology at the center of their development process. As part of their visit, the African leaders will participate in a Starr Forum event "Africa Rebooted: Science Technology, and Innovation in Development."

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New genome editing strategy for ecosystems

A cross-disciplinary team is calling for public discussion about a potential new way to solve longstanding global ecological problems by using an emerging technology called "gene drives." The advance could potentially lead to powerful new ways of combating malaria and other insect-borne diseases, controlling invasive species, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Kenneth Oye is author of the Science paper and director of the Center's Program on Emerging Technologies. MIT News Feature | Science Full Text

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Former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka joins MIT

Ranil Wickremesinghe has been named a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow. The Sri Lankan politician and current leader of the Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament will be at CIS for one month beginning April 8, 2014. Wickremesinghe was prime minister of Sri Lanka twice, from May 7, 1993 to August 19, 1994, and from December 9, 2001, to April 6, 2004. A member of the United National Party, he was appointed party leader in November 1994. During his time at MIT, Wickremesinghe will study how to formulate a constitution sans an executive presidency. He also will work with faculty and students interested in Asian regional issues.

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Indonesian journalist joins CIS

Prodita Sabarini, a Jakarta-based journalist, has been selected as the 2013-14 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. The award is offered through the International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) and is sponsored in part by CIS. Sabarini will spend the seven-month fellowship as a research associate at CIS. She also will complete internships at The Boston Globe and The New York Times. A staff reporter for the English daily, The Jakarta Post, she plans to research the phenomenon of religious intolerance in Indonesia during her tenure as the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow and wishes to explore the factors that turn people's fear into acts of violence.

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Yukio Okamoto joins CIS

Yukio Okamoto, a former Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Japan, has been named a 2012-13 Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow. "Yukio Okamoto brings to MIT an unparalleled set of experiences on the world stage. The Center is delighted to have him with us to continue his research and writing, and to work with students and faculty through the next academic year," said Richard Samuels, director of the Center for International Studies and Ford International Professor of Political Science.

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MIT Japan 3/11 initiative receives grant

The MIT-Japan Program at the Center for International Studies is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from the Japan Foundation's Center for Global Partnership for the MIT Japan 3/11 Initiative. The Initiative is MIT's response to the devastating March 2011 earthquakes and tsunami in the Tohoku region of Japan. The $69,000, one-year grant will be used for planning costs connected with the creation of a symposium and a community center in Minami Sanriku, Japan, a village virtually destroyed during last year's disaster.

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Samuels receives the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star

The Japanese Government announced that the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, will be conferred upon Professor Richard J. Samuels, in recognition of his significant contributions to scholarship about Japan and for promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States. Samuels is currently conducting research in Japan and will receive the decoration from Prime Minister Noda on November 7, and will be presented to the Emperor of Japan at the Imperial Palace.

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Ugandan journalist joins CIS

Jackee Budesta Batanda—a Ugandan journalist who has reported on the vicious acid attacks of women as "revenge crimes" and the targeted murders of albinos—has been selected as the 2011-2012 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. The award is offered through the International Women's Media Foundation and is sponsored in part by CIS.

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'Deaths of others' in America's wars

Americans are greatly concerned about the number of our troops killed in battle—100,000 dead in World War I; 300,000 in World War II; 33,000 in the Korean War; 58,000 in Vietnam; 4,500 in Iraq; more than 1,000 in Afghanistan—and rightly so. But why are we so indifferent to the far greater number of casualties suffered by those we fight and those we fight for? This is the compelling question that John Tirman answers in The Deaths of Others.

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David Miliband, former Foreign Secretary to the UK, joins MIT Center for International Studies

The MIT Center for International Studies announces today that Rt Hon David Miliband MP will join CIS as a Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow in Residence from April 11–April 15, 2011. Miliband was the Foreign Secretary for the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2010 and is an alumnus of the Department of Political Science at MIT.

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CIS announces joint EMA-NEWDIGS research project

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Center for Biomedical Innovation (CBI) and Center for International Studies (CIS) are launching a collaborative research project with a focus on enhancing regulatory science in pharmaceuticals.

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Journalist from Pakistan receives Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

CIS announces today that Rabia Mehmood, a journalist in the Lahore bureau of Express 24/7 Television in Pakistan, has received the 2010–11 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. Mehmood is the sixth recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast, or online media the opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues.

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Gercik receives MIT award for 'bringing out the best'

Patricia Gercik, associate director of the MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI) and managing director of the MIT-Japan Program, has received an MIT Excellence Award in the category of “Bringing Out the Best: Everyday Leadership throughout MIT.”

News Release

MIT global website seeks visions for Jerusalem

Protests, anger, controversy, arrests, evacuation—words used in the news to describe Jerusalem today. Still, MIT's Jerusalem 2050 Program seeks visions for a city of peace by mid-century through a website: www.envisioningpeace.org. The site is loaded with interactive tools and resources to help foster dialogue, ideas, and solutions for cities of conflict, beginning with Jerusalem.

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MIT-Harvard Gaza Symposium issues statement on Palestinian issue

The Israeli government should end the blockade of Gaza and negotiate with Hamas, and President Obama should engage more constructively on the Palestinian issue—including a demand to end the expansion of Israeli settlements—were among the findings and recommendations of a MIT-Harvard symposium on Gaza.

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MIT scholars offer advice to President Obama

Barack Obama will be flooded with advice on the many critical matters he must face as 44th president of the United States, as will the new Congress. To that end, scholars at MIT's Center for International Studies (CIS) offer fresh ideas, succinctly stated, on issues ranging from security strategy to the financial crisis to human rights.

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Indigenous groups face extinction, an MIT study reports

Indigenous peoples have lived in the same territories for hundreds of years and attempted to preserve, generation after generation, traditional and cultural practices. The MIT study explores 14 cases in which the land claims of indigenous societies on six continents are being contested.

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Colombian journalist receives Neuffer Fellowship, joins CIS

CIS announces today that Jenny Manrique, a Colombian freelance journalist, has received the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. Manrique is the fourth recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast or online media the opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues.

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Advance screening of Discovery Channel's Koppel on Discovery: The People's Republic of Capitalism

In the wake of the catastrophic earthquake in China's Sichuan province and on the eve of the Olympics this August in Beijing, Discovery Channel Managing Editor Ted Koppel presents Koppel on Discovery: The People's Republic of Capitalism, a sweeping four-part series that examines modern China.

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MIT website puts human face on Iraq War

As the war in Iraq approaches its fifth anniversary, a new website from MIT's Center for International Studies aims to provide an accurate account of living conditions, as well as civilian injuries and deaths due to political violence, throughout the Middle Eastern state.

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Australian journalist named Neuffer Fellow, joins CIS

Sally Sara, anchor and senior reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), has received the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. Sara is the third recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast, or online media the opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism.

News Release

Broad Institute hosts screening of CIS scholar's film on Iraq

No End in Sight: The American Occupation of Iraq, a film directed by Charles Ferguson, visiting scholar at MIT's Center for International Studies, will be screened for the public in the auditorium of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard on Wednesday, May 2, at 6 p.m.

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CIS regrets actions of Iranian authorities

CIS expressed regret and disappointment at the actions of Iranian authorities who barred two prominent Iranian intellectuals from traveling to a conference at MIT. Hashem Aghajari and Abdollah Momeni were stopped from boarding an airplane in Tehran on Sunday, even though they had obtained all required documents.

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Iraqi journalist joins CIS as a Neuffer Fellow

CIS announced today that Huda Ahmed, an Iraqi journalist who has been covering the war in Iraq for Knight Ridder, has joined the Center as its 2006-2007 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship offers a female journalist the opportunity to focus exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues.

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Iraqi journalist Huda Ahmed named Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow at MIT's Center for International Studies

CIS announced today that Huda Ahmed, an Iraqi journalist who has been covering the war in Iraq for the Knight Ridder newspapers, will become the Center's second Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. The announcement was made at the Elizabeth Neuffer Forum held on May 10, 2006.

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Ambassador Bodine joins MIT's Center for International Studies

Barbara Bodine, a former career diplomat who served in 2003 as coordinator for post-conflict reconstruction for Baghdad and the central governorates of Iraq, and from 1997-2001 as U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, joins MIT's Center for International Studies (CIS) as a Visiting Fellow on May 1, 2006.

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MIT's 'Audits of the Conventional Wisdom' gain a broader audience via AlterNet

MIT's Center for International Studies (CIS), one of the leading international affairs research centers in the U.S., and AlterNet, an online project of the Independent Media Institute, have announced a unique partnership to bring the best work of academia to broader and more diverse audiences.

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Francis Deng to join MIT Center of International Studies

Francis Mading Deng, research professor of international politics, law and society, and director of the Center for Displacement Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., will join CIS on May 1, 2006, as the Center’s Robert E. Wilhelm Fellow.

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Outspoken Iranian human rights activist joins MIT Center for International Studies as a visiting scholar

Fatemeh Haghighatjoo, a leading advocate of human rights and democracy in Iran, has joined CIS as a visiting scholar. This is the first visit to the United States for Ms. Haghighatjoo, who resigned from Iran’s Parliament in February 2004 following a crackdown on reformers.

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Symposium on forced labor in the global economy

Though many of us would like to think of forced labor as a practice of the past, the unfortunate reality is that millions of people are still victims of this gross human rights abuse.  The purpose of this collaboration is to raise public awareness about the issue and to tackle some of the disagreements about forced labor, including how big a problem it is, how we should define it, and who should deal with it and how.

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PHRJ Fellow Miriam Zoll, co-founder of "Take Our Daughters to Work Day," on protection of orphans and women's economic rights

Twelve years ago, the Ms. Foundation for Women launched Take Our Daughters To Work Day to draw public attention to pay and promotion gaps between men and women in the U.S. workplace. This year one of the program's founders is working through MIT's Program on Human Rights and Justice to develop new strategies for lifting orphan households out of poverty.

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"Visions for Peace in Jerusalem" conference at MIT April 8-9, 2005

Jerusalem 2050 project, which will propose concrete plans to redesign the city by mid-century, is commencing with a major initiative to build the vision of a "city of peace" in this most symbolically important place. Jerusalem 2050 will hold an international design competition in 2007 to achieve these goals.