Land dispossession and popular resistance in Palestine and beyond
Program
- Welcome and introduction, by Erik Gomez-Baggethun (Professor NMBU, Convener of the Academic Solidarity with Palestine Seminar Series).
- Keynote speech by Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh (founder and director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History and the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability at Bethlehem University).
- Panel discussion and questions with:
Ibrahima Poudiougou (Landresponse project), on the Sahel;
Rozerin Algunerhan (actor, stage artist, and political activist), on Kurdistan;
Carmen Beatriz Marta Mapis (researcher at NMBU), on the Mapuche;
Rami Samandar (Leader of Palestinakomiteen i Norge), on Palestine.
Short Biographies of participants:
- Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh is the founder and volunteer director of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability, Bethlehem University. He previously served at US universities including Tennessee, Duke and Yale. Qumsiyeh published over 250 scientific papers, over 30 book chapters, hundreds of articles, and several books, including “Sharing the Land of Canaan” and “Popular Resistance in Palestine” on topics ranging from the environmental impact of colonization to environmental and climate justice to cultural heritage to human rights to biodiversity conservation to cancer.
- Ibrahima Poudiougou is a researcher and lecturer at the Department of International Environment and Development Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). Holding a double PhD in anthropology and African studies, his interdisciplinary work focuses on political ecology, land conflicts, and security dynamics in the West African Sahel, with a particular focus on Mali.
- Rozerin Algunerhan was born to a Kurdish family and raised with a strong commitment to justice. She has dedicated much of her youth and adult life to advocating for the Kurdish cause. Algunerhan serves as chair of the diplomacy committee at the Kurdish Democratic Society Centre (KDS). Her work focuses on human rights, women’s liberation, and trade union organizing. Algunerhan has also performed in Baqorban, a Norwegian theatre production about Kurdish resistance and displacement.
- Carmen Mapis is a PhD candidate in planning at NMBU, researching land-use conflicts, environmental sustainability, and power in territorial governance. With Mapuche family roots, she is interested in how the politics of dispossession, resistance, and land struggles constrain communities, identities, and futures across different contexts.
- Rami Samandar is a social scientist, engineer and public debater with a background from Jerusalem. He grew up under Israeli occupation, which has shaped a strong commitment to justice, freedom and respect for international law. Samandar is the chair of the Palestine Committee in Norway and has extensive experience in political work, public debate and advocacy relating to Palestine and international issues.
This seminar is part of the Academic Solidarity with Palestine Seminar Series, which is organised by staff and students at NMBU, with support from the Noragric Wonder Funds, the European Research Council-funded Landresponse project, and student solidarity organisations (Spire, Amnesty, SAIH, and Globalis) at NMBU.
This specific seminar is organised in collaboration with Palestinakomiteen i Norge, Fellesutvalget for Palestina and Internasjonal Kvinneliga for Fred og Frihet.
