CJPME is thrilled to introduce the six winners and finalists for our 2022-2023 academic fellowships! CJPME's academic fellowships are intended to encourage students to pursue formal academic study on Palestine or Palestine Solidarity. These fellowships are part of CJPME's Campus Solidarity initiative launched earlier this year, which supports students through campaigns, resources, grants, fellowships, and legal advice.

Our two fellowship winners (see below) each received $1000 in fellowship money, while the other four finalists each received $250. Check out the photos and blurbs below to get to know them better. Please join us in congratulating them!

Fellowship Winners:

Rania Jarrar is pursuing a PhD in Translation Studies at the University of Ottawa. Rania’s project explores how knowledge is “translated” between Palestinian aid recipients and international aid agencies in the humanitarian sector, where there may be a disconnect between local and international priorities and practices. Rania will interview local development workers in Palestine, who are at the centre of this tension, and hopes that this will provide insight into how international aid can be more satisfactory and responsive to local needs and context.

Yannis Arab is pursuing a PhD in History at the Université de Montréal. Yannis’ research explores the experiences of Algerians living in Palestine, particularly during the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the beginning of Zionist colonization, and the creation of the State of Israel. Yannis’ work will show how some Algerians themselves were exiled as a result of the Nakba, alongside other inhabitants of Palestine, thus corroborating the Palestinian narrative. His research will also follow the movements of these individuals between Algeria and Palestine, from 1830 until Algeria independence in 1962. This research will be pursued through field surveys and archival analysis in Algeria, Palestine, and elsewhere in the region.

Fellowship Finalists:

Ameer Idreis is pursuing a Master of Science in Planning from the University of Toronto. Ameer’s research looks at how urban planning and the naming of public spaces by Israel has been an aspect of Israeli settler-colonialism and has contributed to the oppression of Palestinians, specifically in occupied East Jerusalem. His research looks at city planning which benefits settlements and marginalizes Palestinian neighborhoods, and how Israel’s practices of naming cities and streets has tried to erase Palestinian identity and history.

Mohammed Nijim is pursuing a PhD in Sociology and Political Economy from Carleton University. Mohammed’s research evaluates the problem of genocide in modern society, looking specifically at the history of Palestine during Israel’s colonization. Mohammed’s work is interested in the social conditions in modern societies that lead to genocide, including capitalism and the territorial expansion of colonial states, and how perpetrators of genocide understand their role in these crimes.

Razan Samara is completing a Master of Arts in Adult Education & Community Development at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Razan’s project looks at the relationships of solidarity between Palestinian and Indigenous youth who are engaged in anti-colonial activism. This research aims to be participatory and collaborative, involving interviews with Palestinian and Indigenous community members to centre their perspectives and experiences.

Samuel Ramer is completing an Honours History degree at the University of Waterloo. His undergraduate thesis looks at the impact of the pro-Israel lobby in the US through the case study of 1982 re-election campaign of Paul Findley, an American congressman for Illinois. Findley, who had previously expressed an interest in Palestinian human rights, was defeated through a massive campaign (and significant spending) from pro-Israel lobby organizations. Relying on archival information, this study provides an early example of the pro-Israel lobby’s role in electoral politics, and will show how the lobby has suppressed critical speech on Israel and Palestinian human rights.

Can you support our work?

CJPME's academic fellowships are only possible due to the generosity of our donors. If you believe in what CJPME is doing to support academic research, please consider making a gift of financial support to CJPME. Our work depends entirely on private donations. Monthly donations are especially helpful, as they sustain our ongoing work and make it easier for us to strategize for the future. If you don't like to donate by credit card, you may donate via email transfer, over the phone (438-380-5410), or complete and mail in this form. Thank you!