American Near East Refugee Aid President and Middle East Representative Visit Bethlehem University

19 December 2007

The President and Middle East Representative of American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) visited Bethlehem University on December 19, 2007. ANERA is a non-profit, charitable organization concerned with the development needs of communities in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan and Lebanon and has been supporting Bethlehem University for a long time. Currently, the organization provides scholarships for students like Rawan Jadallah, who will complete her Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature in 2009, and fourth year student Firas Bader who is finishing his studies in Business Administration.

Among the visitors were ANERA President Mr. William Corcoran together with his spouse Mrs. Barbara Corcoran, Dr. Thomas Neu, the  organization’s Middle East Representative in Jerusalem,  and Liz Demarest, Communications Director at ANERA. Other guests included Ms. Tamara Handal, Mr. Mohammad Abu Rajab and Mr. Nader Maadi, employees of ANERA and students in Bethlehem University’s Masters Degree in International Cooperation and Development (MICAD) program, the first postgraduate degree offered at the University. MICAD aims to further train people who work in non governmental organizations like ANERA and thus contribute to development in the West Bank. The two year old program celebrated the graduation of its first generation of MICAD students in 2007.

Brother Neill Kieffe, Director of Instructional Technologies at Bethlehem University, welcomed the visitors and thanked them for the precious support the university receives from ANERA. The group was also welcomed by the Director of the Christian Brothers’ Community, Brother Joseph Loewenstein, the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, Dr. Fadi Kattan, and Public Relations Officer Ms. Dina Awwad. After having learned more about the history and current work of the University in a short movie presentation in Cardinal Furno Hall, the group visited the University’s Chapel of the Divine Child, then proceeded to the rooftop of Millennium Hall to catch a glimpse of Bethlehem and Beit Jala surrounded by the Israeli-built separation wall and the settlements. Brother Neill concluded with a description of the University’s recent accomplishments and current projects such as the renovation of  the upper level of Bethlehem Hall, the building that houses the Faculties of Nursing and Health Sciences.

American Near East Refugee Aid was founded in 1968 in the aftermath of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War to help the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians. Initially providing emergency relief, ANERA determined the effects of the war on Palestinian society would last well into the future and therefore began implementing projects that would establish a foundation for social and economical growth.