Research assistant wanted: The Status of Palestinian Refugees in International Law

Applications for this position are no longer being accepted. If you have already emailed the researchers you will hear from them in due course. They thank you for your interest!

Research Assistant Position

Second Edition of The Status of Palestinian Refugees in International Law (Oxford University Press).

Summary Job Description

The Research Team for the second edition of The Status of Palestinian Refugees in International Law (SPRIL) is looking for a Research Assistant to support the development of the book.

SPRIL’s first edition was published by Oxford University Press in 1998. The second edition, due by December 2017, will focus on a broad array of legal and political developments occurred since 1998 in connection with the Palestinian Refugee Question.

The Research Assistant’s primary responsibilities will include focused research on secondary and potentially primary sources related to the Palestinian Question and Palestinian refugees in Arab countries, reviewing and summarizing existing literature and responding to ad hoc demands of the Research Team as needed. Sources will include legal and UN documents, history books as well as publications of socio-political interest. Supporting the Research Team in the conduct of structured interviews will also be contemplated.

If the candidate has related experience and interest, the Research Assistant may also assist with other areas of the research including in-the-field research.
Minimum qualifications and requirements to be considered an applicant
Degree in Law, International Affairs, Political Sciences or related areas. Post-graduate qualifications will be an asset.

The incumbent will have to possess significant interest in the Palestinian Refugee Question.

Qualifications required

Previous research experience will be considered as a plus.

English proficiency required. Arabic and French will be considered an important asset.

Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills are essential including proficiency with MS office software.

Period

6-12 months part time. Details to be discussed with research team.

Allowance

Provided.

Fateh Azzam: Palestine Should Give Its Refugees Citizenship

At the al-Shabaka policy network website, Fateh Azzam (Director of the newly established Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University in Beirut) has a “bold proposal”: that Palestine should give all Palestinian refugees Palestinian citizenship:

Now that Palestine is recognized as a state, the next bold step for Palestine is to confer citizenship on its stateless refugees and enter into bilateral agreements with other states regarding the status of Palestinian citizens in each country. In making the case for such a move, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Fateh Azzam is well aware of the treacherous political waters that this proposal entails. However, he argues that it is worth considering from all its aspects, including the potential problems, as it could be a long over-due move to strengthen the legal status of Palestinian refugees – in particular the stateless refugees – and to improve their situation in their countries of current residence. It would also create facts on the ground, which may become the building blocks for national liberation.

His excellent analysis is sensitive to the difficulties such an initiative would encounter: Arab opposition to dual citizenship (and the possible erosion of their legal rights in Jordan); the risks it might pose the Palestinian claims of a right of return; possible retaliatory measures by Israel or the US; the practical difficulties of implementation. However, he argues, the benefits would be much greater, reinforcing the legal linkage between Palestine and refugees in the diaspora, and possibly improving the treatment of Palestinians in some countries. The right of return, he argues, is an individual right, and cannot and would not be diminished by acts of the state of Palestine.

All-in-all, a very important piece that is well worth reading.