AMP’s fourth annual conference draws to an energetic and successful conclusion

(CHICAGO 11/28/2011) -- More than 2,000 people packed the main banquet hall at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare in Rosemont Saturday night to bring The Conference on Palestine in the US: A New Era of Activism to a rousing and successful end.

The final session of the three-day conference featured Imam Zaid Shakir, co-founder of Zaytuna College, and Dr. Hatem Bazian, AMP chairman and professor of Near East and Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. It gave the audience a chance to learn more about the American Muslims for Palestine by hearing about its quick growth from a relatively unknown volunteer group into the nation’s leading organization working for the cause of Palestine in the United States. In addition to learning about AMP’s many programs, the chairman from several of AMP’s 13 chapters also introduced themselves.

The entertainment session began with the parade of more than 100 children waving the national flags of the Arab countries that have been undergoing revolutions since last winter and ended with an energetic and inspiring dabka competition. The energy present was a continuation of the synergy and uplifting atmosphere that pervaded the conference all weekend.

“We are grateful that so many people chose to spend their Thanksgiving weekend with us, learning about Palestine,” said Fadi Sahouri, AMP-Chicago chairman. “We hope people will take what they learned and use the tools they received, such as AMP’s free Power Point presentations, to become active in the cause for Palestine.”

Participants traveled from all over the United States, including from California, Tennessee, Ohio, Minnesota, Washington DC, New Jersey and Iowa. More than 120 college students took part in the Campus Activism Track and benefited from training session by notable activists such as Anna Baltzer, national organizer for the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, and award-winning journalist and authocoalitions being built across the country, and AMP is pleased to be taking the lead in this. “

The conference may be over, but AMP is just gearing up for another year of educational programming and projects, including the upcoming Gaza campaign, a series of regional summits on Jerusalem, a national outdoor bus advertising campaign, and the continuation of nationwide lectures and training seminars.