Dear colleagues and participants to the AWG/LAU Conference on the topic: 'The Euro-Arab Encounter'

Greetings,

I'm writing to let you know that due to the unexpected circumstances of the recent war on Lebanon, The Arab World Geographer in cooperation with the Lebanese American University have decided to keep the venue of the conference as it was originally planned --- but to postpone the conference to a later date of 7-9 December 2006. This decision was made in consultation with a number of participants, the LAU and members of the organizing committee. 

We are quite optimistic that Lebanon is heading towards recovery from the recent devastation and the spirit of return to normal life in Beirut as well as the rest of Lebanon is in high gear.

As some of you may have been aware, I also experienced an unpleasant "war" imposed on me by same body (or its agents) during my recent visit to Palestine, and I'm also hoping to return to normal life as are many Lebanese. Please have a look at the websites below to learn more about my own experience, if you wish to do so: 

http://www.petitiononline.com/geograph/
http://www.ghazifalah.com/
http://www.muehlenhaus.com/ghazi

Let us hope that this upcoming conference will bring all of us together in a fruitful academic setting and that all of us will be ready to add some small measure in contributing to peace and normalization of life in Lebanon by the actual presence and solidarity with our colleagues in Beirut during this conference. We have so far some 65 abstracts for this conference by closing deadline of 15 June 2006.

I already visited Beirut during the first week of June this year and have made all preparations for the conference with our partner at LAU. In the coming weeks, you will be receiving list of hotels where you will be staying. We have worked out very reasonable prices for accommodation at a comfortable location.

 With kind regards,

Ghazi-Walid Falah

AWG, Editor-in-Chief and a Conference Organizer