event
PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Wednesday
12
November
The Economy of A Genocide B

The Economy of A Genocide

The Middle East & North Africa Student Initiative
, -

Maison de la Paix – Auditorium Ivan Pictet (A1)

Do you know who profits from genocide?

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Join scholars, activists, and practitioners in breaking the silence and exposing the economic motives behind occupation and genocide. The atrocities Palestinians face every day are not just arbitrary acts of brutality or tragedies. They are outcomes of a system built on colonial rule, sustained by economic dependency, and aggravated through digital surveillance.

On 12 November, the Midde East and North Africa Student Initiative of the Geneva Graduate Institute is organizing its biggest conference of the year, The Economy of a Genocide. From the historical roots of exploitation, to the struggles of economic resistance, and to Gaza’s role as a laboratory for global war tech: during three panels, this event will uncover how genocide has become a profitable enterprise.

 

Panel 1: Structures of Domination (12:00-14:00)

This panel unpacks the political economy of domination, tracing how dependency and exploitation are sustained through everyday governance, global markets, and occupation economies.

Featuring:

  • Raja Khalidi (MAS – Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute)
  • Shir Hever (Alliance for Justice Between Israelis and Palestinians – BIP)
  • Julie Billaud (Geneva Graduate Institute)

Moderated by Christiana Parreira (Geneva Graduate Institute)

 

Panel 2: Economies of Resilience and Resistance (14:45–17:00)

This panel explores the politics of resilience, from grassroots organizing and boycott movements to ethical economies and legal advocacy. Further, it questions why global powers continue to shield Israel from economic accountability.

Featuring:

  • Video Message from Alaa Tartir (Al-Shabaka – The Palestinian Policy Network - Geneva Graduate Institute)
  • Naser Abdelkarim (Center for Private Sector Development; Arab American University)
  • Fiona Ben Checkroun (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions – BDS)
  • Nijmeh Ali (Middle East Studies Association – MESA; Al-Shabaka – The Palestinian Policy Network)
  • Sami Huraini (Youth of Sumud; Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – PSCC)

Moderated by Rana Nur Aydın (Geneva Graduate Institute; MENA Initiative)

 

Panel 3: Profiting from Digital Oppression (17:45–20:00)

This panel examines how surveillance, algorithmic control, and censorship shape narratives, silence Palestinian voices, and translate online oppression into real-world violence. It exposes the complicity of Western tech and social media companies in erasing evidence, amplifying state propaganda, and monetizing violence through profit-driven digital governance.

Featuring:

  • Adi Mansour (European University Institute; Attorney, Adalah Legal Center)
  • Ibtihal Aboussad (No Azure for Apartheid; former Software Engineer, Microsoft)

Moderated by Bilal Salaymeh (Geneva Graduate Institute; Center on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding – CCDP)

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