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Hanan Ashrawi

8 October 1946 – present

Hanan Ashrawi is a Palestinian academic, legislator and diplomat. A professor of English literature at Birzeit University, she became widely known as spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the 1991 Madrid peace conference. She later served as a minister in the Palestinian Authority, founded the civil-society organisation MIFTAH and sat on the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization until 2020.

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Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Hanan Ashrawi.

Life events

Born in Nablus
8 October 1946

She was born into a Palestinian Christian family and grew up in Ramallah.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Birth ✓
Studied English literature at the American University of Beirut
c. 1964 – c. 1970

She completed a bachelor's and a master's degree in Lebanon.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Education ✓
Taught at Birzeit University and established its English department
1973 – 1995

She later served as dean of the faculty of arts at the university.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Earned a doctorate in medieval and comparative literature at the University of Virginia
1981

She returned to the West Bank after completing the degree.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Education ✓
Served as spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation at the Madrid Conference
October 1991

She presented the delegation's positions to the international press during the talks in Spain.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Appointed Palestinian Authority Minister of Higher Education and Research
1996 – 1998

She resigned from the post in 1998.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Founded MIFTAH, the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy
1998

The Ramallah-based organisation works on public diplomacy and democratic governance.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Awarded the Sydney Peace Prize
2003

The award was the subject of public controversy in Australia.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Achievement ✓
Served on the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization
2009 – December 2020

She was elected to the committee in 2009 and resigned in December 2020.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
Career ✓