Ashrawi, Hanan (1946–)

Hanan Daoud Khalil Ashrawi emerged as a political activist and voice for Palestinians when she returned to her homeland of Palestine in 1973. On her return, Ashrawi developed the Department of English at Birzeit University in the West Bank. As a voice for human rights, she has distinguished herself both politically and academically as she has earned herself a seat in the theater of Palestinian politics. She has utilized her scholarly insight by writing numerous articles, poems, and short stories regarding Palestinian culture, literature, and political plight. In 1998, Ashrawi created MIFTAH, an organization committed to human rights, democracy, and peace in Palestine. In 2003, she was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize.

Hanan Ashrawi was born in Ramallah in 1946, then a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. Her father, Daoud Mikhail, was a founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Ashrawi received her bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature from the American University of Beirut and her Ph.D. in medieval and comparative literature from the University of Virginia. She began her activism in 1974 when she created the Birzeit University Legal Aid Committee/Human Rights Action Project as a response to the sporadic closures of Birzeit University by the Israeli military. She served as chair of the Department of English at Birzeit University from 1973 to 1978 and again from 1981 to 1984. From 1986 to 1990, she served as dean of the Faculty of Arts. Ashrawi remained a faculty member at Birzeit until 1995.

Her political involvement took center stage in 1988 during the First Intifada. She joined the Intifada Political Committee and served on the Diplomatic Committee until 1993. From 1991 to 1993, she served as the official spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation to the Middle East peace process. When the peace accords were signed by Arafat and Rabin in 1993, Dr. Ashrawi founded and headed the Preparatory Committee of the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights in Jerusalem. In 1996, she served as Minister of Higher Education and Research until 1998 when she resigned in protest against political corruption, especially Arafat's handling of the peace talks. In August 1998, she founded the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, otherwise known as MIFTAH.

Dr. Ashrawi serves on numerous international advisory boards, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, and the World Bank Middle East and North Africa. In 1995, she published her autobiographical book, This Side of Peace: A Personal Account. Through her scholarly work and political involvement, Dr. Ashrawi has become known as an advocate for peace with justice for the Palestinians and Israelis. Ashrawi's wish is to end the Israeli occupation based on humanitarian rather than historical or ideological foundation.