This is one of the speakers at The Rachel Corrie Foundation’s 2006 Peace Works Conference.
Diana Buttu is a Palestinian-Canadian lawyer. In 2000, she left North America to move to Palestine in order to assist with the then “peace” negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel as one of the PLO’s legal advisors. With the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising against Israel’s occupation (and the breakdown of negotiations) Diana decided to remain in Palestine.
She gained prominence during Israel’s invasion of the West Bank, serving as spokesperson for the PLO. Ms Buttu assisted in the litigation of Israel’s wall before the Hague in 2004 – a resounding victory for the Palestinians, and indictment of Israel’s wall. In 2005 she was appointed President Abbas’s communications director. She has since left her official posts. She now resides in Gaza where she is writing a book on the Israeli occupation.
Prior to moving to Palestine in 2000, Ms Buttu also served as legal counsel to the Canadian Department of Justice. She holds law degrees from the University of Toronto and Stanford Law School.
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