15 Delegates including 4 Peace Commission people have returned from the people-to-people visit to Palestine. The trip began in Jerusalem with a tour of East Jerusalem viewing the Israeli acquisition of Palestinian defined land and relocation/redefinition of citizenship for Palestinians which was to be a theme for much of the trip. The group then spent 6 days in Bethlehem in meetings and visits with the vice-mayor and members of the City Council, a Catholic School (Terra sancta), Chamber of Commerce, the Bethlehem Peace Center, Al Feneiq community center for Refugees, Arab Rehabilitation Center for disabled people, Maher Children’s Cancer center and hospital, Ibda’a cultural center at the Dheisheh refugee camp, a variety of NGO’s (Badil Right of return, project about political prisoners, Ensan center for Human rights), a tour of the wall with B’tselem, nonviolence activists, the American school (an evangelical English-speaking school) the Alrowwad Theater and Video Project in the Aida Refuge camp, women’s crafts people, a soap making cooperative and Bethlehem University.
The delegates included both Palestinians and Jews some of whom had spent a lot of time in Israel with a very different framework. For all the delegates, it was an emotional trip. We were welcomed into homes, offices, and work places. People shared their stories of restrictions (history of incursions and sieges, house demolitions, destruction of tourism, no Bethlehemites have been able to travel to next door Jerusalem for more than 5 years), “beautiful resistance” (in the form of cultural expressions, university studies for fields they may never be able to practice, research and presentations about the “facts-on the ground” of expropriation of lands and curtailment of the essentials needed for livelihood, continued commitment to a life of fullness), services being delivered without funds or stable conditions (Bethlehem University which has been shut down or subject to curfew, the Rehab hospital which serves all of the West Bank having to be flexible about scheduling because checkpoints and raids can prevent patients from making their appointments or others will show up because they have just been able to travel), their understanding of the present moment, hopes for the future, and interest in connections with Cambridge.
The Spirit of the West Bank, by Omar Bandar
Cambridge Delegation Returns with Stories by Phyllis Bretholtz and Cathy Hoffman
Reflections by Cathy Hoffman
Itinerary, Cambridge –Bethlehem People-to-People delegation, November 21-28, 2007
The trip began in Jerusalem with a tour of East Jerusalem viewing the Israeli acquisition of Palestinian defined land and relocation/redefinition of citizenship for Palestinians which was to be a theme for much of the trip.
The group then spent 6 days in Bethlehem in meetings and visits which are designed to give us an understanding of the situation and be possible sources of twinning with Cambridge counterparts. If you are interested in an exchange, please contact us.
The vice-mayor and members of the City Council – interested in welcoming people. Deputy mayor George Sa’adeh is a member of the Bereaved parents Circle with Israelis and Palestinian parents whose children have been killed. The councilors are both Muslim and Christian with the mayor being a Christian by ordinance.
Terra Sancta Franciscan Brothers Roman Catholic School Boys School K-12 serving Muslim and Christian boys in the Bethlehem area. The high school has capacities and interest in Skype and email exchanges with students in the US (older grades best due to English language proficiency)
Chamber of Commerce – promoting Palestinian goods made in Bethlehem would be interested in exchanges about promotion and interest in Bethlehem products (mother-of-pearl, marble, embroidery). Possibility of supplying handicrafts for holiday events.
Bethlehem Peace Center – community center with exhibition space.
Al Feneiq community center for Refugees – community center in the D’heisheh refugee camp – weight-lifting/health resources, literacy, support groups for women, computer training. Exchange with womens’ groups.
Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation Hospital - comprehensive hospital/center for disabled people, hospital serving the needs of disabled people particularly those with cerebral palsy, cardio-vascular attacks and people wounded by gunfire or missiles. They have 65 beds with room for 20 more in case of emergencies. They also perform orthopedic, ENT, ophthalmology and general surgeries since they are the only rehab hospital in the West Bank. 15% of staff people with disabilities. Challenges for patients in other parts of the West bank to access the hospital due to road blocks and check points has led to creative ways of providing access. Funds come from European sources and local Health Ministry (but the lack of Ministry access to the taxes has meant really irregular funds.) exchange with disability community and medical community.
Maher Children’s Cancer center – an independent volunteer center to provide support to children with cancer and their families, to train volunteers by experts and to raise awareness about cancer (including toxic waste issues). They provide educational programming, and recreational activities. Maher Center is named for an 8-year-old Jerusalemite boy who died of cancer whose father created a center in his name. The center provides psychological and educational support to children who receive treatment at nearby Al Hussein Hospital and has equipped a children’s room there used by the children and their attendants for recreational and educational purposes. Support for their efforts.
Ibdaa (“to create something out of nothing”) cultural center is a grassroots organization providing social, educational, cultural programs for the children, youth and women of the Dheisheh refugee camp – The cultural center runs a series of programs and services for young people including an internationally known dance troop which tours, a music ensemble, oral history project, media training project, computer center allowing for on-line conversations, women’s cooperative, children’s mental health program and the only guesthouse in a Palestinian refugee camp. Venues for the dancers, contact with youth at the center.
American Jerusalem school (a Christian K-12 English-speaking school). The High School students are particularly interested in email pen pals and one of the teachers from the US has the interest and capability to pursue a Skype set-up.
The Alrowwad Cultural and Theater Training Centre in the Aida Refuge camp. Alrowwad, initiator of the “Beautiful non-violent resistance” is an independent, community based organization to empower children and women by targeting behavior, knowledge, concepts through beautiful and nonviolent means. – Project with young people in video production, theater, dance, traditional cultural traditions and political theater. They try to break the stereotypes in the media about Palestinians via theater and artistic international tours and media production and at the centre through media literacy and tools such as theater, puppets, art, video and sports. Venues for the youth to come, exchanges with the video/theater youth.
Women’s Cooperatives – Rural Women’s Development Society economic development where some women do micro lending, using their own pooled funds; which helps women market agricultural products, needlework and other crafts.
Aseela Women’s Cooperative a Soap cooperative – started by a woman who was no longer able to work as a nurse in Jerusalem because she was denied permission. Aseela (that which is at the root) is a women’s cooperative which makes soap from Palestinian olive oil. Interested in ways to market the soap in the area.
Bethlehem University. Founded by the La Salle Order of Roman Catholic Brothers and is funded by the Vatican, PA, Tuition, and Fundraising (79%). It is 70% Moslem and 30% Christian. University serving the Palestinians in pursuit of a wide variety of both general humanities and technical degrees to serve the people of Palestine. University departments, students and technical program (Restaurant and Hotel) are very interested in exchanges with US counterparts including teleconferencing and study/teaching options.
NGO’s
Badil – focuses on the right of return. Lots of detailed research about the history of the cleansing of Palestine, refugees and pursuit of recognition of the international right of return.
Political Prisoners Association. Documents the 11,000 political prisoners in Israeli custody including children and those in administrative detention
Alternative Tourism Group– promotes human-oriented tourism, for tourists wanting a greater understanding of the “facts-on the ground” and contact with Palestinian population. Tours and pilgrimages that include critical examinations of the history, culture and politics of the Holy Land. Promoting positive image of Palestine and its people and to contribute to a just peace in the area.
Ensan center for Human rights – focuses on legal challenges facing Palestinians such as demolitions of houses, denial of permissions as well as an overall analysis of the current situation. Pro bono work for those whose human rights have been abused by the Israeli or Palestinian government.