Palestine: Mission for peace and human rights
Background
YMCA and YWCA in Palestine describe themselves as social organisations standing up for a digni-fied life for all humans in the own society. Since the second intifada it became more and more ob-vious, that this is only possible in the long run if the total situation in Palestine is changing. That’s why YMCA and YWCA founded the “Joint Advocacy Initiative”: A conjoint initiative with the purpose of drawing attention of the worldwide YMCA/YWCA movement, churches, civil organisations and interested private persons on the oppressed situation and to vouch for a solution of the conflict with the help of civil funds.
Work with youths on human rights
YMCA and YWCA are predestined as youth organisations to engage for a more friendly future through education work. That’s why YMCA founded the youth group „Youth for Peace and Devel-opment” that offers regular workshops on human rights, methods of nonviolence and democracy. YMCA integrated this content also in existing offerings for youths and is organising workshops in refugee camps. Additionally the youths are organising a “Journey for Justice” every year, a ten day education and encounter trip in Palestine for 18 to 25 year old youths from all over the world. Dur-ing this journey, the Palestinian youths are giving their peer colleagues an understanding of their own living conditions.
Olive tree campaign and information work
The „Joint Advocacy Initiative“ is also coordinating the olive tree campaign: With the help of spon-sors 50’000 young olive trees have been replanted until today, where trees had been pulled out or destroyed. In doing this, affected farmers get substituted a part of their dead trees. Furthermore the expropriation of soil can be prevented. Simultaneously the international sponsors are sensitized on the situation in Palestine and they are made aware of the importance for the local population to work globally on a peaceful world. The JAI website is an important tool for information work and advocacy in Palestine but also around the world.
Another part of the Olive tree campaign are the two week-long programmes that take place every year: the "Olive Planting Program" in early spring and the "Olive Picking Programm" in autumn.
| Project Info | Duration | Project Budget 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Horyzon is the Swiss development organisation for young people and supports projects in the South and East. | 2010-2012 | CHF 18'000.- |
Additional information
Project visit March 2011
Bruno Essig, new project manager at Horyzon, and his predecessor Adamo Antoniadis went visiting their partner projects in Palestine at the end of March 2011. In addition to numerous meetings with YWCA Palestine’s and East Jerusalem YMCA’s local project managers the project visit also offered the possibility to meet people who are directly supported by the projects.
One project I visited was the “Joint Advocacy Initiative” which is led by YWCA Palestine and East Jerusalem YMCA together. An important part of this initiative is the olive tree campaign “Keep Hope Alive”. This campaign supports olive tree farmers in the West Bank and in Gaza. Visiting a olive tree plantation was another highlight of my journey. I could convince myself on the spot about this farmers need for support. I think the olive tree campaign makes an important contribution to support these farmers. It was really motivating to hear the fact that on the occasion of the last planting-session not less than 46 olive trees were paid by Swiss donors.
In the name of all beneficiaries Horyzon’s thank goes to our donors and to all our other supporters of the Palestinian projects.
News related to the projects in Palestine
- Olive tree planting in Palestine, February 2012
- As a human rights observer in Palestine - a field report
- Destruction of olive trees in Palestine continues
- Journey for Justice 2011
- Outcry of youths in the Gaza Strip
- Israeli assault on "Gaza Freedom Flotilla"
- Human Rights First
Multimedia & activities
- Video report about the olive tree campaign
- Pictures from the projects in Palestine
- Experience reports of former volunteers
- Walled Horizons - Narrated by Roger Waters (UNO 2009)
Support & donate
Partner organisations
- Joint Advocacy Initiative from East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA Palestine
- Joint Advocacy Initiative on Facebook
- The East Jerusalem YMCA
- YWCA Palestine
Links to the topic Palestine/Israel
- SDC in the Westbank/Gaza (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation)
- OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)
- UNDP (UN Development Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People)
- UNICEF (UNICEF in Occupied Palestinian Territory)
- UNRWA (UN agency for Palestine refugees)
- B'Tselem (Israeli information center for human rights in the occupied territories)
- The Electronic Intifada (Palestinian view on the conflict)
- www.nahostfrieden.ch (Network Switzerland for a just peace in Palestine/Israel, in German only)
Links to the article "Bulldozers demolishing hope" in Horyzon 3/10
- Map with the (planned) route of the barrier around the village of Al Walaja
- Map of Al Walaja and the planned settlement of Giv'at Yeal
- Additional information regarding the village of Al Walaja
- More pictures of the land destruction of Ahmed Barghouth
- Israeli West Bank barrier (Wikipedia)
- West Bank barrier route projection (as of July 2010)
- UN resolution regarding the construction of the West Bank barrier
- With open maps: Palestine/Israel - A cartography of the safety fence (ARTE 2004, in German and French)
- The wall painters (picture gallery from Süddeutsche Zeitung, in German)
- The Israeli information center B'Tselem about the West Bank barrier
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs occupied Palestinian territory
