|
|
AEI-Open Windows Visitors
Timu Kuta visit
A youth group from the
Netherlands organized by Timu Kuta arrived in
Jerusalem, Palestine on the 25th
January 2008. They came with 10 talented
students led by Sanne and Angelic, cofounders of
this youth NGO. The team decided to come and
discover the daily life reality of Palestinian
youth and to experience a life full of dreams
and hopes under occupation, with the apartheid
wall, a broken economy, and 70% of unemployment
and probably a similar number of people
traumatized in one way or another. The visitors
experienced the truth about the Palestinian
people in spite the images abroad of extremism,
terror and worsening Christian-Moslem relations.
In the two weeks of their stay they touched,
heard, saw, and lived with Palestinian families,
people, and AEI members.
AEI was responsible for
organizing their meetings in the Bethlehem,
Hebron and Ramallah areas in addition to their
stay with families during their time in
Palestine. Milad Vosgueritchain, general youth
coordinator was accompanying the group during
all their visits, meetings and tours to
religious sites, NGOs, camps, villages, cities
and in the meetings with members of the AEI
youth and women groups.
In Bethlehem, they
visited Al-Rowwad Center at Aida Camp and Ibda’
Center at Al Dheisha Camp. Shadi from
Ibda’ Center talked about the history of Dheisha
camp, gave a brief history of Ibda’center, its
mission, activities, projects, dancing troop,
music and sports. Shadi shared the nightmare of
the Nakba or catastrophe and the wish to return
after 60 years. He said: Since I was born until
today I couldn’t enter Jerusalem and touch the
soul of our grandfather’s village which is very
near to the Ben Gurion airport. I went to the
United States, Europe and Arab countries but my
village that is 4 kilometers away from the camp
I cannot reach. But the dream to do a show in
Jerusalem one day is real. Timu Kuta had the
chance to tour inside the narrow roads of the
camp and see the old rooms used by big families
the years following the Nakba. Also, they
visited Al Rowwad Theater Center at Aida Camp.
They saw a documentary film about the center,
theater, activities with kids, adults and women
- in addition to the impact of the Wall on the
camp, kids and education. After they finished
visiting the camp they continued the tour with a
Wall walk until the AEI Sumud Peace House near
Rachel’s Tomb. The group watched a documentary
film about the area made by two American
volunteers. It talks about the destruction that
was left after the construction of the Apartheid
Wall on the souls, minds, and lives of people.
The area became a security (military) zone, and
a deserted area. The documentary shows realities
of dreams and hopes that were taken from them in
one night but the spirit of Sumud
(steadfastness) taught them to keep hope alive
like the olive tree - no matter how big the
storm is.
The team was shocked by AEI
women’s group nicknamed “Women of Dreams” for
their courage and high spirit in fighting the
despair, pain, unemployment, occupation and the
wall. All this didn’t stop Palestinian women to
continue struggle and stay resilient to fight
for a better education, their children, and a
beautiful and free country without restrictions
on movement for peace, justice and equality for
all Palestinians and Israelis. AEI women talked
about their role, activities and training
activities, such as nonviolent communication,
flower designing, writing your story, national
and interreligious education, English
communication skills and computer skills.
Timu Kuta’s “Dream Team” has
been participating in the youth meetings of the
AEI which gave both sides the floor to share
their dreams, hopes, experiences, emotions and
realities in spite of different cultures. The
team was interested in such questions as: do you
have dreams? How important is it to dream? AEI
members always relate and link their dreams
through their realities. The only freedom you
have as a Palestinian is to dream, keep dreaming
and waiting. One of the answers that came out is
dreaming of a free country, a democratic
pluralistic culturally Palestine. At the same
time you meet people without education,
disappointed, frustrated, mentally confused and
without a guarantee for a future, these examples
are victims of injustice and inequality. Our
struggle and conflict with Israelis is not only
about the land and borders but also about
humanity, dignity and equality in rights. Why
are our grandfathers, parents, and new
generations paying the costs of hatred,
bitterness, greed and crimes of war.
AEI organized a wonderful
tour in the old and new quarters of Bethlehem,
Nativity Square, the Peace Center, and the
Nativity and Milk Grotto Churches. The team
visited the Bethlehem Museum of the Arab Women
Union that shows how life in Bethlehem was 200
years ago, and also the Shepherd’s Fields at
Beit Sahour. They spent time in typical
Palestinian restaurants of Bethlehem enjoying
eating humus & falafel which is the traditional
Palestinian breakfast or sometimes lunch. What
characterizes Bethlehem as a Christian city with
Moslem majority is the living together and
respecting of differences between the people.
The group also discussed the diversity in
beliefs among Christians (Catholics, Greek
Orthodox, Armenians, Aramaic and, Protestants).
The team made many
educational and cultural visits, especially to
Bethlehem University, during which they saw a
documentary film that showed the negative impact
of the (oppression of the) second Intifada
including the building the wall, the 40-day
siege of the Nativity church, restrictions on
movement as a result of checkpoints, isolation
and curfews etc. These measures had a negative
influence on Bethlehem University because many
students couldn’t attend regularly the classes.
The Dean of Arts said to the Dutch group that
Palestinians don’t have other chances than
education because it is the only way to get out
of the depression and transform realities into
dreams.
The group visited Bir Zeit
University; they met Yasser Darwish, coordinator
& university photographer. Mr. Darwesh explained
the difficult period that the university went
through and the system of education in general
including intermittent closures from 1987 till
1992. The suffering continues until today. One
of the hottest questions posed: Does the
university have contacts with Israeli educators?
The answer was no because since 87 till now they
didn’t do anything so we are in support of the
boycott of Israeli academic institutions and
have no communication. After that the group
continued their program to the Latin Bir Zeit
School (member of the AEI school network) where
they enjoyed a great meal called “Moujadarah
with salad”.
In Ramallah, they visited the
Arafat Memorial and then had free time in the
City preparing themselves to meet the Dutch
Representative Office with whom they hade an
open discussion and questions on the Palestinian
cause.
Timu Kuta had then a healthy
walk and talk to Artas Village – Hortus
Conclusos or “the closed garden” as it is
surrounded with mountains from four sides and is
located near fertile wells and pools - known as
Salomon’s Pools. The village has a Lettuce
festival, natural springs and a heritage
folklore center. What was waiting the group:
typical “Mousakhan” food (home made bread with
fried onion and baked chickens and some peppers)
at the Artas Heritage Center with special
folklore dance performances (dabke). The group
was happy to see the culture of Palestinians
while all participated in a dabka dance with
music.
The last day was in Hebron
city. The group visited the old quarters of
Hebron (old City) where they saw incredible
things: half of the city had been taken by force
by settlers, controlling the closed markets.
They saw the hopeless faces of Palestinian
owners, and experienced the restrictions upon
entering the Abraham Mosque divided into an
Islamic Mosque and a Jewish Synagogue. In Hebron
they visited the Yes Theater. They heard a brief
history of this theater and their plays. The
group was surprised to hear from the actors how
they handled very important and sensitive issues
within the Palestinian society. The last hour of
the group was at the Tent of Nations in the
nearby Nahaleen village, where they got to know
about the Christian family that owns a land
there. This family had been threatened many
times by settlers who wanted to expand their
colony. The family resisted in nonviolent way to
keep the spirit of grandfathers and identity in
this land.
Saturday night was special because the hosting
families, and the university students and
postgraduates participated with the Dutch group
in a dancing party which included icebreaking
games, duo singing by Manou and Nicole, one of
the university group performed trumpet playing,
and the AEI choir group performed, accompanied
by Noubar Vosgueritchian, organist. At the end
there was a sharing of food. Timu Kuta was
impressed by the spirit and hope they touched
from the faces of Palestinian youth. Through
dancing and singing they say no to occupation,
yes for freedom. The harmony of the
intercultural party was created through dancing,
singing and laughing together in spite of all
differences. The group went home full of
memories, dreams and a beautiful image of
Palestine and Palestinians. They will never
forget their experiences with Palestinian
families, including the AEI family, during the
sharing of food and all the talks and activities
they had and the friendships they created. |
|
