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Newsletter Arab Educational Institute
(AEI-Open Windows)
15
January 2008
MESSAGE
OF HOPE
Dear friends,
Heartfelt greetings from a cold but sunny
Bethlehem. Our city was once again in the news,
because of the quick visit of president Bush.
However, in the eyes of the community this visit
of president Bush to our city was really a
non-event. There was no message of hope. It will
be the task of the Palestinian community itself,
based on national unity and inter-religious
solidarity, and in connection and solidarity
with our supporters worldwide, to bring out a
message of hope.
Not that it is easy to bring out such a message
these days.. On a modest scale and symbolically
we tried to do so on December 21, with the
creation of a human, living star in front
of the Wall near Rachel’s Tomb. You might
already have seen the photo of the star. In this
newsletter you find a reference to a video
of this happening (made by Reinout van Schie),
and also to some very heartwarming actions
and prayers of solidarity in the UK
organized or encouraged by the British section
of Pax Christi. This international ‘networking’
is really a kind of ‘friendworking’. This is
especially so for our women’s group who is
helping to make the Rachel Tomb’s neighborhood
alive by activities through the new sumud
peace house.
Together with bishop Desmond Tutu of South
Africa and others we say that hope is not the
same as optimism. We are still going through
hard times in Palestine and especially these
days in Gaza where human losses are suffered at
a large scale.
Yet your involvement is important and warming us
up, such as the work of the international
volunteers who joined us last year and this
upcoming year. To them a heartfelt thank you and
welcome! Below you find a link to photos of some
of the events to which the volunteers last year
contributed.
On
the internal "front" the AEI will not face an
easy year.. But we too keep our sumud,
despite the cessation of some of our important
subsidies in the second half of this year. All
the more reason not to forget about any
contributions you may wish to give us this
year!
With very best regards,
Fuad Giacama
General director AEI-Open Windows
Bethlehem
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