Building a strong link with Calthorpe Women's Center

Me, Suzan, and Annika  meet the Calthorpe projet's team.  I was very excited to know more about this women's center. we share a great time within the gardening session, in the big, but beautiful garden. 

Of course, we plan to go again ..... 

Preparing the New Women's Visit (march 2014) ......

Me and Suzan started to visite some women's center essentialy in Camden. 

We went to Crossroads, but also to Hopscoth Asian Women's Center. 

We were so happy to speak about the next women's visit, and why it's so important to meet the Palestinian women, and to share a lot of interesting things.

We are also looking for twelve british particpants to live during ten days a amazing experience.

Report of the residential

I arrived late on Friday evening, about 10:30. I think most people had arrived in dribs and drabs through the evening so everyone was in a flutter of introductions and discussions of the upcoming week. I was really excited to see some old friends amongst all the new faces. There was a really cosy feel and I quickly got changed into my pyjamas – hair down, slippers on, so I would feel as at home as everyone else.

On Saturday morning we were up early for a full English (veggie style!) which was delicious, although I wasn’t convinced the Palestinian women appreciated it in its traditional form. There was some suspicion over how integral a part of the meal baked beans were and there was a lot of blueberry jam on toast being eaten with eggs and mushrooms. Shocking!!

After breakfast we all sat in a circle on the mattresses in the main room and went through some of the plans for the project and what we wanted to get out of it. I said that I wanted to make friends and learn about ways to support Palestinian women’s rights. It was really encouraging to listen to everyone’s ideas and feel that we were on the same page about the project. Most of the Palestinian women were really keen to share their stories and talk about the difficulties they face in their lives so the morning left me really hopeful. The Palestinians also seemed a lot more on board with British menus after they ate my flapjacks! I enjoyed mine with tea Palestinian style – with sage and sugar – so the enjoyment went both ways.

It was a rainy day and the brave braced the weather for a walk around the grounds before lunch.

Lunch was butternut squash soup and ploughmans. It went down wonderfully. We then spent the afternoon visiting the nearby village of Forest Row so our visitors could get their first glimpse of England outside the airport and the campsite. We talked a little about the differences between the village and Abu Dis – of which there were many – things like architecture as well as things like rubbish collection.

Back at the residential the Palestinian women shared some of their interests with us. We did a lot of dancing (some of it dabke – Palestinian traditional dancing) as well as some boxing with trained boxing instructor Suzanne. Maram decordated our hands in henna and Nedaa showed us some embroidery techniques.

After a dinner of cottage pie and apple cruble we all sat on the mattresses again to watch Five Broken Cameras – a heartbreaking film which shows so well the courage and spirit and tragedy of Palestinian resistance. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. 

On Sunday I had to get up early again to help prepare the Palestinian-style breakfast with my blue team mates. I had to work hard chopping things up to an acceptable tiny standard! We prepared all sorts of treats to go with the bread the women had made and brought with them from Palestine. It was incredibly tasty!

After breakfast we all met up on the mattresses again and we all talked about the items that meant a lot to us that we had been asked to bring with us. I spoke about my rings, which are really important to me because of who gave them to me – my mother and my best friend on my 18^th birthday. Talking about them gave everyone a chance to hear a little bit about my family and my life.

Lots of the other British (and European!) women had brought their diaries and ipods and phones with them as examples of what are important to them or important to their day to day lives. The Palestinian women had brought items such as Traditional Dresses that belonged to their mothers and grandmothers. They brought t-shirts with images in support of Palestinian hunger strikers and other images and art in support of Palestinian freedom.

 

Afterwards we gathered around the tables to listen to the Palestinian women practice their speeches that they would be giving later in the week at various different events and venues.

Each woman spoke powerfully about her own experiences and I was moved over and over again by their bravery and honesty. Suzanne gave the example of her sister when she was explaining about the way the Occupation gives different identities, rights and status to people from different areas. Suzanne’s sister is from the West Bank but married to someone with Jerusalem ID. She must get a residents permit to live with her husband and her children cannot be registered on her ID so she is unable to travel them. She is also a qualified lawyer but her West Bank qualification is not recognised in Israel so she must travel through the checkpoints every day to work as a lawyer.

Zeynab talked about house demolition is Jerusalem. Do’aa, a newly qualified lawyer herself, talked about the violations against her villaged of Beit Omra near Hebron. About how the checkpoints restrict movement and the settlements have taken over much of the land and are ruining the rest with their sewage, destroying Palestinian agriculture. Settlers burn the trees and vines, beat and shoot at farmers working their land, all the while being protected by soldiers.

Maram talked about what it is like to live in Nablus’s Old City. How many people get attacked inside their houses. In July 2007 it happened to her family. She told about how her diabetic mother was held in one room for hours despite the cost to her health. How bombing has left her house half destroyed and at risk of complete collapse.

Eman spoke of the struggles of Palestinian women in Israeli jails. The difficulties for women held without sentence or those released in prisoner exchanges being subject to deportation, of women shackled to the beds while they give birth. Of lack of nutrition, no female doctors to treat them, prisons in Israel where West Bank family members are unable to visit them, of false charges held in secret without being shown to any lawyers.

All of the women’s talks were difficult to hear and exposed horrors that were hard to imagine. It was impossible not to be moved by the hard truths they told.

We had a late lunch and then it was time to make my way back to London with promises to see the women later in the week at events in the city. I was really pleased and grateful to be a part of the women’s visit this year and especially enjoyed the residential and having time to make friends with the Palestinian and British women in the project. 

Part of the Palestinian women's visit to London...

I was a part of the Palestinian women’s visit to London organised by CADFA. As a buddy, I was extremely involved in the entire programme. Arriving at the campsite in East Grinstead, I was both excited and curious about the week to come. Upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised by the open nature of the women and the willingness with which they answered our questions and told us their stories.

Saturday, 16^th May was the ‘British Day’ organised by the British

volunteers/buddies including myself. The day began with a traditional English breakfast, which the Palestinians did not seem to have tried before. The meeting that followed was very interesting as it gave everyone a chance to get to know the entire group better. Each woman brought with them an object which they felt described their lives as British/Palestinian women. Many of the Palestinian women brought objects that bore the Palestinian flag whilst the British women seemed to bring objects such as planners and diaries. This exercise helped all the women who were part of the trip learn about each other in a short space of time. A traditional English lunch followed and then the afternoon was spent making puppets and for each group to organise their own puppet show. This gave many of the Palestinian women the opportunity to give us a picture of the true Palestine.

On Sunday, the Palestinian day was similarly interesting especially as I had

little knowledge of Palestinian culture. They set up a skills showcase which was varied and exciting, ranging from dance to henna tattooing. However, the most interesting part of the day was when each of the Palestinian women gave their presentations of various aspects of life in Palestine. Some talked about military checkpoints whilst others talked about political prisoners and house demolitions. I became so much more knowledgeable about Palestine itself after having listened to everyone’s presentations. Some of the things I learnt were shocking and gave me the ability to better empathise with every Palestinian living under the occupation.

Monday was largely a day for everyone involved in the initiative to just

have a fun day out in Brighton and for the Palestinian women to see the sea. For most of them, it was their first time by the sea and they seemed very happy. We all then attended an event at Sussex University where two of the Palestinian women gave their presentations and their leader Dr Fadwa spoke. The turn out was exceptional and the women who spoke did so with confidence and clarity. The Q&A afterwards was satisfying because we saw that many of those attending the event weren’t familiar with what was going on with Palestine, which is brilliant because we raised awareness.

Having gotten back to London the night before, Tuesday was a jam packed

day, which could not be helped as we were running on a tight schedule. The Palestinian women seemed to enjoy experiencing London and seeing the Southbank and traveling on the Thames which was lovely to see. Then we proceeded to the City Learning Centre to begin the process of making an animated film which was arguably the most important part of the visit. The women all came up with thoughtful ideas and plotlines, showing an enthusiasm for raising more awareness about Palestine in Britain.

Wednesday was a really important day as it gave my group [RED] which

consisted of 3 British buddies and 3 Palestinian women, a chance to visit and speak at Camden Crossroads women’s centre. The meeting embodied the objectives of the visit as within it a true cultural exchange took place. Women in Britain talked about the problems they faced and the Palestinian women did the same. Information was exchanged and both sides learnt new things and even took down each others’ email addresses in order to stay in contact and ideally set up a link between he Camden Crossroads women’s group and a women’s group in Palestine. In the afternoon, we continued with the animated film, which was developing well.

The next day saw the Red group visiting my school where I attend sixth form,

La Swap. The event was fairly small yet successful as the students who were listening too the presentations given by the Palestinians were definitely being exposed to new things. The British Curriculum does not cover the Israel-Palestine issue and I think this fact surprised the Palestinians but also reinforced the importance of raising awareness amongst both children and adults in their eyes. After the session at my school, we travelled again to the CLC to continue with our animated film. As our characters and backgrounds had been mostly completed, we began to film. The process was a rewarding one especially when everything came together. By the end of the session we were ready to begin editing.

Friday was spent editing and finishing the animated film. Once this had been

completed, the Palestinians had a look around the British museum. The evening was spent at Finchley Library in Barnet. The cultural evening did not have as big a turn out as was anticipated but this was most probably due to the location of the event and the timing.

The last full day of the visit, Saturday, was both sad yet rewarding. In the

morning, the animated film was showcased much to the excitement of everyone involved in the making of it. Another film depicting the visit itself was shown, which seemed a good conclusion to a wonderful trip. In the afternoon, we were invited to the Islamic Cultural Centre in Central Mosque, Regents Park. The director was extremely accommodating and seemed to be interested in the Palestinian cause as well as CADFA. The women also learnt a lot about the Muslim population in London and the activities of the Islamic Cultural Centre. The farewell party in the evening though sad for obvious reasons, was highly enjoyable and gave the participants in this visit, both British and Palestinian an opportunity to say goodbye and have one last meal together.

Overall, this experience volunteering with CADFA in a visit has been

enlightening and interesting one. I no longer see Palestine as a nation with faceless people. They have become more real to me and so has their suffering.  

Looking back from Palestine

The women’s visit was a rich, wonderful,amazing experience in my life.

It was one of the experiences in my life that I will never forget or regret because it helped me a lot to make the suffering of the Palestinian people more clear to many people in London and I really appreciate the hard work which is done by CADFA to help the Palestinian people to express their real life to many people in Britain.

Above all for me, it was full of entertainment and I knew more about the life if the people in London and I hope that I can know more about it.

Such a wonderful journey.

I am happy to have lived it

 

Globally, I have a good feeling of this women’s visit. I was waiting for this and I am happy to have lived it. I think it’s something useful. Also personally it was a very good experience for me even if it was tiring.

 Many good things :

-          To participate to this women’s visit

-          The exchange between the Palestinians and the British but also with the Palestinians and me ( some exchange with them are really good)

-          To have a group of women who talk about Palestine around different places in London ...

This experience will stay in my memory

An amazing human experience

The Women’s visit was an amazing experience for me. Lot of interesting meeting and a lot of new friends!  

-          Amazing human experience and very good moments .. 

  The visits to the women's centres and universities were very interesting and we  met lot of peoples who we can work with in the future  ...  Sharing experiences with Palestinian women 

Despite the awful weather....

Our project started on Thursday the 14^th of March in the countryside in the East Sussex, where the Palestinian women and the British buddies spent the weekend all together in a Scout Residency. Despite the awful weather, we had a great time together. We had the time to know each other, cooking and working together, and above all to talk and listen about Palestine and about the project we were going to develop during the following week. It was a very powerful and intensive start. We had the chance to share our experiences and to develop the feeling of being part of a group.

After leaving the Residency, we went first to Brighton, where some of the Palestinian women gave their speeches at the local University about different issues related to life in Palestine, and in the evening we came back to London.

During the week we were divided into four different groups, consisting of three Palestinian women and three British buddies.

Each group had a different plan for the week, which consisted of meetings in women’s centres, schools and universities, where the Palestinian women talked about the suffering of their country. I was part of the blue team, and during the week we went to Hopscoth Asian Women’s Centre, to the Institute of Education and to the British Somali Centre. We met different audiences, such as Bangladeshi and Somali women and young students from Britain. With a different attitude, they all shared a strong interest about Palestine. Some of them found common issues between problems affecting Palestine and their country of origin, some others were impressed by the reports of what is going on in Palestine. We also took part in some fundraising events organised by other groups on behalf of CADFA to support this project. We found a very warm welcome from all these parts and an increasing number of people interested in getting involved in CADFA projects.

During the week all the groups worked on another project too. Every day in the afternoon we met at the City Learning Centre to work on an animation movie project. Each group chose a story and made the puppets and the backgrounds, which in the end were shot and edited in a final movie. The link between our stories was Palestine and women. Although we had a very short time to work on this project, the result was a very powerful short animated movie. Our group chose, for example, to represent the issue of the pregnant women who are forced to give birth at the checkpoints.

This was the first project I got involved with CADFA and it was a very intensive and interesting start. Comparing the experiences of other girls of about my age from Palestine with mine was a very useful yardstick to understand how life in Palestine is. Furthermore, it was a good opportunity for CADFA to get known by more people.

Report from Palestine

وصلنا الى المخيم الساعه العاشره مساءً عند وصولنا استقبلتنا انيكا ومعها متطوعات بريطانيات تعرفنا الى بعضنا البعض ومن ثم عرفونا على الاماكن وعلى غرف النوم الخاصه بنا وكان لكل جروب غرفه متطوعات من الطرفين ثلاثه من الفلسطينيات وثلاثه من البريطانيات ثم ذهبنا لنستريح بعد يوم متعب.

في اليوم التالي يوم الجمعه حضرت ننديتا الى المخيم مع باقي البنات البريطانيات وتعرفنا عليهن في المخيم كان يوم بريطاني ويوم فلسطيني لعرض الاشياء المشهوره وعمل طبخات من كلا الطرفين, في الصباح بعد تناول وجبه الافطار كنا نذهب للسير في الغابه وصنعنا العاب من القماش وقدمنا قصص خياليه كل فريق قصه مع الدمى كانت ايام المخيم رائعه واستمتعنا كثيرا بها.

يوم الاثنين نقلتنا ننديتا ورنا في سيارتهما الى محطة القطار مع الحقائب , قمنا بجوله في الاسواق القريبه من البحر ومن بعدها انتقلنا الى البحر استمتعنا بمنضره الرائع وتناولنا اكله مشهوره في برايتن "فش اند شيبس " بعد هذه الجوله اخذتنا صوفي الى" جامعه ساسكس "في برايتن وكانت هناك جاسيكا وهنا حضر عدد من الطلاب الى القاعه المخصصه لعرض البرزنتيشن لكل من رؤى و ايمان تحدثت ايمان عن الاسيرات الفلسطينيات ورؤى عن معاناتها عند تنقلها من رام الله الى جامعتها في جنين مع نقاط التفتيش الاسرائيليه والحواجز الطياره .ومن ثم قسمونا كل بنتين في بيت اناس من المتطوعين كانوا في غايه من اللطف.

يوم الثلاثاء في جوله الى لندن لنشاهد المعالم المشهوره فيها ساعه بيج بين وركبنا القارب في "نهر الثايمز "والجسر المشهور هناك التقطنا بعض الصور التذكاريه هناك .

وبعدها الى المركز التعليمي سيتي ليرننج للبدىء بتعلم كيفيه عمل فيلم" انيميشن" لوحدنا وعلى مدار الاربعه ايام كنا نذهب يوميا الى المركز لانهاء الفيلم خطوه خطوه وكانت معلمتنا سوزن معلمه جيده وتعاملها لطيف , كانت المجموعات مقسمه للذهاب الى المدارس او الجامعات او مراكز نسويه لعرض البرزنتيشن الخاص بكل فتاه ومحاوله لنقل الصوره والوضع الذي نعيشه في فلسطين بشكل جيد وعند انتهائنا من العرض يقوم الحاضرين بطرح الاسئله علينا لانه يوجد اناس كثر هناك لايعرفون عن فلسطين اشياء كثيره ووجدنا ايضا الكثير منهم يريدون التطوع في جمعيه صداقه كامدن ابوديس ومعرفه المزيد عن هذه الجمعيه وما تقدمه وزياره فلسطين لمعرفه الوضع فيها .

وذهبنا ايضا الى" الجامع الكبير" في لندن و"المتحف البريطاني "واستمتعنا في كلا المكانين اما بعد الجولات في لندن وانهاء الفيلم اقاموا لنا حفلة وداع وقامو بعمل طبخات فلسطينيه وحضر الحفله عرب واجانب يودون الانضمام الى الجمعيه .

ثم ذهبنا الى البيوت لنجهز حقائبنا وفي الصباح استقلتنا نانديتا الى المطار وودعناها هي والبنات وانيكا ونمنا ليله في الاردن ومن ثم وصلنا الى فلسطين كلنا بخير.

بالنسبه للمجموعه التي كنت بها اللون" الاحمر" انا وياسمين ,رؤى,سابرينا ,نافيس ,سوفي , عملنا بروح الفريق وكنا متعاونين واستمتعنا معا كثيراً كما قمنا بزياره مدرسه وجامعه ومراكز نسويه للتحدث عن معاناه المرأه الفلسطينيه كما تحدثنا بعض النسساء البريطانيات عن معاناتهن اليوميه في حياتهن قصص مختلفه مع المجتمع وازواجهن ...

ارجو ان نكون قد عملنا بجد ونقلنا الصوره بشكل جيد .

*الامور التي اعجبتني في بريطانيا خلال الزياره :

مدينه كبيره منظمه مرتبه نضيفه يوجد بها حركه مستمره في الليل والنهار اتمنى ان ارى هذا في فلسطين قريبا حتى يعطى لنا الحريه في عمل الاشياء التي بأمكاننا عملها ونخرج من الحاله التي نعيشها فيها وقت فراغ وملل نحن لدينا الشيء الكثير لنقدمه للعالم حتى ونحن محتَلين .

بالنسبه لكافه المجموعات كنا جيدين ونحاول ما نستطيع عمل الجيد لدينا لكن هناك بعض التأخير من بعض الفتيات من كلا الطرفين وهذا ازعجنا كثيراً والمجموعه الحمراء التي كنت بها كانت جيده ولقد عمنا بشكل جيد ارجو ان نكون عملنا جيدا في المجموعه .

اتمنا ان نكون قد وفقنا في هذا المشروع وقمنا بعمل جيد واتمنى ايضا ان اعود لزياره بريطانيه في وقت تكون في فلسطين اوضاع افضل والحياه امنه ليس بها معاناه.

CADFA leaflets

I really like this picture of students at Goldsmith's clearly enjoying reading CADFA leaflets during the women's visit.  Not sure if these are our general leaflets or ones about volunteering or information leaflets... Don't think they are women's visit leaflets as they are the wrong shape.

Maybe they will apply to be CADFA volunteers? (They are welcome....)

Event at Goldsmiths University

On Wednesday 20th, some of us went to speak at Goldsmiths University. The few people who attended enjoyed some heartbreaking stories and powerful pictures of common issues in Palestine, including Palestinian homes being demolished and the conditions of prisoners. The presentations were followed by lots of questions and a good lunch!

Overall

Overall I am very happy with the Women’s visit and the way the week was planned and constructed.  As a result of the very busy and interesting schedule I believe we all enjoyed each other and that we all came out of this week with something new. I am confident that in addition to learning so much about each other and the way we live our lives with reference to the ‘A Day in My Life’ as was the theme of the visit, we also made life long friends and links between the UK and Palestine.  

Looking back at the residential on the first weekend...

When the women arrived to the UK, I travelled with several other British participants down to the residential scout camp in Sussex.  The Palestinian women were waiting and gave us the most wonderful and enthusiastic welcome I think I have ever received.  It was a fantastic start to the visit.  We ate a communal meal together and spent some time getting to know each other and meeting our buddies and group members.  Suzan was my buddy and hostee.  The

weekend in Sussex was the perfect opportunity to start our friendship and build trust before moving to London.  Conversations with the women about the stipulations required for some of them to be allowed to travel solo to another country were striking. 

The Saturday was originally intended to be a British day (with the Sunday as Palestinian) but we decided to mix the two for practical reasons of timing and to create a better range of activities.  I think this was an improved situation as it reflected the aim of sharing our cultures.  Within the weekend, we went on a walk in the woods and the Palestinian women were given an opportunity to sample the delightful British weather!  We were instructed in dabke dancing and kickboxing by the Palestinian women with a Tai Chi demonstration in exchange.  A trip into the nearby town helped us to look at the differences between Sussex and Palestine as well as providing a contrast for the main body of the trip in London.  Watching 5 Broken Cameras as a group brought up some interesting remarks: as a documentary portraying the brutality of occupation, one of the Palestinian women commented on how typical such experiences were for her.  I found this to be a very powerful statement. 

 

The Sunday included ‘bring a thing’ where each of the group participants explained what item they had chosen to represent their life.  Many of the Palestinian women chose traditional items closely linked to their nationality.  Then we had the opportunity to see the presentations the Palestinians would be giving the groups they would meet throughout the week – I found it incredible to be hearing these stories of human rights abuses, daily discrimination and injustice directly from new-found friends.  There is a great deal of difference in appreciating the truth of occupation from reading a news article and meeting and talking with someone suffering under it.  

Looking back at the project

Between the 14^th and the 24^th of March, I took part in CADFA's women's visit to London, together with other 11 young women living in London and 12 Palestinian women from the West Bank. I was delighted to meet so many friendly faces and helpful people and it was a pleasure to work with them. As a buddy and a host, I was involved every day in a range of different activities: from participating in presentations at universities, women's groups and human rights associations, to making an animated film which was eventually presented to the public on Saturday.

           

The visit started with a three-day residential in East Grinstead where everybody got to meet one another and share stories about our lives, as well as doing a series of creative activities, cooking, going for walks, and taking lots of pictures. The activities were divided into a British and a Palestinian day, which included typical food and personal objects representing each one of our lives. To start the week on Monday, the group went on a trip to Brighton and to Sussex University where the girls had their first presentations in front of a surprisingly large audience. At night, everybody went to their hosts in London and I brought Zainab to my flat in South London.

             On Tuesday we showed some highlights of the city to the girls who were excited and bewildered by the immensity of London. In the afternoon we started our animated film project: working in groups, we collaborated to produce a sequence of different stories that fit into a single 2-minutes film. Although at first we were not sure about the quality of the work that we were creating, by the end of the week we realised that the film was short but powerful and we were very pleased with the result. On Wednesday my group had their first event at Goldsmiths University. Although not many people took part, the presentations were very successful and conveyed deep emotions, between shock, incredulity, and sadness, to the listeners. The same response was given by the audience at Roehampton University, which we visited later in the afternoon. I think that the interest and curiosity of the listeners towards the Palestinian cause made the girls feel satisfied by their presentations and positive about achieving the aims of the visit.

            On Thursday my group went to speak at Nafsiat, an intercultural psychotherapy centre where we met with three psychotherapists who were very keen on hearing the girls' personal stories. Not only they asked endless questions, but they were enthusiastic about spreading the Palestinians' words to a larger public and asked us to keep in touch and share the presentations' notes and pictures. We also learnt a lot from their own work, which was of extreme interest to all of us. On Friday we finally edited and finished our animated film and in the evening everybody took part in an event of music and dance celebrating Palestinian women. On Saturday, after showcasing our film, we all went to the Central Mosque, where we met with the director, were introduced to the centre's activities and had a lecture/presentation in front of part of the Muslim community. In the evening we were sad but also excited to celebrate our final event. Music and delicious Palestinian food made the atmosphere even more unique and comfortable and, at the end of the night, some tears were shed for the separation that awaited us the next day. Sunday was the day of departure of our friends and of evaluation of the whole week.

            Taking part in the project has been a unique experience, which has increased my awareness of the human rights abuses in Palestine as well as of the reality and everyday struggles on the ground. I have also gained marvellous friends and interesting contacts across London and in Palestine. The exchange has benefited me on a personal level as well, by teaching me a life lesson on strength, the importance of determination and cooperation in achieving one's aims and on the possibilities that are created by establishing connections between people across the world.

Goodbye but keep in touch

On Sunday 24th, our friends from Palestine got the train from London Bridge to Gatwick and returned to Palestine. It was a good ten days - thank you very much to everyone for your energy and input, and well done for all we achieved.
Still some more things to do before the project is finished - swap project photos, finish the reports, and then go on working with our local women's centres etc to build on the work we've done.  Goodbye but we'll stay in touch!

Goodbye Party

After ten days spent together, the end of this trip arrived, so a goodbye party was organised for the Palestinian women at Hargrave Hall in London. We shared a delicious dinner with some music.The English buddies and Palestinians exchanged their views about this experience and what they thought about this trip.