Give a Voice to the People in the West Bank

Campaign: Give a Voice to the People in the West Bank

Please note: this campaign is not looking to judge or point fingers of religion or politics. This won’t help the people. In the words of the poet Rumi: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

Introduction: A Glimpse in the Life of People in the West Bank

In the summer of June 2023 I traveled through Israel and the West Bank, mostly by foot and met with people from north to south. In the West Bank I travelled from Jenin to Sebastia, to Nablus, to Ramallah, to Bethlehem, to Hebron and Jeruzalem.

Everywhere I walked, people shared their stories with me. I have spoken to children, entrepreneurs, musicians, students and people living their day-to-day lives. I have spoken with activists, local guides and with people from the Palestinian army as well as conscripted Israeli soldiers.

During my short visit I got a glimpse of the continuous apartheid, discrimination and humiliation of a people. I have been pulled to the side of the road at gunpoint, have crossed fences with barbed wire like a criminal, seen checkpoint after checkpoint, seen the walls separating land, been split from my Palestinian guide for he was "not allowed to walk on that road", seen the hurt and divided city of Hebron and have even been sheltering inside a guest house when the Israeli army came to ’visit’ the village. I have seen publications of lost family members and seen the result of occupation, bullying and of inhumane continuous suffering. For me it was merely a glimpse, for the people living in the West Bank, this is their life.

The people I met are suffering. The people are suffering. This conflict is blinding the human eye and dims where it once saw humanity.

If you are curious of what the life of the people in the West Bank looks like, the apartheid, occupation, the illegal settlements and the dehumanising of a people, check out the documentary of Anna Baltzer below titled: Life in Occupied Palestine, or read her book: A Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories.

The documentary, made 10 years ago, is sadly enough still accurate today and the illegal settlements have only increased.

Anna Baltzer documentary (length: 60min.)

Illegally built wall in Bethlehem, West Bank

Why this campaign

This campaign is to share their stories, to let their voices be heard and embrace with empathy. We cannot be silent, we cannot close our eyes and we can no longer say about the situation: “It is complex.”

This campaign is to support local initiatives of local people and allow for participation in attempts to peaceful resolutions. The funds will be used to actively support initiatives in the West Bank, followed by large-scale awareness campaigns in order to let their voices be heard.

Two of such initiatives are described below for the Creative Cultural Center in Jenin and the Wi'am Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center in Bethlehem:

What is my relationship with the beneficiaries of the funds

(1) Creative Cultural Center in Jenin

In Jenin I met with Yousef, the owner of the Jenin Creative Cultural Center. Established in 2005 in response to violence in the Jenin camp, its initiative harnesses the power of art and culture as tools to foster peace and promote justice in the Palestinian occupied territories. Their vision deeply resonated with me as they use art, culture, and education to empower the next generation of Palestinians, providing an outlet for children to manage their emotions, especially considering the harsh realities of life in Palestine.

With Yousef I share the believe that art, in its many forms, has a transformative power. It can bring about positive changes to individuals, communities and society at large. Through arts the people can speak, as arts has the capacity to touch on the deepest essence of meaning and therewith giving a voice to the people in the West Bank.

By promoting values of tolerance, reconciliation, non-violence, and democracy, the centre empowers young individuals to voice their opinions, share their narratives, and connect with a broader audience to enter a cultural dialogue and gain a higher consciousness.

Sebastiaan and Youssef in Jenin, June 2023

Artwork by Mohamad Shalabi

Handala drawing a symbol of Palestinian identity and defiance

(2) Wi'am Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center in Bethlehem

In Bethlehem, the Wi'am organisation, established in 1994, helps to resolve disputes within the Palestinian community by implementing forms of mediation, known as Sulha, along with other models of conflict transformation. They have programs that empower children, youth, women and men, addressing the psychological and physiological consequences of a long-term conflict.

Wi'am works relentlessly to improve inter-communal relationships. By promoting peaceful means of transformation and reconciliation, they lay the groundwork for lasting peace as they believe in the power of the word: in the essence of human relationships, through dialogue.

"Children are an important focus of Wi’am’s activities, as occupation places psychological, social and physical burdens on them. Physical danger, political turbulence, and exposure to violent and graphic images increase the risk of trauma, anxiety, depression and stress-related symptoms. We focus on “trauma coping” more than “trauma healing” since the trauma is chronic and multi-layered. That is why our work focuses on ‘trauma coping’ rather than finite ‘Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.’ Supported by worldwide research, our work indicates that early intervention and application of what we call “first aid” can protect children from developing more serious psychological problems and unbalanced behaviors as a result of trauma."

Our campaign seeks to bolster these efforts, amplifying the message of unity and harmony, enabling creative and self-esteem reinforcing activities, allowing for children to speak up and work through their experiences and emotions so they may avoid silent suffering.

How your donation will be used

The funds collected will directly benefit the community of Jenin/Bethlehem through the supporting organisations above serving as a pivotal medium through which the voices of the West Bank's residents can resonate more loudly and clearly. Resources will be allocated to:

Upon the completion of the fundraising, I will travel to the region and directly collaborate with the local organisations to ensure a transparent and accountable transfer of funds to the local initiatives. Every aspect of the expenditure will be documented and monitored. Additionally, I will provide periodic updates to all donors on the progress of the projects, allowing them to witness the direct impact of their contributions.