Twinning is a new and popular concept growing quickly.

2008
Sunday 22nd June: International Youth Festival including children from Abu Dis. Camden Centre, details to follow.

June 2008. U.K. and Europe. Rich Wiles / Lajee Center (Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem) International Photography Tour 2007-08. URGENT APPEAL - Sponsor a child! This tour urgently needs sponsors (download the form here) www.lajee.org

Wednesday 18th June: Palestinian storytelling event, details to follow.

MAY

10th May 2008. National Demonstration in London. This event marks the 60th anniversary of the Nakba and is suported by the Britain Palestine Twinning Network.

8th - 10th May - Al Zaytouna. Based on Ghassan Kanafani's 'Returning to Haifa', the show fuses music, theatre, contemporary and traditional Palestinian dance, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Nakba (1948 Palestinian catastrophe).
The show will feature Nizar Issa, the famous Palestinian song writer and oud master. AlZaytouna is also pleased to announce that Mohamed Diab, the main singer of the Al 'Ashiqeen Group (The Lovers), will appear on stage for the first time since the break up of the group. Mohamed will be singing the classic Al 'Ashiqeen songs (Min Sijin Akka, Habat Al Nar and many others).
'Ila Haifa' will be performed at the Greenwood Theatre, Weston Street, London SE1 3RA
on Thurs 8th, Fri 9th and Sat 10th May 2008. Doors open 7:00pm - Show starts 7:30pm
Tickets are available from PSC on 020 7700 6192, online from www.palestinecampaign.org or by cheque payable to PSC. All cheques should be sent to Box BM PSA, London WC1N 3X


APRIL

LECTURERS’ TOUR OF PALESTINE in conjunction with UCU branches in Camden. See leaflet (word doc)

26th April. Camden Abu Dis Conference and Workshops. School of Oriental and African Studies, Vernon Square Centre. Agenda / Leaflet (PDF) www.camdenabudis.net

29th March to 6th April - Twinning Network visit to Palestine.

Sunday 9th March: Palestinian International Women's Day. Somers Town Community Centre, 1pm lunch; activities for women and children; 3pm women speakes from Palestine and Camden.

Saturday 8th March - International Women's Day tour. Groups involved with the Twinning network are bringing over Palestinian women to tour the U.K. and speak about their experiences as part of International Women's Day. If you are interested in helping please contact us for more information.

Tuesday 19th February, 7.30pm: CADFA open meeting - Divided families. Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, NW5. Click here for map.

Mid-February: CADFA MUSICIANS' VISIT TO ABU DIS & PALESTINE.

Saturday 26th January: MUSIC OF EAST & WEST, John Williams (classical guitar), Mark Padmore (tenor), Roger Vignoles (piano), Attab Haddad (oud), the Camden Abu Dis Trio and Musicians from Abu Dis. www.camdenabudis.net

Tuesday 15th January 08, 7.30pm: CADFA open meeting - Human Rights training. Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, NW5.

2007

Saturday & Sunday 1 -2 December 11am - 5pm
At SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG. A two day fair selling high quality and fairly traded produce of Palestine
For further details contact: Heather Masoud on 0781 4477188. heather at zaytoun.org or Patricia Miqdadi on 07738003916
A wonderful array of Palestinian products for sale: Palestinian Olive Oil ­ Nablusi Soap ­ Olive Wood from Bethlehem ­ Embroidery from West Bank & Gaza - Hebron Ceramics ­ Clothing - Almond- Dates ­ Za'atar ­ Tahini ­ Jewellery - Music and Books ­ Olives ­ Calendars and Cards ­ Artwork ­ Cremisan Wine ­ Tours to Palestine Relax and enjoy a delicious Palestinian lunch.

29th November, Thursday – 6.30pm. TSSA Head Office, Walkden House, 10 Melton Street, London NW1 2EJ. With Camden Trades Council. A night for Palestine - Report back from the recent union visit to Palestine.

28th November Wednesday - Lobby of Parliament. Information and advice - PDF file

27th November 2007, 7.30pm - BOOK LAUNCH - with Abdul Wahab Sabbah from Abu Dis, Palestine and readings of some of the stories. Bookmarks Book Shop, 1 Bloomsbury Street, London WC1B 3QE. Phone 020 7637 1848.

25th November Sunday. National Conference - London. "A FOCUS ON PRACTICAL TWINNING". NUS Hall (date changed!).
Prices - £10 (register here). £5 concessions. Twinning groups that are members can bring Palestinians for free. Free stalls for member groups, otherwise £15.
Workshops on education, health , students, women. Messages of support from our patrons; Ambassador / Prof Manuel Hassassian, Baroness Jenny Tonge

24th November Saturday. Twinning social and fundraiser in London on evening of Saturday at Highbury Roundhouse Community Centre.
Highbury Roundhouse, 71 Ronald’s Road, London N5 1XB. Multimap link
Public transport; By Underground or bus:
Alight at Highbury & Islington station on the Victoria line (Buses 4, 19, 30, 43, & 277).
Cross at the traffic lights and walk past Barclays Bank into Highbury Fields. After a short distance, cut diagonally across the Fields from right at the bottom to left at the top, where you will see Ronald’s Road, marked by a one way sign and bicycle path. The Roundhouse is about 200 paces down the road on the right, just past Battledean Road.

Offers of help gratefully accepted. Stalls at £15, free to member groups.

7.00 pm - Ed Hill’s film from Palestine
8.00pm - Food.
9.00pm - Welcome + speakers from Britain and Palestine
9.30pm - Music. Rembetiko band. Al-Zaytouna dabkeh.

Day out in London for our Palestinian visitors.

22nd November, Thursday – 7.30pm at Castlehaven Community Centre. LAND GRAB! A public meeting about the current emergency in Abu Dis with two new swathes of land taken away by Israeli military order

21st November, Wednesday – 6pm at School of Oriental and African Studies. Launch of SOAS- Al Quds University Student Union Link

20th November, Tuesday – 7.30 pm at Torriano Meeting House. CADFA open meeting and social. Abu Dis Boys’ School Headteacher talks about his school

19th November, Monday – Friends Meeting House, Brighton. Report back from the recent delegation to Tubas Café/Exhibition - from 6.30pm. Film/Photos talks 7.30pm

19th November, Monday at 5.30—7pm. You are warmly invited to come along to Camden Teachers feedback meeting after our visit to Abu Dis Schools over October half term on , in Medburn Centre, 136, Chalton Street. London. NW1.
Hear about our experiences in Abu Dis Schools and our educational links and Twinning . Listen to our testimonies about the impact of the wall and see our slide shows.

10th November, 12.00 to 6.00pm - Action Palestine Students Twinning Conference
Manchester University Students Union. Agenda

November - Nablus Week - Dundee. Various events will be held to promote this link. More ...

Various dates - Twinjenin (Tower Hamlets) meetings will be at Oxford House, 7.30-8.30pm on Tuesdays every fortnight (at least till after visit) starting November 20th.

20-27 October - Delegation to Palestine
The Brighton Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group is planning its fourth delegation to occupied Palestine, focusing on Tubas and the Jordan Valley. We will stay with local families, meet with members of local groups, learn about their town, villages and community, and discuss what we can do when we come back to Brighton. This is an opportunity to see the impact of occupation first-hand, and to make a direct contribution. For further information see http://tubas.brightonpalestine.org

October 25th Thursday. Twin Jenin (Tower Hamlets) Music event with Garth Hewitt booked at the Brady Centre. DOWNLOAD PDF FLYER

21st October Sunday. Twin Jenin (Tower Hamlets) - A sponsored 3-legged cafe crawl.
A fund-raiser, profile-raiser - a sponsored 3-legged cafe crawl around Brick Lane. The idea is everyone gets a 'twin' , a named contact in Jenin and wears their name, picture, printed T-shirt !, so its a symbolic twinning. We hope to get a celebrity to open it and have a sit-down meal at the end, enjoy ourselves and get some money to pay for the next visit from Jenin. If you have a Jenin contact please email them about this. If not please email us if you want one! Or if you can help in any way. We will do publicity for the on Sat 15th and Sat 20th on a Twinjenin/Palestine solidarity stall at whitechapel. DOWNLOAD PDF FLYER - Sponsorship form

17th October - Luton Battir group. 7.30pm Hat Factory Basement Room - Luton Friends of Battir invites you to.... DIVINE INTERVENTION
Elia Suleiman's "Divine Intervention" is a very personal meditation on love, life, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film opens in Nazareth, the city of Suleiman's birth, where we see a gang of children chasing down Santa Claus only to stab him to death. In turn laconic, witty, and outrageous, Suleiman works in slow, poetic scenes that build to hilarious climaxes. As he moves to Jerusalem and falls in love with a woman played by Manal Khader, quiet scenes at a checkpoint alternate with outrageous fantasies brought to computer-generated life, including the adventures of a balloon adorned with the face of Arafat over Jerusalem airspace and a hysterical revenge fantasy featuring a Palestinian ninja with Matrix-like super powers. "Divine Intervention"'s reflective and playful nature and its altogether personal point of view--the filmmaker casts his mother and copes with his father's death--seem like a perfect antidote for the all too real madness it addresses only indirectly.
Awards: Jury Prize (2002 Cannes Film Festival); Screen International Award (2002 European Film Awards)

14th October - Camden Abu Dis Birthday party. 2.00 - 5.00pm. £12 - food, music, party. Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association was formally launched on 14th October 2004. This year we can celebrate Eid and what CADFA’s done in the past 3 years – Reserve tickets on camdenabudis at btinternet.com or pay on www.camdenabudis.net

Tues 9 October, 8pm. Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton.
Film and presentation: School building and resistance in Occupied Palestine
In September 2007, two members of the Brighton Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group went to the Jordan Valley in occupied Palestine to provide international support for the building of a new school in Fasayil village. They will show video footage and photographs and speak about the time they spent in Fasayil.

4th October 7.30pm - Camden Abu Dis group. Public Meeting. Racism, apartheid and Palestine now. Transport House, 128 Theobald's Road. Holborn. London WC1X 8TN

30th September 12.00 noon - AGM. (Unison Offices) Agenda; Report of Chair, Report of Treasurer, with accounts Election of officers (chair, treasurer, secretary and 2 others), Ratification of constitution. discussion of what it means to be a member, whether we want patrons, website, conference organising, organising pre-conference social, visit and conference in April (Palestine).
Please let us know by 23rd September if you want to put motions to the meeting stand for posts (5 committee members including Chair, Secretary, Treasurer).
If you need a ccomodation, please let us know ASAP and we will do our best to arrange it with alocal supporter.

Nottingham 16th September - Please support the annual fundraising Garden Party for Palestine which is on Sunday 16th September from 1-5pm at 47 Devonshire Road, Sherwood,Nottingham. NG52EW.

There will be live music including jazz, blues from Zacc, world music and singing from Nottingham Clarion Choir as well as a short performance from Al Zaytouna Nottingham Dabke Dance Group. A buffet of Middle Eastern food will be provided.
Money from the sale of Palestinian crafts, plants, olive oil,dates and couscous will go to support the Jenin Public Hospital.

The next meetings of this network will be: Saturday 14th July (11.00am)
Birmingham - please contact us for more information or to let us know you wish to attend. All groups welcome.
There is a fund rasing barbeque after the meeting.

July / August - Next Twinning Tour.
The Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association will be organising another one of our successful visits to Palestine. This time, a week at the end of July and beginning of August that will allow you to meet people and organisations and see the places and the facts of Occupation in ...

Bethlehem, Ramallah, Hebron, Jerusalem, Abu Dis, Jericho, the Dead Sea.

Please contact us for more details camdenabudis at btinternet.com

25th of July - Discussion on the international involvement in Palestine and the effects that it has had. The panel will consist of Karma Nabulsi, Samir El-Yousef and Jonathan Freedland. www.frontlineclub.com

BIKE RIDE FOR PALESTINE - Sunday 22nd July 2007 - www.hjfp.org.uk
London to Cambridge (approx. 50 miles)

Get sponsored and ride to Cambridge to raise funds for the TWINNING with PALESTINE project organised by the UNIVERSITY & COLLEGE UNION at the College Of North East London and HARINGEY JUSTICE FOR PALESTINIANS

RIDE DETAILS

This bike ride is over an easy-going 50 mile route that's suitable for all abilities.
It winds through beautiful countryside from Waltham Abbey, just north of London, to the finish at Midsummer Common in the heart of Cambridge. The ride is professionally run by Bike Events, who provide breakdown facilities, water- ing stops, marshalling, signposting, etc.
For further details: www.bike-events.com.

START - 07.30 - 09.15 at the River Lee Country Park, Station Road (A121) Waltham Abbey.
[Directions: from the M25 junction 25, take A10 then A121 to the Start. Nearest station to the start is Waltham Cross, just off the A121.]

FINISH - Midsummer Common, Victoria Ave. (A1303) Cambridge
MINIMUM RIDER AGE - 14 years - all riders under 16 MUST be accompanied by an adult rider aged 18 or over.

RETURN FROM CAMBRIDGE:
CoNEL UCU/HJfP are looking for car drivers to help bring riders back from Cambridge. We will allocate transport once we know numbers.
Alternatively the ride organisers are providing is a coach service at regular intervals during the afternoon to take riders back to the Start.
Last coach from Cambridge is at 5.30pm. You will need to book this - it costs £20.00 for you and your bike. These tickets are non-refundable

Name:
Address:
Telephone:
Organisation:

I enclose £14 cheque/cash to pay for my Entry fee. (Cheques to ‘UCU Twinning Project’).

The first £14 of your sponsorship money will pay your Team Entry Fee to the organisers, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, which is, ‘the leading charity committed to fighting breast cancer through research and education’. The rest will go to the twinning work of CoNEL UCU and Haringey Justice for Palestinians.

Send to: Gale Ortanca, CoNEL, Tottenham Green, Town Hall Approach Road, London N15 4RX
Additional forms (CLICK HERE FOR A PDF FILE) and further information from www.hjfp.org.uk or

crichardson AT staff.conel.ac.uk

All funds raised go to the UCU/conel Twinning Project to help, for example:
. Educational links with Palestinian schools
. Rehabilitation centre for disabled youngsters
. Girls’ orphanage... all in occupied East Jerusalem

Tuesday 17 July 7 pm. Friends Meeting House, Ship Street, Brighton
Public meeting for those interested in finding out more about the next delegation to Tubas in the West Bank, 20-27 October 2007. Followed by a fundraiser at the Cowley Club (see separate item below)

This meeting is for anyone who is interested in coming on the delegation in October, or joining us on subsequent delegations. It will provide an initial opportunity to discuss what we will do when we are in Palestine, some of the practicalities, and for you to get to know other people who are going.
 The delegation is planned for 20th – 27th October so that people who work in education can attend, but there will the opportunity to stay longer for anyone who wants to.
 We will spend most of the time visiting Tubas town and region, including the Jordan Valley. We will stay with local families, meet with local organisations, learn about the town and community, and discuss solidarity work in Brighton.
 Most of the time will be structured, but there will also be the opportunity to have some flexible time to pursue issues that you are particularly interested in. We will spend at least two nights in Jerusalem, and travelling to Tubas and the Jordan Valley will also give you an overall impression of the situation throughout the West Bank.
 If you have not been before there may also be the opportunity to do a tour of some other areas of the West Bank.
 We had a very successful delegation of 17 people in April, and are using those experiences to plan the delegation in October. However, we also hope to arrange for smaller groups of people from Brighton to visit Tubas region on a more regular basis, so we can build an ongoing relationship between people in the two communities.
 If you are interested in coming on the delegation but cannot make the meeting please let us know: tubas at brightonpalestine.org or phone 07789 026686.

Tubas group to visit Brighton
We have invited three members of the Brighton Tubas Friendship and Solidarity Group in Tubas to visit Brighton in late September. If you are a member of a group, trade union, or other organisation that would like to meet them please let us know: tubas at brightonpalestine.org or phone 07789 026686.

Summer 2007 - Palestine Summer Camp

Saturday 14th July in Birmingham, 11.00am to 4.00pm.

Unison - 3rd Floor, Albany House, Hurst St, Birmingham (5 mins from Birmingham New St Station)

11.00am - Practical session about inviting & planning for Palestinian delegations
12.30pm - Lunch
1.15 - 4.00pm - Meeting
The agenda to include conference planning for November

It will also be followed by a social in the evening from 5.00pm (and it will be possible to arrange staying over in Birmingham if you let us know).

Friday July 13, 7.45pm. FUNDRAISING CONCERT FOR MEDICAL AID FOR PALESTINIANS. Union Chapel, Islington, London.

Come and support a special evening of Music, Dance, Words in aid of MAP’s emergency work in Gaza & The West Bank.

Featuring: Al-Zaytouna Palestinian Dabke Troupe …

The Choir of London … Jazz musician Gilad Atzmon …

Egyptian Dance Master Shafeek Ibrahim …

Singer/Oud player Nizar Al-Issa … Tabla/keyboards Tariq Said … poet/writer Iqbal Tamimi

Plus special guest speakers

Venue: Union Chapel, Compton Terrace, Islington (nearest tube: Highbury & Islington)

Doors open: 7.00pm. Performance starts 7.45pm

Tickets: £10.00 from www.unionchapel.org.uk and on door. Additional donations welcome.

Further information: 020 7503 0055

Tuesday - 10 July
7:30pm - CADFA FUNDRAISING MEAL. 7.30 to 10.00pm.

Saturday 30 June
7-a-side Football Competition
Mile End Leisure Mile End Leisure, Centre. Tel: 079 689 16635. E-mail: Toepress at hotmail.co.uk
Organised by: Unipal, Universities Exchange Trust and The Tower Hamlets and Jenin Twinning
Fund-raising for Palestine
Prizes for finalists and top fundraisers
£100 minimum fundraising for entry

Thursday - 28 June
7:30pm - Tubas Friendship & Solidarity Group Planning meeting - Friends Centre, Ship Street. Brighton.

Thursday - 21 June
7pm - Islington Friends of Yibna - Islington Town Hall, London N1. Download leaflet - side 1, side 2

Tuesday - 19 June
7:30pm - Camden Abu Dis open meeting - Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Avenue, London, NW5 2RX.

Saturday - 16 June
12pm - Islington Friends of Yibna Stall - N1 Centre, Angel, Islington.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

June 9th - ENOUGH! National Demonstration. Meet at Lincoln's Inn Fields at 1.30 pm.

National Demonstration - Trafalgar Square, London.

7pm - Twinning Network Meeting - Diwana's , Drummond Street, nr Euston Station, NW1

Near Warren Street and Euston Station - you will find us upstairs.

April 2007 - Twinning Network Visit to Palestine and Twinning Conference in Palestine
The twinning networks in Britain and in Palestine are between them organising a visit to Palestine (about 10 days) to include visits to major places in the West Bank, visits to your twinning partner if you have one, and the 4th twinning conference – aimed to encourage and strengthen existing friendship links between places in Britain and Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps. The visit will cost £340 for about 10 days and you buy your own flights. For more information please contact caz_johnson at hotmail.com

10th March - International Women's Day Fundraising event. (Fundraising musical evening)

• One woman’s experience of life in Abu Dis, Palestine.

• Talk by Terry Boullata from Abu Dis – headteacher & mother whose family has suffered directly as a result of the Wall.

• The work of Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association & slideshow of pictures from Abu Dis.

• Palestinian refreshments.

• Youtube documentary with Terry Boulata (30 minutes long but worth watching).

Dabke classes - Camden, London (word doc)

www.alzaytouna.org
celebratepalestine.org