Minutes from the Twinning with Palestine Network meeting

The Britain - Palestine Twinning Network - "promoting twinning and friendship links"

May meeting notesAll other Conference and meeting reports

NOTES from the Twinning with Palestine meeting in London 21^st May 06

Present The following twinning groups were represented

Camden (Abu Dis), Birmingham (Ramallah,) South East London (Beit Furik), Haringey (Al Azzariyeh), Oxford (Ramallah), Nottingham (Jenin), Dundee (Nablus), Newcastle (Qalqilya), Luton (Battir), Hackney (Beit Furik,) Tower Hamlets (Jenin)

Apologies Exeter (Hebron) Godalming (Beit Sahour) Leeds (Hebron)

Yet another really positive meeting - thanks everyone.

(1) People put reports from each campaign on flipchart paper on the wall. These notes are being sent with these minutes.

(2) Report back from twinning visit to Palestine in April and the Bethlehem twinning conference

Kamel (Birmingham) talked about the context in Palestine in April - the serious deterioration in the situation since the West has cut off aid - medical supplies, food running out, people selling their own assets particularly in Gaza, getting desperate, people paid by the PA at that point had had 2 months with no salary, fuel cut by Israel - Palestinian people being punished for holding an exemplary democratic election.

Now the new Israeli PM wants to consolidate the new settlement blocks and has a new term for this - "convergence - the idea to move from the little settlements and formally annex the big ones (still an illegal act)
It is important now to be aware of the massive problem of Israeli take over of the Jordan Valley. They are making the two state solution really false.

Emma and Val talked of impressions from the first visit to Palestine - nothing compares to seeing what it is like, the terrible huge wall, problems and restrictions in movement, incursions into the Jenin camp while they were there, people injured - collective punishment is very visible.

People there were very welcoming and it was hard to come back and hear the situation being so misrepresented here.

Nandita talked briefly about the conference itself (see the notes from the conference) and the growing twinning network in both Britain and Palestine.

(3) What we are up to

A new member of the group had some concerns about the twinning network being separate from PSC - is that undemocratic? Nandita pointed out that although some of the twinning groups are PSC groups, more than half the twinning groups are not PSC groups but are student union groups, peace and justice groups, charities, Churches Together, independent twinning groups, Scottish groups and we are working together to make this a nationwide movement, to support each other and spread the work.

Kamel made the point that PSC work and twinning work have a difference: solidarity work responds to crises, rises and falls, but twinning work has a sustained focus. Val pointed out the difference between formal twinning links, some of which are visible in Jenin at municipality level, and the sort of work we are doing building friendship links on the ground.

General agreement to get on with it as it is working, work with everyone we can who has similar aims in order to co ordinate twinning initiatives and help each other to do things better.

We agreed that in the future we would like to have links to other European twinning groups - though for now we need to develop our own network, in Britain.

(3) National twinning speaking tour

We agreed to have a speaking tour in June and July and go to as many towns as we could between us in Britain to help build the movement, encourage people to go on the next visit, and develop friendship links

We had a list of places and wanted offers to go and speak - Nandita to circulate list and people to volunteer; Caroline to co ordinate a presentation CD for people to use along with speakers" notes; David to put this on the website.

(4) Next twinning visit in October

This was discussed and it was agreed that the 4 days" context-setting in Bethlehem at the beginning was very important for new visitors especially - obviously people could co –ordinate with their twinning partners to decide on end dates.

It was agreed that a sum should be added to the cost of the Palestine part of the visit (people still pay own fares too) - and this added sum to go to the Palestinian twinning partners who are providing the second part of the visit. Who it goes to will have to be decided twinning partner by twinning partner.

A question was raised about Holy Land Trust or Olive Co-op and we agreed that we don't have to stick with one for ever, but at the moment we have a relationship that works with HLT so the October visit will be with them

The price would then be something like £340 including the extra cost.

Nandita to chase up costs for Holy Land Trust part and let people know

Others to try and encourage people to go on the next visit, both in their own groups and through the speaking tour.

Caroline suggested that we

(5) Next twinning conference in Britain in November

We agreed that if we could, we would like to have a conference once a year in Britain and once a year in Palestine. In November, each group will see if they can fund raise for at least one person from their Palestine partner town/ village to come over. There's lots of time for fund-raising if groups start now.

Julia pointed out that it can be a long process to organise visas and things so it is worth thinking early. A request for information on the website about how to organise visits from Palestine. People can look at the home office website so they can advise their friends.

(6) Student twinning

No students here this time (exams?) but we note that issues are quite specific for students and wonder if they would want a conference on student twinning separately from the November one - or else a special part of it.

Sabrina and Emma offered to facilitate a young people's twinning conference - with a wider focus than just students.

(7) Twinning network communication

Google group - People dislike being sent people's personal messages (which is probably an accident) - We should send a message round asking people to reply to individuals" emails unless the answer is for the whole group.

Discussed if messages should be moderated but decided to leave it open for the time being.

Website - David is struggling with word press and will let us know how it goes. Is planning to move the software… hey I didn't understand this. But is keen to make it possible for groups if they want to to do blogs.

Let David have your Palestine pictures, news etc. (as well as your own twinning group please)

(8) Next steps

We will have a June/ July meeting, probably in Birmingham to start to organise the conference. Steering group to sort this out.

(9) AOB

David - Stop the Wall are keen to work with us - had asked PSC to push twinning but they hadn't picked it up. Agreed we want to connect with the Stop the Wall activists but we don't prescribe to the twinning groups who they should work with

George Rishmawi from Siraj, Bethlehem was welcomed to London.

Dundee twinning talked of the pressures of working with the Council. Lots of different agendas but can co operate.

General agreement that it was brilliant to link up with the Scottish campaigns - hope we can at the next meeting too.