Bethlehem Conference April 2006

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

Report on Twinning Conference

Britain - Palestine Twinning Conference held in London, United Kingdom - November 26th 2006

Agenda - Gallery - All other Conference and meeting reports

On this page; Visiting Palestine - Practical issues - Twinning from a Palestinian Perspective - Web Technology – how to use it to our advantage

Thanks to all who attended the Twinning with Palestine Conference on London on the 26th November.

Workshop notes

Visiting Palestine

Firstly this workshop discussed the need for visits to Palestine by groups here and reciprocal visits of Palestinians to their partners here. It was felt that visits are key in helping to build real friendships and twinning between the partner places. We felt that nationally organized visits are useful particularly for new groups but that group visits from towns/cities are also important. We discussed the huge impact that the visitors from Palestine this month have had in the places they have visited. Twinning is about people to people contact.

We then discussed the problems that can occur when attempting to visit your twinning partner as the Palestinian Authority have no control over their borders or who visits. The Israelis appear keen to stop as many people from visiting Palestine as they can and deportation from crossing points is being highlighted as a growing problem by many groups. It was felt that there is a need to get MP’s etc. to challenge this.

It was felt that workshops for people visiting for the first time were important and should be organised and run by people who have visited before from the Twinning Network. This would help to prepare people for the visit both practically and as a measure of support and awareness of the situation.

It was felt that our partners in Palestine should help us to develop the visits and this should be raised on their national coordinating group.

From organising summer camps to stitching a peace quilt – Practical Twinning

Twinning involves many different practical things and is about ensuring that practical solidarity is given to the Palestinian people and that awareness of the situation in Palestine is built here. Twinning is not about raising money in a charitable way but more a show of practical support to the twinned area. However it does involve raising money for projects whether that be to bring children to the UK, build a library in a refugee camp or support for internet access in a school you are building links with. The workshop asked the Network to explore seeking charitable status as CADFA have done as this may make sending donations easier and more transparent. However it may make doing “political” work harder.

A practical discussion about bring children to the UK took place. Groups that have done have written reports and can advise groups wishing to do the same.

There was a discussion about linking universities and the possibility of scholarships.

People discussed the structure of twinning groups and whether it was useful to form sub groups that concentrate on specific areas such as links groups based on work with women, around education or cultural links.

There was also a discussion on the involvement of the whole community and on how to involve the press.

Twinning from a Palestinian Perspective

The group discussed how to make the twinning project representative of all the people in the town or village. People felt that organising as many trips as possible so that people could meet each other and involving people from across the political/ religious and social backgrounds would help this process. The Palestinians felt that people that visit should be recruited/elected from a wide background and have alternatives ready incase anyone is denied a visa.

It was felt that it was vital for groups in the UK and Palestine to share information and establish best practice.

There was a discussion on women’s groups here wanting to link to women’s groups in Palestine and whether this could be divisive. The Palestinians were clear that there are many women’s organizations in Palestine and it is important to build links with them.

The Palestinians felt that it was important for groups here try to do the following: to raise awareness here and encourage lobbying of MP’s mayors etc. and build visits to Palestine including these groups, to fund raise for community projects as so much of the basic infrastructure has been destroyed, e.g. playgrounds, nurseries, health centers etc. and that groups should focus on one thing at a time. They also felt for twinning to work Internet access will have to be supplied otherwise the long-term link with the project will be difficult to establish. Finally they wanted more support with the olive harvest as for instance with international support this year meant that no farmers have been arrested in Battir.

Again this group talked the pros and cons of charitable status. It was suggested that we post the pros and cons on the website so that groups can have the debate.

There was then a discussion about the role groups could play as advocates. If news from Palestine comes to local groups from their partners then groups can tell the stories and campaign here for support. For example Luton and West Lancashire have recently tried to stop a house demolition in Al Walaja.

Web Technology – how to use it to our advantage

The issues raised were Resources, Presentations, Palestinian use of the website, Translation, Isolated areas in Palestine, Feedback on events, newsletter, discussion area.