EarthAction

News from Nablus - Palestinian House of Friendship

The Palestinian House of Friendship (PHF) is located in Nablus, a medium-sized city north of Jerusalem on the West Bank in Palestine. Mohammed Sawalha, founder and director of PHF, describes the current situation there as extremely dangerous throughout the city and region, with illegal settlers attacking villagers and Israeli soldiers patrolling the streets of Nablus day and night. The city is literally under siege these days, and it often takes two or three hours to cross it because of numerous checkpoints where settlers stand next to Israeli soldiers and verbally or physically humiliate travelers.

Soldiers have been particularly threatening to worshippers going to their local mosques to pray in the early morning before work. Recently they entered a neighborhood mosque for the first time, interrupted the prayers, and detained participants.

Most distressing is the collapse of the local economy, as small businesses are forced into bankruptcy, and unemployment skyrockets. It is difficult for Palestinians to obtain cash or building supplies, though recently the Israeli government announced construction of 2300 new housing units for settlers on the West Bank.

     

In spite of these stressors of daily life for people living in the Nablus region, PHF continues to offer programs for children and their families. This summer six smaller camps for 180-200 children took place within their communities, so parents could quickly collect them if danger developed. 120 Boxes of Love containing food, books, toys, and warm winter clothing were distributed to needy families over the past four months. 200 school backpacks have been donated to children who are able to return to school this fall. Dancing and singing groups continue to meet. After-school programs, Girl Scouts, and the music studio are in operation this fall. And three or four English conversation classes are being held in order to raise money for other programs.

Thanks to a generous donor, PHF has opened a small café near its offices in downtown Nablus where young people can drink coffee at discounted prices, use the internet, and study in a quiet, peaceful environment.

PHF has also initiated a series of “Democracy Building” workshops in Nablus and the wider region to train adults in how to become active participants in a civil society, learning how to vote, how to run for office, and how to develop legislative proposals. Planning for a future in which Palestine may someday become an autonomous state reinforces identity, dignity, and hope during stressful times.

Meanwhile families are anxious, some schools opened late or not at all, and people are living in a state of hypervigilance on the West Bank in the fall of 2024.

Mohammed, his staff, and the families of PHF all express their gratitude for your continuing generosity in supporting the Palestinian House of Friendship.

To read more about the Palestinian House of Friendship, click here.

A new form of protest

Credit: TheFreeThoughtProject.com

Proud To Be Indigenous

Photo courtesy of Red Alliances Media (http://redalliances.com/2013/05/06/proud-to-be-indigenous-with-first-peoples-worldwide/)

The month of May was a fun and exciting time for indigenous peoples from all over the world as they were invited by the First Peoples Worldwide organization to take to social media and express what they love about being indigenous during Proud To Be Indigenous Week.  

First Peoples Worldwide was founded in 1997 as a program that offers funding for local development projects in indiegnous communities worldwide.  The work of this organization is particularly incredible because it is an indigenous-led organization that gives a voice to indigenous communities in solving today's challenges around climate change, food insecurity, among others.  The organization is made up of head staff, a global network of board members, grantees, and practitioners that all represent diversity and solidarity in indigenous lifestyles.  

The organization used the month of May as a way to include indigenous peoples from around the world in expressing that theye were proud to be indigenous.  First Peoples received over 300 photos from 69 different indigenous communities across 33 countries with a campaign on Twitter that used the trending tags #Proud2BIndigenous and #P2BI.  The photos are available on the organization's Facebook page. 

In addition to the online campaign, First Peoples hosted several events in New York City, including a workshop led by the founder, Rebecca Adamson, on how corporations need to engage and work with indigenous communities because their voices need to be heard when the issues at hand concern these people.  

Though the Proud To Be Indigenous week is over, submissions are welcome throughout the year!

For more information, visit First Peoples Worldwide.  

Story thanks to Neva Morrison, First Peoples Worldwide managing director.

Breathtaking Photo Series Depicting Prey Lang and its Activists

From the Prey Lang Community Network website: 

"Prey Lang (“Our Forest”) is the largest evergreen lowland forest remaining in South East Asia, and it is under threat.

It is home to an indigenous population of 200,000 native Kuy who have lived in peaceful harmony with the forest for hundreds of years. The majority of families sustain themselves by harvesting resin, rottan, spiders, palm hearts, and medicinal plants.

A recent report from USAID estimates that without urgent action, the forest will be effectively gone in 2-3 years."

 

Photos by Mathieu Young. See the entire photo series here: http://preylang.com/mathieu-young/