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Tina Basem

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This year’s Women’s Day is themed My Rights, Our Power. The strength of women is reflected among many aspects in the entrepreneurial talent and engagement by which they contribute to the income of their families to care for their children and loved ones and to the prosperity of their communities with the businesses and enterprises they sustain. In this issue, we present to you a few of the many entrepreneurs in Palestine and the conditions under which they operate − some of them thriving, others struggling to make ends meet − but all of them exhibiting sumud, the steadfastness that characterizes Palestinian women (and men) as they live their lives under occupation.A great big Thank You goes to the sponsors of this issue, the Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. You will find articles authored by Signe Marie Breivik, senior adviser at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation; Safa’ Madi, team leader of Generating Revenue Opportunities for Women and Youth in the West Bank−GROW Project; Anu Virtanen, whose numerous responsibilities include consultancy to the EU-funded Business Start-up Incubators Support (BSIS) program; Waad Alfarajah, a public relations and media officer in the Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology; Rania Elias, director of Yabous Cultural Centre; MIFTAH Palestinian civil society organization; Majdi Habash, communications coordinator for Handmade Palestine; Ghada Takruri, a program manager at MA’AN Development Center; Al-Muntada, an advocacy NGO that aims to combat violence against women; Amani Aruri, whose numerous responsibilities include being advocacy team leader at the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC); and last but not least Nesma Naseem, whose numerous responsibilities include working for the international project management unit at Al-Azhar University in Gaza and managing Kanaan Digital Record, a multi-disciplinary project to valorize Palestinian cultural assets. Throughout this issue, you will find inspirational messages from a random selection of Palestinian entrepreneurs that includes Amal Masri, Doaa’ Wadi, Fatima Ashour, Lana Abu-Hijleh, Madees Khoury, Maysoun Odeh, Mona Taneeb, Nadeen Baboun, Rand Askalan, Razan Madhoon, Reem Abu Jaber, and Rita Asfour and Ronza Asfour.Our book of the Month is Feast of Ashes: The Life and Art of David Ohannessian, which highlights the beautiful Armenian glazed tiles and pottery, authored by the artist’s granddaughter Sato Moughalian; What’s in Bloom introduces small Palestinian treasures; Reducing Waste recommends ways to reduce food waste; Where to Go introduces the Musa Afandi Interpretation Center, and TWiP Kitchen presents the recipe for a traditional Palestinian salad. Enjoy the listed events. From the entire team at TWiP, we wish all readers a happy Women’s Day and a Happy Mother’s Day,

Sincerely,

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CONT

ENTS

dvisory Boardorthcoming IssuesMinister Ziad BandakAdviser to the President and Chairman of the Presidential Committee for the Restoration of the Nativity Church

Sliman MansourArtist

Amid MasriAgriculturist

Mahmoud MunaThe Bookseller of Jerusalem

Carol SansourPoet, Communication Specialist

Fida ToumaDirector General of A.M. Qattan Foundation

Cover design: Taisir Masrieh

WiP Team

Publisher: Sani P. Meo

Art Director: Taisir Masrieh

Graphic Design: Tamer Hasbun

Editor: Tina Basem

Telefax: +970/2 2-295 1262info@turbo-design.comwww.thisweekinpalestine.comwww.facebook.com/ThisWeekInPalestine

Printed by: Studio Alpha,Al-Ram, Jerusalem.

Maps: Courtesy of PalMap - GSE

fT aApril 2019:Staying Healthy in Palestine

May 2019:Advocacy in Palestine

June 2019:The Rise of Sports in Palestine

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The views presented in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher.Maps herein have been prepared solely for the convenience of the reader; the designations and presentation of material do not imply any expression of opinion of This Week in Palestine, its publisher, editor, or its advisory board as to the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or the authorities thereof, or as to the delimitation of boundaries or national affiliation.

This special issue of This Week in Palestine themed “Women Entrepreneurs in Palestine” is sponsored jointly by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority. The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the sponsors. 6 International Women’s Day Is Still Highly Relevant and Important

8 Access to Inclusive Education, Participation in Cultural Life, and Access to Information

12 Small Investments Can Go a Long Way

18 Defying Social Norms

22 Passion and Hope

30 Young Women Entrepreneurs in Creative Industries in Palestine

36 A Day in the Name of Women and Men

40 A Story of Aspirations, Successes, and Sustainability

46 Women Artisans in Palestine

54 Achieving Independence

58 Al-Muntada

60 Achieving Independence

64 Kanaan Digital Record

68 Book of the Month

72 What’s in Bloom...

74 Reducing Waste

76 Where to Go

78 TWiP Kitchen

80 Events

82 Cultural Centers

85 Accommodations

88 Restaurants

92 Attractions

94 Travel Agencies

95 Tour Operators

96 Maps

98 The Last Word

Women Entrepreneurs

United NationsEducational, Scientific and

Cultural Organization

pIssue 250 March 2019

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nternational Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and

political achievements of women. It is also a day about reflection, advocacy, and action.

Norway, together with the international community, is proud to join forces with Palestinians to celebrate International Women’s Day for a week of events around March 8. The objective for this year’s campaign is to raise awareness on women’s fundamental human rights, with the slogan “My Rights, Our Power.” The joint campaign has been developed after extensive networking and coordination with Palestinian civil society.

Palestinian women continue to face multiple challenges in relation to full economic, political, and social participation, both from within and from the consequences of occupation. The emphasis on the importance of the Palestinian women’s organization in the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda in the National Action Plan for the implementation of UNSCR 1325 (WPS Palestine 2017 – 2019) is a step in the right direction.

The ongoing Palestinian efforts to support and promote women’s rights and enhanced participation are more crucial than ever, and achievements have been made. This includes the report by the Palestinian Authority as well as the shadow report by the civil society to the CEDAW Committee. A concrete follow up to the committee’s recommendations has been the drafting of the Family Protection Bill, with the purpose of eliminating violence against women.

By Hilde Haraldstad

International Women’s Day IsStill Highly Relevantand Important

Last month the Norwegian government launched its fourth action plan for the implementation of the WPS agenda globally. The focus is on women’s participation and rights both in initial, informal peace talks and in formal peace negotiations. We will also strengthen the gender perspective in international operation and mission, and increase our efforts for women and girls in our humanitarian work.

In Palestine, Norway will promote cooperation on WPS at country level, in close coordination with Ministry of Women’s Affairs and other stakeholders. A sustainable future Palestinian state requires democratic institutions and a growing economy, none of which is possible without the participation and contribution of both men and women in the society in general, and in the work force in particular. Women’s full participation is fundamental for sustainable economic growth and development. Gender equality is also key to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

A lot has happened since International Women’s Day first emerged over one hundred years ago. Many accomplishments have been made. However, according to a report by the World Economic Forum in 2017, it could still take another one hundred years before the global equality gap between men and women is closed. We must redouble our efforts to ensure that this will not happen. Let us celebrate International Women’s Day, which is still highly relevant and important.

Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad has been head of the Norwegian Representative Office to the PA since 2016. Before that she was ambassador of Norway to Sri Lanka. She has also been assistant director general in the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and director for Conflict Resolution, Humanitarian Policy, and UN Affairs, and has been posted in the region before. She is a historian – Cand. Philol. – by education, and has also studied political science and French literature.

The following op-ed is a joint statement by the Norwegian Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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he key message of this year’s International Women’s Day in Palestine “My rights, Our Power”

is more crucial than ever. We all need to continue promoting gender equality and advance women’s

empowerment throughout all our work. Through its multi-sectorial mission – mobilizing for quality and

inclusive education, protecting heritage and supporting cultural diversity, promoting freedom of expression – UNESCO has a unique role to play in creating an enabling environment for gender equality. With Gender Equality as one of its global priorities, UNESCO addresses gender disparities and promotes equality throughout the education system, strengthening women’s capacities, supporting knowledge generation and dissemination, and developing the capacities of men and boys to become strong gender equality advocates. UNESCO also ensures that women and men equally enjoy the right to access, participate in and contribute to cultural life, encouraging women and men to benefit equally from heritage and creativity; through UNESCO’s developed Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM), women and girls are also empowered in the field of media and communication. From working with national authorities on curriculum development to civil society actors working in media, UNESCO strives to breakdown gender stereotypes across society, through social inclusion and gender transformative approaches across the organization’s mandate. Through its support to science, culture and the arts, UNESCO seeks to promote women’s leadership and catalize opportunities for young women to enter and be future leaders in these fields.

By Ahmad Junaid Sorosh-Wali

Access to Inclusive Education, Participation in Cultural Life, and Access to Information United Nations

Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization

UNESCO’s National Office in Palestine recently prepared its new Country Strategy for Palestine (2019-2022) to support the government and the civil society to further their development prospects for the people of Palestine through the key areas of UNESCO’s specific competence in education, culture, and media. Gender equality and opportunities for youth, especially girls, are two cross-cutting areas of work reflected in the strategy. Moving forward, UNESCO aims not only to better integrate gender equality into all its programmes at the country level, but also to continue identifying new opportunities and partnerships to promote the rights of women and girls whether in education, culture, or media.

The Country Strategy is enshrined within the overarching framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda premise to “leave no one behind,” and its objectives and time frame are aligned with the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) (2018-2022), in

support of the government’s National Policy Agenda (NPA). UNESCO is committed to ensuring that gender equality and the rights of women and girls remains in the forefront of all its work in Palestine.

In Palestine, the national authorities have articulated a strong political commitment to achieving gender equality throughout the ministries and through their corresponding policy work and actions. UNESCO, in partnership with the national authorities and in close cooperation with involved UN sister agencies and other relevant national and international organizations, will support the implementation of these national goals and support the government to ensure that it fulfills its commitments to the women and girls of Palestine.

Specifically for UNESCO’s Country Strategy in Palestine, gender equality is closely linked to the Education Programme where efforts to promote the right to education for all and apply the concept of inclusive education

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remain paramount. The strategy seeks to promote gender equality for boys and girls throughout the education system in Palestine by supporting the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, teachers and schools to better assess their capacities and capabilities to reduce gender bias in school practices. The Education Programme also aims to measure the learning outcomes of students, so that the broader forms of inequality that influence the educational opportunities of girls and women as well as boys and men can be addressed.

In the Culture and Cultural Heritage Programme, gender equality indicates that women and men should equally enjoy the right to access, participate in, and contribute to cultural life in Palestine. This human rights-based principle also guides the implementation of UNESCO’s culture-related international conventions, which have been ratified and accessed by Palestine. The provisions included in these standard-setting tools need to be effectively implemented, by actively promoting gender equality among creators and producers of cultural expressions as well as among citizens in terms of access to and participation in cultural life in Palestine.

While the country strategy addresses gender equality and women’s empowerment through its core areas of work in education, culture, and communications and information, an additional outcome is articulated specifically for gender equality, by implementing stand-alone interventions as well. In particular, thanks to the generous support of the Government of Norway and its Representative Office to

Palestine, UNESCO facilitated and led the development of Palestine’s first gender-focused think tank, the Gender Policy Institute (GPI). GPI produces, analyzes and shares policy ideas with target audiences as well as serves as a resource for advising, reviewing, and coordinating policies related to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Moving forward, UNESCO hopes to identify and support other innovative initiatives related to this priority area within its mandate.

International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on achievements and challenges and continue to pave the way forward towards gender equality and social justice for Palestinian women and all women around the world. However, as we celebrate this day, we continuously remind ourselves what we need to do throughout this year and the coming years to achieve equality, justice, and security.

Ahmad Junaid Sorosh-Wali is Officer-in-Charge at UNESCO Ramallah Office. He has been the Head of Culture Unit in this office since 2013. He joined UNESCO in 2002, first as consultant at the World Heritage Centre and then as Programme Specialist in the Tangible Heritage Section. In 2005, he was appointed as Focal Point for Western, Nordic, Baltic and South-East Mediterranean Europe at World Heritage Centre before joining UNESCO Ramallah Office. Mr. Sorosh-Wali holds a master’s degree in architecture (DPLG) and another in heritage conservation and management in the Middle East and Maghreb.

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Small InvestmentsCan Go a Long Way

l-Nahda Charitable Society Women’s Center in Abu Dis was opened in 2005 following the thorough

renovation of a house that is more than a hundred years old. The purpose of establishing this center was to create

a place where women could meet, share thoughts and ideas, and learn from and support each other, away from their

daily chores and responsibilities. One objective was to encourage the women to take more active roles and responsibilities in their local community by strengthening their self-awareness and to provide opportunities to participate in local activities. Another objective was to offer possibilities for education and income generation through the preservation of cultural heritage and tradition. A third objective was to provide health services and work against gender-based violence.

The center’s core values include openness and respect for all women, social/economic belonging, and independence from religious or political affiliation.

The embroidery project started with a private donation of about US$ 6,000 from a Norwegian woman who wanted to contribute to a project in Palestine at the end of 2007. What could be better than to assist Palestinian women who live behind the separation wall to provide some income for their families? Materials, tools, and high-quality thread were procured. Soon, women from Abu Dis and the surrounding areas – Ezariyeh, Sawahreh, and Al-Jahalin communities – were eagerly discussing designs, colors, and types of products to make.

Since the project took off in 2007, more than 40 women each year have earned some income from their beautiful work. Most of the participants are housewives who can easily do their embroidery at home when they are not tending to their children or household chores. Single women have gained confidence and pride by being able to support themselves and even contribute to their larger family.

Having the possibility to leave their homes to receive work gives these women the chance to participate in other activities at the Women’s Center, such as lectures, discussion groups, and consultations with a nurse, a social worker, a legal adviser, and the gynecologist who operates the small clinic at the center.

The women are producing everything from small purses, coasters, and bags of various sizes, to beautiful cushions, shawls, and large tablecloths. Old traditional patterns guide the designs and are transformed into practical items in a multitude of colors to make them modern and attractive.

The income from sales is shared to provide a fair wage to the women, pay for materials, and cover part of the center’s running costs. Most of the sales are done through friends and networks in Norway, though home parties and Christmas markets as well as through the Palestine shops in Bergen and Oslo. The products even have a brand name – “DISI” – and a Facebook page that documents the various events (@KvinnesenteretiAbuDis). Importantly, the small start-up fund

was enough to initiate the project, but the commitment and efforts of the women and the income from sales have ensured the sustainability of the activities throughout the past years.

In 2010 the Women’s Center was invited to participate in a school canteen project, initiated by UN Women, with financial support from the Norwegian Representative Office to the Palestinian Authority. The purpose was twofold: to build capacity at Palestinian women’s centers and thereby generate income, and to produce nourishing, affordable snacks for school children at local schools, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. A main objective was that healthy food leads to healthy children and hence a better

By Signe Marie Breivik

Income-generating activities that focus on embroidery help to support livelihoods and build pride among participants at Abu Dis Women’s Center.

A car that was donated to Al-Nahda Charitable Society Women’s Center by friends in Norway.

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Locally produced snacks for school canteens lead to healthier children. Health care and the promotion of well-being are important services provided by the center.

basis for learning and well-being. Joint awareness activities and school health days are part of the activities. The collaboration with UN Women offered the opportunity to network with other women’s centers in the West Bank, and exchange visits with other centers are part of the annual program.

The project was supported during the first two years through extensive training sessions in procurement, production, sales management, and accounting, in addition to the provision of support for rental fees at the school canteens and the purchase of some equipment. After that, it was up to the women themselves to determine whether the project would continue. Although the project has suffered from school closures due to strikes and military activities, the canteens have continued to operate at seven local schools for girls and boys of all ages. A normal day witnesses the preparation of several hundred falafel sandwiches, about 800 mini-pizzas, and a number of cheese, za’atar, and chicken sandwiches. Special days are allocated for mujaddara, other hot lunches, and salads. When the women come to the canteen, the children are already lining up. “It feels like they are my own children,” says Zohra, one of the canteen workers. Another component of the project is hot-meal delivery to local organizations and summer camps.

Financial assistance from private persons collected through the Norwegian Christian Student Association and the Norwegian Labour Union Study Association (AOF) Haugaland branch, has made it possible to invest in a car, an oven, a professional kneading machine, an industrial fan to create a healthy working environment, and the installation of three-phase electricity in the bakery. The latest addition is

a large fridge, which makes possible the cost-effective procurement and preservation of large quantities of food products. The car assists in transporting both the women and the food to the canteens. And of course, the driver, Amira, is a very proud woman, who holds both a normal driving license and a truck-driver license as well. The project ensures regular income for 18 women from the area.

In collaboration with the Palestinian Family Parenthood and Protection Association, the Women’s Center runs a project that focuses on sexual and reproductive health and rights that has been supported by the Representative Office of Norway for 11 years. Health services are provided by a part-time gynecologist at the center’s clinic. Services offered include family planning, marital counseling for newly married couples, pap smears, and referrals for mammography. During the last two years alone, and as a result of the screening and follow-up provided by the center’s clinic, 17 women were diagnosed with breast cancer and one woman with cervical cancer. These women are now engaged in a network of other cancer survivors and collaborate with the Patient’s Friends Society to raise awareness and provide support for women who are diagnosed with cancer. In the beginning, the women were embarrassed about having such tests and thought that they

were unnecessary. But now they encourage each other as they know how important it is that cancer be discovered at an early stage. A social worker, a nurse, and a lawyer provide educational sessions and counselling for both groups and individuals of both genders, with people from local partner NGOs benefiting as well. This includes assistance to women victims of violence as well as perpetrators, often a family member, and close collaboration with the PA police. Home visits and health days are also organized for the neighboring Bedouin communities.

Zohra’s husband did not initially like the idea of his wife working in a bakery. But with the encouragement of her mother, Zohra started anyway. When her husband realized how happy she had become because of her work, he gave her his full support. She has been working in the school canteen project for more than seven years and says that the work has changed her life.

Happy customers at Christmas Market in Oslo. Zohra at work.

Embroidery.

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Participation in activities at the Women’s Center has opened the way for new friendships, relationships, and experiences. Mothers get to know the women who teach their children at schools and kindergartens. Many volunteers from Al-Quds University get involved in the local community activities and assist in advocating for gender equality, nonviolence, and peer support. It is a joy to hear the women at the center speak about preparing for their annual outing and trying to decide where to go. For many of these women, this is one of the few times when they have the chance to travel and see other parts of their country. It is a big event to watch busses fill up with laughter, the smell of delicious cooking and sweets, and the children who squeeze in beside their mothers.

We do not want to leave anyone behind!

Signe Marie Breivik, currently senior adviser at the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, has been living in Palestine for about 25 years and, together with her husband Ali Ayyad, established the Women’s Center (as volunteers) and continues to facilitate its development and support the center’s sustained activities. She has previously worked with Augusta Victoria Hospital, UNICEF in East Jerusalem, TIPH in Hebron, and the Norwegian Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority.

Photos courtesy of the author.

Wome

n Spea

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Maysoun Odeh-Gangat, against the advice of all those who predicted “it won’t work,” successfully set up in 2010 and co-owns the first women’s radio station in the Arab world, for which she has been feted with numerous local

and international awards, including the prestigious Schwab Social Entrepreneur Award. Radio Nissa FM not only provides music and entertainment, it is also a voice and a mode of inspiration and empowerment for Palestinian women, including those living in the diaspora.

“Palestinian women, with our never-say-die entrepreneurial spirit, have ventured where others may never dare to go, and in overcoming all the occupational difficulties and obstacles, we have achieved some amazing successes by becoming masterful at turning problems into opportunities.”

Maysoun Odeh-Gangat

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Defying Social Norms

s a child of refugee parents, I was born

and raised in Gaza, Palestine. Number 10

out of 12 siblings (a full soccer team), not a surprise

for a mother who got married at the age of 15 to a photographer who at the time (the 1950s) was one of only two photographers in Gaza. Luckily, and despite his traditional marriage, this photographer was extraordinarily progressive in his relationship with my mother, myself, and my siblings. Through his camera lens, he saw and understood how the prevailing social norms led to inequality and disempowering women, which made him become – to my and my sisters’ good fortune – a champion of women’s empowerment. Although my late father often expressed his conviction by saying, “My daughters have every right to be equal to my sons,” his behavior spoke even more eloquently.

When I decided to get married at the age of 26, I could only do it in a Shari’a court, which meant that I had to accept – however briefly

By Safa’ Abdel Rahman Madi

– being perceived as unequal and in need of a male guardian to marry me. I nonetheless did not accept this without a fight, which my fiancé – like my father – was happy to support. After a long argument with the Sheikh who was writing our marriage certificate, I granted myself an equal right of divorce and managed to get my sister and another female friend to sign my wedding certificate as witnesses, which was far from being a normal practice. I simply had to challenge the socially constructed norms that get used by those in power to undermine my basic rights and those of other women. Every little fight – whether individual or collective – against inequality matters. That’s what I strongly believe.

Social norms override laws and religion in so many ways in my society, and the resistance of the judge was a true demonstration of a male

perception of which rights for women should be articulated in a marriage certificate, even if those rights are in no way in contradiction with religion or any law. By demanding my rights and ensuring that I have them, I set a precedent in Ramallah’s Shari’a court. I did not ask for these rights because I was rebellious or because I was a gender-equality activist at the time. I was an ordinary young woman who saw herself neither less nor more but equal to her husband. I saw it as a simple act of justice.

I have three daughters, Xena, 14, Yasmeen, 10, and Leena, 5. My husband and I are raising them to believe in themselves and to trust that there is nothing they cannot achieve if they work hard at it. They have options and can make decisions. Failing or winning is not important if they rise when they fall, learn from the experience, and keep trying.

Xena (in blue) during her second international boxing game in the Netherlands in 2018.

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Xena set her precedent by becoming the first female boxer to represent Palestine in two international tournaments while at the same time studying violin for the seventh year. Xena will be the youngest female musician to participate in the Palestine Youth Orchestra (PYO) which is due to perform in Dubai Opera House next month. Who said boxing and playing violin do not mix?! While many people support her choices and her ambition to represent Palestine at the Olympics one day, there are others who think that boxing is not for girls.

The small precedent I set in my marriage certificate was followed by two women in my family. Is this now the norm? No. There is a lot of work to be done to educate girls about their legal and human rights, to support them to make decisions about what matters to them in their lives, and to build their capacities and equip them

with much-needed skills to compete effectively in local and international markets. This is what we try to do at GROW, a Women’s Economic Empowerment Project funded by the Government of Canada. We try to empower women economically and socially to have a voice and the agency to lead a prosperous life. We do this by engaging supportive men like my father and husband who believe that strong Palestinian women who share equal rights should be the norm, not the exception.

Safa’ Abdel Rahman Madi is the team leader of Generating Revenue Opportunities for Women and Youth in the West Bank−GROW Project, funded by the Government of Canada. Safa’ can be reached at safa.madi@grow.ps.

Photos courtesy of the author. Wo

men S

peak

Lana Abu-Hijleh has dedicated three decades of loyal service to Palestine’s social, economic, and cultural development and the promotion of good governance. She has served with UNDP for 17 years, led the

international NGO Global Communities – Palestine for the past 15 years, served as a board member of multiple private-sector entities, including the Palestine Investment Fund and Bank of Palestine, volunteered for several NGOs as a civic activist, and founded and chairs SHIAM-Youth Make the Future.“To my daughters and youth who wonder,” she says, “be passionate about all that you do. Find a worthy purpose that inspires and drives you, and work hard to accomplish it. When you become exhausted and frustrated, focus on the positive and the good that your dedication can achieve. Lead to serve others, and only follow a visionary who has great values.”

Lana Abu-Hijleh

Xena playing violin (center) during the National Conservatory of Music OrchestraPerformance at Birzeit University, February 16, 2019.

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n 2004, entrepreneurship and start-up support programs in Palestine began by targeting the students

at universities, particularly those in the IT sector. The first programs focused on promoting the idea of

entrepreneurship and encouraging Palestinians to take this path. IT centers of excellence began to incubate start-ups

through provision of space and guidance.

Later on, while the start-up ecosystem developed, the incubators started to provide the entire cycle of incubation, including systematic advisory services and coaching, as well as business advice. Moreover, the business incubators began to be more open and encouraging to other business sectors outside the arena of IT. This probably plays a role in the decisions of many women to translate their ideas into businesses and join the incubators.

Albeit men are still way more likely than women to become entrepreneurs, the number of female entrepreneurs is growing, particularly in Palestine. According to a World Bank studyi published last year, 23 percent of start-ups in Gaza and the West Bank have female founders, while in similar ecosystems the numbers are lower – in Beirut, for instance, 19 percent of the start-up entrepreneurs are women and in Dar es Salaam, 15 percent.ii Let’s ask Palestinian women why they chose the path of starting their own business.

Laughter yoga ambassador runs growing business without stressWhile working for several years in the field of women’s empowerment in the MENA region, Palestinian Dr. Manal Dandis from Hebron heard countless stories of women who were under stress. The working environment slowly began to have a negative effect on Dr. Dandis as well. She recalls how she found laughter yoga: “I was searching online for a method to reduce stress, and laughter yoga attracted my attention. I read about the benefits: the yoga breathing sequence combined with laughter brings oxygen to one’s body and releases stress. According to the studies, fake laughter provides the same

physiological and psychological benefits as spontaneous laughter. I started to practice it and felt the benefits immediately.” When Dr. Dandis wanted to share her experience with others suffering from stress, she found out that there were no laughter yoga teachers in Palestine. So she decided to become one herself and packed her luggage in order to travel to India to study with Dr. Madan Kataria, the originator of the concept.

Dr. Dandis is now a certified laughter-yoga teacher and the official laughter-yoga ambassador to the Middle East. She gives classes in gyms, sport clubs, study centers, chambers of commerce, and children’s centers. While targeting mainly the most vulnerable people, such as disabled children and families living in poverty, she also teaches in work teams and school classes. She has so much work that she is able to employ yoga teachers and grow her business. For this she is receiving support from the EU funded Business Start-up Incubator Support (BSIS) project, implemented by Enabel (the Belgian development agency) at the Business Incubator Unit of the Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron.

Dr. Dandis’ business idea follows the mission of the laughter-yoga concept: health, happiness, and world peace. She believes in these values, and she is convinced that given the great market potential, her business will continue to grow. “I have already overcome many obstacles. By showing the scientific research that has been carried out on laughter yoga, I have convinced people that it is neither a religious nor a political endeavor. It is a method to release stress, and this is what we need. My dream is that all Palestinians would practice laughter yoga,” she concludes while laughing.

A passion for fashion resulted in a career changeFashion designer Manar El-Banna presents sketches and photos of dresses that are ready for purchase in her showroom in Gaza City. It’s difficult to believe that she only started her career as a fashion designer about five years ago. “I studied architecture, which obviously requires some similar skills, but fashion was only a hobby for me before. I

By Anu Virtanen

Passion and Hope Palestinian WomenEntrepreneurs

Laughter Yoga ambassador Dr. Dandis is spreading happiness with her smile and business.

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sewed baby clothes for 12 years until I started to think that it could be my main job,” she reveals.

El-Banna changed her career and followed her passion by establishing Mix Fashion in 2013. Since then, she and her growing number of staff members have been designing and sewing multi-usage dresses, some of which are made from recycled

materials. Due to the restrictions imposed on imported goods, textiles are costly in Gaza. Therefore, many women prefer to own multi-usage clothes or recycle their old clothes.

“I started with abayas and continued making wedding dresses and other costumes with the idea that the customer could wear the same attire on several occasions. Regardless of the purpose, all my clothes are tailor-made,” the designer explains. While pleasing customers is an obvious goal of every business owner, under the difficult situation that Gaza is facing, the social impact of entrepreneurship is equally important for El-Banna. Her business contributes to improving the lives of several Gazan families since Mixed Fashion employs five full-time employees along with several part-time workers. Employing women requires taking cultural aspects in to consideration. She explains: “Some of my part-time employees work from home, which allows these women to continue to take care of their families while they earn some extra income at the same time.”

El-Banna’s passion and vision led her to choose a career in fashion design, but in order to make her business successful she needed professional business advice. “The biggest advantage of joining the Business and Tech Incubator at the Islamic University of Gaza is that it enabled me to move from my old office to the showroom here in the center of Gaza City. The seed fund I received made this possible,” notes El-Banna.

The designer says that they call the BSIS program bassees, which means “hope” in Arabic. “Hope is what the project and entrepreneurship have given me,” El-Banna concludes.

Satisfaction through entrepreneurship Jerusalemite Suzan Ghosheh Shurafa has done something unusual with her life. She used to hold a good position in an international organization, but she felt that her creativity and energy were restricted. She explains the reasons behind her decision: “As a psychotherapist, I needed to be in the field, not in the office waiting for a fund or a new project. I was sitting in meetings, writing papers, and doing deskwork while I saw that there was a lot of work to do in the field.”

Ghosheh Shurafa opened up to her friend Asmahan Alayan who is an experienced businesswoman who was dealing with start-ups. Encouraged by these discussions, Ghosheh Shurafa became convinced

“I receive professional support on how to teach laughter yoga from my mentor, Dr. Kataria, and the BSIS program facilitates the technical aspects of the management of my business. Moreover, I enjoy the positive energy around me in the office where I meet other start-up entrepreneurs, create new ideas, and seek for synergies.” Dr. Manal Dandis

that she should start a business on her own. She partnered with Suad Mitwalli whom she met in a psychodrama high-diploma course. Previously both of them had completed a BA in psychology from Birzeit University. In addition, Mitwalli holds a diploma in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy. These two women, who have a lot of experience in counseling and trauma therapy,

especially with women, decided to establish Nisma Al-Quds, which means “fresh air Jerusalem.”

“We started to use nature as a therapeutic technique by organizing walks and talks in nature and

“My own business is my dream come true! I don’t want to sit at home; I want to do something I love.” Suzan Ghosheh Shurafa

El-Banna and one of her five employees.

Ghosheh Shurafa chose to follow her dream and became an entrepreneur.

El-Banna presents her sketches in her showroom in Gaza City.

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breathing activities for women in the villages, and raising awareness about mental health. We have traditionally labeled mental health as a concern only for those persons who have been marginalized because of their psychopathology. I have a passion to change this,” Ghosheh Shurafa states.

She emphasizes that mental health issues do not occur only in the refugee camps or within other vulnerable groups but also among women who work and live regular lives in the cities. Since Nisma Al-Quds joined the Jerusalem business incubator, partnering with Palestine Education

i Press Release, “New World Bank Report Highlights What It Takes to Build a Robust Palestinian Start-up Ecosystem,” The World Bank, July 2018, available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/07/11/new-world-bank-report-highlights-what-it-takes-to-build-a-robust-palestinian-startup-ecosystem.ii Tech Startup Ecosystem in West Bank and Gaza, Findings and Recommendations, The World Bank, 2018, available at http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/715581526049753145/pdf/126144-replacement-WBG-ecosystem-mapping-digital.pdf.

for Employment and operating on the premises of Al-Quds University, they started to strengthen their marketing and awareness-raising activities. In addition to traditional psychotherapy, they continue to introduce new therapy methods, such as group therapy and psychodrama.

Ghosheh Shurafa elaborates on the satisfaction that she finds in her work: “Last year we started the first group sessions on a voluntary basis since we wanted to make the sessions accessible to the women participants who couldn’t afford the typical fees. It was a success! Most of the participants changed their lifestyle

somehow and were satisfied with the results. That’s the best reward; it’s not only about money.” Ghosheh Shurafa admits that being an entrepreneur is not easy, but she doesn’t regret her decision to leave her safe, well-paid office job as she now feels more empowered and satisfied with herself.

Anu Virtanen is a Finnish communications consultant who works for several EU entities globally, including the EU-funded Business Start-up Incubators Support

(BSIS) program, which supports entrepreneurs in Palestine through partnering with business incubators located in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem, and Gaza. The program encourages entrepreneurs to change their ideas into businesses and, consequently, contributes to private-sector development and the improvement of lives in Palestine. The program is implemented by Enabel (the Belgian development agency).

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kRita Asfour and Ronza Asfour are two young female entrepreneurs who co-founded Fitafe’, the first restaurant in Palestine that specializes in healthy fast food.

With backgrounds in business administration and French translation and literature, their age, gender, politics, and finances all posed challenges, but their passion and hard work have helped Rita and Ronza to reach their goals. They have changed the daily habits of many by offering high-quality, well-balanced meals and making focused health-awareness services easily accessible. Their business has grown dramatically, and they are now managing a team of ten people. Their aim is to travel with their vision and to expand their scope of expertise to reach larger national and international communities. Their advice to young entrepreneurs? You will be successful if you convert your passion into hard work. Persist! No matter which challenges you find. The challenges of today will become merely tiny, innocuous bumps along the way.

Rita Asfour and Ronza Asfour

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kAmal Daraghmeh Masri is the editor in chief and CEO of Middle East Business News and Magazine and the CEO of Ougarit Group. She holds an honorary doctorate from GODSU University, Florida, USA. Decorated by the French Republic as chevalier de l’ordre national

du Mérite and having won first prize as Best Woman Entrepreneur in MENA, she is listed as One of Ten Global Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders and will be named among 100 Inspirational Women by the Dr. Pauline Lang Foundation. Her secret for success? “It’s challenging enough to be a human being in the twenty-first century, but even more so when you are a woman. This factor is multiplied if you live in the Middle East, in an occupied country, where realities such as equality, justice, and equal opportunities are said to exist, as long as you are a man!One way to succeed in such an unusual environment is to remain alert to the possibilities that can occur at any time and be willing to act upon them. Set an achievable goal for yourself, a goal that fits you, and not just an image you’ve seen in the media that prescribes how women should look, act, or be.As a woman you should be free to be what you want to be. Women are strong enough to hold down a job, care for children, and run a household without complaint. We just get on with it. But if you don’t want this stereotype, don’t be that person. If following your chosen career and building a business is what lights that flame within, follow your dreams and make it happen. If you want to fly, sprout those proverbial wings and learn to do it!Create your own terminology, your own words; believe in it, live it, do it. Make your cause everybody’s cause. Create a dream that everybody will want to be part of. Always remember that for you as a woman, success is like a journey in a boat that will require harmony and balance to steer its path. You can row that boat alone, or you can row with a partner or two, making sure that you work as a team, respect one another, and share the same dreams, ethics, and aspirations. Never take others for granted or treat people poorly. It only reflects badly on you as a person.Above all else, always give, as giving is the secret of success. Try to enjoy the happy times. As poet Omar Khayyam said, “Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

Amal Masri

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have learned a great deal

and achieved a number of goals

in my work with NGOs as a coordinator,

administrative assistant, and PR officer of development projects. My professional goal is to contribute to the building of a Palestinian society that respects individual rights and freedoms, especially those of minorities, of people who are neglected, and of children and women. A creative and significant project that was implemented last year aimed to enable Palestinian rural women through e-commerce projects. It was inspiring to witness the progress and improvement of women throughout the successive levels of the project and how they transformed from unemployed, unproductive individuals into financially independent women who run their own e-commerce projects.

By Waad H. Alfararjah

Young WomenEntrepreneurs in Creative Industries in Palestine

many women have been struggling to find the right setting that would allow them to engage in creative industries, and many others have been facing numerous challenges at every stage of establishing their own businesses. Questions regarding the core problem of low participation of young women in entrepreneurship and the lack of young women entrepreneurs in creative industries in Palestine bring to mind a number of reasons that mainly include cultural prejudices and traditional beliefs but also an inadequate support system. Young women rarely choose to pursue careers in entrepreneurship, thus condemning themselves to

lower-paying jobs and failing to reach their full potential. The causes of this problem are numerous and can be divided into the following areas.

• education and skills of young women: the lack of entrepreneurial education and spirit, and an insufficient level of technical skills

• cultural prejudices and traditional beliefs: the general attitude that entrepreneurship is not the right occupation for young women since it takes a toll on personal and family life; and the unfavorable and sex-biased climate among the entrepreneurial community in Palestine

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) states that in 2017, persons from 20 to 29 years of age who obtained an intermediate diploma or bachelor’s degree were specialized in the following fields: business and administration (32 percent of men, 23 percent of women), engineering and engineering trades (8 percent of men, 4 percent of women).ii

It is important to create a female-friendly entrepreneurship eco-system in Palestine to increase chances for success among women entrepreneurs in creative industries. This essential issue needs to be highlighted and discussed:

Nablus Women Entrepreneurs- Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.

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• an inadequate support system for women entrepreneurs: the lack of relatable and inspiring role models (successful women entrepreneurs are unknown in the public and those who are known are perceived negatively, as too aggressive and unfeminine; this is relevant especially in rural communities and refugee camps and to a somewhat lesser degree in the larger cities); and a lack of founders capital to start their businesses

• an inadequate policy framework: insufficient consolidated effort on the national level; a lack of relevant strategic documents and plans to support female entrepreneurship;

and a lack of relevant and up-to-date sex-disaggregated data, particularly concerning creative and digital industries

Segments of the Palestinian population are considered to be among the more traditional and patriarchal societies in the MENA region, and women in the occupied Palestinian territory suffer from high levels of poverty and unemployment, with women refugees particularly vulnerable. The rate of female

patriarchal gender roles, where girls are told that science and technology are “too hard” for them and that entrepreneurship is a “man’s job,” as it takes a toll on personal and family life. Although more females than males finish university-level education (53.9 percent to 26.1 percent), their unemployment rate is higher. The majority of females study human sciences and arts, and they mainly work in lower-paying jobs,

industries in Palestine, but also for other young women and girls who are considering a career in this area and working on their business ideas?

On the technical level, improving the technical skills of women will produce direct benefits for their businesses, as it will allow them to use their newly acquired knowledge to further develop their businesses

Several levels need to be discussed and managed to enable a more female-friendly entrepreneurship eco-system and increase chances for the success of women entrepreneurs in creative industries in Palestine.

Contributing to a more female-friendly entrepreneurship eco-system and increasing the chances for success of women entrepreneurs in creative industries in Palestine can help women overcome the challenges related to the Israeli-blockade, closure, economic policies, and movement restrictions.

participation in the labor market in the West Bank and Gaza stood at 13.4 percent in 2006, half the average rate in Arab countries and one of the lowest in the world.i Gender discrepancies are severe and their consequences are visible in all areas of life, which is evidenced by the fact that, in 2017, according to estimates by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the labor force participation rate was 72.5 percent men compared to 17.3 percent women, which is only a small increase from the numbers documented in 2006.

Too many children in Palestine are still brought up in accordance with

whereas the majority of males work in well-paid industry jobs. The PCBS states that about 50,000 workers in our country earn less than the legal minimum wage or less than 1,450 NIS per month, and 85 percent of these are working women. A large number of females earn 700 shekels per month or even less.iii

So what should we do to contribute to a more female-friendly entrepreneurship eco-system and increase the chances for success for women entrepreneurs in creative industries in Palestine? What has to be done to ensure long-term benefits for young women entrepreneurs working in creative

Training session at PRECious − Palestinian Rural Women E-Commerce Project,held in Tulkarem in April 2018. Photo by Waad Alfararja.

and make them more competitive and successful in the market. On the economic level, improving the business skills of young, active, and potential entrepreneurs will produce direct economic benefits for their businesses since it will help them become more competitive and increase their chance for success in the market. On the policy level, research and studies on gender-based discrepancies in entrepreneurship and creative industries in Palestine are needed to produce recommendations for the improvement of the policy framework for female entrepreneurship

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kAs a pediatric neurologist and a neuroscientist, I have devoted my scientific career to trying to understand the developing brain. This has given me the privilege of caring for children with neurological disorders such as

epilepsy and stroke. My priority has always been the health and well-being of Palestinian children; hence, I founded a program to train Palestinian pediatricians to deliver the best specialized care. More recently, I founded Takween, a one-of-a-kind center that provides interdisciplinary care – from diagnosis and treatment to all types of rehabilitation and special education – to Palestinian children who have neurological and mental disorders.

My message to women? Follow your passion and use it to make a difference in the lives of the people around you.

Rand Askalan

in Palestine. A handbook on innovative models to support female entrepreneurship on national, local, and in-company levels should be created to provide guidance and pointers for decision-makers on how to improve the policy framework for female entrepreneurship. An improved policy framework and increased support for young women entrepreneurs will significantly contribute to improved conditions for youth and women entrepreneurs in Palestine.

On the social level, a support mechanism for young women entrepreneurs must be developed as this will significantly increase their chances for success in the market and thus contribute to overall improvement of the economic status and quality of life of young women in Palestine, one of the most disadvantaged groups in the entrepreneurship field of work. An extensive promotional campaign should bring the issue of female entrepreneurship into the center of public attention and could increase awareness on the importance of this issue for the socio-economic development of Palestinian society, which will significantly benefit any future efforts to support women’s entrepreneurship.

For more than 70 years, Palestinian society has been preoccupied with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that has highlighted the contribution and role of women as not limited to

the social role of caregivers within the family. Beyond these tasks, women have played and still play an active and remarkable role in political participation. Promoting and adopting policies that support the existence and presence of women entrepreneurs in the economic and commercial arena will create revenue-generating businesses that improve the livelihood of Palestinian women and allow them to participate constructively in the economic and social development of their society. Notably, technological development is increasing and becoming one of the engines and pillars of Palestinian development. Its full potential cannot be achieved without the recognition and support of women entrepreneurs’ creativity, originality, and imagination.

Waad Hassan Alfararjah is a public relations and media officer in the Ministry of Telecom and Information Technology (MTIT). She holds a master’s degree in European studies and political science from Al-Quds University in Abu Dis, Palestine, and Heinich Heine University in Germany, and a bachelor’s degree in media studies from Al-Quds Bard College in Abu Dis, Palestine. She has diverse experience in working in environments that recognize potential, promote professional and personal motivation, and reward ability, creativity, ambition, and commitment.

i Gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F), available at http://www.mdgfund.org/node/694.ii Special press release for students who sit for the secondary school exam tawjihi in the academic year 2016/17: “Educational fields and labor market for persons aged 20-29 years in 2016,” PCBS, available at http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/Press_En_5-7-2017-tawjehi-en.pdf.iii The Labour Force Survey Results Fourth Quarter (January–March 2018) Round, Main Results, PCBS, available at http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/post.aspx?lang=en&ItemID=3135.

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Reem Abu Jaber is the executive director of Nawa for Culture and Arts Association. With more than 20 years of experience in senior management of non-formal education and cultural activities for children and families,

she was awarded France’s National Order of Merit in 2011.

Her advice? Take the time you need to determine what you want to do with your life, decide what you want to carry in your bag along the road, enjoy visualizing your goal with every little detail. Once you do that, the only thing you’ll need to fight is your inner fear. Free yourself from the expectations and demands of others. Start dancing with life and enjoy the journey to the max.

P.S. Life is short; make sure you spend it doing what makes you happy.

Reem Abu Jaber

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A Day in the Nameof Women and Men

n International Women’s Day, it is impossible to talk about women’s axis in isolation from the general

reality, elements, and other components of society. I am a supporter of women and men and their joint

efforts.

I would like it to be a day in the name of women and men, as the process of real human development requires the participation of men and women together in real and effective economic, social, political, and cultural fields. This is done through the integration and institutionalization of gender issues in all plans, in daily life, in families, and in programs and projects in order to bridge the gender gap in multiple spheres of life.

Poets have written about the role of women throughout the ages as the guardians of the fire, the front-runners, the fountains of love, avant-garde pioneers, martyrs, captives in an occupied homeland, steady in the midst of changing culture, educated in the valleys of ignorance, and perseverant against all odds. Palestinian women are not just Dalal Mughrabi, Leila Khaled, Samiha Khalil, Elizabeth Nasser, Zulikha Shehabi, Hind Husseini, Fatima Abu Al-Saud, Amina Al-Husseini, and Henrietta Siksek, to name a few. And they are not only the parliamentarians, poets, novelists, community activists, school teachers, doctors, engineers, and housewives. They are all these together, with a long history of giving and sharing for humanity, for freedom, and for Palestine.

The role of Palestinian women in political and public life is weak and limited. Just read the reports of the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics,* or consider the few seats in the Legislative Council and the low percentages obtained by women in the legislative elections in 1996 and 2006: they indicate a number of facts. The most important among them is that Palestinian society, through all its social groups and political parties, has not yet managed to

By Rania Elias

overcome the dilemma of unfairness based on gender and still considers women unqualified to be in leadership and decision-making positions that make them partners.

Despite the efforts of the Palestinian women’s movement to raise political awareness and make a real difference in the representation of women, it has not been able to fully do so. In a traditional society such as that of Palestine, where the legal aspect plays a greater role than in democratic civilized countries, the issue of working on the legal amendment of election laws is a priority to be tackled by civil society organizations in general and women’s organizations in particular.

Nevertheless, there are many successful individual models of Palestinian women who are leading national and political parties and institutions. This foreshadows the potential to open up horizons for younger generations to become more involved in public life. The participation of women in grassroots organizations and movements is broad and effective but limited in decision-making positions. Hence political parties must assume the primary responsibility for the weak representation of Palestinian women in political

Artwork by Nabil Anani.

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participation and in public life. These parties themselves lack adequate representation of women, although there are some women in party leadership, such as Ms. Khaleda Jarrar and Ms. Zahira Kamal.

Despite all efforts that have been made at the local and global levels, such as joining organizations that work for gender equality, and despite the signing of many conventions, such as CEDAW, that combat discrimination, especially against women, what we see on the ground does not reflect the results of these efforts.

Women have a role in pushing forward the process of liberation. We emphasize the multiple forms

of power that women possess. If change in society and freedom are to be realized, women must believe in their abilities and eliminate forms of oppression and inferiority. The change begins when women consider that they have the same status and potential as men in thought, logic, work, leadership, decision-making, challenge, and response, as well as in love and tenderness. The solution begins when discrimination against women that is found in law and practice can be confronted. And from where I stand as the director of the Yabous Cultural Centre and as a member of the boards of many institutions and committees, I am proud to exercise my role and my natural right as a woman.

We are all responsible for bringing about real change in the status of women in society, in educating and raising society’s view of women in practice and work, and in the application of law and accountability. I practice my natural right each and every day. And so should you.

Rania Elias is the director of Yabous Cultural Centre and a member of several international and Palestinian organizations and networks, including BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Spafford Children’s Centre, Rawdat El-Zuhur, the Civic Coalition for Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem, and Shafaq – Jerusalem Arts Network.

* Press release on the Eve of Women’s Day 2018, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, available at http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/Press_En_7-3-20148-women-en.PDF.

Artwork by Tayseer Barakat.

Artwork by Sliman Mansour.

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kDoa Wadi has been the executive director of Business Women Forum-Palestine since 2008. With extended experience in business leadership development that focuses on women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, she

has founded a number of consortia and is a member of committees and juries as well as a speaker, mentor, and advocate for women.

“Creating an encouraging environment and supportive culture for young Palestinian women is not only my passion but also my ultimate professional and personal goal. As a mother of two boys and a girl, a sister to five women and two men, mentoring is my joy.

“My advice to women? If you learn, practice, and create, you will accomplish great things. If you dream, believe, and empower, you will succeed. Let’s stretch the boundaries of achievement.”

Doa Wadi

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he Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy − MIFTAH, in cooperation

with the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, implements small income-generating

projects for women in marginalized areas in East Jerusalem. This support is part of MIFTAH’s “Women’s

Economic Program” and constitutes one of its empowerment initiatives that promote the participation of women at all levels of society. The project aims to contribute to the development of local communities in rural areas, especially those located in Area C. It targets predominantly young women, providing them with training that enables them to play an effective and active role in endeavors that elevate the status of women in these communities. In several Jerusalem-area villages, this program aims also to combat poverty and unemployment among women and their families, thereby contributing to national efforts that focus on encouraging citizens to remain steadfast on their land.

Courtesy of MIFTAH

A Story of Aspirations,Successes, and SustainabilityMIFTAH’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Program

The Women’s Economic Program began to be implemented in 2008 and has changed the lives of over 450 women and their families. It comes as a continuation of MIFTAH’s support to impoverished Palestinian women in areas that are exposed daily to the detrimental effects of settlement expansion and land confiscation. These measures double the burden on the women living in these areas because they hamper their access to basic services, which has a heavy impact on their daily lives.

Fatimeh Morrar and Jamalat Daoud from the village Beit Dukko, located northwest of Ramallah, ascribe the success of their jewelry and accessories business to a large extent to the support that MIFTAH has extended to their project since 2016. They appreciate that MIFTAH has kept up with their progress and development, helping them overcome the challenges that they have faced. Other project beneficiaries feel the same. Initially, the project supported five women and girls from the village; this number had risen to ten by late 2018. Morrar, also a member of the Beit Dukko Development Association,

notes that most of the challenges they face have to do with marketing their products, even though they enjoy a measure of popularity given that they are heritage-themed accessories that highlight Palestinian history and culture.

Morrar commended MIFTAH’s continuous support over the past three years that has benefitted two groups of ten women and girls from the village who completed training in the manufacture of jewelry and accessories and received instruction in management and marketing. Today, these women work inside and outside the village and train other girls and women, as demand on their products is high, with many people desiring to possess items that display and celebrate their heritage.

The Women’s Economic Program raises hopes amidst a variety of challenges.

Accessories from Beit Dukko.

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Both Morrar and Daoud assert that this project produces numerous positive returns, including financial and social rewards for girls and women in Beit Dukko. They maintain that first, it provides them with a steady income that significantly augments the family’s income, empowering them economically as it allows them to contribute to the well-being of the family. Furthermore, the project provides social returns because the beneficiaries are introduced to various social sectors, broadening their circle of relations and influence

through their participation in exhibits and local bazaars that showcase their products. The positive returns and benefits of the project have continuously increased for the beneficiaries, especially after MIFTAH carried out several interventions that include networking with the Business Women Forum on behalf of the project and involving the women in local and international bazaars.

“Marketing was one of our most significant challenges,” Morrar reveals, affirming that MIFTAH played an important role in overcoming this challenge by holding more exhibits and marketing the products abroad. One such event was the “Damascus Gate Bazaar” that took place in late 2017 and introduced the broader local society to their products. “The networking and public relations efforts carried out by MIFTAH were extremely important, especially holding bazaars abroad, which contributed to expanding the market for our products and generating even greater income for the beneficiaries.”

MIFTAH’s choice of the Ein Louza neighborhood in the town of Silwan, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque, to implement the food-production project was no coincidence. It chose this quarter, one of the poorer areas of Silwan, for the implementation of its project to support a number of local women and empower them economically. The project was a major success, and organizers were well aware of the significance and implications of implementing this project in terms of timing and impact on the beneficiaries and their families. It emphasized the importance of supporting Palestinian women in occupied Jerusalem, economically empowering them in an extremely difficult climate for families as they are faced with the weight of the Israeli occupation and its policy of undercutting their very means of living in order to undermine their steadfastness.

The food-production project, entitled “Delicious Jerusalem Bites,” was launched in November 2018, and involved five women from the Ein Louza neighborhood. From the start, the beneficiaries experienced success. At first, the returns were humble, but with positive reception from the community, these returns have been on the rise ever since. Fa’eda Halabiyeh, one of the five beneficiaries, explains: “The project includes pastries and other homemade products that we market in our local community based on orders. We provide ready, home-cooked meals to many households.” She explains how the group of five first started out through a women’s center that reached out to MIFTAH, which “provided us with all the support we needed.” Since then, Halabiyeh says, the five women have each been able to secure a steady income. “We started with around NIS 200 a month, then we went up to

Poverty rates increased from 8.1 percent in Area C in the year 2000 to 18.3 percent in 2011, with labor force participation rates in the field of agriculture dropping from 44 percent to 23.5 percent for the same period.

Poverty rates increased from 8.1 percent in Area C in the year 2000 to 18.3 percent in 2011, with labor force participation rates in the field of agriculture dropping from 44 percent to 23.5 percent for the same period.

NIS 500, and then NIS 700. “Today, our monthly take-home salary is NIS 1,000 each, and we expect this to go up even more in the coming months,” she says proudly, explaining that these are net salaries after store rent, utility bills, and other project-related expenses have been paid.

Fa’eda Halabiyeh says she hopes that the project will expand and multiply in profits for the beneficiaries, noting that they are all housewives who contribute financially to the household. The most significant impact, she notes, is that the project has boosted their confidence by building trusting relationships with their community. “Here, we make all sorts of food – different types of pickles and sweets all of all kinds – and take orders for ready-made meals, including pastries such as mini pizzas at NIS 1 a piece. Most of our customers are students from nearby schools.”

As with any start-up, there are always challenges. Halabiyeh says that theirs are compounded by the fact that they live in Jerusalem and in Silwan in particular. “It is one of the towns targeted daily by Israeli tax raids, closures, settler and army attacks, etc. This is in addition to the challenges that we face regarding high rents,” Halabiyeh continues. “We work really hard just to collect enough money to rent the place, and before we know it, the landlord

Sawa’ed Makdisieh (Wrists of Al-Quds). Beit Sureeq.

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is knocking on our door asking for rent again.” Still, she maintains, “the challenges only make us stronger. This experience has made us more self-confident; we have won the respect and trust of our community, especially the women.”

MIFTAH is a Palestinian civil society organization that was established in 1998 in Jerusalem. It seeks to promote the principles of democracy and good governance within various segments of Palestinian society through enhancing the participation of women and youth, and leading in-depth dialogue and the free flow of information and ideas.

Settlement expansion in East Jerusalem is directly linked to the evacuation of Palestinians from their homes and their forced displacement, in addition to expropriation of land and property, which hinders access to resources. Settlement construction and expansion in East Jerusalem commenced in 1968. Statistics from 2016 indicate that there were 220,000 settlers in 12 settlements inside the wall.

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My belief in the standards and professional capacity of young Palestinian entrepreneurs inspired me to co-found Invest Palestine in 2016 and Farayek Experiences in 2019. Invest Palestine manages the first

impact-investment fund that connects the Palestinian diaspora community in Chile with Palestine through investment in Palestinian SMEs. Farayek offers local culinary experiences that give visitors a chance to experience Palestinian stories that focus on our food culture and recipes and culminate in sharing a tasty traditional meal. I chose this path because I am passionate about these endeavors and wanted to establish ventures that could create a positive socio-economic impact on Palestine.

My advice to young women? Don’t fear failure. Keep going forward with momentum, whether slow or fast. It is never too late to have a new dream or vision.

Nadeen Baboun

SAVE THE DATEApril 2, 2019

Exhibition Opening at the Palestinian Museum

Guest-curator Dr. Tina Sherwell

Intimate Terrains explores the changing representations of landscape by Palestinian artists,

and our relationship to place and location. What ties us to places? What keeps us in a place?

What have been and what are our dreams and visions of landscapes of the past and future?

The exhibition gathers works

by 36 Palestinian artists from the 1930s to the present, and encompasses painting,

photography, sculpture, video and installation.

Phot

o by

Bas

sam

Alm

ohor

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hen we study the conditions under which women artisans live in Palestine, we must consider a

number of factors that affect women’s employment: societal factors such as family status, gender roles,

and education, as well as political and economic factors. Women artisans tend to come from poorer areas in Palestine or from places where unemployment rates are higher, such as Khan Yunis, Rafah, the southern Gaza Strip, and Jenin in the West Bank. Women from cities such as Ramallah and Al-Bireh, Jerusalem, and Nablus are less likely to start their own projects because they can take advantage of employment opportunities in the private or public sector.i

Political, social, and economic factors prompt women to become artisans. The second Intifada encouraged many women to seek work and support the income of their families when their husbands or sons increasingly faced unemployment, especially those who had been working in Israel.ii In an unintended positive side to the Intifada, the societal constraints that previously had prevented women from pursuing work outside of their homes were relaxed. But the gender roles of these women were not truly changed or challenged because in many cases their work was considered a temporary necessity, to be pursued until men would go back to being the breadwinners. Married women are more inclined to start their own businesses and projects as their status gives them protection from a societal point of view. Divorced women or widows are less likely to initiate their own projects in societies that are more conservative due to fear of not having enough protection or support from their communities.iii

By Majdi Habash

Women Artisansin PalestineA Reality Hidden behind 4+1 Walls

Women who have finished secondary education are more likely to start their own projects (21.6 percent), followed by women who finished primary education (24.5 percent), and college graduates (14.4 percent).vi According to the focus group examined by a study carried out by Qazzaz, Morrar, and Adwan,v the reason for this distribution is that girls who do not finish higher education tend to come from lower-income families and get married at an early age. Secondary education raises their level of education and self-confidence and thereby empowers them to pursue courses in subjects that enhance their technical and administrative skills and thus prepare them to set higher goals. College graduates have the ambition to gain employment; but those who don’t find it frequently embark on the journey to start their own projects. Although these numbers are from older research, a publication by UN Women titled “Women and Economy 2014–2016,” which used statistics from the Palestinian Bureau of

Statistics Labor Force Survey 2012, backs the same logic by stating that “women’s participation in the labor force was the highest among women with 13 years of education or more compared to other educational attainment groups. The participation rate was 43.7 percent for women with 13 years of education or more, compared to 6.6 percent for women with 9 to 12 years of education, and 12.9 percent for women with 1 to 6 years of schooling.”vi

The Aseela project in Dheisheh Refugee Camp in Bethlehem was established in 2004 by a group of refugee women who sought a creative way to respond to many families’ need for income generation. Today, these women produce traditional soap made from olive oil.

Autumn Market at La Vie Cafe, Ramallah.

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Women are interested in work that is socially acceptable, such as that which utilizes skills related to Palestinian heritage. In the West Bank, projects in sewing and embroidery are ranked first choice, whereas hairdressing and food preparation come in second. In Bethlehem and Jerusalem, women are encouraged to work in projects related to wood carving, glass manufacture, and embroidery because these crafts are in demand with tourists, especially during the holiday seasons. In Nablus, women focus on jewelry and accessories, whereas women in Gaza engage preferably in beekeeping and agriculture. “Cottage-industries such as home embroidery are often valuable to women. Given the nature of female domestic roles, particularly in conservative societies, embroidery allows women to work flexibly and make money without leaving their family,” states Rachel Dedman.vii

Embroidery is among the most important industries due to its being a heritage skill that doesn’t require much training or education. Women embroiderers “inherit” this skill from their mothers or grandmothers. Many of these women have difficulties in accessing the market; hence, they find it easier to sell their creations to women’s cooperatives or retailers. Unfortunately, markets don’t often prioritize fair trade and ethical consumerism.

Ethical consumerism can be promoted by inviting audiences via online channels and by questioning the available buying choices. “Purchasing power” is named as such for a reason, and our actual power can be applied consciously, for example, by choosing to learn about the lives of local producers and by taking active actions to shift

our buying behaviors. When we go to the market to buy a keffiyeh or a traditional gift for our relatives, we must ask vendors about their sources and do our best to seek handicrafts or food products made by local producers. Many might comment that locally produced handicrafts are expensive; this is true due to the fact that they are handmade. For instance, it takes three to four working days for four artisans to make 25 wool camels: sourcing the wool, cleaning it, drying it, and then felting it to create the end product takes so much time that in the end, they barely make enough money to cover their labor and the costs of raw materials.

Although I grew up in Ramallah, I met women artisans for the first time through my work for Handmade Palestine. With this

project, Morgan Cooper promotes 18 women’s cooperatives and helps them sell their products. Some cooperatives include more than 100 women who come mainly from villages and refugee camps around Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, and Gaza. They frequently belong to communities that are marginalized due to the Israeli occupation or because they are a minority. Many of these women artisans are the sole providers for their families.

These examples are but a few of the hundreds of stories of women artisans who struggle against occupation and

Ammoun Sleem founded the Domari Gypsy Society that serves a community of gypsies who came to Palestine more than 500 years ago. As a minority living in Jerusalem, the dom face many obstacles imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities in East Jerusalem that undermine their identity. In 2005, a society center was established to help the community respond to severe discrimination, cultural marginalization, and poverty. The Domari Society provides support and opportunities for the dom community, including development programs such as tutoring and learning programs for dom children, as well as work and skill improvement courses for dom women.

Um Raed is a Bedouin from Arab Al-Jahalin in Al-Khan Al-Ahmar who started wool felting a year ago, after being trained by Sunbula, a not-for-profit fair trade organization in Jerusalem. “The Bedouins create handicrafts because they need income,” she explains. Before, Um Raed used to go to Jerusalem to sell yogurt, goat cheese, and butter, but after closures were imposed by the occupation, she could no longer reach Jerusalem and had little to no income. Her husband is unable to find work, and she has three children to provide for.

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other socio-economic challenges, creating handicrafts to support themselves.

Dalal, a 58-year-old woman from Beit Duqqu, a village northwest of Jerusalem blocked by the separation wall, sought work 15 years ago because the financial situation of her household was dire. When after the second Intifada her husband was no longer permitted to work in 1948 Palestine, he was no longer able to provide for his family. “I wanted my children to pursue their university education,” Dalal explains, “and I didn’t want to be under the mercy of my husband when it comes to asking him for money. I first took courses in self-development and stress management. Later on, along with other women, I began to do embroidery. We divided the work and helped some women to work from home because they couldn’t leave their houses.” Initially, Dalal faced objections from her relatives. “My brothers would argue with me saying that I have everything I need. They thought that life was

only about having enough money to sustain a living. I wanted to be able to discover the world and to network.” Today, many years of experience have made Dalal an example of an entrepreneurial woman in her village. She is trusted by many men in the village who want to send their daughters to development programs. “I am the head of food production and processing at the community center, and my brothers are very proud of me. But I remind them sometimes of how they used to object to my going out to seek work.”

Local bazaars provide a great opportunity for Dalal and many other women artisans to network with retailers interested in their work as they bring the local community together with women artisans. For many of these women, local bazaars are their only marketing channels, as they are not internet savvy and don’t market themselves using social media; they have no skills that would allow them to produce printed brochures to introduce their work.

When asked about their wages, the women stated that they are not paid fairly. Ruwaida earns 5 shekels per hour, and Dalal said that although she has worked at the development center for 15 years, no severance pay is guaranteed, nor does she have health insurance. This means that when she retires from her work at the society center, she won’t have any financial security. This is the case for all the women who work in women’s associations and society centers in

Palestine and has to do with local policies.

I encourage you to imagine the lives of these women. They are only examples of those at the bottom of the hierarchy of our society, barely sustaining their lives, but striving every day to live and provide for their children. And while we all strive to thrive under occupation and although many circumstances are out of our hands, we have the power to make

Ruwaida, a single mother of one from Nisf Jbail, a village northwest of Nablus, started working more than three years ago at the Nisf Jbail Ceramic Center. It was her first job. As she had no other opportunities, she was inspired to develop her hobby – painting on ceramics. When asked about the hardships she faces, Ruwaida noted that it was mainly marketing, as she depends solely on retailers in Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Jericho, in addition to tourists who visit her village. These connections are affected by the political situations and are unreliable. In addition, Ruwaida seeks to participate in bazaars to showcase her work and make contact with more retailers.

Women artisans.

Autumn Market.

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their lives better by adjusting our purchasing behaviors and choices today.

Majdi Habash is Handmade Palestine’s communications coordinator. His interest is in social marketing and the use of marketing channels to advocate social issues. He believes in the importance of creating content in cyberspace, especially in the Arabic language, to raise the voice of the marginalized and to create awareness of and an open discussion on issues worth noting and ideas worth sharing.

Initiated to raise funds for and support Mashjar Juthour’s activities of planting trees, conservation work, and holding environmental educational activities for Ramallah’s community, Handmade Palestine is a project that aims to present the best of Palestine’s handicrafts locally and internationally. It welcomes the work of artisans who create new designs by using traditional materials and strives to connect buyers with local artisans, including their stories to provide meaningful gifts.

i Dr. Hadil Risq Qazzaz, Shua’a Mrar, and Yousif ‘Adwan, Female Entrepreneurs in the West Bank and Gaza Strip: Current Situation and Future Prospects, Local Aid Coordination Secretariat, 2005, available at http://www.lacs.ps/documentsShow.aspx?ATT_ID=2020.ii Ibid. iii Ibid. iv Ibid. v Ibid. vi Women and Economy, Fact Sheet Economy, UN Women, available at http://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20palestine/attachments/publications/2013/fact%20sheet%20economy_en.pdf?la=en.vii At the Seams, A Political History of Palestinian Embroidery, Rachel Dedman, curator, international exhibition, Beirut, 2016.

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My name is Razan Madhoon. I am a film director from Gaza City who is based in the United Kingdom. After I received an MA in film directing in the United Kingdom, I began to work as an associate producer with

Red Kite Animation on a UK feature-animation production that is set in Palestine. I also work as a freelance writer/director in live action films.

Growing up in as challenging a place as Gaza has given me unique insights into the world and into issues that concern human rights. My films are a way for me to express these insights, share them, and let my voice be heard.

My advice to every woman? Trust yourself, believe in your voice, and fight for your own dreams.

Razan Madhoon

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istorically, Palestinian women have been largely responsible for ensuring the domestic well-being of their families. However, imprisonment and exile of

husbands and sons has meant that many families and communities suffer from a frequent absence of male awage

earners and community leaders. In such circumstances, women have often emerged to take up new roles in communities and central positions in decision-making processes. In Palestine as a whole, few women participate in the official labor market, but many women, especially in rural areas, often work unofficially or their labor is not recognized because it largely takes place in the home and is unpaid. However almost 65 percent of agricultural work is done by women as part of their household duties, and women often carry out a significant amount of unpaid work in rural areas.

MA’AN understands that there are constraints that block women’s equal participation in the development process. These obstacles include a lack of social services, lack of training, low self-esteem, lack of technology, and a lack of information, in addition to social and cultural constraints. Women also lack access to adequate assistance, training, and rehabilitation to allow an exit from poverty or to meet the needs of their families. Despite the onset of female participation in social, political, and economic fields, there is a lack of female leaders, policy makers, and decision-makers. They are largely absent from senior positions in key political and economic institutions that shape their access and control over resources. Their marginalization from obtaining real power has further increased as a result of the unstable political situation.

Entrepreneurship of Palestinian women is considered a significant factor in national economic growth. Over the past years, institutes’ interest in women entrepreneurship has increased, allowing women to play a crucial role in the economic development process and

By Ghada Qaddoumi

AchievingIndependence Women Entrepreneursin Palestine

MA’AN strongly believes that women should play a central leadership role in Palestinian society. It works to empower women as agents of change and to increase their participation as leaders and wage earners at the household, community, and national levels.

transform themselves from inactive individuals into dynamic role models in society. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, entrepreneurship empowered women to practice innovation in creating new projects that contribute to community development as well as decrease unemployment rates – 47.8 percent for women and 22.5 percent for men in 2017.

Throughout 30 years of rooted experience in the sustainable development of poor and marginalized communities, MA’AN programs have focused on agriculture and food security, community development, capacity building, emergency response, environmental protection, and the development of youth and women. In its commitment to the social and economic empowerment of Palestinian women, MA’AN programs aim to develop women’s skills, knowledge, and attitudes, which results in their increased participation in the community as essential partners in national development and prosperity. The goal of MA’AN’s Women’s Development Program is to empower Palestinian women who live within a context of continual hardship brought about by the Israeli occupation and equip them to succeed in the extraordinary and multiple roles that are often demanded of them. Through this program, which emphasizes equality and a more just society, approximately 180 projects were implemented for women in Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Jordan Valley, and

the Gaza Strip, guiding them in suitable entrepreneurial projects to generate income, assisting them in improving their livelihood and contributing to the reduction of people living under the poverty line.

The difficult economic and social situation that youth and women experience in Palestine stems from an increase in unemployment among marginalized groups. MA’AN believes in the importance of the role of women in the development of Palestinian society and the contribution of women to the world of entrepreneurship.

Currently, MA’AN Center, in partnership with the Welfare Association and through the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, is implementing a program that focuses on the economic empowerment of youth. It encourages women to start their own income-generating initiatives

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by developing their entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, and techniques through introducing marketing, project management, and preparation of business plans that would enable them to join the work force.

The program encourages these income-generating projects by providing a $15,000 grant to establish small, viable, and sustainable businesses that will enhance women’s entry into the world of entrepreneurship, create jobs through projects implemented, and allow women to contribute to developing the country’s economy. Through these established small businesses, women will be supporting the commercial, educational, recreational, and cultural sectors, which is a priority and an urgent need in order to attain improved economic status, to reduce unemployment rates, and ultimately to strengthen women’s status at a national level.

Hala Abu Eid, 28, from Bedo Village, northwest of JerusalemHala, one of the beneficiaries of the program, lives in a conservative environment and has little to no access to work or other means to support herself and her family due to the lack of educational opportunities. Through joining the program, Hala was able to acquire the necessary skills needed to start her own project – a lingerie and cosmetics shop. Hala has been able to establish herself, facing

all the challenges and obstacles, and prove her ability to achieve her goals and ambitions as well as improve the living standards of her family. Hala’s business has created job opportunities for other women in her village, allowing her to hire a young woman to work with her on the project.

“Our limited financial capabilities and the need to seek help from others to provide treatment for my son makes me feel weak and embarrassed, but now that I have a project of my own, I am thrilled to be able to support my family. My project has boosted my confidence and enabled me to secure a decent life for my children.” Hala Abu Eid

The impact of MA’AN programs is not only limited to the West Bank and Jerusalem but also extends to the Gaza Strip, enabling women’s productivity and family support in that region.

Ahlam Arafat, 51, from Rafah, Gaza As a beneficiary of the Rights and Resilience Project (implemented by MA’AN in Gaza with Action Aid, and funded by DANIDA), Ahlam Arafat has modest experience in the field of sewing. She used to take advantage of the absence of her children during school hours to visit her friends and women’s centers to learn sewing skills. She had occasional opportunities to sew school uniforms and sell them at cheap prices so that she could pay off her debts and afford food for her children. Ahlam’s children describe her as a patient and persistent mother as she struggles to provide a decent life for them to complete their education. Her eldest daughter, who was divorced at the age of 20, was able to enroll in college and study fashion design to support her mother at work. However, Ahlam and her daughter were unable to find job opportunities or start a small business, resulting in an increase in their stress and frustration.

The project empowered Ahlam to establish a small sewing shop

equipped with all the tools and materials she needed to start her income-generating business. Over a period of three months, Ahlam participated in training/coaching led by qualified consultants on how to start and sustain a small business. Ahlam and her daughter have managed to gain financial stability through sewing, which has improved their living conditions and livelihood.

“This project has given me strength and increased my self-confidence after I had been feeling confused and ashamed about not being able to take care of my children. My hands were shaking in the beginning, but the motivation I received from my coach helped me overcome all these

obstacles. Now I see myself as an active person and capable of running my project and receiving my clients.” Ahlam Arafat

Ghada Qaddoumi, a program manager who works for the economic empowerment of youth in Jerusalem, has over 20 years of extensive experience at MA’AN Development Center in project management, women’s programs, capacity-building, and youth projects. She is also a trainer and certified master facilitator in the “Active Citizen” and “Women Participating in Public Life” programs.

MA’AN is committed to supporting the role of women in society through promoting their participation in its development projects.

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kMadees Khoury is the first female brewer in the Middle East. Holding a BA in business management from Boston and an MBA from Birzeit University, she manages Taybeh Brewing Company, the first micro-

brewery in the Middle East. As she deals with the daily challenges that come with doing business in a politically and economically unstable region and in a male-dominated industry and society, her work has taught her the difference between equality and justice, and the merits and downfalls of trying to reconcile the two.

Her perspective to share with other women? Determination is not the only key to success; you also need high hopes that the future cannot and will not remain unchanged.

Madees Khoury

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he Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) confirmed in a 2011 report that around 37 percent of

women are faced with some form of violence. Amidst such alarming findings, Al-Muntada endeavors to enact a

law on family and community protection against violence.

In pursuing the drafting of a family protection law, Al-Muntada refers to international human rights instruments, mainly conventions that relate to domestic violence, including The Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Violence Against Women (CEDAW), and hopes to also secure adoption of the Optional Protocol annexed to CEDAW. Al Muntada depends on the steps undertaken by the State of Palestine to adhere to international conventions and treaties without any reservation.

The State of Palestine must harmonize its national legislation and bear all responsbilities laid upon it by virtue of these conventions. It must also create the environment necessary to implement the agreement, including through the enactment of a Palestinian law against domestic violence. Al-Muntada has also reviewed Arab legislative experiences in the area of domestic violence in countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia, which have already adopted special family laws.

The rationale behind the law includes a number of points.

1. The existing legal framework in Palestine is insufficient because it is a general law that restricts family affairs to the private sphere. This affects other applicable laws and requires addressing the root to ensure better and more inclusive protection against all forms of family and domestic violence.

2. Socially, violence against women is spread throughout Palestinian society with insufficient accountability and deterrent measures within the family sphere. The state needs to address these cases responsibly and allow for handling family issues in public fora. Only in this way can it fulfill its obligations under the international conventions it ratified.

Al-MuntadaCombatting DomesticViolence against Women

3. Penal codes and procedures relating to domestic violence should take the social structure of family relations into consideration and assert the principle of secrecy and confidentiality in handling these cases. Law enforcement agencies must tailor their ways of dealing with family cases, especially with respect to women, children, disabled persons, and senior citizens. Follow up on cases must be associated with the submission of a complaint because of the sensitive nature of these cases and the social taboos that victims face. The particular nature of family offenses, especially those related to physical, sexual, or verbal violence, require adapted procedures and confidential proceedings. This cannot be achieved without a special regulation that safeguards this confidentiality.

4. Issues related to domestic violence are multiple and different. Violence is not restricted to physical harm but also includes threats of physical and psychological harm, sexual violence, arbitrary deprivation of rights, and other forms of abuse, including insults and contempt in addition to other forms of unlawful exploitation that stem from power relations within the family. These include the power of a husband to exert pressure on and influence the spouse and children, and relations involving a group that needs special care, such as people with special needs. The definition of violence is also extended to offenses by parents against offspring and vice-versa.

Limited progress has been reached in the formulation of the draft law so far. A draft law was submitted by the Ministerial Council to His Excellency, the President, on December 27, 2018. It was returned to the Ministerial Council after having been reviewed by Diwan Al-Fatwa Wa Al-Tashri (The Bureau of Legal Counsel and Legislation). The draft was then returned to President Mahmoud Abbas’s office. Al-Muntada wishes to understand the reason behind this delay in enacting the law. We do not understand why it was returned to the Ministerial Council after it had been submitted by the same council to the President’s office.

Al-Muntada is an advocacy NGO that aims to combat violence against women.

Courtesy of Al-MuntadaTranslated by Rania Filfil

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he engagement of Palestinian women in the labor market can be explained by several factors: one is

the increasing cost of living and the need to share the financial burdens with the male par tner, as the

income of one breadwinner is no longer sufficient to cover all family expenses. Unfor tunately, the increased

positive social perception about working women does not reflect real change in attitudes towards women’s work and recognition of their right to work, but rather, it reflects the need for financial assistance even though women’s right to work is guaranteed by international treaties and conventions, and by the Palestinian laws that call for gender equality, especially in the Palestinian Labor Law. Moreover, women’s economic empowerment is a requirement for economic growth and development.

In Palestine, women’s par ticipation in the labor market is limited to a few sectors, and the oppor tunities available to them are generally defined in low positions. In the four th quar ter of 2018, the services sector was the main employer for women, with 72.5 percent; women also engaged in commerce, restaurants, and hotels (10.1 percent). This situation is accompanied by the continuous increase in the female enrollment rate in higher education and the local market’s inability to absorb the large numbers of graduates. The gap in unemployment rates between women and men is increasing; it reached 51 percent for women and 25 percent for men in 2018. i

Like any form of participation in the labor market, women’s entrepreneurship is still driven by necessity. The current unstable political and economic situations in Palestine have major negative

By Amani Aruri

Women Entrepreneursin Palestine

Despite the increase in women’s participation ratio in the labor force compared to previous years, the gap remains large between men and women. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the female labor-force participation rate reached 21.4 percent, whereas the male labor-force participation rate reached 72.1 percent. Moreover, 73.7 percent of employed women are in wage employment compared to 69.8 percent of employed men, and the percentage of women as employers is lower than that for men: 1.9 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively. The percentage of self-employed women is 14.3 percent, whereas for men, it is 19.3 percent.ii

AchievingIndependence

consequences on entrepreneurship growth, especially for women. Entrepreneurship has a limited encouraging environment, which lacks political stability, financial facilities, and infrastructure, and has only limited institutional support and mentorship. Social perception is another impediment to women’s entrepreneurship, which limits the type of businesses that women can run and defines women’s roles even in their own businesses. For example, the nature of women’s entrepreneurial projects mostly tends toward consumption rather than investment or production.

According to a World Bank report published in June 2018 titled “Tech Startup Ecosystem in West Bank and Gaza,” the Palestinian start-up ecosystem is “at its early stage and still maturing, [and] has highly educated founders and one of the highest rates of female entrepreneurs across analyzed ecosystems (23% of entrepreneurs are females). However, the founders tend to be young with little managerial experience.”iii

Research must focus on policy analysis and provide recommendations for policy makers to create an incentivizing environment that

promotes women’s entrepreneurial businesses and the engagement of Palestinian women in entrepreneurial activities. Women need statistics and business-analysis research to be able to start new ventures with more certainty. Research on the economic benefits that result from increased women’s entrepreneurship needs to be conducted; at the same time, economic costs of excluding women from this sector should be highlighted.

Some women entrepreneurs took the initiative to analyze their target markets to start their ventures, and most of these ventures were social entrepreneurial projects. Many projects initiated by women were launched based on the needs of the communities that these ventures serve and aimed to provide more opportunities for women, especially those most affected by the current political and economic situations.

SHERO is an example of social entrepreneurial ventures that target Palestinian women refugees through providing them tools and a market in which to utilize their skills and promote their products. Beneficiaries of this venture are mainly the breadwinners of their families, especially after the UNRWA crisis that resulted in the loss

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of thousands of jobs of Palestinian refugees. SHERO uses Palestinian embroidery as a tool to advocate for the causes of Palestinian refugee women through including messages of women in embroidered clothing.

The idea of SHERO came when a group of activists who were working in refugee camps began to document the violations of women’s rights. They realized that handicraft skills, especially embroidery, were widely available and that there was a need not only for a social venture that would provide women with an opportunity to generate income but also for the development of new ventures that would provide them with access to markets, nationally and internationally.

More intensive efforts need to be made in order to promote women’s entrepreneurship, with a greater focus on social entrepreneurship that responds to women’s needs and priorities. Funding and loans should be accessible to women, with incentivizing interest rates and less collateral and fewer guarantees needed. Studies must take into consideration that a big percentage of women in the Palestinian context do not have control over their financial resources and do not own land. The cultural context, in particular, deprives the majority of women of

their inheritance rights, on one hand, and their joint marital property and financial rights on the other hand, in an attempt to keep them dependent on men!

Women also need to have the required capacities, skills, knowledge, and leadership traits to start their ventures. Unfortunately, most of the donor-funded projects that target women entrepreneurs do not take into consideration the need to empower women both socially and economically, in the real sense. Women’s economic empowerment requires more engagement in public life and in the decision-making process, but women should first be empowered to control their financial resources and choose for themselves. Women need to be more aware of their economic and social rights in order to advocate for their causes and compete more confidently in the business sectors.

Advocacy and influencing skills and tools are also needed to change the societal outlook that underestimates women’s entrepreneurial activities, questions women’s ability to compete with other businesses, and defines women’s roles to be limited to housework and child-rearing.

On the policy level, there’s a lack of gender-sensitive policies and legislation that take into consideration

the needs and priorities of women entrepreneurs. This should be highlighted in the laws, national plans, and strategies that aim to promote investment and business sectors, with emphasis on gender equality in facilities, opportunities, and markets. Laws can have the power to change and influence social perceptions about women’s business activities. If women’s engagement in entrepreneurship is protected and encouraged by law, this will help to overcome numerous obstacles.

Amani Aruri holds a master’s degree in economics from Birzeit University. She has managed innovative programs that help youth and women in Palestine aim for brighter careers. She is currently an advocacy team leader at the Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), vice president of the Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art, an assembly member of UN Women Gender Innovation AGORA, and founder of SHERO project.

Sample products of SHERO, a social entrepreneurial venture that targets Palestinian women refugees. Photos courtesy of WCLAC.

i Labor Force Survey, PCBS, 2017, available at http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/Press_En_13-2-2018-LF-en.pdf.ii Ibid.iii World Bank, 2018, Tech startup ecosystem in West Bank and Gaza: findings and recommendations (English). Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, available at https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/07/11/new-world-bank-repor t-highlights-what-it-takes-to-build-a-robust-palestinian-startup-ecosystem.

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Activist Mona Taneeb was born in Balata Refugee Camp in 1964, and is a grassroots militant who joined the women’s rights movement in Nablus back in the 1980s. When her husband, Fayez Taneeb, a farm owner, was arrested during the first Intifada, Mona took over

and continued to plant the land alone. Today, she is the head of the women’s club in the village of Irtah and a member of the executive committee of the Association for the Rehabilitation of Rural Women. A mother of five, Mona continues daily to farm her land that is enclosed between the annexation wall and an illegal Israeli chemical plant. It’s not surprising that Mona is also an active member in the Popular Committees against the Wall. Mona considers her organic farm to be a form of resistance and a model of modern organic agriculture.Her philosophy? “Find a way that fits your penchants to reach your goals and pursue them with passion. Do not let anyone prevent you from trying to improve yourself, your society, or your country.”

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Kanaan DigitalRecord

anaan is a multi-disciplinary project that emerged at the initiative of a team of specialists in cultural

heritage. Kanaan aims to valorize Palestinian cultural assets as tourism resources through user-

friendly and stakeholder-relevant e-services in order to increase public awareness about Palestinian cultural

heritage.

My first inspiration for founding Kanaan was my passion in using new technology to participate in the preservation of Palestinian cultural heritage, where the past meets the future. It may seem contradictory to combine the past (“heritage”) and the future (“technology”), but I belong to the new generation of architects who seek to utilize cutting-edge technologies, such as augmented reality, to revitalize the ancient cultural heritage found in Palestine, especially in the Gaza Strip.

Palestine has a distinct historical and cultural significance worldwide as the birthplace of religions and the home of civilizations that have flourished since the dawn of history. An indication of this prestigious status is the number of cultural heritage sites it contains: 50,320 sites are distributed throughout 422 urban centers, as listed in RIWAQ’s Register of Historic Buildings in Palestine.i Among the distinctive examples of this cultural heritage are Jericho’s oldest defensive system in the world (8000 BC), a temple in Ain Jedi (4000 BC), Masada Castle which was built by Herod, the hill of Megiddo (1000 BC), and others.

The Gaza Strip is located in the southwestern part of Palestine where many civilizations thrived during the Canaanite, Greek, Roman, and Islamic periods. Some of the Strip’s archeological sites appear above ground, whereas many others are still hidden beneath the earth’s layers.

By Nesma Naseem

Gaza City contains the largest number of cultural heritage sites in the Gaza Strip. According to a list published by Iwan Center in 2009,ii there are approximately 173 historical buildings in Gaza, 75 percent of which are residential houses from the Ottoman period, whereas the others are public buildings such as mosques, baths, sabeel (Arabic architectural element, fountain), sobat (an architectural element that connects two buildings above a narrow street), palaces, and others.

intelligent cultural heritage content and an architecture software that enables content interoperability (service-oriented) and content-customized access and presentation (agent-oriented). Services provided via the web to Palestinian cultural

But unfortunately, cultural heritage in the Gaza Strip suffers from many problems that include demolition, abandonment, vandalism, and illegal encroachments, improper methods of restoration, weak legislation, etc.

Accordingly, the team working for Kanaan seeks to develop a novel user-friendly and stakeholder-relevant ICT environment that is envisioned as both a distributed repository of

destinations will support the cultural tourism experience. One of these services will assume the form of a decision support system, integrating state-of-the-art multi-criteria analysis tools for policymakers.iii

The aim of Kanaan is to contribute to improving the understanding of Palestinian cultural heritage and its identities in order to strengthen cohesion and solidarity and

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to encourage modern visions and uses of its past. In this direction, new technologies and digital cultural heritage play an innovative role, enabling new and richer interpretations of our common Palestinian culture while contributing to sustainable economic growth.

Nowadays digital models play a key role in the representation of the shape, appearance, and conservation condition of heritage. Geographic information systems (GIS) and 3-D representation have to support linked information through shape-related analysis and must provide the necessary semantic information to facilitate in-depth studies for researchers and users in order to offer new perspectives to researchers and new understandings to citizens, research users, and the cultural and creative industries.

One of the main aims is to create new avenues in the way tangible cultural heritage is studied, visualized, curated, displayed, and monitored, significantly improving our understanding of Palestine’s unique cultural diversity and our capacity to communicate rich narratives about the past.

The main Kanaan steps focus on developing new methods and tools for 3-D modelling and analysis of Palestinian cultural assets starting from state-of-the-art methods and proposing advancements of hardware and software tools, as well as new approaches and methodologies for the access and exploitation of 3-D cultural-heritage data by means of the platform.

The Kanaan IT platform will integrate the currently available diverse and dispersed knowledge on cultural heritage for the benefit of users interested in gaining knowledge of Palestinian tourist destinations before, during, or after a visit, and will aid citizens in their dual role of potential tourists and active participants in the promotion of the touristic offer in their community.

Kanaan will develop innovative services for the enhancement of natural and cultural heritage sites. By doing so, it aims to encourage a better geographical and seasonal spread of cultural heritage visits and increase revenues thanks to the diversification of tourism products and tourism locations. The innovative services consist in the application to a number of heritage sites of a variety of multimedia techniques in the field of augmented reality (overlaying virtual, digital elements on reality), including advanced interactive techniques.

The challenge placed before Kanaan is to increase the digitization of heritage contents (material and immaterial) not only for documentation, management, and conservation purposes but also in order to expand the access, use, and re-use of cultural heritage by means of digital representations, platforms, devices, social media, and ICT tools. Even more importantly, social entrepreneurship in Palestine is still in its infancy, which increases the challenge that Kanaan faces to expand its impact.

With an early passion for technology and innovation, Nesma Naseem graduated in 2015 in architectural engineering and works in the international project management unit at Al-Azhar University in Gaza. Engineer Naseem has an international diploma in project management and business in addition to a professional diploma in entrepreneurship and business applications. She is a co-founder of Glazza, a Belgian organization that focuses on art in conflict areas, and its only Palestinian team member. Her fields of study and areas of interest are related to digitization, new technology, and innovation, and how to apply these to such sectors as architecture, health, education, art, and heritage.

i RIWAQ, Registry of Historic Buildings, available at http://www.riwaq.org/riwaq-register/registry-historic-buildings.ii Iwan, The historical buildings in the Old City of Gaza City Archive (in Arabic), second edition, 2012.iii Farid Al-Qeeq, A Comprehensive Approach to Incorporate Architectural Heritage of Gaza Old City into Contemporary Urban Fabric, Department of Architecture, Islamic University of Gaza, available at http://www.cpas-egypt.com/pdf/Farid_Al-Qeeq/Researches/English/INCORPORATE%20ARCHITECTURAL%20HERITAGE%20OF%20GAZA%20OLD%20CITY%20INTO%20CONTEMPORARY%20URBAN%20FABRIC.pdf.iv Besim Hakim, “Mediterranean Urban and Building Codes: Origins, Content, Impact, and Lessons,” Urban Design International 13(1), March 2008, available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262945330_Mediterranean_Urban_and_Building_Codes_Origins_Content_Impact_and_Lessons.

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Feast of AshesThe Life and Art of David Ohannessian

B o o k o f t h e M o n t h

With this book, Sato Moughalian, a granddaughter of David Ohannessian, celebrates the centenary of one of Jerusalem’s most distinctive and popular arts, the brilliant glazed tiles and pottery known as Armenian ceramics. Founded in Palestine by David Ohannessian in 1919, this luminous art has its origins in fifteenth-century Ottoman Kütahya. At the peak of that city’s production, in the early eighteenth century, hundreds of local craftsmen, primarily Armenian, catered to the imperial taste for elaborately decorated wall tiles, vases, and tableware. Kütahya’s commerce declined in the nineteenth century, but the rise of Turkish nationalism at the turn of the century engendered a revivalist architectural style that emphasized archetypal components of the great Seljuk and Ottoman monuments – hemispheric domes, wide eaves, pointed arches, and of course, tiled facades.

By 1907, David Ohannessian had mastered Kütahya’s ceramic tradition and established an atelier there – the Société Ottomane de Faïence. He par tnered on large commissions with the Minassian brothers and Mehmet Emin, who led the city’s two other workshops. After

By Sato Moughalian

Stanford University Press, April 2019, 440 pages, US$ 30

the 1908 Young Turk R e v o l u t i o n , architect Ahmet Kemalettin, a leading figure in the government’s modernizing efforts, commissioned all three Kütahya studios to create tiles for new buildings in Constantinople and for the renovations of important mosques and shrines in Bursa, Damascus, Mecca, Konya, Cairo, and the Ottoman capital. Renowned for his skill in historical restorations, Ohannessian also won the Gold Medal for his pottery in the 1910 Bursa Trade Fair and exported his wares to England and France.

In 1911, a fateful meeting changed the course of Ohannessian’s life. British diplomat Mark Sykes ventured to Kütahya seeking an artist to create a grand tiled chamber for his manor in Yorkshire, Sledmere House. Sykes commissioned Ohannessian. After his tiles were installed in early 1914, they were widely admired by Sir Mark’s fellow British military officers and Oxbridge friends, including Ronald Storrs.

Dome of the Rock Tiles studio products.Photo: Ohannessian Family Collection.

Hajj Mahmud apartment house, Jerusalem.Photo by Orhan Kolukısa.

Al-Araj apartment house, Jerusalem.Photo by Orhan Kolukısa.

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Charles Ashbee and the Pro-Jerusalem Society commissioned Ohannessian to make tile panels for the Citadel Garden and trilingual ceramic street signs in the Old City. British architects Austen St. Barbe Harrison and Clifford Holliday incorporated Ohannessian’s tile designs in St. Andrew’s Church, the British and Foreign Bible Society, St. John’s Ophthalmic Hospital, a grand fireplace for the High Commissioner’s residence, and a tiled fountain niche for the Palestine (Rockefeller) Archaeological Museum.

Today, descendants of the families that Ohannessian brought to Palestine in 1919 continue to create and enlarge this extraordinary art, managing two successful enterprises – Balian Armenian Ceramics on Nablus Road and Karakashian Jerusalem Pottery on Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Street. Other families, notably, the Sandrouni brothers, Vic Lepejian, and Hagop Antreassian have also joined in, creating new branches of this venerable art and ensuring that Armenian Jerusalem ceramics will thrive long into the future.

Sato Moughalian is a prize-winning flutist in New York City and artistic director of Perspectives Ensemble.

The Great War brought devastation and famine to Palestine and large-scale massacre and expulsion of the Anatolian Armenians. Ohannessian was arrested in Kütahya in late 1915 and deported with his family toward the Syrian desert, eventually taking refuge in Aleppo. After the fall of the Ottomans, Sykes arrived in Aleppo and encountered Ohannessian. Knowing of Jerusalem Military Governor Ronald Storrs’s determination to restore the precarious tiling of the Dome of the Rock, Sykes recommended Ohannessian. Other officers who had seen Ohannessian’s tiles in Yorkshire concurred.

Upon his arrival in Jerusalem at the end of 1918, Ohannessian met with Ernest T. Richmond, the British architect charged with evaluating the condition of Al-Aqsa’s structures. In mid-1919, Ohannessian returned briefly to Kütahya. He recruited a small group of ceramists, including Mgrditch Karakashian and Nishan Balian, each one highly skilled in a different facet of the art. Collaborating with Near East Relief, Ohannessian also trained scores of Armenian orphans in his new workshop on the Via Dolorosa.

In 1922, Balian and Karakashian left to found their own joint studio on Nablus Road.

Ohannessian developed a flourishing trade in pottery noted for its intense greens and blues. In the 1920s and 1930s, he carried over to Jerusalem the Ottoman tradition of ornamenting building facades, working with architects Spyro Houris, Nikephoros Petassis, and Maurice Gisler, who designed villas and apartment houses for prominent Arab families. He exhibited in prestigious international expositions in Europe as well as the 1933–1934 Chicago World’s Fair.

David Ohannessian at work.Photo: Ohannessian Family Collection.

Villa Jellad, Jerusalem.Photo by Orhan Kolukısa.

Ohannessian “Dome of the Rock Tiles” workshop, Via Dolorosa, Jerusalem, ca. 1920. Photo: American Colony Photo Dept., Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Ohannessian tiled fountain, St. Andrew’s Church Guest House.Photo by Orhan Kolukısa.

7372

... in MarchBy Morgan Cooper

Wha

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. In March, we will begin to bask in the beauty of the blooming wild orchids. This monthly feature hopes to show readers some of Palestine’s natural beauty by focusing on our small but mighty wild flowers, but it must also serve to educate in the hopes of saving the magnificent biodiversity in Palestine, and beyond. It is essential that we admire but never pick wild flowers in Palestine, especially our wild orchids – all of which are protected species.

When I first began to walk the hills around Ramallah and beyond, I remember seeing entire hillsides covered in the fiery red of the Crown Anemone. Today I struggle to locate one or two. We have over-picked many species, especially the red blooms, and have thus prevented their ability to reproduce and continue to bloom on our landscapes. It is vital that we begin to value our wildflowers and protect them, telling others of their beauty and importance, and also spreading the awareness that if we do not conserve them, in particular the ones that are already endangered, we will eliminate them completely from Palestine’s hills and valleys.

W h a t ’ s i n B l o o m . . .

Geropogon hybridusGoat’s Beard, Slender Salsify

ذنب الفرس، رجل البطة

Linum pubescensHairy Pink Flax

كتان

Asphodelus ramosusCommon Asphodelبصول /إشراس/ عنصيل

Anacamptis papilionaceaOrchis papilionaceaPink Butterfly Orchid

سحلب فراشي

Ophrys bornmuelleriBornmueller’s Bee Orchid

نحله جميله

Cistus incanus/creticusPink Rock Rose

اللباد األحمر

Anagallis arvensisScarlet Pimpernel

عين القط، عين الجمل، ذان الفـار

Cercis siliqJudas Treeعروس الغابة

Anemone coronariaCrown Anemone

شقائق النعمان

Helichrysum sanguineumRed Everlasting

دم المسيح

Erodium gruinumLong-Beaked Stork’s-Bill

كف العروس/ ابر العجوز او الراعي

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Avoiding Food Waste

R e d u c i n g W a s t e

Food waste has come to attention internationally, as both the European Union and the United Nations are demanding that European countries reduce their food waste to half by the year 2030, as part of the sustainable development goals. In Palestine, food has always been integral to cultural heritage. Agriculture is not only a fundamental part of the economy, it is also of great significance to Palestinian identity. Sadly enough, this symbolic value of food as a part of cultural heritage gets obscured by the tremendous amount of food that is wasted. Globally, one third of the total food produced is wasted – which theoretically is enough to feed three billion people. In the MENA region, an estimate of 210 kg of food is lost per person per year.i These are distressing numbers when put into context, considering the resource and water scarcity in the region. Moreover, food insecurity is increasing, as about 27 percent of the Palestinian population is considered to be food insecure.ii What is more, not only does food waste end up in landfills, significantly contributing to climate change, it also involves social and economic value losses.

As consumers, we can engage in simple yet effective ways of significantly reducing the waste that results from our households. Food waste happens when we don’t handle our leftovers, when we buy more than we need, or simply when a vegetable does not meet the “beauty” standards of the industry. Shape, color, and size are the main drivers of food selection on consumer levels. You could forget about the “cosmetic standards” placed by grocery stores on fruits and veggies and buy ugly-looking produce as long as it is not spoiled.

By Najla Abdellatif Vallander

Most foods are safe to consume longer than frequently advertised. Unless signs of spoilage such as mold appear, most foods can be consumed past their stated expiration date. The lifetime of your veggies and produce can be extended by, for example, putting carrots, herbs, and leafy greens in glass jars with water. This will keep them fresh longer. If you plan your shopping list carefully, it is possible to avoid buying more than you need. Any resulting leftovers can be stored in food containers.

You can cook with food scraps; in fact, there are many recipes available online that advertise this practice. Perfectly usable parts of vegetables can often be used for cooking nutrient-rich meals. For example, you can make a salad from herb stems and carrot tops, or veggie stir fries with leftover broccoli and beet stems. Last but not least, much food is wasted at restaurants, and bringing your own food container when dining out is a good way to store leftovers and avoid disposable to-go boxes.

Composting is also a great way to make use of your organic waste because the process turns it into nutrient-rich soil that can be used as a natural fertilizer for gardening. All types of food can be composted, except for meat, fish, grease, and dairy products, which tend to attract unwanted pests. You can easily compost in your own backyard by piling up leftovers and digging these directly into the soil. Or throw them into a compost bin together with some paper scraps and occasional watering.

The importance of engaging in waste-reducing practices increases when viewed within the context of land confiscation, lack of control over natural resources, and restrictions on food production that Palestinians face under occupation. In this sense, dealing responsibly with food waste is not merely a matter of reducing one’s ecological footprint but also an indication of an appreciation for the land and for the sense of national identity that is linked to it.

i Mohamad G. Abiad and Lokman I. Meho, Food loss and food waste research in the Arab world: a systematic review, American University of Beirut, 2018, available at https://staff.aub.edu.lb/~lmeho/abiad-meho.pdf. ii Simona Bencivenni, Food Loss and Waste in Palestine: A pilot study of the FAO methodology, master’s thesis, Politecnico Milano, 2017, available at https://www.politesi.polimi.it/bitstream/10589/136379/1/2017_10_Bencivenni.pdf.

7776Whe

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Having just recently opened its doors in December 2018, the Musa Afandi Interpretation Center (MAIC) is an exciting new force in achieving greater understanding of what the boundlessly profound and immensely complex city of Jerusalem actually is, both throughout history and today. The center recognizes that Jerusalem’s depth and color cannot be accurately depicted by words and facts alone but must be experienced with our senses, hence its emphasis on personal interpretation. Here, right in the heart of Jerusalem’s vibrant Old

Musa Afandi Interpretation Center

Courtesy of VisitPalestine.ps

City, visitors are encouraged to see, touch, and even taste their way to a connection with Jerusalem’s diverse communities, its complex history, its forgotten sites.

Fueled by a need for a consolidated and community-driven focal point to the Palestinian narrative in Jerusalem, the MAIC acts as a welcoming space for locals and foreigners alike. It is in the midst of establishing itself as a tour hub, a training facility, and a coffee shop, as well as hosting permanent and rotating exhibits on historical, artistic, and cultural topics experienced in an interactive way.

Currently featured is Jack Persekian’s fascinating and insightful gallery of matching photographs, composed of early twentieth-century images of Jerusalem (courtesy of the American Colony Photographers)

aligned with current-day images of the same locations. Having been captured from the same angles, these images are arranged on top of each other but offer visitors the option to lift off the modern layer to compare it with the antiquated version below. What can be experienced here is a visually engaging and readily apparent comparison of the old and new – one image shows camels in the streets where we now find cars, another offers a glimpse of the late Jaffa Gate clock tower, demolished in 1922, and in all cases, the vegetation and topography contours reflecting the changing times, yet hinting at the similarities. This, like many of the efforts of the MAIC, attempts to link Jerusalemites with their past.

Persekian’s exhibit will remain until around Ramadan, when the MAIC will unveil its permanent gallery as well as introduce other temporary exhibits that aim to incorporate virtual reality (VR), local cuisines, traditional costumes, and hands-on 3-D models.

The MAIC is a cooperative and collaborative endeavor among many essential groups, each of which contributes to what is not possible alone. It takes local artists and organizers to dream up and envision the exhibits, local craftsmen to implement them, donors to fund them, and volunteers for support. Local elders become indispensable with the wealth of archival knowledge that they are able to provide. The center’s intention is to clarify the Jerusalem experience while giving visitors and the community the chance to interact and interpret their own personal connection to the city.

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enSalata Fallahiyyeh Tomato and Onion SaladBy Riyam Kafri-AbuLaban

This is a simple recipe for what could be the most perfect salad of my childhood. Salata fallahiyyeh is a staple on every breakfast table in Palestine and can be served with breakfast dishes such as mana’ish, ijjeh (egg fritters), falafel, or za’atar o zeit. It can also be used to garnish and spruce up labaneh or fava beans. I have even served the traditional version – finely chopped tomatoes, onions (red, white, or green), and a dressing of lemon, olive oil, and salt – as an appetizer with tortilla chips and yogurt. I have seen modern versions of it, too, where large pieces of tomatoes are combined with slices of red onions. What I share with you here errs on the modern side.

Technically speaking, this is an easy and simple recipe. However, I think it is far more significant than just a simple salad. Tomatoes are a lifeline crop in Palestine. In the cold of winter, with the restrictions imposed on transporting Gaza produce to the West Bank, tomatoes can become expensive. (I’ll address this issue in a later article.) Palestinian baladi tomatoes taste earthy. When they are sliced open, the smell of acidity and sweetness travels through your nostrils and awakens your taste buds. You can almost smell the nitrogen-rich earth they were grown in.

This salad has a sister – also a staple on the Palestinian table – where freshly picked vegetables, such as green onions, cucumbers, bell peppers, and lettuce, accompany the tomatoes. It’s a simple chopped salad dressed with freshly harvested Palestinian olive oil, known for its sharp aftertaste, and fresh lemon juice and salt.

Sometimes the greatest gastronomical pleasures are found in the simplest of things.

Recipe

- 2 to 3 large tomatoes, sliced

- 1 medium red onion (or 2 small ones)

- the juice of 1 to 2 lemons

- Sea salt to taste

- 2 to 3 tbsp olive oil

- 1 square of Arabic cheese

Slice the tomatoes into two longitudinal halves, then slice the pieces into half-circles.

Layer them in a salad bowl.

Slice the onions into thin needles and layer them on top of the tomatoes.

Sprinkle the salad with sea salt, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Cut the white cheese into thin rectangles.

Heat a skillet until sizzling hot and place the cheese in it until it is golden brown on both sides. Place on top of the salad. Garnish with parsley (optional).

Sahtein!

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E V E N T S

FILM SCREENINGS Monday 1818:00 The Battle of Algiers, produced in 1966 and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, is a 121- minute influential political film in Italian and Arabic that recreates a key year in the 1950s in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from French occupation. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.20:15 The Battle of Algiers, a Film within History, produced in 2017 and directed by Malek Bensmaïl, is a 117-minute documentary in Italian, Arabic, French, and English about Gillo Pontecorvo’s legendary 1966 film, The Battle of Algiers. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre. Tuesday 1918:00 Far from Vietnam, produced in 1967 by six revolutionary filmmakers from France’s New Wave era, is a 120-minute documentary in French about collective contempt for the Vietnam War, combining war footage with popular cultural snippets such as commercials to prove a point. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.20:15 Beautiful people, produced in 1999 and directed by Jasmin Dizdar, is a 107-minute film in English about the lives of four English families that were affected in different ways by encounter with refugees. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.Wednesday 2018:00 Taskafa, Stories of the Street, produced in 2013 and directed by Andrea Luka Zimmerman, is a 66-minute essay film in English, German, and Turkish about memory and the most necessary forms of belonging, both to a place and to history, through a search for the role played in the city by Istanbul’s street dogs and their relationship to its human populations. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.20:00 London, produced in 1994 and directed by Patrick Keiller, is an 85-minute narrative and documentary film in English about a side of London that is rarely experienced by tourists. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.Friday 2218:00 Estate, a Reverie, produced in 2015 and directed by Andrea Luka Zimmerman, is an 83-minute film in English that reveals and celebrates the resilience of residents who are profoundly overlooked and stereotyped by media representations and wider social responses. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.20:00 Evening Land –Aftenlandet, produced in 1976 and directed by Peter Watkins, is a 110-minute made-up documentary in Danish, detailing the future history of Denmark in four related but discrete story lines about the refusal of a group of shipyard workers to work on ships carrying atomic warheads, which leads to sympathetic strikes around the country, and a general strike threatens. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.

Friday 1 – Saturday 16The 2nd Palestine Photo Festival, organized by Shaghaf Founda t ion and Even ts .ps in several Palestinian cities. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/PalestinePhotoFestival.Thursday 28 – Sunday 31 18:00 Palestine Concert Tour in Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Deir Ghassaneh, organized by Filasteen Young Musicians Orchestra. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/filasteenyoungmusiciansorchestra.

JERUSALEMEXHIBITIONSSaturday 2 – Sunday 312:00–18:00 A Story for Each Photo , organized by Insan Association for Culture and Development−Hope Ambassadors. Insan Association, az Zahra Street, Building 2. For more information, please contact 02 655 4549 or 053 237 3462.

SPECIAL EVENTS Friday 1, 8, 15, 22, 2912:00 Nonviolent Action Workshop to explore nonviolent Kumi Now actions and the organizations and topics behind them. Organized by Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Centre. Sabeel, Shufat Main Street.Saturday 214:00–15:00 Damascus Gate Sketch is a youth initiative that gathers youth who dance the Palestinian dabka, the Brazilian capoeira, and who are involved in other activities, organized by Youth Smile Makers. Damascus Gate stairways.Friday 817:00−19:00 Closing ceremony of My Rights, My Power joint campaign, celebrating women’s talents and achievements in artistic performances and TED-style talks. Yabous Cultural Centre. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/618427418581359/.

BETHLEHEMCHILDREN’S EVENTSWednesday 616:30–17:30 Learning English through playing games and activities encourages children between 6 and 9 years old to speak English and use their vocabulary in an interactive way. Diyar Academy for Children and Youth.

CONCERTS Friday 229:00 Filasteen Young Musicians Orchestra concer t performed as par t of the Palestine Marathon. Manger Square.

EXHIBITIONSFriday 1 – Saturday 3010:00–18:00 Gallery Collection is an assortment of artworks by a group of Palestinian artists. Bab idDeir Art Gallery, D’eik Quarter, Manger Street.

SPECIAL EVENTS Friday 114:00 Ceremony for the 5th edition of the Ismail Shammout Award in Fine Art for Palestinian Artists. Dar al-Kalima University College of Arts and Culture, auditorium.Tuesday 5, 1217:00–19:0 Chess Club offers a space for chess players to gather, play together, and teach each other. Organized by the Goethe-Institut Ramallah. French-German Cultural Center library. Monday 18, 2517:00 Sunset Mondays offer an entertaining atmosphere with special food and drinks to suppor t local food-forest gardens and environmental projects. Organized by Purple Rain PS. Hosh Jasmin, Beit Jala.Thursday 21 18:00–23:00 Spaghetti Night is a carbo-loading event organized as part of the 7th Palestine Marathon. Bethlehem Peace Center.Friday 226:00–15:00 The 7th Freedom of Movement Palestine Marathon. Organized by the Palestine Olympic Committee (POC). Meeting point is Manger Square.Friday 29 15:00–18:00 French Song Contest to demonstrate the French language vocal talents of Palestinian youth, organized by Alliance Française de Bethléem. Bethlehem Peace Center.

RAMALLAHEXHIBITIONSSaturday 2318:00 Opening of The Facility, an exhibition that aims to shed light on the significance of artists’ studios as spaces for creative processes of thinking, experimentation, and imagination. Organized by A.M. Qattan Foundation, the exhibition attempts to combine five elements of art-making in its curatorial approach, namely: the ar tist, the studio space, the process of making ar t, the ar tistic product, and the audience experience. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.Friday 1 – Friday 1517:30–19:30 Palestine in the Good Times is an archival photograph exhibition from the Institute for Palestine Studies collection that reflects rare scenes of Palestinian social life during the period 1891 to 1948 by Palestine’s first Arab photographer Khalil Raad. Organized by Shaghaf Foundation and Events.ps as part of the 2nd Palestine Photo Festival. The French German-Cultural Center Gallery.Saturday 3012:00–17:00 Art exhibition in commemoration of Land Day (Yom al-Ard). The exhibition runs until April 6, 2019. Dar Zahran Heritage Building and Terra Fidea.

Saturday 2318:00 Punishment Park, produced in 1971 and directed by Peter Watkins, is a 91-minute film that offers a disturbing look at the backlash against leftist activism that emerged in the wake of such events as the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago and the shootings at Kent State University. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.

LECTURESSaturday 3018:00 Archive of the Palestinian Revolution is an interlocutor with the German director Monica Maurer presenting her visual documentary testimonial for key points in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, where she pinpoints intersecting political histories between Lebanon, Palestine, and Arab world in her films. A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre.

SYMPOSIAMonday 119:00–15:00 The Social Justice Conference aims to assess and monitor the extent to which social justice is practiced within the Palestinian context, organized by the Palestinian Coalition for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Independent Commission for Human Rights. Red Crescent Society, Al-Bireh.

WORKSHOPSWednesday 614:00-16:00 Women, Peace and Security, a discussion organized by the Norwegian Representative Office, the Belgian Consulate, the Swedish Consulate, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Mahmoud Darwish Museum.

GAZASPECIAL EVENTS Thursday 714:00−16:00 International Women’s Day celebration as part of the global campaign “Think equal, build smart, innovate for change,” presents the audio-visual and storytelling creativity of women. Theatre Day Productions, Theatre Hall.

THEATREWednesday 27, Thursday 28, Sunday 3114:00–16:00 TDP’s Spring Drama and Animation Festival is a 3-day event that presents creative drama scenes and cartoon films made by children and youth throughout the Gaza Strip. Theatre Day Productions, Theatre Hall.

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ARTLABMob. 0544 343 798, artlabjerusalem@gmail.com

Al-Jawal Theatre GroupTelefax: 628 0655

Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary ArtTel: 628 3457, Fax: 627 2312info@almamalfoundation.orgwww.almamalfoundation.org

Alruwah TheatreTel: 626 2626, alruwahtheatre2000@yahoo.com

Al-Urmawi Centre for Mashreq MusicTel: 234 2005, Fax: 234 2004 info@urmawi.org, www.urmawi.org

America Househttp://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/americahouse2.html

Ashtar for Theatre Productions & TrainingTelefax: 582 7218info@ashtar-theatre.org, www.ashtar-theatre.org

British CouncilTel: 626 7111, Fax: 628 3021information@ps.britishcouncil.orgwww.britishcouncil.org/ps

Centre for Jerusalem Studies/Al-Quds UniversityTel: 628 7517, cjs@planet.edu www.jerusalem-studies.alquds.edu

Community Action Centre (CAC)Tel: 627 3352, Fax: 627 4547, www.cac.alquds.edu

Educational BookshopTel: 627 5858, Fax: 628 0814info@educationalbookshop.com www.educationalbookshop.com

El-Hakawati Theatre CompanyTel: 583 8836, Mobile: 0545 835 268f.abousalem@gmail.com, www.el-hakawati.org

French Cultural CentreTel: 628 2451 / 626 2236, Fax: 628 4324 ccfjeru@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Issaf Nashashibi Center for Culture & LiteratureTelefax: 581 8232, isaaf@alqudsnet.com

Jerusalem Centre for Arabic MusicTel: 627 4774, Fax: 656 2469, mkurd@yahoo.com

Melia Art CenterTeleFax: 628 1377, Melia@bezeqint.netwww.meliaartandtrainingcenter.com

Palestinian Art Court - Al HoashTelefax: 627 3501info@alhoashgallery.org, www.alhoashgallary.org

Palestinian National TheatreTel: 628 0957, Fax: 627 6293, info@pnt-pal.org

Sabreen Association for Artistic DevelopmentTel: 532 1393, sabreen@sabreen.org www.jerusalem.usconsulate.govwww.facebook.com/USConGenJerusalem

Sanabel Culture & Arts TheatreTel: 671 4338, Fax: 673 0993sanabeltheatre@yahoo.com

The Bookshop at the American Colony HotelTel: 627 9731, Fax: 627 9779 bookshop.americancolony@gmail.com www. americancolony.com

The Edward Said National Conservatory of MusicTel: 627 1711, Fax: 627 1710 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, ncm.birzeit.edu

The Magnificat IntstituteTel: 626 6609, Fax: 626 6701magnificat@custodia.org www.magnificatinstitute.org

Theatre Day ProductionsTel: 585 4513, Fax: 583 4233tdp@theatreday.org, www.theatreday.org

Turkish Cultural CentreTel: 591 0530/1, Fax: 532 3310kudustur@netvision.net.il, www.kudusbk.com

Wujoud MuseumTel: 626 0916, www.wujoud.org, info@wujoud.org

Yabous Cultural CenterTel: 626 1045; Fax: 626 1372yabous@yabous.org, www.yabous.org

BETHLEHEM (02)

Al-Harah TheatreTelefax: 276 7758, alharahtheater@yahoo.cominfo@alharah.org, www.alharah.org

Alliance Française de BethléemTelefax: 275 0777, afbeth@p-ol.com

Anat Palestinian Folk & Craft CenterTelefax: 277 2024, marie_musslam@yahoo.com

Arab Educational Institute (AEI)-Open WindowsTel: 274 4030, www.aeicenter.org

Artas Folklore CenterMob: 0597 524 524, 0599 679 492, 0503 313 136artasfc@hotmail.com

Badil CentreTel: 277 7086

Beit Jala Community-Based Learning and Action CenterTel: 277 7863

Bethlehem Academy of Music/ Bethlehem Music SocietyTel: 277 7141, Fax: 277 7142

Bethlehem Peace CenterTel: 276 6677, Fax: 276 4670 info@peacenter.org, www.peacenter.org

Catholic Action Cultural CenterTel: 274 3277, Fax 274 2939info@ca-b.org, www.ca-b.org

Centre for Cultural Heritage PreservationTel: 276 6244, Fax: 276 6241info@cchp.ps, www.cchp.ps

Environmental Education CenterTel: 276 5574, eec@p-ol.com, www.eecp.org

Inad Centre for Theatre and ArtsTelefax: 276 6263, www.inadtheater.com

International Centre of Bethlehem-Dar AnnadwaTel: 277 0047, Fax: 277 0048 info@diyar.ps, www.diyar.ps

ITIP Center “Italian Tourist Information Point”Telefax: 276 0411, itipcenter@yahoo.com

Nativity Stationery LibraryMob: 0598 950 447

Palestinian Group for the Revival of Popular HeritageTelefax: 274 7945

Palestinian Heritage CenterTelefax: 274 2381, 274 2642mahasaca@palestinianheritagecenter.com www.phc.ps

C U L T U R A L C E N T E R S

Relief International - Schools Online Bethlehem Community-Based Learning and Action CenterTel: 277 7863

Sabreen Association for Artistic DevelopmentTel: 275 0091, Fax: 275 0092sabreen@sabreen.org, www.sabreen.org

Tent of NationsTel: 274 3071, Fax: 276 7446tnations@p-ol.com, www.tentofnations.org

The Edward Said National Conservatory of MusicTelefax: 274 8726info@ncm.birzeit.edu, www.birzeit.edu/music

The Higher Institute of MusicTelefax: 275 2492, highiom@hotmail.comwww.thehigherinstituteofmusic.ps

Turathuna - Centre for Palestinian Heritage (B.Uni.)Tel: 274 1241, Fax: 274 4440 pdaoud@bethlehem.edu, www.bethlehem.edu

HEBRON (02)

Al Sanabl Centre for Studies and HeritageTel: 256 0280, sanabelssc@yahoo.comwww.sanabl.org, www.sanabl.ps

Beit Et Tifl CompoundTelefax: 222 4545, tdphebron@alqudsnet.com

British Council- Palestine Polytechnic UniversityTelefax: 229 3717, information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britsishcouncil.org.ps

Children Happiness CenterTelefax: 229 9545, children_hc@yahoo.comDura Cultural Martyrs CenterTel: 228 3663, nader@duramun.org www.duramun.org

AMIDEASTTel: 221 3301/2/3/4, Fax: 221 3305 Mob: 0599 097 531

France-Hebron Association for Cultural ExchangesTel: 222 4811info@hebron-france.org, wwww.hebron-france.org

Hebron Rehabilitation CommitteeTelfax: 225 5640, 222 6993/4

Palestinian Child Arts Center (PCAC)Tel: 222 4813, Fax: 222 0855 pcac@hotmail.com, www.pcac.net

The International Palestinian Youth League (IPYL)Tel:222 9131, Fax: 229 0652 itv@ipyl.org, www.ipyl.org

Yes TheaterTelefax: 229 1559, www.yestheatre.org, info@yestheatre.org

JERICHO (02)

Jericho Community CentreTelefax: 232 5007

Jericho Culture & Art CenterTelefax: 232 1047

Municipality TheatreTel: 232 2417, Fax: 232 2604

JENIN (04)

Cinema JeninTel: 250 2642, 250 2455info@cinemajenin.org, www.cinemajenin.org

Hakoura CenterTelfax: 250 4773 center@hakoura-jenin.ps, www.hakoura-jenin.ps

The Freedom Theatre/Jenin Refugee CampTel: 250 3345, info@thefreedomtheatre.org

NABLUS (09)

British Council- Al Najah UniversityTelefax: 237 5950information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcoumcil.org/ps

Cultural Centre for Child DevelopmentTel: 238 6290, Fax: 239 7518nutaleb@hotmail.com, www.nutaleb.cjb.net

Cultural Heritage Enrichment CenterTel. 237 2863, Fax. 237 8275 arafatn24@yahoo.com

French Cultural CentreTel: 238 5914, Fax: 238 7593 ccfnaplouse@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Nablus The CultureTel: 233 2084, Fax: 234 5325 info@nablusculture.ps, www.nablusculture.ps

RAMALLAH AND AL-BIREH (02)

A. M. Qattan FoundationTel: 296 0544, Fax: 298 4886 info@qattanfoundation.org www.qattanfoundation.org

Al Kasaba Theatre and CinemathequeTel: 296 5292/3, Fax: 296 5294 info@alkasaba.org, www.alkasaba.org

Al-Kamandjâti AssociationTel: 297 3101info@alkamandjati.com, www.alkamandjati.com

Al-Mada Music Therapy CenterTel: 241 3196, Fax: 241 3197info@al-mada.ps, www.al-mada.ps

Al-Rahhalah TheatreTelefax: 298 8091, alrahhalah@hotmail.com

Al-Rua’a Publishing HouseTel: 296 1613, Fax: 197 1265, Mob: 0599 259 874akel.nichola@gmail.com

AmideastTel: 240 8023, Fax: 240 8017 westbank-gaza@amideast.org, www.amideast.org

ArtSchool PalestineTel: 295 9837, info@artschoolpalestine.com www.artschoolpalestine.com

Ashtar for Theatre ProductionTel: 298 0037, Fax: 296 0326 info@ashtar-theatre.org, www.ashtar-theatre.org

Baladna Cultural CenterTelfax: 295 8435

Birzeit Ethnographic and Art Museum Tel. 298 2976, www.virtualgallery.birzeit.edu

British CouncilTel: 296 3293-6, Fax: 296 3297information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcouncil.org/ps

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Carmel Cultural FoundationTel: 298 7375, Fax: 298 7374

Dar Zahran Heritage BuildingTelfax: 296 3470, Mob: 0599 511 800info@darzahran.org, www.darzahran.org

El-Funoun Dance TroupeTel: 240 2853, Fax: 240 2851info@el-funoun.org, www.el-funoun.org

Franco-German Cultural Centre RamallahTel: 298 1922 / 7727, Fax: 298 1923info@ccf-goethe.org, www.ccf-goethe-ramallah.org

Gallery OneTel: 298 9181, info@galleryone.ps

Greek Cultural Centre - “Macedonia”Telefax: 298 1736/ 298 0546 makdonia@palnet.com

In’ash Al-Usra Society- Center for Heritage & Folklore StudiesTel: 240 1123 / 240 2876, Telefax: 240 1544usra@palnet.com, www.inash.org

International Academy of ArtsTel: 296 7601, info@artacademy.ps

Khalil Sakakini Cultural CenterTel: 298 7374, Fax: 296 6820 sakakini@sakakini.org, www.sakakini.org

Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and MuseumTel: 295 2808, Fax: 295 2809Info@darwishfoundation.org www.darwishfoundation.org

Manar Cultural CenterTel: 295 7937, Fax: 298 7598

Mazra’a Qibliyeh Heritage and Tourism CentreTelefax: 281 5825, mazraaheritage@yahoo.comwww.geocities.com/mazraaheritage/

Nawa InstituteTel: 297 0190, info@nawainstitute.org

Palestine Writing WorkshopMob: 0597 651 408, www.palestineworkshop.com

Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art PACATel: 296 7601, fax: 295 1849paca@pal-paca.org, www.pal-paca.org

Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE)Tel: 240 7611, Telfax: 240 7610pace@p-ol.com, www.pace.ps

Popular Art Center Tel: 240 3891, Fax: 240 2851info@popularartcentre.org www.popularartcentre.org

Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies (RCHRS)Tel: 241 3002Ramallah Cultural PalaceTel: 294 5555, Fax: 295 2107rcpevents@ramallah-city.ps

RIWAQ: Centre for Architectural ConservationTel: 240 6887, Fax: 240 6986 riwaq@palnet.com, www.riwaq.org

Sandouq Elajab TheatreTel: 296 5638, 295 3206 sandouqelajab@yahoo.com

Sareyyet Ramallah - First Ramallah Group (FRG) Tel: 295 2690 - 295 2706, Fax: 298 0583sareyyet@sareyyet.ps, www.sareyyet.ps

Sharek Youth ForumTel: 296 7741, Fax: 296 7742 info@sharek.ps, www.sharek.ps

ShashatTel: 297 3336, Fax: 297 3338info@shashat.org, www.shashat.org

Tamer Institute for Community EducationTel: 298 6121/ 2, Fax: 298 8160tamer@palnet.com, www.tamerinst.org

The Danish House in Palestine (DHIP)TeleFax: 298 8457, info@dhip.ps, www.dhip.ps

The Edward Said National Conservatory of MusicTel: 295 9070, Fax: 295 9071info@ncm.birzeit.edu, www.birzeit.edu/music

The Palestinian Circus SchoolTel: 281 2000, 0568 880 024www.palcircus.ps, info@ palcircus.ps

The Palestinian Network of Art CentresTel: 298 0036, 296 4348/9, Fax: 296 0326iman_aoun@yahoo.com

The Spanish Cultural CenterTel. 295 0893, chp@panoramacenter.org

Young Artist ForumTelefax: 296 7654, yaf@palnet.com

Zawyeh Art GalleryMob. 0597 994 997anani.ziad@gmail.com, www.zawyeh.net

GAZA STRIP (08)

Al-Qattan Centre for the ChildTel: 283 9929, Fax: 283 9949 reem@qcc.qattanfoundation.org www.qattanfoundation.org/qcc

Arts & Crafts VillageTelefax: 284 6405 artvlg@palnet.com, www.gazavillage.org

Ashtar for Culture & ArtsTelefax: 283 3565, atlas9@palnet.com

Culture & Light CentreTelefax: 286 5896, ifarah@palnet.com

Fawanees Theatre GroupTelefax: 288 4403

French Cultural CentreTel: 286 7883, Fax: 282 8811 ccfgaza@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Gaza Theatre Tel: 282 4860, Fax: 282 4870

Global Production and DistributionTelefax: 288 4399, art.global@yahoo.com

Holst Cultural Centre Tel: 281 0476, Fax: 280 8896, mcrcg@palnet.com

Theatre Day ProductionsTelefax: 283 6766, tdpgaza@palnet.com

Windows from Gaza For Contemporary Art Mob. 0599 781 227 - 0599 415 045 info@artwfg.ps

RAWABI

Itar (Public lectures, workshops and cultural activities) - Rawabi FoundationMobile: 0594 204 378foundation@rawabi.psCinema Hall, Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

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IONS A C C O M M O D A T I O N S

Via Dolorosa 37, P.O.Box 19600, Jerusalem 91194Tel: +972 2 6265800, Fax: +972 2 6265816Email: office@austrianhospice.com, Website:www.austrianhospice.com

Austrian Hospice of the Holy Family

Latin Patriarch St. 33, JerusalemTel 628 2431, Fax: 628 2401 gloriahl@netvision.net.

Gloria Hotel

(104 rooms; mr; res)

Freres Street, New Gate, JerusalemTel 628 2537, Fax: 627 5390 kp@actcom.co.il

(50 rooms; mr; res)

Knights Palace Hotel

Ali Ben Abi Taleb Street, Jerusalem Tel: 02-6282588, Fax: 02-6264417 christmashotel@bezeqint.net

Christmas Boutique Hotel

Ambassador Hotel Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, 91196, Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202 reservation@jerusalemambassador.com, www.jerusalemambassador.com

(118 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)/amb.jerusalem

Jerusalem Hotel15 Antara Ben Shadad St., Jerusalem Tel: 628 3282, Fax: 6283282, raed@jrshotel.com, www.jrshotel.com

Jerusalem Hotel

3 Paratroopers Road, P.O. Box 20531, Jerusalem, 91204 Tel: 627 9111, Fax: 627 1995, www.notredamecenter.org

Pontifical Institute

Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

Pontificial Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center

6 Rashid Street, Jerusalem, PO BOX 19700Tel: 02-6284-841Fax: 02-6280-265Email: info@holylandhotel.com, www.holylandhotel.com

Holy Land Hotel

(104 rooms; mr; res)

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem, 91190Tel: 626 7777, Fax: 627 1319svnarch@bezeqint.net, www.7arches.com

Seven Arches Hotel

8 Ibn Khaldoun Street, P.O.Box 19186, Jerusalem Tel: +972 (0)2 626 9900, Fax: +972 (0)2 626 9910 Email: reservations@jerusalemritz.com, www.jerusalemritz.com www.facebook.com/RitzHotelJerusalem

Ritz Hotel Jerusalem

8786

A C C O M M O D A T I O N S

Carmel Hotel Al-Masyoun, Ramallah, Palestine Tel: 2972222 Fax: 2966966, www.carmelhotel.ps

74 rooms & suites, 20 hotel apartment, Spa, Gym, 2 Bars, 6 conference rooms, 2 restaurants, and indoor parking.

Al Masyoun, RamallahTel: 022979400 Fax: 022979401info@caesar-hotel.ps, www.caesar-hotel.ps

Caesar Hotel

Al-Nuzha Street 24 , Ramallah Tel 297 7073reservation@lavenderboutiquehotel.com, www.lavenderboutiquehotel.com

Lavender Boutique Hotel

Taybeh Golden HotelMain Street 100 ,Taybeh (Ramallah District) Tel 289-9440info@taybehgoldenhotel.com, www.taybehgoldenhotel.com

Tel: +970 2 2985888 Fax: +970 2 2985333reservations.mhra@millenniumhotels.com, www.millenniumhotels.com

P.O Box 1771, Palestine, Ramallah, Al Masyoun

Millennium Hotel Palestine Ramallah

Tantur Hills HotelHebron Road 303 (before Rachel's Tomb)

Tel: +972 2 5658800 Fax: +972 2 5658801reservations@tanturhills.com, www.tanturhills.com

P.O.Box 19250, Jerusalem 9119201

St. George Hotel

E-mail: info@stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com

6 Amr Ibn Al A'as Street – Jerusalem

Tel:+972 2 627 7232 , Fax: +972 2 627 7233 P.O.BOX 69272 Jerusalem 91544

Photo by Shady Hasbun

ACCO

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IONS

Jericho ResortsBisan Street, Near Hisham Palace, 162 Jericho, Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189reservation@jerichoresorts.com, www.jerichoresorts.com

Jericho Resort Village

Sancta Maria HotelDr. Geminer Street, Beyhlehem Tel : 02-2467374/5/6, Fax :02-2767377info@sanctamariahotel.com, www.sanctamariahotel.com

81 rooms

Rawabi Hotel Rental ApartmentsRawabi 666, PalestineMobile: 059 420 4378rent@rawabi.ps

Photo courtesy of MOTA

Al Yasmeen Hotel Nablus

Info@alyasmeen.com, www.alyasmeen.com

Tel: 09 233 3555 Fax: 09 233 3666

8988

R E S T A U R A N T SRE

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Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Al Diwan Restaurant Ambassador Hotel Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem, 91196, Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202reservation@jerusalemambassador.com, www.jerusalemambassador.com

/amb.jerusalem

Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem 97200Tel 532 8342, contact@shahwan.org

Borderline Restaurant Café

Italian Cuisine

Tel: 627 9177, rooftop@notredamecenter.org, www.notredamecenter.org

Cheese & Wine Rooftop Restaurant(Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center)

Notre Dame Rooftop/Cheese & Wine Restaurant

Jerusalem Hotel Restaurant (Kan Zaman)15 Antara Ben Shadad St., JerusalemTel: 628 3282, Fax: 6283282, raed@jrshotel.com, www.jrshotel.com

Mediterranean CuisineJerusalem Hotel

(at St. George Hotel)

La Collina

Tel: +972 2 5658800 Fax: +972 2 5658801Email: reservations@tanturhills.com, www.tanturhills.com

Tantur Hills Hotel, Hebron Road 303

On Waze: Tantur Hills Hotel Opening Hours:17:30 - 23:00

Bistro and Restaurant

Meejana Lounge

P.O.BOX 69272 Jerusalem 91544 Tel:+972 2 627 7232 , Fax: +972 2 627 7233

6 Amr Ibn Al A'as Street – Jerusalem

E-mail: info@stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com

Tel 582 5162, 532 8342, contact@shahwan.orgSheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem 97200

Pasha's

Oriental Food

Deik Quarter - Manger square, BethlehemTel: 2769222

Bab idDeir Cafe & Bar

Tel: 2979400 AlMasyoun, Ramallah

Martini Bar Martinibar_ramallah

Martini Bar

/BabidDeirCB/

Tel: 02-6284-841, Fax: 02-6280-265, Email: TheView@holylandhotel.com6 Rashid Street, Jerusalem, PO BOX 19700

The View Café Bar (at the Holy Land Hotel)

https://www.facebook.com/TheViewJerusalem/

Rukab St., Ramallah

(02) 295 4455, Email:zeitouzaater@gmail.com

Zeit ou Zaater

zeitouzaater

Shams Al-Aseel Enjoy Palestine's nature and cuisine

Al Makhrour Valley, Beit Jala, Tel: 059-461-6011 / 052-744-2003

www.fb.com/shams.alaseel.palestine

9190

REST

AURA

NTS

Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/Tel: 02 282 5599

SiroterFrench Café & Bakery

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

Artoos The Art of Gelato

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

ShrakShawerma & Falafel

Tel: 02 282 5599Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

QburgerBurger

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

LilacPizza, Pasta, & Pastries

Q Center, Rawabi 666, PalestineTel: 02 282 5599https://www.facebook.com/QCenterRawabiOfficial/

Quick Sandwiches Shop

Zeit ou Zaater

zeitouzaater

Info@alyasmeen.com, www.alyasmeen.com Tel: 09 233 3555 Fax: 09 233 3666

KUMIRIS

E TOGETHER FOR JUSTICE

PO Box 49084, Jerusalem 91491

"A new and ultra-creative initiative has been launched from Palestine, it is called 'Kumi Now' and is an inclusive call for nonviolent action to achieve a just peace. Based on a Bible study from the Gospel of Mark, “Kumi" in Aramaic means to “Rise Up” and that's exactly what this initiative is calling for, all people of conscience to participate in one short, simple, action a week aimed at bringing a just peace to Palestinians and Israelis.” “The book can be purchased from Sabeel, Jerusalem for $30 (110NIS)."

For more information contact:

Tel: +972 (0)2 532 7136

Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center

9392

A T T R A C T I O N SAT

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S

Tel: 02-289-9440, info@taybehwinery.com, www.taybehwinery.comMain Street, Taybeh Village, Ramallah District

Taybeh Brewery

Near the rotary, Taybeh Village, Ramallah District Tel: 02-289-8868, taybeh@palnet.com, www.taybehbeer.com

Proudly Brewing & Bottling Premium Palestinian Beer since 1994

Opening Hours: Monday- Saturday 8 AM-3:30 PM

https://www.facebook.com/taybehbeer/

Taybeh WineryMaking Boutique Palestinian Wines since 2013

https://www.facebook.com/Taybehwinery/

Opening Hours: Daily 9 AM-5 PM

Poster Making Palestinian Art Accessible to Everyone. Get yours now!

7A President Square, behind Plaza Mall, Al-Balo', AlbirehMob: 0592847732 Tel: 022426486anani.ziad@gmail.com, www.zawyeh.net

7A President Square, behind Plaza Mall, Al-Balo', AlbirehMob: 0592847732 Tel: 022426486anani.ziad@gmail.com, www.zawyeh.net

Zawyeh GalleryCurrent exhibition: Affordable Art Fair | Collective | 5 - 30.11.2018

Municipality street, Old town, BirzeitTel: +972 2 2819111, Mobile: +972 56 2776665Email: alaa@bbdc.ps , www.shepherds.ps

Birzeit Brewing Co. Shepherds Beer Brewing Beer of Palestine with passion for friends

Website:

Shepherds Beer Have you booked your tour !

Photo by Shady Hasbun

Enjoy the panoramic view of Jericho

Elisha's Spring, P.O.Box 12, JerichoTel: + 972 (2) 2321590; Fax: + 972 (2) 2321598Info@jericho-cablecar.com, www.jericho-cablecar.com

Telepherique & Sultan Tourist Center

JerichoCableCar

Bethlehem+970-2-276-0376, +970-2-276-8250, Fax: +970-2-276-8251sppd.preservation@gmail.com, solpools@solomonpools.com

Solomon’s Pools

https://it-it.facebook.com/solomon.pools

The City of Cultures and Civilizations

Exciting outdoor games in the beautiful nature of Palestine.

Tel: 059 420 4377, https://www.facebook.com/RawabiExtremeWaDina, Rawabi 666, Palestine

Spacious indoor amusement park that introduces fun, comfort, and happiness for all ages.

Tel: 059 594 9026, https://www.facebook.com/funfactoryrawabi/Q Center, Rawabi 666, Palestine

Rawabi Extreme

Fun Factory Rawabi

Photo Courtesy of SPPD

Photo by Palestine Image Bank

9594

T R A V E L A G E N C I E S T O U R O P E R A T O R S

Laila Tours & Travel

Fraternum Tours Ltd.P.O.Box 21727, Jerusalem 9121701

Email: fraternum@bezeqint.net, Web: www.fraternumtours.comTel: +972 2 6767117 or +972 2 6767227, Fax: +972 2 6767266

Phone: +970 2 2777997/+970 2 2764886, Fax: +970 2 2777996

Email; team@lailatours.com, www.lailatours.com, Laila Tours & Travel

Grand Park Hotel, Second Floor, Manger Street – Holy Land

Mobile: +972 528412911

Email:Dahert@netvision.net.il

14 Azzahra St., P.O.Box 19055, Jerusalem Tel: +972 2 6283235, Fax: +972 2 627 1574

Daher Travel, Ltd.

9 Azzahra St. Jerusalem, 9720952, P.O.B: 67197, Jerusalem, 9167002

Email:info@rajitours.com, Website:www.rajitours.com Tel: 972 2 6446279, Fax: 972 2 5787766

Raji Tours & Travel

Raji Tours & Travel

Box 4181, El Bireh, Ramallah-Palestine Tel: +972 2 2421878, Fax: +972 2 2421879, Mbl: +972 56 2550031 Email: info@gg-tours.ps, Web:www.gg-tours.ps

Ersal St, Ersal Center, Amaar Tower, 5th floor

Golden Globe Tours

19 Al-Rashid St., Jerusalem Tel: +972 2 6289260 / +972 2 6273687, Fax: +972 2 6264979 Email:os@os-tours.com, Web:http://www.os-tours.com

O.S Tours & Travel

George Garabedian & Co. L.T.D.

ggc@ggc-jer.com, www.ggc-jer.com

24 Saladin St., JerusalemTicketing: +972-2-6288354, Incoming: +972-2-6283398

Tourist & Travel Bureau

SAMARA

1 Greek Orthodox Pat. Rd., P.O.Box 14058, Jerusalem 91140Tel: +972-2-6276133, Telefax: +972-2-6271956info@samaratours.com, www.samaratours.com

Tourist & Travel Agency

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When will the Americans understand that it is not how much they pay (or rather how much they make their protégés pay) that will ensure the passing of the deal of the century? Last I read, it was $60 billion for the Palestinian Authority, $40 billion to Egypt, $20 billion to Jordan, and a similar amount to Lebanon. The point is that no Palestinian leader is even able to accept a deal that essentially will sell out Jerusalem. Neither ousting a leader who clearly rejects the deal and replacing him with someone who is willing to negotiate, nor putting economic pressure, however extreme, will work. Recent popular demonstrations against some terms of the social security law proposed by the government have ultimately led to the resignation of the government. That in turn has empowered the people, who now know that no law or even proposed law can pass without their consent. You can imagine the intensity of the demonstrations that would erupt if a deal that includes selling out Jerusalem is put on the table. The partner that the Americans are looking for is a fictional character that only exists in their imagination. And without a partner, there is no “deal,” is there?On the other hand, the Americans are able to suffocate the Palestinians economically. In fact, they are doing that right now. Today, there is zero USAID money and zero contributions to UNRWA. Even the $20 million committed to the East Jerusalem hospitals was cut. However, even if the day comes when the PA declares bankruptcy, it still would not be able to accept the infamous deal. There would be chaos and an open Pandora’s Box, but still no deal. The people would no doubt suffer a lot and they would demonstrate in demand of better social and economic conditions, but I believe that they are mature enough to realize that as long as the PA does not cave in to the deal of the century, people will put the blame of their hardship on the freezing of American aid to the PA, on hampering the arrival of other aid, and on Israel’s tampering with Palestinian VAT money. Having lost their directional compass, some Arab regimes now see Iran as their main foe. Fortunately, those regimes are not able to totally focus on Iran mainly because their peoples still think that the unsolved problem of Palestine still takes precedence. It is no secret that the deal of the century is meant to rid those regimes of the Palestinian “nuisance,” but as weak as those wretched Palestinians are, they hold the key to sabotaging a major political scheme that would change the strategic geopolitical situation of the area and possibly beyond. Without mincing words, the deal of the century is a no go.

No Go

100