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Palestine

Human Rights film festival in Nablus

In a week, An Najah will host a Human Rights film festival in Nablus.  Wanna join me?!

Read original article at Maen News

NABLUS (Ma’an) — The largest university in the northern West Bank will host its first human rights film festival at the end of September, organizers announced on Wednesday.

Starting 26 September and running through the end of the month at the Zafr Masri Theater on the university’s old campus, a series of films will be accompanied with talks and video conferences to organizations in other cities and countries also working in the field of human rights.

Issues of focus, a statement said, will be the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian resistance and Palestinian refugees as well as social and cultural issues such as the rights of women.

The first evening will host staff of the Mental Health Program in Gaza, with subsequent panelists including a South African human rights center and American university students who will tune in and join discussions.

The event is organized by the UNESCO Chair on Democracy and Human Rights at An-Najah National University, directed by Doctor Raed Abu Badawia.

“The festival is part of the continuous struggle of the Palestinian people who seek above all to live in freedom and dignity,” Abu Badawia said in a statement announcing the festival.

Poems by a Palestinian girl

In March 2009, I visited a friend’s home in Palestine.  Her young daughter, Nadine, wrote the below poems.

our country

you look see feel

but no

u do look

u do see

but u do not feel

stop

pause

and look around

u see up and down

every were no one wants u

just go away.

this is our country place and life

stop talking it away

when its not rifuallly yours.

you kill us

beat us

we fight back for our lifes

but wait

u fight to take this place

just go away.

it happend to u disscrimanasion

but u dont think of it at all

and do the same to us discrimanasion.

you kill us

beat us

but u never feel if we had the same wepinz

we would be wining.

this is not a fair fight

u have food supplize and family

we barly have any just go away.

dont u see what u have done

yove killed children for no reasen.

you through at us

we through at u

but wich one is stronger

yours

just go away.

its  our country place and lifes

stop steeling it away

your smiling and happy for what yove done

ITS OUR COUNTRY GO AWAY!

The window

when u look threw the window what do u see

the wind there and the rain for me .

but look closley and see can u find the great wisdom and happyness for u .

look threw the right window that is for u

pick it with goodness and right

look threw the window that is bright.

there is the side of sadness and hate and the side to smile and be happy,

pick the right window when u you look closley you  will no the path foe you .

look threw the window that is right for you.

commmunicating peace

peace is the choice u pick in life

how u commmunicate peace

a lovely wonder and wisdom

you need look closly

and hold each others hands

and rome in harmony

and love to eachother

block the bitterness

enter the wonder and wisdom and have a peaceful life.

life

life is a great thing that u can sometimes dought  life passess fast and runs  long ways the choice of your life is up to you hold it tight so it never gets loose. dont you see what life is what ever u so will effect u pick the right choice.

peace freedom love

peace freedom and love

that what we need want it and make it bigger

bring the peace bring it strong so we can live toghther  and get along

we need it yes we do

also if we want the peace the love has to be there

peace oh peace pray for it so we can get along

we need it

we have to love so peace will be a peace and just get along peace.

believe in the peace

if we want peace we have to work and belive for this wonder to be and for peace to be come bigger we have to love and hold on to each other and make the peace a bigger and bigger if we want the the peace we have to live it   and want it we all get toghther  make the vive of peace stronger so we can live with happyness peace we need it in life  we have to hold is and beliven what is right choice and path to pick. pick it know and have the peace in your heart peace we need it some people dont want it but try to change there mind never never say that this can never happen peace is what we need PEACE.

the goal peace

peace peace thats what we need we want peace yes we do were striving for peace  little bye little bigger by bigger the steps get big the steps get small but alalong we succseed out goal peace in the middle east.

Olive trees and Iftar

Nasreen and her siblings

One of my Advanced English students, Nasreen (she’s wearing the white headscarf in this photo), invited me for Ramadan iftar (dinner) with her family on September 5th.  She lives in a village near Nablus, called Sarra.  We ate on their second floor porch with a beautiful view of the magnificent sunset and the hilly, desert countryside spottedwith olive trees and villages.

This view was marred by a huge fire in the distance.  Olive trees belonging to Sarra farmers and farmers in a neighboring village were enveloped in huge flames.

Her family looked at the fire, and looked at each other.  It was nothing new or surprising.  Imagine watching your neighbor’s garage go up in flames and think, “Well, this happens all the time.”  We continued to eat dinner.  There is nothing they can do to prevent it.  Nothing they can do to stop it.  They can only watch.

Fire in Sarra

Israeli Army jeeps drove by the fire and did nothing. This happens all over the West Bank all the time, especially in villages like Sarra, that are surrounded in all directions by Israeli settlements.  Did this make the news?

No.

Fire in Sarra