Arab Development Society
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Arab Development Society GB165-0324 Reference code: GB165-0324 Title: Arab Development Society Collection Name of creators: Arab Development Society (1945-) Hodgkin, Edward Christian (1913-2006) Dates of creation of material: 1953-1984 Level of description: Fonds Extent: 3 boxes Administrative history: Arab Development Society (1945-) The Arab Development Society was established in 1945 and worked to assure the welfare of Arab refugees following the British withdrawal from Palestine in 1948. Using the remainder of funds assigned to the Arab Development Society by the Arab League Economic Committee in 1945, combined with some personal capital, in 1949 Musa Alami engaged a project to dig for water on an area of land north-east of Jericho. The land was then cultivated and a small experimental farm set up. By 1951 the farm was more or less established and by 1955 was capable of large scale cultivation. The Farm was used to accommodate, educate and give vocational training to orphaned children. These children were not supported by the United Nations Relief Agency, as this only dealt with the heads of families. At the Arab Development Society Farm and Vocational Training Centre, orphaned Palestinian boys learned how to farm, were schooled and also trained in vocational skills including electrical engineering, weaving, carpentry and metalwork, for which there was significant demand in the Arab World at the time. The Arab Development Society Farm and Vocational Training Centre received significant damage during rioting in Nov 1955. The Centre managed to recover with the help of charitable donations, but was then more or less destroyed in the events of the 1967 war and its aftermath. The Farm and Vocational Centre were re-established to some extent with assistance from Friends organisations in the United Kingdom and USA. These organisations continued to support the Centre‟s projects and Musa Alami‟s legacy. Musa Alami was a Palestinian Nationalist and Philanthropist (1897-1984). Born in Jerusalem, he studied at Cambridge and later worked for the legal department of the Palestinian Government. He died in June 1984. The Friends of the Arab Development Society was established in the UK in 1961 with E.C. Hodgkin as Chairman and Sir Geoffrey Furlonge as Treasurer. A parallel organisation, the 1 ©Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford. OX2 6JF Arab Development Society GB165-0324 Musa Alami Foundation of Jericho, was also set up in the USA, with Dr. John H. Davis acting as President. Scope and content: Pamphlets, reports, newspaper cuttings and correspondence relating to the Arab Development Society, the life of its founder Musa Alami and details of the Society‟s legacy and supporters. Also includes an album of professional photographs, along with loose photographs, documenting the work of the Arab Development Society. System of arrangement: 1. Arab Development Society Report 2. Fundraising and the History and Work of the Arab Development Society 3. Correspondence 4. Death of Musa Alami 5. Photographs Access conditions: Open Language of material: Primarily English, with some Arabic Conditions governing reproduction: No restrictions on copying or quotation other than statutory regulations and preservation concerns Immediate source of acquisition: Received as a gift from E.C. Hodgkin in 1999 Related Units of Description: In MEC Archive GB165-0050 Gervase Cassells Collection: Memoir as Deputy Director of UNWRA in Jordan and of the Six Day War, 1967. GB165-0063 Norman Corkill Collection: Nutritional economic survey of wartime Palestine, 1942-1943; nutritional state of the Palestine refugees in the Spring of 1951; autobiographical fragment. Photographic collection. GB165-0153 Cecil Amin Hourani: Translation of article on the Arab nation and relations with Israel originally published in An Nahar supplement of 20th Aug 1967. 2 ©Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford. OX2 6JF Arab Development Society GB165-0324 GB165-0161 Jerusalem and the East Mission Collection: Box 73, Palestine, Refugees, includes correspondence, papers from United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and information on Relief Policy. GB165-0269 Sir Edward Spears Collection: Includes papers on Middle Eastern Affairs in general; press cuttings, including Palestine Arab Refugees, the Arab-Israeli conflict. In Other Repositories British Library Coll 20/42 IOR/L/PS/12/3002, India Office Records: Includes material on the employment of Arab Refugees from Palestine, 1st Jun 1949 - 8th Aug 1949. Cambridge University Library, Department of Manuscripts and University Archives Other Countries NCUACS 81.2.99/K.488 Includes correspondence and papers from UNIPAL Universities‟ Fund for the Education of Palestinian Refugees, 1977-1982, 1989. Royal Institute of International Affairs: RIIA/8/2007. 7th Nov 1951, Sir Henry Knight, The Arab Refugees from Palestine. Warwick University Modern Records Centre: Broadcasts MSS.154/3/BR/10/1-229 Includes correspondence with James Monohan with regard to U.N refugee camps in Palestine, 1964. Finding aids: In Guide; Handlist Publication Note: Hourani, Cecil A, “Experimental Village in the Jordan Valley”, Middle East Journal, Vol 5, No 4, pp. 497-501 Mayer, T, “Arab Unity of Action and the Palestine Question”, Middle Eastern Studies, Vol 22, No 3, Jul 1986, pp. 331-349 Furlonge, G, Palestine is my Country: The Story of Musa Alami (London: Murray 1969) Archivist’s note: Fonds level description created by Clare Brown in 1999, revised by Alastair McInnes in Jul 2010. File and item level description created by Alastair McInnes 4th Aug 2010. Sources for Administrative History within collection. Other sources are “Personality: Dr. John H Davis”, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, 30th Dec 1985. 3 ©Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford. OX2 6JF Arab Development Society GB165-0324 SERIES, FILE AND ITEM LEVEL DESCRIPTION OF THE ARAB DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY COLLECTION 1 Arab Development Society Report 1/1 “The Arab Development Society Farm, Existing Apr 1983 167 sheets Situation and Potential for Development”, a report compiled for the Arab Development Society and Swedish Save the Children, in consortium with the Norwegian Refugee Council. Compiled by Bizreit University, Research Department, to communicate the need for proposed refurbishments to the Arab Development Society‟s Jericho Farm project. Includes detailed descriptions of the Arab Development Society‟s work, farm specific inventories, departments and proposed improvements Old Ref: 1/2 2 Fundraising and the History and Work of the Arab Development Society Fundraising leaflets outlining the history and work of the 1953-c1974 7 items Arab Development Society intended for public interest and for the use of potential donors. Also includes details of the work and members of organisations working to support the Arab Development Society and its founder, Musa Alami‟s legacy Old Ref: 1/1 2/1 Printed leaflet „Bootstrap, The Arab Development Aug 1953 1 booklet Society‟s Jordan Valley Project‟ published by the Near East News Association (Beirut) giving an illustrated account of the work of the Arab Development Society and the life of the boys in its care 2/2 Printed leaflet „Miracle in the Holy Land” giving a brief Not dated 1 booklet illustrated history of the Arab Development Society and 1960s its projects 4 ©Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford. OX2 6JF Arab Development Society GB165-0324 2/3 Printed leaflet „The Arab Development Society, Brief Not dated 1 booklet Historical Notes‟ including a brief history of the Arab 1970s Development Society, outlining developing projects in need of charitable support 2/4 Printed leaflet „The Arab Development Society, Brief Not dated 1 booklet Historical Notes‟ Duplicate of 3/2 1970s 2/5 Printed leaflet „The Arab Development Society, Brief Not dated 1 booklet Historical Notes‟ Duplicate of 3/2 1970s 2/6 Printed leaflet „The Arab Development Society‟ Not dated 1 booklet including a donors form for „The Friends of the Arab 1970s Development Society Trust 2/7 Printed leaflet „Miracle in the Holy Land, the Arab c1974 1 booklet Development Society Appeal, 25 Years on‟ including introductions by A Toynbee, E.C Hodgkin and J.H Davis as well as an illustrated account for potential donors showing the work of the Arab Development Society as well as giving names of individuals involved in the UK and USA organisations that are supporting the legacy of the Arab Development Society 3 Correspondence 3/1 Letter from E.C. Hodgkin to Dr Masrat Fadda giving a 20 Oct 1995 2 sheets brief history of the Friends of the Arab Development Society UK and the Musa Alami Foundation of Jericho USA as well as enclosing a „brief statement of the origins and aims of the ADS‟ written „for the benefit of anyone who enquired about it‟ Old Ref: 1/1 5 ©Middle East Centre, St Antony’s College, Oxford. OX2 6JF Arab Development Society GB165-0324 4 Death of Musa Alami Newspaper cuttings, obituaries, dedications and articles, relating to the death of Musa Alami 4/1 Musa Alami Obituaries 1984 7 sheets Old Ref: 1/3 4/1/1 Arabic language newspaper cutting, “Al Quds” 10th Jun 1984 1 sheet 4/1/2 Arabic language newspaper cutting, “Al Quds” 11th Jun 1984 1 sheet 4/1/3 Fragment of arabic language newspaper cutting, 12th Jun 1984 1 sheet “Al Quds”, includes photographs 4/1/4 “Musa Alami, work for Palestinian Refugees”, 11th Jun 1984 1 sheet Obituary, The Times 4/1/5 Two paragraphs announcing the death of Musa 12th Jun 1984 1 sheet Alami, Jerusalem Post 4/1/6