April - June 2013 WWW.BADIL.ORG Sign up Mailing list Youth Education and Activation Project (YEAP)

Mobilization and Intervention with Duty Bearers:

BADIL believes the path to justice and durable peace is directly linked to legal advocacy interventions with decision makers and duty bearers, whether individuals, organizations or governments. In this vein, BADIL consistently participates in and contributes to international forums of decision makers and decision making bodies to increase the political will for a solution founded in international law.

Through its special consultative status with ECOSOC, BADIL contributed to the 23rd Session of the UNHRC.

The recent HRC session was an important opportunity for BADIL Third Initiative-Campaign against Forced Population Transfer (FPT): to uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and to promote its 2013 advocacy strategy. BADIL primarily focused on The YEAP participants joined BADIL, the FPT Coalition and the marginalized populations living in the ’s policy of ongoing forcible displacement and the situation villages surrounding Hebron (Masafer Yatta) in the 3rd Popular Initiative in the Campaign against FPT of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli detention centers. which was implemented in Twany at the Elementary Public School. For more information see link>>

Written Statements: The YEAP also participated in BADIL’s Commemoration of Nakba-65 which took place in Manger Square, 1. Land confiscation by means of declaring land as state land . For more information see link>> 2. Follow-up to the report of the International Fact-Finding Mission on Israeli Settlements Al-Awda Award Competition Oral Statements (Videos): 1. Holistic human rights based approach 2. Palestinian political prisoners This is the 7th year of BADIL’s Annual Al Awda Award. BADIL launched the 2013 Award on 28 January 2013 under the slogan “Generation by generation, we will continue to protect our fig and trees.”- Membership in Coalitions and Alliance Building Tawfiq Zayyad.

BADIL has elevated its efforts to cooperate strategically with The first category, Best Nakba Commemoration Poster, was closed on 12 April 2013 with 81 high quality coalitions and networks in order to increase the impact and scope and creative submissions from all over historic Palestine as well as submissions from abroad. The first of all its activities. This effort has resulted in information sharing place poster was utilized in the Nakba-65 commemoration and it was submitted by Mr. Musab Abu Sil from and experience exchange, higher quality outputs, increasing target Gaza. audiences and consolidated and efficient initiatives that avoid For a complete list of the winners and honorary mentions for Best Nakba Poster, see link>> duplication. BADIL believes that cooperation and consolidation of

efforts with coalitions and networks will result in a unified voice 31 May was the deadline for the second, third and fourth categories: Best Caricature, Best Photograph by and stance on the needs of all sectors of the Palestinian Youth, and Best Story for Children, respectively. The submissions for these categories are being evaluated community. by the respective independent juries and the results will be announced in the second half of 2013.

In addition, BADIL has maintained active membership and continuous contribution to the OCHA led working groups, the Ongoing Nakba Education Center (ONEC) PHROC, OPGAI and other networks and coalitions.

Research BADIL has published the following productions on the ONEC website in the second quarter of 2013:

1. “Ink on Paper” – Homsa; see link >>

2. “3 Days…” – Awarta; see link>> 3. Photo-story – Lifta; see link >> 4. “Sons of Lifta” – Lifta; see link >>

5. “Testimonies of Zionist Fighters” – Huj Village; see link >>

6. “From Al-Araqib to Susiya”; see link >>

7. “Umm al-Hieran Unrecognized Village v Hiran Settlement”; see link >>

8. “The Uprooted – A Tale of Palestinian Farmers” – Al-Jab’a Village; see link >>

9. “From Kafr ‘Ana with a Key”– Kafr ‘Ana, Jaffa District see link>> “Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of : A Handbook for Vulnerable Individuals and BADIL is also engaged in a speaking tour in the UK to promote the ONEC specifically and BADIL in Communities” – a legal analysis regarding three triggers of general. Thus far 4 separate events at various venues have been implemented as part of a 16 event displacement: land confiscation, restrictions on use and access tour scheduled for the coming summer months. The events feature a film screening from the ONEC of land, and the system of planning, building permits and home followed by discussion and/or interview, coupled with a photo exhibition. demolitions complemented by 70 case studies mainly from Area C and . Mobilization, Outreach and Networking: “Know your Rights” Information Packet - a practical guide in the form of a compilation of 5 brochures that outline Israeli state Ø Nakba-65 Commemoration practices used to implement displacement by drawing on court This year the national commemoration of Nakba-65 took place at Manger Square in Bethlehem and decisions, legislation, military orders, and original interviews with was attended by thousands of people from historic Palestine as well as internationals. BADIL affected individuals. implemented the commemoration in cooperation with municipalities, popular committees, political parties, local church groups and community-based organizations. The main activities of the Institutional Development commemoration were: a march utilizing torches and banners led by a marching band; addresses from the Secretary General of the People’s Party, Fatah Revolutionary Council, and Archbishop Atallah In preparation for the development of BADIL’s next three-year Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Church; and a special performance from Al Funoun Al Shabiya Dance strategic plan (2014-2016), BADIL engaged an external consultant Troupe. The Best Nakba Poster from the Al Awda Award was used as the main promotional tool in to evaluate BADIL’s current programs. The evaluation analyzes various forms (posters, t-shirts, banners, etc.) by all in this and other commemoration activities. For not only BADIL’s project implementation but also examines more information see link >> strengths and weaknesses within BADIL’s programs in order to assess options for future programs and projects. The evaluation Ø Participation in the Right of Return Conference-Boston University, USA includes questionnaires and focus group discussions with The conference took place on Saturday and Sunday 6-7 April at the Boston University Law School beneficiaries, interviews with local partner organizations, and a Auditorium with over 200 people in attendance. It explored right of return discourses as they exist SWOT analysis of the strategic programs. The evaluation was among Palestinian communities around the world by opening a space for envisioning and delving into done with a participatory component and includes the the practical implementation of this right. The aim of the conference was to shift and expand the development of monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and discourse around Palestine in US academia and to explore the right of return within the United States templates for future projects. The main output, the evaluation more broadly. Conference panelists discussed legal, political, spatial, discursive, and cultural report, will be completed in early July 2013. questions, featuring their submissions to a call for papers. The discussions were open to the general public. BADIL’s keynote address, “Paving Paths to Peace and Home: Practicalities of Return”, focused on the fact that durable solutions for Palestinian refugees is both an individual right as well as a Partnership with Civil Society prerequisite to establishing a viable peace in the region. For more information, see link >> BADIL supported 15 popular initiatives with civil society in the last quarter. A variety of activities were implemented by BADIL’s Ø Participation in the 2nd Palestinian Solidarity Conference in Stuttgart, Germany partners ranging from artistic murals, marathons, humanitarian BADIL, through its Geneva-based Legal Advocacy Consultant participated as a lecturer in this aid to Palestinian refugees fleeing Syria, photo exhibitions and conference which took place 10-12 May. The conference explored topics such as settler colonialism, much more across historic Palestine. Apartheid, civil resistance and BDS, which were introduced in the 1st solidarity conference as well as For more information, see links 1, 2 . the recent dramatic changes in the region and how they effect the Palestinian struggle. The conference

featured renowned experts from the USA, UK, historic Palestine, Tunisia and Germany.

Ø Palestinian Conference on Forced Population Transfer: Elements and Responsibilities

Media

In addition to 19 in house press releases (11 and 8 English), BADIL and its activities made the following headlines:

Topic Network

Ma’an/MIX

Youtube

Hona Al Quds, Special Coverage On 4 June 2013 in Ramallah, BADIL hosted the first Palestinian conference on forced population Nakba-65 Commemoration transfer. The conference entitled “Forced Population Transfer-Elements and Responsibilities” was the Al Resala first of its kind tackling the issue of the forced population transfer of the indigenous Palestinian Seraj (Mural Initiative in Gaza population and local, national and international interventions to prevent displacement. At the conference BADIL launched “Israeli Land Grab and Forced Population Transfer of Palestinians: A Handbook for Vulnerable Individuals and Communities”, a guide to understanding the linkage between Israeli land Mondoweiss regime and forced population transfer and the accompanying “Know your Rights” Information Packet. Jadaliyya Hundreds of Palestinians and internationals attended the conference which hosted a plethora of Ongoing Nakba Alternative Information Center experts representing both local, national and international organizations and academic institutions.For (AIC) see links 1, 2 more information, see link >>

Muftah

Palestine Chronicle Ø Fact-Finding Mission To complement the Conference on Forced Population Transfer, BADIL provided a two-day fact-finding Ma’an News ONEC “Sons of Lifta” mission 5-6 June to areas facing forcible transfer. The villages of Al Walaja, Battir and Wadi Fukin of Electronic Intifada (EI) the Bethlehem governorate were the destination of the first day of the conference; Masafer Yatta and Australians for Palestine Beit Zacharia in the Hebron Governorate constituted the second day of the mission. Approximately 20 people attended the fact-finding mission including international guest experts from the conference. Palestina Rossa (Italian) see links: 1, 2, 3 Ø Participation in the 4th National BDS Conference Re-publication of Al-Majdal Articles Nena News (Italian) see links: 1, BADIL, as a member of OPGAI and other networks, coordinated and facilitated the implementation of Articles Nena News (Italian) see links: 1, BADIL, as a member of OPGAI and other networks, coordinated and facilitated the implementation of 2 the 4th National BDS Conference. Held on 8 June, the conference provided a distinguished platform for

La Haine and Rebelion (Spanish) exchanging ideas among Palestinian youth and student activists, trade unionists, women activists, see links: 1, 2 decision makers, intellectuals, academics, representatives of the private sector, and leading NGO networks. Aimed at promoting and enabling Palestinian society’s effective development of sector-based Right of Return Conference- Jadaliyya BDS campaigns with clear strategies and leadership teams in recognition of how Israel is increasingly Boston, USA seeking Palestinian and other Arab “fig-leaves” to cover up its intensifying occupation, colonization and apartheid, one of the main themes addressed was the economic, academic, cultural, youth and IT Conference on Forced Al Jazeera sector normalization with Israel and ways of confronting it. BADIL’s intervention focused on Israeli’s Population Transfer continued systematic ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Palestinian population and the importance of the use of sanctions to confront and deter forced population transfer. For more information, see link >> Education and Advocacy Tools: Ø Participation in OPGAI Youth Training and Workshop June 2013 – Al-Majdal Issue #52 – “Towards a Prognosis: Seven members of BADIL’s Strategy Forum participated in the Youth Training and Workshop Diagnosing Fragmentation and Problems of Representation in implemented by OPGAI. The day long event was held in the AIC in . The youth were Palestinian Politics” See linke >> trained on the political realities of the Palestinian struggle during the first half of the day. The second half of the day was devoted to exploring the principles of volunteerism, the management of youth April 2013 – Haq Al-Awda Issue #53 – “Confronting Nakba-65: summer camps and how to overcome obstacles and resolve conflict in the context of implementing Return is the Right and Will of the People” (translated from these activities. Arabic)See link>> Ø USA Mobilization Nakba-65 poster and t-shirt The promotion of BADIL, its publications and the ONEC in the USA has resulted in the greater visibility, awareness and partnerships for BADIL in the USA. BADIL, in collaboration with the City School of Boston and the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology participated in a youth workshop on 23 May. The workshop aimed at “learning together about the ways that racism, lockdown, and legacies of colonialism impact the current landscapes of many youth of color from Boston to Palestine, with an emphasis on sharing resilience/resistance strategies across borders and ways to increase hope and improved access to both wellness and justice for all.” The workshop explored the history of Palestine and displacement though an active, participatory mapping exercise that facilitated understanding stereotypes and labels.

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