THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE: EVERLASTING ROOTS, INFINITE HORIZONS 100 names from Palestine to the World Division for Palestinian Rights Department of Political and Peace- building Affairs (DPPA) ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Financial Contribution Financial support from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to produce this booklet is gratefully acknowledged Photo Credits Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine, New York UN Photos Introduction “It was in Palestine, cradle of humanity’s three monotheistic faiths, that the Palestinian Arab people was born, and it was there that they grew and developed their indissoluble and uninterrupted organic relationship with their land and their history molding their human and national being.” The Declaration of Independence of the State of Palestine, 1988 The history of Palestine has been marked by invasions, wars, forced displacement and dispossession of its population. Palestine stands victim of the most protracted refugee crisis in the world and Palestinians comprise the largest global long-term refugee population. Palestine also continues to endure the longest military occupation in contemporary history. While this tragic history has shaped the Palestinian reality in all aspects and has deeply affected Palestinian identity and national aspirations, it must not over- shadow the personal stories of courage and determination in confronting this injustice and the ability of this nation to display and embody resilience, creativity, and humanity in the face of immense adversity. The Commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in 2017 coincided with the 70th anniversary of the General Assembly’s adoption of resolution 181 (II) and the UN partition plan of Palestine and the eve of the 70th anniversary of Al-Nakba. The 2017 exhibition honours the resil- ience of the Palestinian people and the remarkable achievements of individuals, groups and organizations in the fields of human rights, education, science, arts and sports that have contributed to the advancement of their nation and the international community as a whole. Their lives and work are a reflection of the Palestinian people’s long journey towards freedom, justice and peace and their continuing quest to achieve their rights and fulfill their potential, a quest garnering worldwide solidarity and support.They tell the story of a nation that has struggled to safeguard its legitimate place in history and ensure its rightful place among the community of nations and exercise its right to self-determination and preserve part of its original geog- raphy; a nation that even under the harshest conditions has never stopped seeking to also contribute its share to humanity. This booklet is a reproduction of the 2017 exhibit organized by the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian Peo- ple (CEIRPP) and the Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations. 2 In the words of the Secretary-General of the United Nations “The dreams of generation after generation (of Palestinians) have been confined by the parameters of conflict, humiliation and half a century of occupation... We should not be allowed to be skeptical about the prospects for peace because at the end of the day, skepticism is an elaborate form of surrender to the as- sumptions of the moment. On the contrary, when things are difficult, we must invest more”. Secretary-General António Guterres [Remarks to the League of Arab States, 29 March 2017] “Fifty long years of occupation have fueled recurring cycles of violence and retribution. They send an unmistakable message to Palestinians that their dream of state- hood might never be realized. They signal to Israelis that their desire for peace, security and regional recognition remains unattainable. Ending the occupation is the only way to lay the foundations for enduring peace that meets Israeli security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood and sovereignty. It is the only way to achieve the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. It is time to return to direct negotiations to resolve all final status issues on the basis of relevant UN resolutions, agreements and international law. It is time to end the conflict by establishing an independent Palestinian state, side by side in peace and security with the State of Israel.” Secretary-General António Guterres [Remarks at the UN Forum to mark 50 years of occupation of the Palestinian Territory, 29 June 2017] 3 The UN General Assembly Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) By its resolution 3376, 10 November 1975, the UN General Assembly established the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian Peo- ple (CEIRPP) and requested it to recommend a programme to enable the Palestinian people to exercise their inalienable rights to self-determination without external interference, national independence and sovereignty; and to return to their homes and property from which they had been displaced. The Assembly established the Division for Palestinian Rights as its secretariat and, throughout the years, has gradually expanded the Committee’s mandate. “No individual is free unless all individuals are free… Palestinian lives matter.” Ambassador Fodé Seck, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) [Remarks to the General Assembly plenary on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, 29 November 2014] 4 Poetry is a very popular art in the Arab world, with broad audiences. Palestinian poets have emerged as important voices in that field, their poems recited throughout the Arab world and beyond. Among them are IBRAHIM TUQAN, the author of Mawtini, the anthem of the 1930s Arab revolt that later became Iraq’s national anthem, his sister FADWA TUQAN, “the mother of Palestinian poetry”, SAMIH AL-QA- SSIM, TAWFIK ZAYYAD, MURID BARGHOUTHI and MOUIN BSEISSO, all leading figures of the poetry of protest and liberation. Mahmoud Darwish, Palestine’s universal poet (1941-2008) From his early writings marked by his political engagement that shaped contemporary Palestinian consciousness, and for which he was arrested several times by Israeli authorities, to his more intimate, metaphysical and universal writings, Darwish has proven to be one of the most influential and brilliant poets of his time. From his birth in the village of P El Birweh, later destroyed by Israeli forces in 1948, to his political activism within the Israeli Commu- nist Party, to his decision to join the Palestinian revolution in Beirut and then Tunis, before returning to O Palestine, his life was intimately associated with the Palestinian struggle. Darwish contributed to Yasser Arafat’s historic 1974 speech at the UN General Assembly, the first by a Palestinian leader at the UN, and E drafted the 1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of the PLO Executive Committee. But while Dar- T wish’s writings are deeply rooted in a belonging to his land and the unique spiritual significance and tragedies it has witnessed, he was R also conscious of and committed to the universal character of art and its need to be confined by nothing. His poetry has been translated Y into 30 languages and he was the recipient of several international awards – including Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (France), the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom, the Golden Wreath (FYROM), the Lotus Prize for African and Asian literature, the Prince Claus Award (Netherlands) and the Ibn Sina Prize. He served as the editor-in-chief and founder of the literary review Al-Karmel, published out of the Sakakini Centre. In Paris a street was named after him. “A person can only be born in one place. However, he may die several times elsewhere: in the exiles and prisons, and in a homeland transformed by the occupation and oppression into a nightmare. Poetry is perhaps what teaches us to nurture the charming illusion: how to be reborn out of ourselves over and over again, and use words to construct a better world, a fictitious world that enables us to sign a pact for a permanent and comprehensive peace with life. Mahmoud Darwich, Prince Claus Award acceptance speech 5 Ghassan Zaqtan, poet (1954) Zaqtan was awarded the Griffin Poetry Prize together with the Palestinian poet-trans- lator Fady Joudah for his collection Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me. As the jury stated, “His poetry awakens the spirits buried deep in the garden, in our hearts, in the past, present and future. His singing reminds us why we live and how, in the midst of war, despair, global changes. His magic leads us to the clearing where hope becomes possible, where healing begins across individuals, countries, races… and we are one with air, water, soil, birds, fish, trees… our daily words pregnant with beauty.” He is currently director of the literature and publishing department of the Palestinian Min- P istry for Culture, editor of the literary supplement of Al-Ayyam daily newspaper in Ramallah, and editor-in-chief of the poetry quarterly The Poets. He is regarded as one of the most significant, innovative of Palestinian and Arab poets writing today. O E T Naomi Shihab Nye, poet (1952) R Nye is the author of numerous books of poems, including You and Yours, which received Y the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award. She is the author of several children’s poetry and fic- tion books, including Habibi, for which she received the Jane Addams Children’s Book award. Fellow poet William Stafford said about her work, “Her poems combine transcen- dent liveliness and sparkle along with warmth and human insight. She is a champion of the literature of encouragement and heart. Reading her work enhances life.” Nye’s honors include the Carity Randall Prize and four Pushcart Prizes.