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Yehia Idrees, a member of
the Palestinian Conflict Transformation Resource Group and a participant
in his training
RTC’s
Middle East Programme:
Since 2004 RTC has been working
closely with organisations in Israel and Palestine building their
capacity for effective, strategic and coherent work for positive change
within their own communities. Strategy Groups were formed in both
countries and the members work together supporting each other and
finding ways of taking account of conflict and other issues in their
organisations and programmes.
Phase one of the programme has
built the capacity of local organisations in the field of conflict
transformation, and created two strategy groups in Israel and
Palestine. Phase 2 will focus on the sustainability of those strategy
groups and enable them to integrate a conflict perspective into their
programmes. In Gaza Strategy Group members have trained 60 teachers in
conflict resolution and have been leading initiatives of mediation and
dialogue between Hamas and Fatah leaders and their supporters which has
resulted in the resolution of conflicts in the health sector.
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Our Man in Gaza
In May, Paul Clifford, an
RTC Associate, travelled to the Gaza Strip. He was there to work
with our Palestinian Strategy Group members and support them in
integrating conflict issues into their programmes. The current
situation in Gaza made it difficult and unpredictable - but what
struck him the most was the strength and determination of the people
he met to continue their work, even in the midst of growing fear and
uncertainty. Below is Paul’s account of his experience written
shortly after returning to the UK:
This was my first visit to
Gaza so I can’t compare how it is now to how it used to be. However,
everyone told me that this is the worst it’s ever been. The first
things that struck me, emerging from the Erez checkpoint, were the
warmth of the welcome I received from people and the desolation of
the landscape, where, apparently, once olive trees flourished and a
thriving factory was operating. Daily life for ordinary Gazans is
very difficult. Gaza has been cut off from the outside world since
June 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza and Israel sealed the
borders. This makes it hard for anything to operate properly and
this includes the work of the RTC Palestinian Strategy Group
members.
Very few Gazans are
permitted to leave – the image of a prison camp seems apt. There is
very little fuel so moving from one part of Gaza to another is
difficult, if not impossible. Shortage of fuel means high food
prices and twice when I was there the United Nations had to suspend
its humanitarian food aid operations because of a lack of fuel. So
far, no-one is dying of hunger, but, according to the Palestinian
Medical Relief Association', severe cases of malnutrition are on the
increase which is causing disease more commonly associated with poor
African countries. Daily lives are being consumed with survival –
people struggle to get their children to and from school and worry
about how to get food and clean water. Children and young people see
no hope in the future.
For me, being in Gaza was
like living in a bubble – I encountered no difficulties at all. No
problems with Immigration at Ben Gurion airport, in Tel Aviv, or at
the Erez crossing. There was no shortage of food or water at the
hotel. I felt no threat to my security – the exact opposite in fact
as I was made to feel so welcome.
I have tremendous admiration
for peoples’ courage and creativity in surviving under incredibly
difficult conditions. The most difficult thing for me was leaving,
knowing that the people I had been working with did not enjoy that
same basic human right of freedom of movement.
Two workshops went ahead
during my visit, out of a planned seven. The shortage of fuel meant
that the programme we had planned was no longer possible. To make
the most of being there I ran a series of workshops for journalists,
international NGOs and academics on the concept of Conflict
Transformation.
I also met with a
Palestinian, who has set up his own NGO to try and create dialogue
between Fatah and Hamas in Gaza. This internal conflict was much on
peoples’ minds. As someone said to me, ‘the Israelis kill too many
of us, the last thing we should be doing is killing each other’.
The situation goes around
and around; some militant groups still fire ‘rockets’ at Israeli
towns and Israel continues its incursions into and blockade of the
Gaza Strip. The shortage of fuel means that it will be very
difficult for the Strategy Group to carry out the planned programme
and so changes will be needed. It is difficult to see the situation
improving in the near future. The fact that staff and associates
from RTC continue to visit Gaza is really appreciated by RTC’s
partners in Gaza and it is important that these visits continue, at
least until Gazans themselves can travel again.
Paul Clifford
May 2008
For further information about the Middle East programme,
please contact Michael Eccles
michael@respond.org
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