CIVIL SOCIETY & LOCAL AUTHORITIES > PALESTINE
Spreading colours over isolation Armed with brushes, paints and www.enpi-info.eu spades, their chosen battlefields are schools across the West Bank. A group of young Palestinian and European volunteers are travelling by bus to the region’s rural areas, renovating schools and bringing with them a message of solidarity to isolated communities. The trips are part of the European Union's ‘Yalla Shabab’ initiative, which includes several activities for youth in the West Bank and Gaza such as lectures on current affairs at local universities, volunteer days, a host of cultural activities and a reporting competition for young Palestinian journalists. Accompanying the volunteers on board a bus heading for the village of Uja, an EU Neighbourhood Info Centre journalist has this report. Text by: Elias Zananiri Pictures by: Ahmad Mesleh © EU
IRAMALLAH – The morning’s torrential rain was hardly the ideal wake up call, but the downpour stood in stark contrast to the upbeat mood among the 50 volunteers looking for cover at the pick up point in Ramallah. Their destination: a one-day voluntary work in the village of Uja, in the Jordan Valley. A few minutes after ten o’clock, the bus hits the road down towards Jericho. Along the route, the rain gave way and the closer the bus gets to its destination, the warmer the sun. By the time the bus stops outside the Jeel Al Jadid Kindergarten, it is already warm enough to ensure the volunteers end the day with the slightest of tans. The brigade of young people gathers inside the Kindergarten hall, as Ibrahim Abu Alfa, deputy mayor of Al Uja extends a warm welcome to the eager-looking volunteers. This publication does “ We, the Palestinians suffer at large from the occupation by Israel. But here we have harsher conditions as not represent the Jewish settlements grow larger around us, and the desert is eating up official view of the EC our fields,” he says. or the EU institutions. “I thank you very much for the work you have come here to do.” EU Neighbourhood Info Centre The volunteers receive some last-minute instructions from a group of The EC accepts no Feature no. 94 painting professionals, before donning blue t-shirts and baseball caps responsibility or emblazoned with the EU emblem, and get cracking. There is a deadThis is a series of features on projects liability whatsoever line to be met: the work must be completed before dark. funded by the EU, prepared by with regard to its journalists and photographers on the A leading role for young people content. ground or the EU Neighbourhood The “Yalla Shabab” initiative, is part of an outreach campaign proInfo Centre. moted by the European Union, in coordination with the Young Entrepreneurs Palestine (YEP) with the idea of promoting European Union © 2013 EU/Neighbourhood Info Centre values like solidarity and voluntary work. The exciting initiative, which
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n Palestinian and international volunteers gathering at Al Auja Village to paint the Al Aujia youth Club
started in March and will run until June, is planned, organized and implemented by young people and will provide the perfect opportunity for local and international youth to combine their efforts in voluntary activities within Palestine. This event in Uja is just one of the days where young volunteers visit rural districts and villages across the West Bank to show a spirit of solidarity with the isolated communities as they renovate schools and kindergartens. Other activities include the organisation of political seminars at Palestinian universities and information days about studying in EU countries, while a reporting competition was launched at the beginning of April, targeting media students and recent graduates who will compete for the best written article and best short documentary about water in Palestine. ‘Yalla Shabab’: a day’s work to last for years Meanwhile, the volunteers split into different groups, each taking care of separate business. While some paint the exterior and draw pictures on them, others clean up the main hall and paint its walls. A third group digs holes along the path that separates the playground from the street, filling them with small trees expected to provide added cover for a fence which protects the children playing inside. The volunteers waste no time, completing their tasks under the gratified eyes of Mahmoud, a local man his early 70s. Sitting under the shade of a big tree and watching the volunteers with spades in hand and sweating under the midday sun, he says: “I wonder if these young people will one day come back to visit Al Uja with their children. I won’t be around, but I can imagine them saying something like “…. You see these beautiful trees? It took us no more than one day of work, many years ago. But here they are, standing up, straight and beautiful, today, tomorrow and forever.” Mahmoud is so proud, he sounds like he was the one planting the trees. The volunteers share his views. They understand that what they are collectively doing in one day, can last for many years to come. “I’m so happy to spend some of my free time doing something useful, not to me personally but for society at large,” says Aya Haridi, a young volunteer in her early 20s. “Joint efforts essential to build societies” For Fatima, seeing European support in action is particularly encouraging. “This EU engagement is a sign that partnership between nations knows no boundaries,” she says. Journalist Ruba Mehdawi agrees that the whole issue is about partnership. “This kind of activity sends out an important message on how joint efforts are essential to build societies. We are not only talking about a marginal work of rehabilitation or refurbishment, but here we are engraving in people’s hearts and minds how collective partnership can remove obstacles in daily life,” she says. For a foreign volunteer who has been working with the Palestinians for more than a year, there are signs of real progress: “Things are moving and we all learn from previous missions,” says one of the volunteers coming from Lithuania. Shadi Zama’reh, of ‘Journalists Without Borders’, who is a well-known activist in the Palestinian youth community, agrees: “Out of this voluntary work, lessons will be learned and conclusions will be drawn, with the hope that this programme becomes a long-term plan to benefit larger segments of the Palestinian society” he says. Zama’reh has joined the volunteers as a coordinator and is beaming with pride at
“I’m so happy to spend some of my free time doing something useful, not to me personally but for society at large”
“We are not professional painters or labourers, but the impact of what we do will sure last much longer than the work itself took us”
n The volunteers split into different groups, each taking care of separate business
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“This kind of activity sends out an important message on how joint efforts are essential to build societies. We are not only talking about a marginal work of rehabilitation or refurbishment, but here we are engraving in people’s hearts and minds how collective partnership can remove obstacles in daily life”
what has been accomplished. By three o’clock in the afternoon, everything is done. At first glance, it seems difficult to remember how this place looked earlier in the day. Lunch is served as volunteers wander around, looking proud of their day’s work as they tuck into a plate of traditional Maqlouba, rice mixed with eggplant and cauliflower. As their work comes to a close, Aya Haridi sums up the feeling among the volunteers. “I’m sure that Al Uja people will n A third group digs holes along the path that separates the playground from always remember how those the street, filling them with small trees strange and unknown faces showed up from nowhere to refurbish the kindergarten. We are not professional painters or labourers, but the impact of what we do will sure last much longer than the work itself took us,” she concludes.
“Yalla Shabab" European and Palestinian volunteers spreading colours in Palestine The “Yalla Shabab” initiative is part of an outreach campaign promoted by the European Union, in coordination with the Young Entrepreneurs Palestine (YEP) with the idea of promoting European Union values like solidarity and voluntary work. The initiative started in March and will run until June 2013. It is planned, organized and implemented by young people and it provides the opportunity for local and international youth to combine their efforts in voluntary activities within Palestine. Young volunteers do visit rural districts and villages across the West Bank to show a spirit of solidarity with the isolated communities as they renovate schools and kindergartens. Other activities include the organisation of political seminars at Palestinian universities, information days about studying in EU countries and a reporting competition targeting media students and recent graduates. To find out more Project webpage https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=350037988430593&set=a.328844070549985.60202.280141015420291&type=1&theater EU Assistance to the Palestinians http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/westbank/index_en.htm EU Neighbourhood Info Centre thematic page: YOUTH http://www.enpi-info.eu/thememed.php?subject=13
EU Neighbourhood Info Centre An ENPI project The EU Neighbourhood Info Centre is an EU-funded Regional Information and Communication project highlighting the partnership between the EU and Neighbouring countries. The project is managed by Action Global Communications.
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