This Week In Palestine September 2016 by monjed abusharar

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alestine September 2016

Caring for and Working with People with Disabilities

In this issue

Caring for and Working with People with Disabilities 4 A Path of Transformation 8 Moving Forward with Differently Challenged People in Palestine 12 WHO Promotes Disability Rights for Palestinians 18 Integrating and Empowering Children with Disabilities and Their Families 22 Deeds Rather Than Words 26 Disability and Explosive Remnants of War in Gaza 32 Inclusion of People with Disability into the Labor Force 40 Violations against People with Disabilities Continue 44 Women With Disabilities: Between Norms and Rights 50 A Case for Inclusive Education – A Mother’s Voice 56 The Right to Employment for Persons with Disabilities 62 Towards Better Mental Health Services in Palestine 70 Challenges in Accessing Services in Area C 76 In the Limelight 80 Reviews 82 Events 84-92 Listings 93-97 Maps 98 The Last Word

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alestine September 2016

Many thanks go to the Palestinian Consultative Staff for Developing NGOs, Jenin (PCS), for their financial support of this issue. The PCS offers economic empowerment to persons with disabilities and monitors violations of existing laws that compel employers to hire competent persons with disabilities to fill a quota of 5 percent among their staff. Our gratitude for financial support goes also to the World Health Organization, the Princess Basma Centre, and Bank of Palestine. Read about their endeavors to improve the equity towards and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Palestine, be it through rehabilitation, vocational training, or employment. Our authors (Thanks to all of them!) share about rehabilitative measures and inclusive education, vocational training and our obligation to provide employment, the empowerment of women with disabilities and the care of persons with emotional impairment. The International Labor Organization focuses on better implementation of the legal provisions that are currently in place. Handicap International points out the danger that persons with and without disabilities are facing in mine-infested Gaza and deplores the lack of access to adequate facilities, services, and infrastructure in Area C of the West Bank. Do not miss the personal stories by Kathy Baroody and Joyce Ajlouny.

Caring for and Working with People with Disabilities

Cover: “Team Spirit during a day trip to Jericho organized by the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation in Beit Jala, BASR. Photo courtesy of BASR.”

Telefax: +970/2 2-295 1262 info@turbo-design.com www.thisweekinpalestine.com www.facebook.com/ ThisWeekInPalestine Publisher: Sani P. Meo Art Director: Taisir Masrieh Graphic Designers: Shehadeh Louis, Hassan Nasser Editor: Tina Basem TWIP Coordinator: Yara Alloush

The views presented in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Maps herein have been prepared solely for the convenience of the reader; the designations and presentation of material do not imply any expression of opinion of This Week in Palestine, its publisher, editor, or its advisory board as to the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or the authorities thereof, or as to the delimitation of boundaries or national affiliation.

Persons with disabilities form a diverse segment of Palestinian society that is making important contributions in a wide range of fields – despite numerous challenges in addition to, and in some cases exacerbated by, the difficulties posed by the political situation. This issue gives you a glimpse into their lives. It focuses both on trials and achievements and shows the efforts undertaken with the aim to create the circumstances necessary for allowing their full participation in society. We need the contribution of their diverse skills and frequently extraordinary strength and wisdom. Much has been done in recent years, more measures are planned, and even more needs to be accomplished.

Printed by: Studio Alpha, Al-Ram, Jerusalem Maps: Courtesy of PalMap - GSE Distribution in the West Bank: CityExpress

We have two inspiring personalities of the month who are working tirelessly to improve the lives of their peers; our artist of the month is a young person with disability from Gaza, and our book of the month is the autobiography of a visually impaired professor of English literature – all further illustrations of the fact that persons with disabilities make considerable contributions to our society and culture. The untapped potential is vast, a situation that is unacceptable also from an economic point of view. Where to Go leads you to the small town where one of Palestine’s major festivals will take place this month. Our rich events section lists many cultural and artistic activities for your enjoyment. All of us at TWiP wish you a good and peaceful month and a happy Eid al-Adha to those who are celebrating.

Warmly, Tina Basem Editor

Forthcoming Issues October 2016: Tapping into Palestine’s Diaspora November 2016: High Tech in Palestine December 2016: Religious Celebrations in Palestine

Advisory Board

Riyam Kafri-AbuLaban

Nasser Al-Kidwa

Mazen Karam

Chairman of Board of Directors, Yasser Arafat Foundation

Managing Director, Bethlehem Development Foundation

Naseer Rahmi Arafat

Bassim Khoury

Cultural Heritage Enrichment Center

CEO, Pharmacare LTD

Ola Awad

Abeer Odeh

President of PCBS / President of IAOS

Minister of National Economy

Principal of the Friends Boys School

A Path of Transformation By Kathy Baroody

ransformation, you say? But the theme for this month is Caring for and Working with People with Disabilities. What does that have to do with transformation? Everything, believe it or not. Let me explain. For the past 31 years, I have shared my life with people whose way of processing the world around them differs markedly from the way many of us process reality. Their analytic and rational skills have developed differently than those of the majority of people. The people I share my life with aren’t the ones I met at university or in the “professional” world. They’re not the ones whose books I read or whose philosophical ideas I studied. The people I share my life with are the ones who have revealed to me what it means to be authentically human. These people – my friends – are often categorized as people with intellectual (mental) disabilities. They have touched me profoundly and, yes, they have transformed me.

with intellectual disabilities, I was both afraid and determined to help. Afraid because I had had very little experience with people with any kind of disability and wasn’t sure whether I would be able to communicate with them or even know how to simply be with them; determined to help because I felt sorry for them and figured that I was in a position (strong, educated, with access to resources, etc.) to help these “poor ones.” What I discovered, though, in spite of my fear and my determination, was that I was somehow the “poor one” and that I was being invited into friendship, into relationships of mutuality with people who were often considered to be incapable of relationships. Each (disabled) person I met seemed to be asking the same question: Will you be my friend? I was confused. Wait a minute! I was there to help them; I was there to teach them skills; I was there to show them how to behave “correctly.” And yet, there they were, not necessarily rejecting my offer to help, but letting me know that they were also there to help me. I had entered their lives filled with a spirit of generosity (certainly not a bad thing, in itself) and a desire to help (also not bad, though it is often a one-way affair – the strong one comes to help the weak), and I discovered that these “weak ones” somehow pierced through my veneer of strength to reveal my own vulnerability. It wasn’t something that happened overnight. No, it happened slowly, gradually, as the ordinary tasks and events of day-to-day life formed us into a community of friends. Slowly I came to realize that the diversity among us paled in comparison to what we had in common, to what brought us together. Each of us has a vulnerable hear t, each of us simply wants to be recognized as a person of value, as someone capable of entering into meaningful friendships, as a person who

Ayat and Amira know that playing together is one of the best ways to nourish friendship. Photo by Elodie Perriot.

All those years ago, when I was first introduced to the world of people 4

is unique and whose presence adds richness to the lives of others.

excellent initiatives and necessary. And the push towards greater autonomy and independence for people with disabilities – excellent and necessary as well. The focus on individual rights and independence plays a vital role in protecting persons with disabilities from abuse and injustice, and can lead to significant positive changes in society. There is no question that we need to continue along this path.

The past few decades have seen tremendous progress with respect to the protection of human rights in general and specifically the rights of people with disabilities. The groundbreaking Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1948, detailed for the first time ever the basic human rights that must be protected for every human being. Its comprehensiveness is astounding, really, and constitutes a milestone for humanity.* And, of course, the Convention on the Rights of Persons

And yet, is this enough? Perhaps one of the most basic of human rights – one that is not explicitly articulated in any official document – is

Rania and Sana sharing stories and secrets. Photo by Elodie Perriot.

with Disabilities that was adopted in 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, signals a huge shift in the way societies view people with disabilities: the person with a disability is the key decision-maker with respect to life choices.**

the right to friendship, the right to enter into relationships of mutuality where each person’s unique gifts are revealed and shared with others. A friend of mine, I’ll call him Khaled (not his real name), had lived most of his life in an institution for people with disabilities. In addition to his mental disability, he wasn’t able to walk, he needed help to eat and to do the tasks of everyday life that most of us take for granted. His health had deteriorated over a period of a few years, and one day he became seriously ill and was taken to hospital. A small group of his friends arranged our lives and work routines so

The world in general is much more aware of the history of injustice towards and even abuse of people with disabilities, and much is being done to rectify this: improvement in service provision, the availability of professional resources, training and formation programs for people working with this population – all 6

Kathy Baroody is a member of L’Arche, an international federation of more than 145 communities worldwide, founded by Canadian Jean Vanier, where people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together in the context of home, work, and/or recreational activities. She is part of Ma’an lilHayat (L’Arche Bethlehem) and can be reached at kbaroody@gmail.com. For more information, visit maanlilhayat.ps.

that at least one of us could be with Khaled at the hospital, 24 hours a day. Khaled was in a room with five other patients. All of them seriously ill. At first, the other patients and visitors, and even the hospital staff looked at Khaled with pity, seeing not only that he was ill but also that he had lived the entire 55 years of his life with severe intellectual and physical disabilities. For them, Khaled was a sad “case.” What they weren’t able to see at first was Khaled’s gift for creating a community of friends around him. Khaled’s interaction with his friends who came to visit revealed his joyful disposition and extraordinary capacity for friendship. Within a very short time, Khaled had entered the hearts of everyone in his room and they had all become an integral part of his world as he asked about and was genuinely interested in their families and their work and their hobbies.

http://www.un.org/en/universal-declarationhuman-rights/ https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/ convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-withdisabilities.html

One of Khaled’s friends plays the ‘oud. Khaled asked him to bring it to the hospital when he came to visit. Through Khaled’s bold initiative and his friend’s cooperation, the hospital room was transformed into a warm and welcoming “family” space, as everyone there joined in listening to or singing the traditional Palestinian songs that are so familiar to all. This “sad case” had been the catalyst for creating genuine joy in a space that is usually reserved for hushed murmuring and pity. As long as Khaled was a patient in that room, the atmosphere radiated warmth, hospitality, and hope.

Together on the journey of friendship: Haytham and Yousef. Photo by Elodie Perriot.

What makes us human? Is it our intellect? Is it our physical or mental capacity? Is it our ability to “live alone” and do whatever we want? Or is it something altogether different, at the level of the heart? My friends have opened my eyes to a new way of understanding what it means to be human: our capacity to love and be loved, to relate to each other as friends, to welcome our interdependence, to accept our limits and to encourage each other to discover and develop our gifts. Ultimately, our humanity is rooted in our ability to reveal the truth to the other: You are precious, you are of infinite value, you bring joy to our lives.

“Don’t stir too much!” Amal and Sana show their culinary expertise. Photo courtesy of Ma’an lilHayat/L’Arche Bethlehem.

Moving Forward

with Differently Challenged People in Palestine Courtesy of Palestinian Consultative Staff

him with the basic necessities of a decent life. Omar suffers from a hearing impairment, and he has three brothers who have the same disability. After receiving financial aid from PCS, he has turned to farming. Like many other physically challenged people, Omarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life has changed thanks to PCS support. Omar speaks of two main stages in his life. One relates to his life before the realization of the project when he met with tremendous social and economic difficulties, and the other concerns his life after the implementation of the project. Economic empowerment has contributed to opening new horizons for Omar. He married, built a house, and formed a family. He now lives happily with his small family on his farm. As part of its economic empowerment program launched in 2010, the PCS has provided over 85 financial grants to finance small projects in cities and rural areas targeting young male

http://pcs-palestine.org/

and female Palestinians with various physical handicaps. However, the economic empowerment program is only a small portion of many other programs that PCS organizes in support of the rights of differently Omar Odeh from the Eastern Plain near Jenin is running a vegetable farm to provide for his family. Photo courtesy of PCS.

isabled people in Palestine have placed their feet on yet another rung of the ladder that leads to ultimate attainment of economic, social, and psychological independence, development, and wellbeing. This has happened through Palestinian Consultative Staff (PCS) funding for projects, programs, and development activities, with assistance from various local and international organizations, targeting marginalized people and people with special needs. The projects developed by PCS aim to provide honest employment for disabled persons thus enabling them first to earn a living for themselves and their families, and second, to make a tangible contribution to the society as a whole. The PCS mission is to support and enhance the role of NGOs operating in Palestine, especially in Jenin. Omar Odeh, from the eastern plain in Jenin, walks among the tomato beds in the greenhouses, holding his little daughter and looking with pride and admiration at the tomatoes. Now Omar owns an agricultural project that provides 8

challenged persons. A program of note at the PCS pertains to monitoring and documenting violations committed against persons with special needs. The program operates in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and is the only such program in Palestine and the Arab region. The Unit for Monitoring and Documenting Violations against Handicapped Persons at the PCS comprises three field researchers and legal consultants who receive complaints about violations and follow them up with the relevant ministries. The unit has proven to be instrumental in ensuring that physically handicapped persons have their rights guaranteed pursuant to the Palestinian Disability Law No. 4 (1999) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The unit’s legal consultant, Salah Mousa, explains, “During the past three years the unit has received more than 600 complaints and has achieved a major breakthrough in the manner in which government institutions deal with the cases of handicapped persons.” According to Samer Zayoud, a young Palestinian with physical disability, the PCS unit responsible for monitoring and documenting violations against persons with special needs is very efficient and plays a key role in safeguarding the social and economic rights of physically handicapped persons. He notes, “As a result of efforts made by the unit, I was able to get a job as an engineering supervisor at the Ministry of Public Works.”

of Local Government to launch a paper calling for the integration of people with physical disabilities into the ministry’s policy due to the role and effect the local government sector and municipalities have on people’s lives. In fact, persons with physical disabilities have been employed in various institutions of 16 municipalities. The PCS also targets children and has therefore supported the rehabilitation and development of 40 kindergartens in the northern districts of Palestine to accommodate children with physical disabilities. Kindergar ten facilities and curricula have been revised and upgraded, and teachers were trained in order to meet the needs of handicapped children. Public awareness campaigns have been organized through lobbying, advocacy, and the media to canvass support for the cases of the physically handicapped. In par tnership with the General Palestinian Union for the Handicapped and Social Rehabilitation Programs, the PCS has contributed to reaching out to the largest segment of handicapped persons in cities, villages, and refugee camps. The assistance and support given over the past few years by the European Union, Diakonia, the French Consulate, the German Representative Office, the ILO, and DROSSOS Foundation have helped PCS implement its programs, ensure its sustainability, and reach out to the largest segment of Palestinian society.

The PCS believes that the question of physical disabilities has to be institutionalized and become part and parcel of the policies of the various ministries and institutions. In this respect, PCS has worked in close partnership with the ILO to integrate people with physical disabilities into the policies of the Palestinian Ministry of Labor, which also involved the review and amendment of the Palestinian Labor Law, its regulations and employment policy. Furthermore, the PCS cooperated with the Ministry

Project of Enhancing and Protecting the Rights of people with disabilities in Palestinian Territories Funded by the European Union.

The views represented in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

WHO Promotes Disability Rights for Palestinians Courtesy of

he social barriers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; discrimination â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that persons with disability face daily affect their quality of life often more than the impairment itself. An inclusive attitude from others, as well as physical aids, such as elevators and ramps, hearing and vision assistance, are necessary for persons with disability to have equal access to facilities, information, and opportunities. Anyone can become disabled: before or during birth, through disease, accidents, or simply as a result of aging. Palestinians with disabilities face many barriers in exercising their rights, including physical, legal, institutional, and informational barriers. The Palestinian Authority (PA) demonstrated its commitment to addressing disability issues and reducing barriers experienced by persons with disabilities (PWD) by becoming the 144th State Party to ratify the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) on April 2, 2014. This United Nations convention obliges states to promote, protect, and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all PWD and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. About 300,000 Palestinians, or 7 percent of the population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, are living with a disability, according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS). The last national survey, published in 2011, provided an incomplete but alarming snapshot of discrimination, highlighting both social and physical barriers: 87.3 percent of all persons with disability were unemployed; 8.7 percent aged 18 years and above avoid engaging in any activities because of poor public attitudes; 76.4 percent 12

aged 18 years and above do not use public transportation due to the lack of infrastructure adaptations, and 22.2 percent of disabled individuals were forced to drop out of school because they had no means to physically access the school.*

responsibility to do their best to make life easier for PWD. Individuals and organizations need to be proactive in including PWD in educational facilities, the job market, and social activities, and should ensure that services can be accessed by those with a visual, hearing, mobility, or mental disability. PWD are a highly vulnerable group, especially in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), and strengthening their role in the community will achieve a healthier equal environment for everyone.

Several development NGOs and human rights organizations link the deterioration of the rights of PWD in Palestine to overall violations against Palestinian rights by Israel, the economic crisis, and weak legal frameworks. The Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) acknowledges discrimination against PWD within Palestinian society and their lack of access to public facilities: governmental facilities contribute to fur ther marginalization of PWD, affecting and limiting their equal access to health care, education, and employment opportunities. Although many people with disability become accustomed to the frustrations of inaccessibility, governments and societies still have a

To alleviate the situation of PWD in Palestine, the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with five other UN agencies launched a program in 2013 that aimed to raise awareness and respect for disability rights in the education, health, employment, and social sectors in the oPt and to mainstream disability rights in governmental and UN agencies. The UN-CRPD specifies that a strong international cooperation system in suppor t of national effor ts needs to be put in place in order to move the disability-rights agenda forward. The program created a partnership between government ministries, UN agencies, international donors, disabled persons organizations (DPOs), and other key stakeholders. UNSCO supervised the overall coordination, and each agency managed and reported on their activities, working closely with ministries and other par tner organizations.

Many persons with disabilities in Palestine do not receive the disabilityrelated services that they require and thus experience exclusion from everyday-life activities.

and to introduce more transparent criteria that target priority needs, including those of girls and women. UN organizations participating in these efforts used a checklist to examine eight areas for mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities: policy level, human resources management, planning, monitoring and evaluation, programmi n g level, advocacy, accessibility, and capacity building. It is hoped that this checklist will help UN agencies monitor their progress toward commitment to disability rights.

of Functioning (ICF) as a basis for building a comprehensive electronic database for PWD in Gaza, displaced persons organizations, and the services provided by both the governmental and nongovernmental sectors. This e-system was needed to provide accurate data on the situation of PWD. MoSA is now evaluating the system, while the Ministry of Health is updating

Mohannad Al-Shafiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;i, an employee at Ramallah Municipality, uses the stairway lift in the municipality facility the day it received the access award for people with disability.

After the program workshop in Gaza, the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA) adopted the International Classification WHO promotes the integration of people with disabilities in society. Photo courtesy of WHO / Rula Halawani.

Within the joint UN project, WHO focused on government policy and, in 2015, conducted two introductory disability-mainstreaming workshops for 40 relevant government officials from several ministries and UN staff that led to a review of the legislation, policies, and practices within the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and Ministry of Social Affairs, focusing on the needs and legal rights of people with disabilities in the oPt. The goal was to raise awareness

among staff concerning the CRPD, to reflect rights in all policies, programs, and practices, and to encourage compliance. These workshops assisted par tner ministries in understanding disability as a multifactorial and comprehensive issue, emphasizing that disability is a complex social problem beyond health. As a first step, the workshops led to a detailed evaluation of the disability assessment mechanism used in Palestine for eligibility for government services. Subsequently, many government institutions, including the Ministry of Health, adopted new active approaches in order to improve recruitment policies and human resources management for people with disability, with the aim to achieve their right of access to relevant vacancies. For example, job eligibility criteria in the Ministry of Health were amended to be more inclusive and provide access to technically qualified PWD.

In 2014 and 2015, WHO promoted the introduction of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which reflects the interaction between features of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body and characteristics of the society in which the person lives, to partner ministries and UN agencies in the West Bank and Gaza.

Following the West Bank workshop, there was a strong interest in upgrading the narrow disability assessment system in Palestine in order to make it more comprehensive and coherent with respect to the various sectors involved 14

agencies and national plans. Additional work needs to be done, however, to ensure a more comprehensive inclusion of persons with disabilities into development plans and future strategic frameworks. To this end, the joint UN group hopes to embark on a new phase in the coming years that will aim to promote and advocate full disability mainstreaming amongst all development partners, donors, and the UN, while at the same time following up and continuing the ongoing work with government and UN agencies. Remaining gaps need to be identified and addressed, more assessment needs to be carried out, and follow-up must continue to include advocacy for the mainstreaming of disability in all aspects of life and society.

all medical forms to comply with the ICF and integrating them with the e-system. Completing the process of mainstreaming disability in governmental plans, policies, legislations, and development programs will require a lot of persistence and hard work amongst key stakeholders and policy makers. The joint work that was started by WHO and partner UN agencies and that targeted mainly government agencies and UN agencies constitutes the first milestone towards the inclusion of PWD in governmental

The WHO office in the occupied Palestinian territory is the principal technical adviser to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, providing advice and support to strengthen health ser vices, address public health issues, and promote research for health. WHO is also the UN lead agency of the humanitarian Health and Nutrition Cluster, coordinating in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health the assistance provided by international and local partners to the health sector. WHO employs approximately 45 staff at its offices in the West Bank and Gaza, including international and local professionals with expertise in medicine, public health, nursing, and other specializations. As the lead health agency, WHO works with many partners, including UN agencies, donors, nongovernmental organizations, universities, and the private sector to support the Palestinian Authority to reach its national healthdevelopment goals and to ensure the effective coordination efforts of these organizations. Article photos courtesy of WHO.

Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (2011), Survey of Persons with Disabilities, Ramallah, Palestine.

WHO experts Ola Abu Alghaib and Pascal Granier have conducted many mainstreaming training workshops.

Integrating and Empowering Children with Disabilities and Their Families Courtesy of the Princess Basma Center

he Princess Basma Center (PBC), established in 1965, works to integrate and empower children with disabilities and their families in their communities through a number of interventions that include physical rehabilitation, inclusive education, and the development and dissemination of best practices. The center also strives to influence policy and legislation. The PBC is one of four major national rehabilitation centers in Palestine and the main national referral for children by the Palestinian Ministry of Health for physical medicine and rehabilitation services. The PBC is a member of the East Jerusalem Hospitals Network (EJHN) and the first rehabilitation center in Palestine to receive accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI) for quality health services. The center runs four main operations: the Child Rehabilitation Center, the Physiotherapy Clinic for adults, the Inclusive School, and the Vocational Training Workshop.

inpatient and outpatient services administered through the following units and programs: A highly specialized Autism Unit provides treatment for children with autism, and in 2015, 60 children received treatment at its facilities. The Outreach Program, implemented in various locations throughout the West Bank, helps expand the capacities of partner organizations and builds day care centers to provide treatment for children with disabilities. The Mother Empowerment Program forms a par t of the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rehabilitation program and provides specialized suppor t and education to mothers. In 2015, 365 mothers participated in the program. Clinical Training for University Students is offered to university students in partnership with national Palestinian universities. On average, 60 students per year receive training at the center. Adult Physiotherapy Clinic The Princess Basma Center provides physiotherapy services for adult patients from Jerusalem who come for physiotherapy and hydrotherapy treatment. In 2015 the clinic treated 922 patients. The Princess Basma Inclusive School The Inclusive School is based in Jerusalem and serves the geographic area of Jerusalem. In September 2016, the school will start its academic year with 490 students, 32 percent of whom are children with disabilities and learning difficulties. The school is a model for inclusive education from kindergarten to 12th grade; children with disabilities study side by side with children without disabilities. In parallel to their education, children with disabilities benefit from a comprehensive rehabilitation package provided by the Child Rehabilitation Center. Vocational Training Workshop The Princess Basma Center is home to a small handicrafts workshop â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Sheltered Workshop â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where adults with disabilities are trained and work within a safe environment. The Sheltered Workshop cur rently trains 24 persons.

Child Rehabilitation Center The Child Rehabilitation Center treats various kinds of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, neuromuscular diseases, pediatric limb deficiencies, congenital malformations, post musculoskeletal traumas, autism, and ADHD. Children are provided with one or a combination of the following therapies: physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, sensory therapy, music therapy, recreational therapy, and psychosocial support. In 2015, the center treated 800 children from all over the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem through its 18

Therapy session at the pediatric physiotherapy unit. Photo courtesy of PBC.

Yousef is receiving physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy and, as pictured here, speech and communication therapy. Photo courtesy of PBC.

Where There Is a Will, There Is a Way

substantial improvement in auditory, visual, and tactile perception; using a walker, he walks indoors with very good control and balance, expresses himself, smiles, and uses facial expressions. Now age three, Yousef will continue to receive therapy in order to gain a level of independence that will help improve his quality of life.

Yousef was born with cerebral palsy that was diagnosed late and not considered treatable by the doctor of his village. The perseverance of his mother Futoun, however, paid off when her long search for treatment led her to the PBC. After a year and a half of receiving therapy, Yousef has shown

An inclusive education classroom at PBC Inclusive School. Photo courtesy of PBC.

For more information, please visit www.basma-centre.org, contact us at info@basma-centre.org, or stop by our center on the Mount of Olives, Rabiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ah Al â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Adaweyeh Rd., # 73, opposite Maqassed Hospital, Jerusalem. Students at PBC Inclusive School receiving therapy sessions. Photo courtesy of PBC.

Deeds Rather Than Words Bank of Palestine Engages with People with Disabilities Courtesy of Bank of Palestine

conscious decision not merely to abide by the law but to increase to 6 percent the quota of hiring staff with disabilities, in a step that reflects the amount of care and respect that we have for this segment of the population. Throughout our lives, we constantly look for role models who are an inspiration to others, whether locally or abroad, among the Palestinian diaspora and global figures. The world was and still is inspired by international figures who have overcome their physical disabilities and become a source of revelation for millions. Stephen Hawking, a renowned English scientist, is one whose prominence in the arena of theoretical physics ranks him as number one in this field globally. His secrets are first his determination, then his support system of family and friends, and, equally important, the professional support and respect he has received from foundations, institutions,

The first National Bank

and academic entities. Such a holistic support system is vital in order for people with disabilities to overcome their physical impediment and join active life in society. In Palestine, family support is available, personal determination is there, but what is missing is outright institutional support among the various spectrums of

s we wake up every morning and head to work, most of us do not come to experience the world of people with disabilities. Few of us deal with them on a daily basis, whether in our surrounding environment, our workspace, or other places. For most of us, daily interaction with people with disabilities happens in rare places and moments. Only when a person with a disability requests that we take action or when a special calendar date brings the cause of people with disabilities to our attention do we become touched emotionally and possibly engage in their cause for that day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but we fail to truly experience their world on a regular basis. At Bank of Palestine, we believe that the best place to interact with people with disabilities is the workplace: here, we meet on a daily basis with all people, including those with a disability. This experience is bound to be a human interaction that provides enrichment for both; it inspires the employee with a disability and humbles the employee without such impairment. While we salute the labor law that requires institutions to strive to ensure that 5 percent of their staff consists of people with disabilities, the bank has made a 22

Islam Hanafieh at work at the Compliance Department.

Images from the “I Want to Hear” campaign, implemented in partnership with the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which aims to buy 1,000 hearing aids for people with hearing impairments.

professional entities. This support from entities, corporations, or foundations should not be confined to financial aid in terms of grants and donations; it has to be elevated strategically to provide accessibility to the workplace in “the physical sense,” in job-placement criteria, and most impor tantly, in ensuring proper inclusion of people with disabilities in the workforce with training and cross-training of their peers.

later showed him a Bank of Palestine newspaper announcement about employment opportunities specifically targeting people with disabilities. Islam was quick to complete the job application and exceled in all the bank’s tests, allowing him to have a new beginning for his career. Islam currently works in the Compliance Depar tment, supervising impor tant files and receiving strong suppor t from his supervisors who continue to admire his abilities and potential. “I am extremely happy to work at Bank of Palestine. I have many friends who work at local banks, but I am the happiest among them,” says Islam. He added, “I see that the bank is not only a banking and financial institution that serves its customers; in fact, it is a national institution that provides continuous contributions for the benefit of all Palestinian people. The bank has helped to shape the person I am today

Islam Hanafiyeh (24 years old), from Ramallah, is an Al-Quds Open University graduate with an intriguing story. Islam was an outstanding student and received first place among those who took the Ministry of Education and Higher Education’s employment tests in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate. Nevertheless, he was rejected due to his health conditions. He cannot stand or walk, and he is a wheelchair user. He was severely disappointed as a result of this rejection. His father 24

and has also empowered me in all areas, including social and personal aspects.”

in which teams of people with physical disabilities took part from various parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The bank introduced specialized training programs, especially in sign language, for its staff in order to facilitate communication with customers who have hearing impairments. In addition, community partnerships and social investment programs were forged, also geared towards programs that address disabilities. As part of the bank’s social responsibility, through which 6 percent of its annual profit is contributed to many sectors in the community, the bank launched the “I Want to Hear” campaign – in par tnership with the Palestine Red Crescent Society – which aims to buy 1,000 hearing aids for people with hearing impairments. The bank has also sponsored various sports activities for people with physical disabilities, including a basketball game

Despite our drive to assume responsibility and ensure real interaction with people with disabilities on a daily basis inside and outside the bank, we feel that we have underachieved and need to do more. Although no one entity can create the full change, every initiative and action of every entity matters. We stand ready to augment our current programs, increase the hiring and training efforts, and sustain this as not a mere practice but as an integral part of the value system at all levels of bank management. In a few years, we should not write an article to this effect, we should publish our metrics on impact achieved in working with and catering to people with disabilities and continue to drive these metrics upward year after year. 25

Disability and Explosive Remnants of War in Gaza By Alaa Khatib and Silvester Kasozi

he prolonged conflict in the Palestinian territories has gravely jeopardized the lives of the Palestinian people, especially the people living in the Gaza Strip, which has been affected by several subsequent conflicts, the most recent of which occurred in 2014. Thousands of people were injured or lost their lives during the aggression, and many more afterwards due to explosive remnants of war (ERW). It is estimated that 13.6 percent of the persons injured will suffer from permanent disabilities, according to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Healing the Wounds,â&#x20AC;? a report issued by Handicap International (HI) in 2015.i Another study found that 24 percent of the surveyed population in Gaza reported at least one indicator of disability (difficulty in hearing, seeing, speaking, moving, understanding, learning, managing emotions, taking care of self, interacting with others).ii Conflict situations make the already-complex conditions of persons with disabilities even worse. The research team of the Disability Representative Bodies Network (DRBN)iii reported in September 2014 that 2,204 persons with disabilities were forcefully displaced during the crisis, and 11 institutions that address the needs of persons with disabilities in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, either partially or completely, further curtailing access to much-needed specialized services. The rebuilding of these facilities remains incomplete, being hampered by difficulties in obtaining the required materials. Gaza, meanwhile, is also still highly contaminated by ERW, which will likely result in a significant increase in the prevalence of disability in Gaza due to exposure. 26

United Nations observers report that Gaza was hit by over 70,000 explosive ordnances during the 50 days of conflict between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza (Julyâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;August 2014). According to the United Nations Mine Action Services (UNMAS), it is estimated that at least 10 percent of these ordnances failed to explode, which means that from this particular conflict more than 7,000 ERW are estimated to have remained in the Gaza Strip. By January 2016, 30 percent of these had been removed, about 2,100 items, and since the beginning of 2016, an additional 3,368 items have been diffused. However, due to hampered reconstruction and rehabilitation effor ts, numerous suspected explosives remain concealed and/ or inaccessible throughout Gaza, either among the rubble of destroyed structures or buried below the surface in open areas. Furthermore, it is likely that many concealed ERW remain buried from previous conflicts, whereas the intermittent nature of hostilities not only frequently prevents assessment but likely also increases the numbers of unexploded devices, ensuring a proliferation of explosive ordnances that are unaccounted for

The January 2016 Gaza Situation Report of UNRWA notes that since the 2014 war, 16 people were killed and 90 wounded, including 38 children, several of whom were subject to permanent impairments and disability due to contact with unexploded remnants of war.

in contamination figures dating from 2014. Therefore, the exact number of ERW buried in open areas or hidden in the rubble remains elusive. They pose a direct threat to the population of Gaza, particularly to children who venture into unknown territory to play and to adults who need to work on contaminated agricultural land. Threats include, but are not limited to death, injury, and physical and sensorial disabilities.

Risk education for children on the streets of Gaza.

According to a report issued in 2011 by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, approximately 7 percent of Palestinians have disabilities. This means that an estimated 127,120 persons of the 1.8 million inhabitants in Gaza have disabilities. As persons with disabilities in Gaza are still largely looked upon from a charitable and medical perspective, public policies and programs continuously fail to address their issues adequately. Authorities tend to consider them recipients â&#x20AC;&#x201C; rather than participants

The fact that most people in Gaza now know what to do and what not to do when they find explosive remnants of war is testament to the successful contribution of risk education in saving lives and preventing injury and disability.

Risk education for persons with disabilities.

disability in Gaza. Clearance of ERW is spearheaded by UNMAS and consequent rubble removal by UNDP to facilitate reconstruction. Risk-education activities in Gaza, coordinated by UNMAS, are geared towards reduction of related risks and have been undertaken by several UN and international agencies such as Handicap International, Save the Children, Norwegian Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aid, International Committee of the Red Cross, and United Nations Relief and Works Agency. These effor ts have empowered hundreds of school teachers and thousands of children, students, and pupils as well as people living in contaminated areas, such as farmers, construction workers, fishermen, and scrap-metal collectors and sellers, to identify and safely respond to any suspicious devices

they encounter. These interventions are part of the larger global objective of protecting vulnerable populations. To ensure that all persons with and without disabilities benefit from risk education, the materials have been adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities because their exclusion would make them vulnerable to multiple disabilities, thus doubly vulnerable compared to their peers without disabilities. This has been made possible through recruitment of staff with special skills (e.g.: sign language) who make it possible to reach out to everyone, including persons with all forms of disabilities, including cognitive and sensory impairments. Sensitized and trained persons with disabilities then pass on their knowledge to their peers. Educational materials are developed

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in development processes and humanitarian responses, and consequently they are left out of decision-making processes, and their needs and related rights are frequently overlooked. Against the backdrop of increased risk due to ERW, interventions have been implemented by various agencies to prevent further injury and potential 28

On the whole, risk education has resulted in several individuals and families repor ting encounters with ERW, many of which were handed over to authorities for diffusion and clearance. These officers themselves are also at risk of injury through these very ordnances, and some of them have paid with their lives for the safety of their communities.iv Their efforts attempt to ensure as much as possible that the people of Gaza live in safety and resume their ability to be productive.

Af ter years of conflict in Gaza, the prevailing dangers posed by explosive remnants of war underline the need for humanitarian communities to commit to the prevention of disability and engage in ongoing efforts to raise awareness about safe behavior.

Alaa Khatib is a Palestinian who works as a project manager with H a ndi ca p I nt er nation al an d is responsible for the implementation of risk-education interventions. He is a business administration graduate who is passionate about working with vulnerable populations, in particular persons with disabilities.

in ways that meet their needs as well, such as by using friendly colors and combining audio and visual materials for those with both hearing and visual impairments.

Silvester Kasozi is the Gaza field coordinator for Handicap International and oversees the implementation of the organization’s overall program in the Gaza Strip. A Ugandan by nationality, he is a sociologist by training, a seasoned writer, and a socio-economic development enthusiast.

For persons who have been injured as a result of ERW, a referral mechanism is in place that seeks to ensure that they get much-needed assistance through organizations that provide multidisciplinary services such as medical, rehabilitation, psychosocial, and occupational therapy, among others, in order to ensure that injuries, insofar as possible, do not develop into permanent disabilities.

Article photos courtesy of Handicap International. i

See “Healing the Wounds,” Handicap International, 2015, available at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/ reliefweb.int/files/resources/Healing%20the%20 Wounds%20-%20Handicap%20International%20 -%20Gaza%20-%20March%202015.pdf.

See Bombs Under the Rubble: A Study of Awareness of Explosive Remnants of War Among the Population of Gaza, Handicap International, 2014, available at: http://www.handicap-international.fr/ system/files/documents/files/2015-hi-report-gaza. pdf.

iii

Disabilities Representative Bodies Network (DRBN) is an umbrella organization of Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) in Palestine. See Ruth Pollard, “Gaza team defuses live bombs and shells without protective suits,” The Sidney Morning Herald, August 8, 2014, available at: http:// www.smh.com.au/world/gaza-team-defuseslive-bombs-and-shells-without-protective-suits20140808-101qme.html#ixzz3AImENtfg.

Risk education for children with disabilities at Palestine Avenir Child Foundation.

Inclusion of People with Disability into the Labor Force By Mounir Kleibo

hat is disability? The ILO defines a disabled person as an individual whose prospects of securing, retaining and advancing in suitable employment are substantially reduced as a result of a duly recognized physical or mental impairment. Disabled people are not a homogeneous group. Like all people, their identities, personal situations and needs are shaped by a multiplicity of factors including their gender, age, personality, location, education, ethnicity, color, class, family, religion and sexual orientation. Disability is another dimension of human diversity. It is a normal part of human experience and anyone in society may experience disability at some time in life.”i According to a study titled “Work and Employment of People with Disabilities,” published in March 2013 by the Human Rights Council (with a contribution by the International Labor Organization), persons with disabilities are less likely to be in full-time employment than nondisabled persons. In fact, the unemployment rates of persons with disabilities are up to twice as high as for non-disabled people in countries for which data are available, such as 32

Europe and OECD countries. However, many people with disabilities (PwD) are not registered, whether as employed or as unemployed, and are thus invisible in the labor market, surviving either through the support of their families or through social security payments. This situation represents a serious bank of untapped potential in these countries. Moreover, disabled women worldwide are less likely to have decent jobs than either non-disabled women or men with disabilities, and persons with intellectual disability and mental-health disabilities are reported to face greater difficulties in finding decent work. When persons with disabilities are employed, they are more likely to be in low-paid jobs with poor working conditions and few, if any, promotional prospects.iii Thus, a bi-directional link between disability and poverty leaves persons with disabilities and their families more likely to be among the poor in any given society.

Over 1 billion people (15 percent of the world’s population) have some form of disability, and 785 million women and men with disabilities are of working age but have no jobs. It is estimated that the world economy is experiencing a 3 to 7 percent loss of GDP by excluding people with disabilities from the labor force.ii

Although the International Labor Organization stated its commitment to promoting social justice and achieving decent work for people with disabilities as early as in the 1920s,iv equal opportunities for persons with

disabilities in the world of work through all its means of action clearly have not yet been realized. Nevertheless, efforts in that direction are notable as a number of agreements aimed to improve the situation of PwD have been passed: the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) 33

Convention of 1983 (No. 159), the Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace of 2001, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) of 2006 (which, among other provisions, promotes fundamental principles and rights at work and social protection), and the ILOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization of 2008 that emphasizes non-discrimination as a cross-cutting theme. These codes and conventions exemplify a major international-policy shift towards a human-rights-based approach to disability and greatly emphasize the promotion of disability inclusion and the tackling of discrimination faced by people with disabilities.

The ILOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inter ventions that aimed at inclusion of persons with disability in employment policies was fully suppor ted in the occupied Palestinian territory by the Palestinian Consultative Staff for Developing NGOs in Jenin as the implementing agency, without whose dedication and commitment the level of success in executing the ILO part of the joint program of the UN could not have been reached.

In the last decades, greater focus has been placed on people with disabilities accessing the general labor market, and employment-related programs and services have been adopted with the aim to foster disability inclusion in a wide range of areas. Efforts include skills development, employment promotion, social protection, and nondiscrimination. Both as a human right and a development issue, disability inclusion requires a cross-cutting approach throughout all employmentrelated activities and means of action, and such efforts are widely supported and frequently initiated by the International Labor Organization.

with learning disability. The prevalence of disability among persons aged 18 years and over was 3.8 percent (4.0 percent in the West Bank and 3.4 percent in the Gaza Strip), with 3.9 percent males compared to 3.7 percent females. In the West Bank, the highest percentage of disabilities was in the Jenin Governorate, reaching 4.1 percent, whereas the lowest was in Jerusalem at 1.4 percent.v

dropped out of school, which has led to an illiteracy rate of 53.1 percent.

Efforts towards improvement

In Gaza, the highest prevalence of disability was in the Gaza Governorate with 2.5 percent, followed by the North Gaza, Rafah, and Deir Al-Balah governorates, at 2.4 percent each,

In 2012, nine UN agenciesvii joined forces in piloting a joint UN program that aimed to strengthen respect for the human rights of persons with disabilities in the occupied Palestinian territory. Targeting specifically the age group of 0 to 24 years, the focus was on interventions related to legislation, policies, programs, activities, services, and empowerment, with the aim to change attitudes and create a more inclusive environment for PwD. The

whereas the lowest prevalence was recorded in the Khan Yunis Governorate at 2.2 percent. Of the disabled persons in the oPt, 87.3 percent were unemployed during the implementation period of the survey in 2011 (85.6 percent in the West Bank and 90.9 percent in the Gaza Strip). This excessive exclusion of persons with disabilities from the labor market represents a significant waste of potential. The local educational system does not help alleviate these problems as some 37.6 percent of all people with disability aged 15 and above have never been to school, and 33.8 percent have

joint program also requested that UN agencies review their own measures, not only to mainstream disability rights in their own policies, programs, and practices, but also to support their counterparts in following suit. Partners and constituents were encouraged to identify the main gaps in legislation, policies, and practices; to formulate recommendations to address these gaps by targeting key ministries such as the ministries of education and higher education, labor, health, local government, and social affairs; and to implement the changes that were found

Without such efforts, the goal of decent and productive work for women and men everywhere cannot be achieved.

The Palestinian context The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs stated in their 2011 Disability Survey that almost 113,000 Palestinians (2.7 percent of the total population in the occupied Palestinian territory) suffer from at least one disability: 7.6 percent with mentalhealth disability, 4.6 percent with physical disability, and 5.2 percent

Figure 1: Percentage of Disabled Individuals in Palestine, 2011vi

barriers for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Palestinian labor force. The analysis was based on the Palestinian Labor Law (2000), the Strategic Plan for the Disability Sector (2013–2016), and the Labor Sector Strategy (2014–2016).

Notable effor ts that aim to improve employability include a workshop targeting 85 youth with disability that was carried out at the Irada Program of the Islamic University, Gaza (IUG), in collaboration with the ILO.

A key factor in the success of these interventions was the establishment of the National Committee for People with Disability in 2014, led by the MoL, which includes representatives from among PwD, tripartite constituents, and relevant civil society organizations. Among the main objectives of the committee was the reforming of the Palestinian Labor Law and other related legislation. It also extended efforts towards advancing the rights guaranteed in the CRPD and the Palestinian Disability Law – the Right to Work and Employment in particular – in order to assure that all persons with disabilities benefit from the positive impact of an environment that enables them to gain better skills and allows for all PwD of working age to enter the active workforce. The committee’s efforts resulted in the Aqaba Declaration, a national agreement that includes 17 key action points for mainstreaming disability in policies, programs, and services. Fully adopted by the MoL in December 2014, the declaration stipulates enhanced outreach efforts to other stakeholders, including key PA ministries and authorities, the General Union for People with Disabilities (GUPWD), and, of course, DPOs in order to improve their services and as such increase the employment of PwD.

necessary in order for services and institutions to be in compliance with the Disability Law and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).viii Aiming to assure the success of these endeavors, the International Labor Organization worked extensively with its tripartite constituents (government, employers, and workers), targeting in its efforts specifically the Ministry of Labor (MoL), the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), and the Palestine Federation for Chambers of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry (PFCCIA). In full collaboration with Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) operating in the oPt, and with actively engaged national and international organizations and relevant stakeholders, a full analysis was obtained on how current policies, legislation, strategies, regulations, and programs either enable or create

In this context, a rapid assessment of three vocational training centers was conducted with the objective of examining their accessibility to PwD and identifying the main gaps in mainstreaming disability; the main findings and recommendations were presented to MoL for fur ther consideration and inclusion. A series of training and capacity-development courses were held throughout 2014 and 36

As is true for those without disabilities, people with disabilities have a right to fair and equal wages, working hours, oppor tunities, and the cultural benefits of being employed in the community. To a c h i e v e t h i s g o a l , individuals with disabilities need to be in customized or supported employment rather than in sheltered and segregated settings.

it utilized material based mainly on Getting Hired: A Trainer’s Manual for Conducting a Workshop for Job Seekers with Disabilities,x and aimed to ensure that the material and skills could be shared further among PwD. In addition, a specific database for job seekers among PwD was designed in order to facilitate their access to information on job opportunities within the programs implemented by the MoL. At the conclusion of these workshops, 103 par ticipants (70 percent) were successfully registered at MoL’s employment offices.

2015 that targeted more than 150 PwD with the objectives of developing their skills and capacities when applying for a job and increasing their awareness of services provided by the employment offices of MoL; these courses were built mainly on Getting Hired: A Guide for Job-Seekers with Disabilities. ix Another workshop, aimed at training workshop trainers, was delivered to twenty PwD from various geographical locations throughout the West Bank;

Since employing people with disabilities has a positive impact on employers by increasing the overall GDP of a given country’s economy, xi increases in customized and supported employment will not only help individuals with disabilities but will also benefit the workforce and society as a whole. xii Unfor tunately, throughout the world, individuals with disabilities remain employed at lower rates than people without disabilities, and when employed, they are frequently in sheltered settings. For employment outcomes to improve for people with 37

Ar ticle photos were taken for the project “Support to Persons with Disabilities in Gaza” during ILO’s Emergency Response to the Crisis in the Gaza Strip, 2015, implemented by the Islamic University of Gaza, IRADA Program. Photos courtesy of ILO

disabilities, policy makers must continue to move from the medical model of disability to more comprehensive models such as the social and bio-psychosocial models of disability.

Mounir Kleibo is a management executive and pioneer in advocating transparency and corporate social responsibility, accountability, and social inclusion in Palestine. As head of the UNDP/PAPP Governance and Public Sector unit, Mr. Kleibo concentrated on productivity enhancement, institution building, and human capacity development. At present, Mr. Kleibo is the Representative of the International Labor Organization in Jerusalem.

See Resource section for the ILO Convention on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons), (No. 159), 1983.

Promoting Jobs, Protecting People, Disability and Work, International Labor Organization, 2016, available at http://www.ilo.org/global/topics/disability-and-work/WCMS_475650/lang--en/index.htm.

iii

World Report on Disability, World Health Organization and World Bank, 2011, available at http://www.who. int/disabilities/world_report/2011/report.pdf. Founded in 1919, the International Labor Organization aimed to improve workers’ rights and, for a large number of veterans injured or disabled in WWI, it provided a venue to fight for their right to employment.

Disability Survey, 2011: Press Conference Report, Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and Ministry of Social Affairs, available at http://www.pcbs.gov.ps/Portals/_pcbs/PressRelease/disability_e2011.pdf.

Ibid.

vii

FAO, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNSCO, UNICEF, UNRWA, WFP and WHO.

viii

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol (OP) 2 provide the normative framework for Member States to address the rights of persons with disabilities and ensure that they are included in all development efforts.

ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Getting Hired: A Guide for Job Seekers with Disabilities, International Labor Organization, 2008, available at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/ documents/publication/wcms_098145.pdf.

ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Getting Hired: A Trainer’s Manual for Conducting a Workshop for Job Seekers with Disabilities, International Labor Organization, 2008, available at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/ groups/public/@ed_emp/@ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_132676.pdf.

Richard Florida in Releasing Constraints: Projecting the Economic Impacts of Increased Accessibility in Ontario, 2010, states that over time, improved access to employment and education of PwD could reduce the likelihood of poverty and improve the income of everyone by shifting the economy towards employing a more educated workforce; it would thus potentially attract more businesses and make Ontario’s economy more prosperous. “There are opportunities ... to realize non-trivial economic gains through enabling a higher number of Ontarians to participate fully in the province’s economy.”

xii

Achieving Equal Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities through Legislation: An Education and Training Guide, ILO and Irish Aid, 2011, available at http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/--ifp_skills/documents/instructionalmaterial/wcms_162169.pdf.

Violations against People with Disabilities Continue Courtesy of Palestinian Consultative Staff for Developing NGOs Protesters holding a banner that says “Palestine needs all resources, including those offered by persons with disability.” Photo courtesy of PCS.

espite Palestine’s accession to the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities in March 2014, persons with disabilities in Palestine face numerous difficulties and challenges. There is a large gap between the legislation and the actual practice on the ground. According to studies conducted by the Unit for Monitoring Violations Against People with Disabilities at the Palestinian Consultative Staff for Developing NGOs (PCS), around 28 basic rights for handicapped persons are continually violated, mainly the rights to work, education, health care, and social welfare. A legal researcher at the unit, Abdelhakeem Shibani, related that the latest official statistics from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), published in 2011, indicate that the rate of disability in the West Bank is 2.9% (Jenin has the highest rate with 4.1 percent, followed by Hebron with 3.6 percent, Jerusalem 1.4 percent and Gaza 2.4 percent) and that 76,4 percent of persons with disabilities are not able to use public transportation, 35.5 percent of children with disabilities are deprived of education, 53.1 percent of disabled persons are illiterate, and 87.3 percent are unemployed. Comparing, for example, the illiteracy rate of the general population in Palestine, estimated at 5 percent, leads to the conclusion that “people with disabilities are the least fortunate in receiving education.” Shibani stated that the right to work is a priority for persons with disabilities since through work they can fulfill many of their needs. “The problem is that the private sector fails to implement the minimum requirement with regard to the employment of persons with disabilities. This is in violation of the law, according to which persons with disabilities should constitute 5 percent of 40

the total number of employees in any given institution,” Shibani explained. He stressed the need to implement the law and to fine institutions that deliberately refrain from hiring qualified persons with disabilities. Activist Mustafa Johari pointed out that the right to health care and treatment for persons with disabilities in Palestine is often violated. He reported that covering the cost of health care and medicine is a priority for the disabled. The Ministry of Health violates the Health Law that was approved by the PLC in 2004, which stipulates that persons with disabilities should be provided with basic health care services, including medicine and physiotherapy. Johari underscored the need for the ministry to revise its policy concerning the treatment of disabled persons and also the need to establish a special unit for the treatment of the physically handicapped. In addition, he called for the establishment of a database to monitor urgent medical needs required for the treatment of

http://pcs-palestine.org/

persons with disabilities and to allocate a budget for that purpose with funds from Arab, Islamic, and international sources. On another note, the chair man of the Palestinian General Union, Rafiq Abu Sifen, points out that the planning processes for environmental infrastructure do not take into account the needs of handicapped persons, 41

PCS employee reporting a violation against a person with disability. Photo courtesy of PCS.

and this increases their suffering. Facilities, services, and infrastructure adjustments that are necessary to create a supportive public environment for the handicapped are not a luxury but a must that is required by legislation. “Our problem,” he explains, “is not passing handicapped-friendly laws but the implementation of and compliance with the laws that already exist.”

international laws and treaties. Such measures will reflect positively on the quality of services provided to persons with disabilities in Palestine. Project of Enhancing and Protecting the Rights of people with disabilities in Palestinian Territories Funded by the European Union.

The accession of Palestine to the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities must compel the Palestinian Authority to develop and amend laws (especially the Palestinian Disability Law No. 4 of 1999) that are in line with

The views represented in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Marah Sharqawi received a grant from the Empowerment of People with Disability program and is now raising sheep for a living. Photo courtesy of PCS.

Women With Disabilities Between Norms and Rights By Rawan Obeid

issues that women with disabilities face, although these women are subjected to marginalization and violence on a larger scale than women who do not suffer from disabilities.

In an interview, Manal (not her real name), a 30-yearold single woman who has visual disability and holds a master’s degree in gender studies, voiced this reality. She said that once she went to a doctor accompanied by her mother, and the doctor directed all his questions about her pain towards her mother, not asking Manal anything. Provoked, she told him: “I’m sick, and I’m unable to see, but I can definitely answer all your questions about me since that has nothing to do with my vision.”

Social exclusion is the main factor that dramatically prevents persons with disabilities from fully enjoying their fundamental rights, as social barriers originate from local culture and inter-individual behavior that consider disability to be a source of shame. Yet in Palestine the matter is fur ther complicated for women with disabilities. Gender-based social construction defines women’s social role based on the sex-based division of labor and commonly confines women’s role to the private sphere within a household. Moreover, women’s reproductive role is still perceived as their major social duty, even though many women actively participate in Palestinian political, economic, and public spheres. Duties associated

Postcard that focuses on women with disabilities, prepared by WCLAC for Women’s International Day, 2013.

omen experience gender-based discrimination and violence in any place, regardless of their social, economic, or cultural backgrounds, yet women with disabilities suffer from multiple forms of discrimination: above all as women and furthermore because they are affected by disability. In patriarchal societies, where power relations within the community do not favor women, women with disabilities find themselves subject to even greater discrimination. In Palestine, moreover, their situation must be considered within the context of a developing country. Indeed, women with disabilities are largely invisible in the context of development, which includes development projects that contain gendered perspectives. Development programs barely tackle the 44

with reproduction are given priority, and women must perform that social function in order to be fully respected in society. As long as some women with disabilities cannot fulfill such a role, they are generally considered to be “deficient” or even “non-sexual.” This social perception remains strong despite the fact that many women with disabilities may be married and may have successfully fulfilled their “biological female function.” Cases of women with disabilities who have been able to marry and have children are perceived as individual success stories and are received with amazement.

disability and implies that persons who have disability are inferior, imperfect, or even incomplete human beings. As a consequence of the presumed extreme vulnerability or even incapacity to cope with any public situation, families of disabled women do not favor their integration into society. This mindset frequently causes families to prevent their daughters or sisters from education and from work. Indeed, the issue of education raises major concerns since it directly impacts women with disabilities’ participation in the labor market. Despite the fact

Scoring at a basketball game. Photo by Samar Abu al-Oof.

Hence, gender-based discrimination complements disability discrimination. Men with disabilities usually have more oppor tunities to par ticipate in and integrate into society than their female counterparts. Families of women with disabilities believe that they are more vulnerable and are not able to put up resistance. Here, societal perceptions are suffused with the popular saying “a healthy mind in a healthy body” that clearly normalizes the stigmatization of

that several Palestinian legal texts have reaffirmed the right of the child to education, specific legislation that guarantees appropriate access for children with disabilities is lacking. Improved education policies must strengthen the control over schools’ procedures on dropout and should hold the parents accountable for not sending their children to school, especially to primary and elementary schools. Similar issues affect higher education 46

because universities do not fully acknowledge the recommendations of the 1999 Disability Act. This reality corresponds with the findings of the 2011 report on disabilities in Palestine, carried out by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), which states that only 5.3 percent of surveyed persons with disability completed higher education. Furthermore, 35.1 percent of surveyed individuals with disabilities had never been enrolled in the education system, and 22.2 percent had left school because of their disability. The survey accordingly stressed the need for the school environment to implement adaptive measures in order to be able to receive pupils with disabilities on an equal basis.

Palestinian ratification of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has to be considered a turning point in the way disability is perceived and dealt with in Palestine. Nevertheless, the ratification must be reflected on the ground through the adoption of more gendersensitive policies and developmental programs to protect and promote the rights of women with disabilities.

Legal content comes as another major source of marginalization for women who must cope with disabilities in Palestine. Most Palestinian legislation is generally silent with regard to the rights of persons with disabilities, not to mention those of women with disabilities. In addition, legal texts that deal with the rights of persons with disabilities are controversial and often inconsistent or even contradictory. For instance, the 1999 Palestinian Disability Law and the provisions of the Palestinian Labor Law number 7 of the year 2000 require that a minimum of 5 percent of the workforce of any facility be drawn from persons with disabilities. However, the Palestinian Civil Service Law number 4 of the year 1998 states in its Article 24 that no civil servant should present with “illnesses, physical, or mental impairments which may ban him from fulfilling his tasks.” Moreover, although the 1999 Disability Law and 2000 Labor Law may promote the integration of persons with disabilities into the labor force, such texts come without any procedures to implement their provisions. The 2000 Labor Law mentions neither the right to receive professional training nor the need for specialized vocational training centers.

In reality, the implementation of positive action measures such as the 5 percent quota has never been monitored. Neither has Article 16 been enforced, which prohibits any discrimination in the terms and conditions of employment in the Palestinian territories. Regarding violence, the Jordanian Penal Code of 1960, still applicable in the Palestinian Territories, provides sanctions for cases of sexual abuse against women with disabilities. Article 293 specifically mentions that “whoever has sexual intercourse with a woman – other than his wife – who could not resist because of a physical or emotional or mental limitation shall be punished by temporary imprisonment with forced labor for a period not less than ten years,” whereas the regular sanction for cases of sexual abuse is respectively “not less than five years.” The main problem with this law is that it assumes the woman will report the incident. But women in such situations are afraid to file a complaint, especially in cases when the claim is against a family member – who is their first care47

provider. Thus, the ratification of the 1999 Law on the Rights of the Disabled may have been considered a prominent achievement of the Palestinian disability movement, yet it requires urgent implementation policies and specific awareness-raising programs. Civil society organizations, especially human rights organizations, play a role that is complementary to that of official Palestinian organizations in addressing the rights of persons with disabilities, and again, especially those of women. Whereas some of their programs and activities focus on these rights, more attention is required to ensure the mainstreaming of gender and disability rights into all their programs. Women’s organizations that address gender-based violence, for example, still need to give further attention to the specific forms of violence faced by

women with disabilities. The Ministry of Development, in cooperation with women’s organizations, should provide adequate support and protection to women with disabilities who are victims of gender-based violence. This requires consolidated efforts between official and nongovernmental institutions and the allocation of financial and material resources by official institutions to ensure the provision of proper services to women with disabilities. Women with disabilities must benefit from continued awareness-raising programs, and general awareness-raising and training activities should not only address the need for change in the generally discriminatory culture but also give double attention to the situation of women with disabilities.

acknowledged when implementing development policies and programs, especially when these aim to promote human rights. On that account, the State of Palestine took a qualitative step by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Incorporation of the convention into local practices will shed light on the challenges that women with disabilities face and will help to combat prejudices and exclusion. Although this will not be an easy task, nevertheless, the State of Palestine must be committed to transpose the international convention into the national law. The ratification must be reflected on the ground through implemented policies in order to promote and protect the rights of women with disabilities.

The intersection between concepts of gender and disability must be properly

Guaranteeing citizens with disabilities full access to equal rights can only be

done under national law. All ministries should accordingly be committed to adopting ongoing, coordinated legal measures to institutionalize such rights. Meanwhile, the need for legal reform as well as the necessity of sustained implementation must be properly addressed. Adequate legislation should be the way forward in order to enhance a culture in which women and men are equal, women are protected from violence, and citizens are protected from all forms of discrimination. Rawan Obeid is a human and women’s rights activist who currently works as a lawyer and coordinator for the legal and social awareness-raising program at the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC), which has made the rights of women with disabilities a priority in its 2016–2020 strategic plan.

A Case for Inclusive Education –

A Mother’s Voice By Joyce Ajlouny

opportunities and care services, taking it day by day and not fretting about the unknown, and lastly and most importantly, ensuring his inclusion in the society and his happiness at all times. I promised myself that I would do my best to offer him as “normal” a life as possible, despite some serious challenges.

power to provide him with the best care possible – Nader thrived. Their creativity, diligence, and love shined, and as a mother, I was comforted and reassured that he was in exceptionally good hands. The decision to admit him to RFS was a major turning point in his life. Very much as a result of its longstanding Quaker ethos and traditions that uphold the values of equality, diversity, and tolerance, the RFS has adopted an inclusive education program that is one of a kind in Palestine; accepting children with varying disabilities from pre-kindergar ten until graduation. Today, the school considers itself privileged to serve over 60 students with identified needs (autistic spectrum, Down syndrome, dyslexia, cognitive disability…), all of whom have enriched the school community on many levels. Two decades of

Our first major milestone following some medical challenges was his schooling. We fought for his admission at age five to the Ramallah Friends School (RFS), and despite some initial and understandable hesitation, he was finally accepted with special and additional care provisions. In 1998, my son, Nader became one of the first special-needs students to be admitted to the program. Thanks to the commitment of amazing staff who stood by us (I was not working there at the time) and did everything in their

Nader getting involved in a school project.

our daughter won’t be the smar test in class”; “your son has Down Syndrome”; “she’s autistic”; “he won’t be able to walk without a brace”... these are among the most heartbreaking words for parents to receive from their child’s doctor. Hopes for a healthy and happy baby are suddenly shattered, leaving a heavy load of uncertainty, fear, and worry as to the future of their child. Parents react differently to such devastating news. Despite the understandable denial that some initially go through, the majority eventually come to terms with it; however, their attitude and approach will prove to have the greatest impact on their child’s life. My son Nader was diagnosed with Williams Syndrome (www.williams-syndrome.org) twenty years ago at age two. While it was devastating news to receive, our family’s quick acceptance and embracing of his unique self, made all the difference in what he has achieved today. Our reaction following the initial shock was grounded in a pragmatic approach that focused on extending our knowledge about our son’s syndrome, making sure he always receives the best 50

experience in this program provides for the advantage and ability to review the impact that such an initiative has on the lives of the students. While the radical transformation of the lives of these special students can be clearly witnessed, it is more intriguing to observe the impact that such a program has had on the entire school community. Meaningful friendships have formed, starting at the kindergarten level, and acts of kindness are extended every day. The school community of both students and teachers has become more tolerant of differences and is embracing diversity with open arms.

and writing at a 2nd grade level today. His personality and life would not be where they are today if it weren’t for the extraordinary team that believed in him and capitalized on his gifts, challenged him, and cared for him every day of his 14 years of schooling. Nader grew up among his “typical” peers. He attended their bir thday parties and they attended his; they helped him with his homework, he showed immense care in the event that any one of them showed signs of distress, and he laughed and played football with them. In other words, they became true friends despite their abilities and interests being so far apart. From within the boundaries of the RFS campus walls, my son experienced humanity as it ought to be – a heterogeneous community in its makeup, yet a place that is safe and welcoming for all.

I am able to comfortably and confidently reach such conclusions not only as the school administrator who has been an avid advocate and supporter of this program for the past 12 years, but also as the mother of a child who benefitted from the exceptional services provided at RFS. Nader (22) attended RFS from kindergar ten, graduating in 2012. Nader has many gifts both musically and socially but is challenged cognitively and academically, reading

In Palestine, I have seen too many parents who are embarrassed to share the news that their daughter/son has challenges and with that, they decide to keep them home or send them to an institution that excludes them from

their community and labels them as invalids. Reassuringly, I have also seen parents on the other side of the spectrum – those who seek as normal a life as possible for their children and fight with all their might to provide them with all possible opportunities. I often encounter those parents in my office. They come with insistence, and often with tears, requesting that we admit their child, knowing that the Ramallah Friends School is the only fully inclusive education program available to them. Such parents, although a minority, have found the courage to not only accept and dearly love their children, but to celebrate their unique personalities and abilities, and sacrifice much to provide them with an improved quality of life.

Today, living in the United States, Nader has a job he loves and he commands the respect of his community. He possesses the skills, the personality, and the confidence to find his way in real life – jumping off one bus and hopping on the next, attending to his own personal needs, and striving for independence. This would not have been possible if he had grown up within the confines of the special-needs community, which tends to exclude its members from the real world. He therefore would not have the life he has today without a school program that embraced him, respected him, served his unique needs, and believed in his capabilities as a productive member of his community.

It is important to make the distinction between “inclusive education” and “special education” as they are distinct approaches. The latter’s main premise is having the student in a “special” classroom or institution, normally with little integration with their typical peers – this is the model most prevalent in Palestine. The RFS

Children embracing a child with disability with no inhibitions. Photo courtesy of Friends School, Ramallah.

inclusive model is noteworthy in that teachers and aides alike work hard to find ways to adapt the programs to respond to particular needs of the student. For example, if a 7th grader is not reading at grade level, the class reading assignment is adapted whereby the teacher will produce an abridged and much simpler text for the struggling student. The student will also have his/her own set of homework assignments. During class time, however, when there is discussion, the student feels included and participates actively as a full-fledged member of her/his class. This does not prevent learning-support teachers from working independently with the student, which is more necessary in higher grades if mathematics and sciences become too complex for a 52

community of over sixty students. This is made possible through donations, but also through subsidies received from the entire parent population through tuition fees. Parents are proud of their direct contribution to the efforts that are transforming the lives of so many young and able Palestinians. Moving beyond RFS, the efforts of the many local and international organizations that provide educational and vocational services for the specialneeds population in Palestine are indeed commendable, however, more effort needs to be exerted towards their full inclusion in schools, universities, and the job market throughout the country; knowing very well that inclusion may not be the answer for everyone. We have seen admirable inclusive education policies by the Ministry of Education, but we have yet to see them translated into services that are widespread throughout the country. The leadership of public and private schools and institutions alike need to make difficult decisions if they are serious about the principle of education for all.

Nader during his RFS graduation.

cognitively challenged student. With these arrangements in place comes the need for active collaboration between class teachers, learningsupport teachers, and aides. Most challenging is the need to ensure that the effort of adapting the curriculum becomes a shared responsibility and that class teachers participate actively in the learning experience of the student and not rely solely on the learning-support staff. This continues to be a work in progress even at RFS. This level of collaboration and effort will not succeed without the full and active participation of parents who are involved from the start in setting their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s individual goals and working closely with the teachers to monitor progress and adjust the plan throughout the year.

My family has seen what a blessing like Nader can do to transform the lives of the people and communities they touch. We need more schools to courageously model inclusion and encourage parents and the community not to shy away. Perhaps only when these young women and men are welcomed in their schools, have access to dignified jobs, and gain the respect of their community will we see a mindset shift, and all parents â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only those who come to RFS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; will let go of deeply rooted stigmas and start fighting for equal opportunities and more dignified lives for their children. Only then can we start to celebrate our true inclusive society. Let us not let them down.

It is obvious, and I know firsthand, that running this program is a costly endeavor, often requiring one-onone suppor t for some students. RFS employs eight learning-support teachers and aides to serve the

Joyce Ajlouny is the director of the Ramallah Friends School, a Quaker coeducational school founded in 1869. 54

The Right to Employment for Persons with Disabilities By Saffiyah Al-Ali and Kefah Abu Ghoush

n Palestine, many persons with disabilities are denied their basic rights by default; they are frequently severely marginalized and commonly live in extreme poverty, a situation that creates a fertile environment for abuse, ill treatment, and violations, and renders persons with disabilities extremely vulnerable. According to the latest survey conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) in 2011, persons with disabilities constitute 7 percent of the Palestinian population. However, it is believed that the collected data are an underestimate of the actual percentage. Many families fear social stigmatization and do not register family members as persons with a disability in civil-status records; thus many of them continue to live an invisible life, as if they do not exist, a situation that especially applies to girls and women. The Ministry of Health, on the other hand, applies a very restrictive definition of disability that relates to the minimal services it provides and the minimal compensation that is being paid. This phenomenon is illustrated, for example, by the fact that statistics gathered by the Ministry of Health in July 2014, indicate that there are 113,000 persons with disabilities in Palestine, a number which is less than half the number reported by the PCBS in 2011. This discrepancy in figures is due to the approach that each entity uses: whereas the Ministry of Health applies a medical approach to disability, restricting it to the services it can provide in terms of actual services and financial compensation, the PCBS addresses it from a rights-based approach, which is definitely more accurate.

school system since schools are not equipped to handle the minimum accessibility requirements for most types of disabilities); employment; living independently in the community (which applies more rigidly to women as they face the cultural taboo that dictates that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whether disabled or not â&#x20AC;&#x201C; women must live with either a husband or male relatives); freedom of movement (in most cases, the buildings and transportation systems in cities and villages are inaccessible); voting; par ticipating in spor ts and cultural activities; enjoying social protection; accessing justice; choosing medical treatment (families of persons with disabilities are usually responsible for making such decisions); and entering freely into legal commitments (their families may impose such commitments on PwD and make decisions on their behalf with regard to an inheritance, for example, or to buying and selling proper ty, thus violating their legal rights in broad daylight). Impediments may include, but are

According to a sur vey conducted by PCBS and the Ministr y of Social Affairs in 2011, persons with mobility disability constitute 48 percent of the population, followed by 25 percent with learning disabilities, approximately 22 percent with memory and concentration disabilities, 21 percent with visual and communication disabilities, 14 percent with psychological disabilities, and 13 percent with hearing disabilities. Most of these lack access to adequate services and care, and are frequently denied their basic rights.

Kifah, a young woman with albinism, has been much happier with herself and with life in general since she has been employed by Palestinian local government. She has become a mentor and role model for other women with disabilities. Photo courtesy of Qabatia Municipality.

An excessive number of persons with disabilities are denied their basic rights: education (they are excluded from the general 56

not limited to, the lack of awareness about disability needs and disability rights to education, employment, and legal representation, both among the disabled persons themselves and among their caretakers and the general public. There is a general lack of specialized health-care services, financial resources, sufficient and/or accurate data on disability, and efficient and effective policies and legislations to protect them. Poor implementation of existing legislation and policies can also constitute an impediment. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, 34 percent of persons with disabilities are hindered by their inaccessible environment, 22 percent have had to drop out of school due to several barriers and obstacles, and 75 percent do not have access to public services.

among males (2.9 percent) compared to females (2.5 percent). These numbers are not necessarily accurate, however, as many families deliberately conceal the fact that members of their family are females with disabilities. The survey indicates that 53 percent of PwD are illiterate, whereas 44.5 percent are married, yet these percentages do not accurately reflect the status of women: In male-dominated societies, men with disabilities have greater a chance than women to be educated and to get married because disabled men have the opportunity to marry a nondisabled person, whereas the opposite is not necessarily feasible. According to a more recent field study on the rights of persons with disabilities, conducted in 2013 by the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), 78 percent of males with disabilities were unemployed, 59 percent of whom had never been employed, whereas 19 percent were currently unemployed but had been previously employed, and 22 percent were employed. On the other hand, 87 percent of females with disabilities were unemployed, 73 percent of whom had never been employed, whereas 14 percent were currently unemployed but had been previously employed, and 13 percent were employed in the labor force.

Regarding employment, the PCBS disability survey of 2011 revealed that 87 percent of persons with disabilities are unemployed, 3.1 percent of whom are currently unemployed, and 1.2 percent have never been employed, whereas only 8.4 percent are employed. Notable in this context is that the private sector employs 64.8 percent, the public sector 22.7 percent, and the civic sector 3 percent, whereas 9.7 percent of PwD in the labor force work in Israel and Israeli settlements. Moreover, disability rates are reportedly higher

Employment status (%)

Women

Men

Employed

Unemployed

Never been employed

Currently unemployed

Figure 1: Percentages of men and women with disabilities in the labor force Whereas these percentages reflect slightly higher employment opportunities for males with disabilities than for women with disabilities, the unemployment rates remain quite

high due to several factors: lack of vocational skills, lack of rehabilitation programs, employment discrimination against persons with disabilities, inaccessible workplaces, lack of 58

accessible transpor tation, and the provision of disability benefits that suppress the motivation to venture into the workplace.

discrimination in work conditions in the Palestinian territories. The existence of this legislation is an honor and constitutes an obligation towards persons with disabilities, as it is their given right. The Palestinian National Authority must strive to provide work for any individual capable of performing it.

According to the 2013 ICHR survey of a sample of the working population with disabilities, 22 percent were employed in the public sector, 23 percent in the private sector, 19 percent were selfemployed, 18 percent were employed in the civic sector, and 18 percent were documented as other, which includes farmers and flea-market vendors and laborers working in Israel.

Pa l e s t i n i a n P r e s i d e n t Mahmoud Abbas on April 1, 2014, signed the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

As can be seen in both surveys, unfortunately, women with disabilities have suffered the most to date. In Palestine, they carry a double burden: being a woman and being disabled. According to the PCBS, the total number of disabled Palestinians is 46,063, 18,148 of whom are females. Despite their significant number, these women are the most vulnerable among people with disabilities, yet the least protected.

Even though over the last few decades several initiatives have been taken to improve the situation of persons with disabilities and to mainstream them into the workforce, such initiatives remain fragmented. Fur thermore, gender-based policies for persons with disabilities are not adequately included in existing legislation. And though, notably, some progress has been made regarding access to education and the labor force, discrimination is not eradicated in terms of opportunities and salary. Women with disabilities are not targeted by stakeholders, and the 5 percent employment quota, imposed by law, is not gender-specific and not respected by all employers, be they private or public. Thus, most active women with disabilities work in disability or charitable organizations.

Many women with disabilities are hidden and silent, their concerns are unknown, and their voices remain unheard.

This situation calls for the better application of the existing legislative framework. Article 9 of the Palestinian Basic Law stipulates that Palestinians are equal before the law and the judiciary, and there may be no discrimination based upon race, sex, color, religion, political views, or disability. Article 25 stipulates that every citizen has the right to work. Furthermore, article 10 of the Palestinian Disability Law mandates governmental and nongovernmental organizations to mainstream a quota of at least 5 percent of employees with disabilities, and article 16 bans any

Effor ts to increase employment oppor tunities for persons with disabilities remain insufficient and nonobligatory because the legislative framework is not enforceable, which constitutes a grave shortcoming in terms of implementation methods. Palestinian society should consider it a shame that approximately 60 percent of men with disabilities and over 70 percent of women with disabilities 59

have never been employed. Keeping these persons idle instead of making use of their skills and talents is not only a loss to production on a national level, but also a grave violation of the rights of PwD.

forces, form coalitions and networks, and create a hub that serves the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. Only by creating a body that represents, mentors, and supports persons with disabilities through lobbying, advocacy, par tnerships, and networking will persons with disabilities attain their rights. Such a body must address the needs and rights of all persons with disabilities through a strategic plan that must be mainstreamed into the national strategic plan, thus rightfully treating persons with disabilities as first-class citizens in line with the Palestinian Basic Law and international standards and conventions.

Persons with disabilities, embrace your strength, take matters into your own hands, and create your own future! Form coalitions and networks, and fight for equal treatment and the implementation of your rights that are stipulated by international conventions and Palestinian national law!

Saffiya Khalid Al-Ali is a woman with a disability who, until November 2014, served as Stars of Hopeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s senior disability advocacy coordinator. Now a board member, she leads the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national and regional advocacy work and the development of its campaigns, its research, and UNCRPD report contributions. In addition, she focuses on the intersection of gender with disability and violence issues and is an active member of the Arab Organization for Persons with Disabilities.

As it is evident that no one will hand these rights to persons with disabilities, they should take matters into their own hands and create their own future. Persons with disabilities need to break away from the stereotyped role as victims and must become active agents of change. They are able to break the glass barriers and stand up for themselves. Persons with disabilities are strong-willed and able to use lobbying and advocacy to their advantage. There exist many disabilityaffiliated organizations; it is time to join

Kefah Abu Ghoush has been the executive director of Stars of Hope Society since 2012. W ith her background in advancing disability rights and designing and implementing disability-inclusive development projects in six countries in the region, she employs clear vision and dedication in her work towards improving the reality of persons with disabilities. 60

Towards Better Mental Health Services in Palestine By Souha Mansour Shehadeh

Traditions, collective beliefs, or stigma related to disabilities in general and to psychiatric or psychological disorders in particular in Palestine are similar to that of other countries in the Arab world. Religion, for example, continues to play an impor tant role in the suppor t of people presenting with psychic suffering, and in some cases, people who suffer from delusions or hallucinations or other psychiatric symptoms can be considered within a religious framework as maskounin, possessed. Families deal with mental health problems in various ways that range from social exclusion of the person with a psychiatric/ psychological disorder to family support and containment; the â&#x20AC;&#x153;line betweenâ&#x20AC;? these two attitudes can fluctuate and frequently reflects the distress of the families who do not know how to deal with their ill family member, who may fear his/her reactions, who do not understand what is happening, or who feel guilty because of their inability to help. In addition, seeking mental health

Inclusion of children with developmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorder) in public and private schools is still very difficult. Many mainstream schools have established special education support for children with learning disabilities, but schools have no budgets to hire additional teachers or special educators who could accompany the child in his/her classroom. Even if parents have the means to pay for an extra teacher for their child, there is an obvious lack of training in supporting children with autism.

Inclusive summer camps have been organized by El Mustakbal Elementary School in El Khader for at least the past fifteen years. El Mustakbal School offers mainstream education for children from Al Khader and its surroundings as well as rehabilitation classes for children with disabilities.

hen we raise the question of mental health in Palestine, we immediately think of the effects of the chronic political situation on the psyche of the population and of the increase in psychological disorders due to repeated traumatic events experienced regularly by children and adults. The Palestinian context is very complex, characterized by chronic tension, punctuated by acute crisis situations, in a society that is evolving between traditions and modernity. Mental health services are now considered an essential part of the health services that are offered to the population, but they still face many challenges in responding to the needs of the population.

Palestinian nongovernmental organizations, followed by the Ministry of Health, have been developing the integration of mental health in primary health care since around 2008. They have organized long-term training modules for nurses and doctors, aiming to assure that they can offer a more holistic approach to their patients, better treat basic mental health difficulties, and refer their patients to more specialized care when necessary.

that Palestinians were experiencing in a geographical horizon marked by continuous closures and physical and emotional discontinuities. This period was also marked by a form of competition between institutions, which tried to coordinate their effor ts, but which sometimes duplicated the work in the same areas and were not able to communicate efficiently.

Nahalin Society and School is a community center that includes mainstream primary school classes as well as special education classes for children with disabilities.

services is not always easy in a context where there is very little privacy and where the social network surrounding the family can come to know that a par ticular individual is consulting a psychiatrist or a psychologist. This reality can be associated with negative consequences and thus be a stigma on the whole family. Young adults, for example, might find it difficult to be seen as eligible for marriage if people know that there is someone in the family who has a mental disorder.

support people with disabilities. Indeed, Palestinian society continues to reflect on developing better care for the most vulnerable and marginalized people, thus showing that it remains on the side of “life” and can continue to be constructive and creative in a context marked by continuous attempts to break the vital momentum of an entire people. Organizations that offer mental health services have evolved over the last decade; until a few years ago, especially during the second Intifada, professionals focused mainly on child victims of “trauma,” because of ongoing political violence, or on persons suffering from severe psychiatric disorders. Many institutions created or developed “crisis intervention” programs, as if there were no other pathologies that needed to be cared for. Psychiatry targeted mainly adults; it was a classical form of psychiatry based on medication

In addition to its heterogeneous cultural context, Palestine, of course, has a specificity that is related to its geopolitical context that on the one hand increases the number of people with psychic disorders and on the other, maybe paradoxically so, has led to an evolution of mental health services. It seems as though the worse the political situation, the stronger the will of civil society to 64

and hospitalization for patients who had severe psychiatric illnesses. There was indeed a crisis situation and there were indeed children and adults who were deeply affected by terrible events, and local institutions as well as international organizations concentrated their efforts (and their money) on programs targeting victims of trauma. International organizations invested in the mental health field, and international donors funded these crisis-intervention programs. Many local organizations depended on donors and designed their projects according to the call for proposals. Dozens of punctual trainings on techniques related to trauma treatment, short workshops for “training of trainers,” were organized with very little follow up or evaluation of the work that was done afterwards. This development further contributed to the general discontinuity and fragmentation

In general, institutions worked hard and received many children brought by their parents because of the violent context; indeed the majority of the population was sensitized to the effects of trauma on children’s well being through the multiplication of health education programs either organized by professionals in the villages, camps, and cities or sometimes broadcasted on TV channels. Families were aware that they were living “an abnormal situation” and that it was normal to be affected by such a situation. So they would bring their children and express their own distress as parents at not being able to protect them and guarantee a secure future for them. The children they brought had psychological difficulties, sometimes in relation to traumatic events they had 65

experienced and other times similar to the difficulties that we find everywhere else in the world… and in the latter case, it was easier to consult psychologists or psychiatrists because everybody would say that it was the “crazy” situation that was responsible for the symptoms of their children and that they had legitimate reasons to seek for help.

civil society increased its efforts to focus on children’s needs, on their psychosocial well being, and developed more preventive programs that would allow children to find more play spaces, more activities to help them forget, for a while, that they were living in a chronic war context. Hospitals, for example, created playrooms in their pediatric departments, or hired social workers because they realized even more the importance of mental health for children with somatic diseases.

And slowly, a change occurred; the crisis of the second Intifada was over. It was obvious that there was going to be more to come, but there was a sort of lull that allowed institutions to take more time to reflect on their work without being in emergency-response mode, and to realize that there was a lot to be done. When it comes to children,

On a more “curative” level, mental health professionals had more opportunities to meet and to share their practices. They became more selective with respect to the external trainings that

were proposed, expressing their needs related to their work and to their context. They finally had more prospects to talk and to communicate together as governmental, nongovernmental organizations and UNRWA. Institutions became more “specialized” in the sense that each targeted a specific segment of the population, especially if several institutions were working in the same geographical area. For example, some mental health institutions worked with child or adult victims of political violence, others focused on child victims of abuse, and others emphasized their work on vulnerable children, such as children with special needs. The Palestinian Ministry of Health developed its mental

According to the Palestinian Mental Health National Strategy report for 2015– 2019, there are around 24 accredited psychiatrists working in the governmental sector in the West Bank and Gaza, and a small number of additional psychiatrists who work in the nongovernmental s e c t o r. A r o u n d 1 5 0 psychologists and social workers are employed in the governmental sector and several hundred in the non-governmental sector; most of them, however, lack high-quality theoretical and clinical training.

health services and created more mental health community centers in the cities with a special focus on children and coordinated very regularly with nongovernmental organizations. The world of mental health services in Palestine is not very large; professionals know each other in the West Bank, and many have met colleagues from Gaza (the reunions were mainly outside the country) and started to get to know colleagues from the 1948 areas; it is as if all were more aware of the necessity to work together and to create links, especially in this context where maintaining geographical, family, or friendship links is constantly challenged by the occupation. There are still many problems in this field. People with mental health disorders are still stigmatized and are not easily integrated into the workforce despite the increasing number of campaigns on inclusion and integration and of the advocacy groups of families or of mental health professionals. Another major problem is the lack of human

Al Amal Center in Obeidieh offers inclusive education services for children with and without disabilities, a total of 494 children.

Toy library of Â El Dheisheh Local Committee for Rehabilitation. In 2015, this toy library received regularly 218 children, including 168 children with disabilities.Â This model was established in three other community centers for children with and without disabilities in partnership with Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation: it provides a safe play area where children can play freely while accompanied by trained professionals.

resources; training programs still need to evolve, even though in the last years, some universities have developed new curricula in accordance with the populationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs. Psychiatric residency programs continue to take place at Bethlehem psychiatric hospital. Even though the hospital has opened up drastically to the community, the society continues to associate adult psychiatry with severe disorders. People suffering from less debilitating disorders can be sometimes overmedicated because there are not enough professionals offering psychotherapeutic services that could help decrease or sometimes avoid the use of medical treatments.

They need to take care of themselves in order to be able to take care of others, and the network they try to reinforce among professionals is also a way of supporting each other so that they can work more efficiently in their institutions. Much remains to be done, and it is essential to continue to develop mental health services in order to guarantee that beneficiaries have a space where they can express freely their emotions without being judged or criticized, a space where professionals can hear the deep suffering and help to heal it, and where they try to preserve as much as possible the freedom of thoughts when freedom in life is so difficult to obtain.

There is no specialization in child psychiatry in Palestine, and doctors, if they choose this specialty, need to go abroad for training. There are no child psychiatry wards, and sometimes professionals can find difficulties in managing heavy situations, especially in the absence of multidisciplinary teams.

Article photos courtesy of the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation in Beit Jala. Dr. Souha Mansour Shehadeh is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who completed her studies in France. She is the head of the Mental Health department at Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation in Beit Jala. She divides her working time between child psychiatry assessments and consultations, psychotherapy for children, and training and clinical super vision for mental health professionals.

The population continues to face the disastrous consequences of the political situation with very few positive perspectives for the future. Professionals live in the same context as their beneficiaries and they face the same difficulties of living under occupation. 68

Challenges in Accessing Services in Area C By Alice Repessé

he Palestinian populations of the West Bank that live in Area C and in the Bedouin communities are isolated and surrounded by military roadblocks. The consequent restricted access to essential and quality primary health care services prevents these Palestinians from fully enjoying their right to health. The Palestinian Authority faces significant obstacles in delivering social services or enforcing existing legislation partially as a result of the prevailing unstable political situation and financial constraints. In addition to the situation of general insecurity and ongoing violence and its consequences, numerous other factors impede access to health services, including movement restrictions on health staff, patients, and medical commodities, restrictions on constructing and rehabilitating health facilities, the continued restrictions on importing medical supplies, equipment, and spare parts, the limited and costly transportation, and the threat of forced displacement. People with disabilities are among the most vulnerable and their needs among the most critical. Service providers are unable to address all the specific needs of people with disabilities, and mainstream services fail to include people with disabilities. The concept of disability can be understood in various ways. Historically, it has been regarded from a medical or charity perspective. Today, a third approach, the social model of disability, is endorsed and promoted by international institutions and gaining more ground. Three converging references – The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Canadian disability model known as the Disability Creation Process (DCP), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of 70

Session with a Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR) occupational therapist, Hebron.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states in its first ar ticle: “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”

Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) – provide a shared, common vision and understanding of disability and add clarity to the notions of impairment, disability, and disabling situations. Handicap International follows the definitions and standards outlined in the Canadian model that considers disability not as a characteristic of the person but as the result of interaction between the person and his/her environment. The reduction of situations of disability implies that action should be taken on both personal and environmental factors. Disability is 71

A situational analysis has found that people in Area C are an especially vulnerable population. • C o m p r e h e n s i v e rehabilitation centers are rare or nonexistent. • Health-care-center staff lack the skills to deal with people with disabilities. • There is an insufficient number of communitybased-rehabilitation workers. • Attacks on the population by Israeli forces and settlers result in physical and/or psychological harm. • The situation of poverty renders the cost of treatment unaffordable. • The lack of awareness concerning disability and rights in the family and community leads to ignorance, isolation, and stigma. • People with disabilities themselves lack awareness about their rights. • I n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t available ser vices is sorely lacking. • There is a need for accessible infrastructure and appropriately adapted services.

Awareness-raising workshop held by a Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) team in Tubas.

According to the 2011 Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics’ disability survey, the main causes of disability in Palestine are diseases.i Indeed, non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes, are rapidly increasing in the West Bank, together with risk factors for disabilities among the Palestinian population living in Area C and in the Bedouin communities. Therefore it is vital to raise awareness among people with disabilities, their families, caregivers, and communities about prevention of diseases that can lead to disability, and to educate them on the management of some diseases to prevent further physical deterioration.

therefore not only the concern of medical services: it needs to be inscribed more broadly within multi-sector dynamics and addressed by all development sectors (education, employment, health, social protection, and others) with a crosscutting approach.

Within the context of difficult humanitarian circumstances, people with disabilities are among the most isolated and may face extra challenges 72

supplies, and to improve the current information and referral mechanisms.

if their special needs are not met. They face mobility obstacles in their daily environment – due to the widespread inaccessibility of homes, public offices, health care centers, and school facilities – which prevent them from accessing the basic services they need and in turn perpetuates the vicious cycle of disability and poverty. Consequently, this requires environmental adaptations that facilitate the social inclusion of people with disabilities and mitigate their daily challenges. Combined with outreach services implemented with local partners, such adaptations are the only solution for this vulnerable segment of the population that enables them to access not only public services but also specialized rehabilitation services that provide, for example, assistive and mobility devices and disposable medical

Because there is a lack of available data at the local, regional, or national level, the Bethlehem Arab Society for Rehabilitation (BASR) and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS), with Handicap International’s support, are implementing a situation analysis that aims to map and assess the scope of the current situation regarding access to services for people with disabilities in highly marginalized localities of Area C and Bedouin communities in six governorates (Tulkarem, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron, Tubas, and Jericho) of the West Bank. This situation analysis, already conducted in several communities of Area C, has among its key objectives the task of identifying the obstacles that people with disabilities 73

who suffers from hemiplegic cerebral palsy with shortened Achilles tendons. This has affected his gait, balance, and movements, resulting in his inability to go to school. He has engaged in rehabilitation sessions from a multi-disciplinary professional team to improve his balance, walking, stretching, strengthening, and exercising of his Achilles tendons. Family members received training on how to manage his disability and were made more aware of the importance of Mohammed’s attendance at school. Mohammed was referred to a hospital where he underwent surgery to lengthen his Achilles tendons. Several months later, Mohammed was able to reintegrate into school.

Assessment of a new beneficiary carried out by a BASR team in cooperation with a technical officer from Handicap International in Bethlehem.

currently face in the targeted areas. The following main barriers were reported: First, there is a lack of comprehensive and inclusive services, namely: (i) a lack of comprehensive rehabilitation centers in the areas, meaning that there are rehabilitation centers that, for example, offer physiotherapy sessions but not occupational or speech therapy, so a patient has to continually transfer from one center to another to access integral services; (ii) health-care-center staff lack the capacity to deal with people with disabilities. Training in this specialization is needed to increase staff exper tise; (iii) understaffing of community-based-rehabilitation workers, which limits their capacity to cover all geographical areas or follow up on all cases. Second, the population is subject to attacks by the Israeli forces, recurrent closures, and settler violence, which result in physical and/or psychological harm that requires increased and special care that is not always available. Third, pover ty is frequently a factor when affected individuals consider seeking treatment but cannot afford the cost of such treatment or the associated

cost of transportation. Fourth, there is a lack of awareness concerning disability and disability rights within both the family and the community, which frequently results in a lack of understanding, isolation, and stigma of people with disabilities. Moreover, people with disabilities themselves have little awareness about their rights. In addition, there is a dearth of information about available services. And finally, there is a lack of accessible infrastructure and services, such as roads, transportation, and health care centers, which are able to accommodate those with special needs. All these factors combined leave people with disabilities even more vulnerable in Area C, given their isolation and the lack of response to their specific needs. As part of a project to improve access for people with disabilities to rehabilitation and health care services in Area C of six governorates in the West Bank, Handicap International, in partnership with the BASR and PMRS, has been providing support to affected individuals. Mohammed ii is a 10-year-old child from a Bedouin community in Jericho 74

Ahmed is an 8-year-old boy with Congenital Talipes Equinovarus (more commonly known as clubfoot), who resides in a remote community in Tubas Governorate. He was completely dependent on his mother to dress, bathe, and carry out daily-life activities. Ahmed also followed an intensive rehabilitation program that focused on self-care, independence, and self-confidence. He was prescribed and trained on the use of a Dennis Brown brace and a walker to mitigate the effect of his limitations caused by clubfoot. In coordination with the YMCA, he was provided with an ankle-foot orthosis to facilitate his gait. Further coordination was initiated with the municipality, resulting in the building of ramps and rails in his local school to allow him to enroll. Now Ahmed goes to school every day and shows great enthusiasm and determination in carrying out his daily-life activities with more autonomy.

Session with a BASR occupational therapist, Qalqilia.

This project has so far benefited 584 people with disabilities who have gained increased access to rehabilitation ser vices. But despite concer ted humanitarian assistance, the needs remain high. According to OCHA’s Vulnerability Profile, nearly 300,000 Palestinians live in 532 communities of Area C. Based on PCBS data, between 9,000 and 21,000 Palestinians with disabilities live in Area C (2.9 percent – narrow definitioniii, and 7 percent – broad definition), and are unable to access services. Alice Repessé is the coordinator of Handicap International’s operations in the West Bank.

Other general causes of disability may be injuries/wounds resulting from traffic accidents, explosive remnants of war, or natural disasters; but also malnutrition, congenital diseases, etc.

Names have been changed for confidentiality.

iii

PCBS’s broad definition of disability states that a person with disability suffers from some difficulty, a lot of difficulties, or cannot function at all (an estimated 7 percent in Palestine). Whereas in the narrow definition, a person with disability suffers from a lot of difficulties or cannot function at all. However, these figures are generally viewed to be underestimated since the World Health Organization estimates that between 10 and 15 percent of the world’s population has some form of disability, and prevalence rates are generally higher in areas of chronic crisis.

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

Dalal Al-Taji

Dalal Al-Taji was found amongst rubble following a bombing raid on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon in the late 1970s. A small child, she was taken to the local clinic of the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) where it was found that she had been totally blind since birth. Because her family was assumed to have been killed, Dalal was taken to the PRCS children’s hospital, adjacent to Acre Hospital in Beirut, which became her home, together with another orphaned child, Hamoudi, who was severely disabled with cerebral palsy.

to spend her weeks at a school for blind children in Beirut that was conducted by an international organization and provided residential accommodation during the week; she returned to the hospital during weekends. A family from South Africa was responsible for the school, and one of their daughters was Dalal’s teacher. They were very caring people and gave special attention to Dalal, also working on her selfhelp skills. Schooling was on hold in late 1982 during the Israeli invasion of Beirut and the subsequent massacre at Sabra and Shatila. During the war, Dalal and four children who were wheelchair users (among them Hamoudi), were transferred four times to different locations, seeking safety. At the time of the massacre, we were all located in the PRCS Acre Hospital, which is located opposite Shatila Camp. Men participating in the massacre came into the hospital and

In January 1981, I met Dalal who seemed to be about 5 or 6 years old. She was obviously a bright child and had acquired some English skills (being proficient in Arabic) from listening to international visitors to the PRCS facilities. However, Dalal was delayed in self-help skills because for a long time, there had been no one available to teach her. Dalal had just begun 76

Younis in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The PRCS has a branch there, and a small rehabilitation center had been started. An apartment near the new building, still under construction, had been prepared for our arrival. While most universities in the Gaza Strip had commenced the new academic year, Al Azhar University was experiencing delays, and Dalal was able to enter the baccalaureate degree program in English literature. Initially, this was problematic because she was the first blind student to be enrolled at the university and the department preferred that she go into some other specialty. Dalal, however, persisted, and although she faced a number of problems in the first few years, she quickly acquired a strong group of friends and gained great respect from her lecturers. Dalal has a keen interest in languages, and in addition to her excellent command of both Arabic and English, she speaks and writes French well and knows some Hebrew.

took some people away as they kept us at gunpoint. The International Red Cross was eventually able to enter the hospital grounds and take the children, myself, and some other people to safety. But this was not the end of Dalal’s difficulties; the situation remained unsettled, and all foreign volunteers had to leave as they were being refused visas. My departure was a little “messy.” I had an official work permit, but when I attempted to renew my visa, I was held in custody and forced to leave the country within three days. I continued my work with PRCS in Cairo. Assisted by the Australian Embassy and Save the Children UK, PRCS made great efforts to have Dalal and Hamoudi transferred from Beirut to Cairo where I had started a PRCS Rehabilitation Centre in the Ain Shams area. It took more than a year before the necessary travel documents for Dalal and Hamoudi were completed. During this time, the Acre Hospital, where the children were living, came under attack and people were killed and wounded. Hamoudi was seriously wounded. Dalal was not injured but was covered with blood and dust. She experienced a great shock and could not walk for about a week. She still suffers from flashbacks. Because the Beirut airport was closed, their travel required a boat journey to Cyprus and then a plane to Cairo – and upon arrival, although all necessary entry papers had been completed, they were delayed for another sixteen hours at the airport.

On completion of her BA in English literature, Dalal was employed as a translator at the PRCS Khan Younis Center. In 2003– 2004 Dalal, through a Ford Foundation scholarship, studied at Edinburgh University, Scotland, and completed a master’s degree in social anthropology. Since 2005, Dalal has been head of the Continuing Education Department at the University College of Ability Development of the PRCS. She organizes courses, lectures in the BA degree program on policy of inclusion, rights, and legislation, and Braille, and is involved in various activities, translation, and committee work for the college. She has travelled to several countries and participated in a number of conferences and projects.

As Dalal lived in a special PRCS apartment adjacent to the Rehabilitation Centre, the next twelve years in Cairo proved a good period for her. She attended a school for blind girls and made many friends with whom she is still in contact. She excelled in her schoolwork, had the opportunity to develop her interest in music (playing flute and piano, and singing in a choir), and obtained a good grade in the public examinations at the end of secondary school.

Dalal would like to study for a PhD but has not, as yet, found a scholarship that would support such an undertaking. In the meantime, both within the college and within the community at large, Dalal continues to make a significant contribution. Jean E. Calder* *

In October 1995, Dalal, Hamoudi, another PRCS child, and some staff members from the center in Cairo moved to Khan 77

For further information on Ms. Calder, read Ruth Pollard’s article in The Sydney Morning Herald at http://www.smh.com.au/world/jean-calders-actof-love-amid-gazas-war-20131122-2y11w.html.

PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH

Ola Abu Alghaib Instead of giving up hope in the face of institutional discrimination, Ola continued to strive towards improving her life through the educational opportunities she believed she was entitled to. She enrolled at Talitha Kumi, a private school in Beit Jala, where she quickly established herself as a grade-A student and secured funding from Bethlehem University to cover the costly tuition fees. In the same way, Alghaib has persisted throughout her life in knocking on every door to access the same rights and privileges as non-disabled individuals. It was only natural, then, that fighting for her own rights became a wider struggle for the empowerment of all PwDs. To that end, she has served as a trusted consultant and influencer to many governments worldwide, to advocacy groups and NGOs, working with the likes of the United Nations, UNESCO, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization to research and analyze social and developmental policies that promote greater inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. She has designed and implemented ambitious advocacy research projects in Palestine, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Indonesia, amongst others, and has carried out emancipatory disability research with organizations in the MENA region to develop evidence-based advocacy. With the Ministry of Health and international community organizations, she founded the first program in Palestine to support children with disability. Her record attests that she is equally comfortable engaging with the grass roots as she is with senior levels. Today, as always, Alghaib is a force to be reckoned with. “I was born a warrior,” she says, “a warrior for my rights and the rights of all women with disabilities.” As a distinguished academic, seasoned traveller, passionate advocate, leader of change, and a wife and mother, Ola Abu Alghaib serves as a shining example, not only to PwDs but to all people of Palestine, of unwavering faith and determination in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And one cannot help but feel that she is only just getting started.

The life of Ola Abu Alghaib is an inspirational tale of triumph over adversity. Since becoming permanently disabled at a young age, she has fought tirelessly to overcome the social, political, economic, structural, and cultural barriers that face people with disabilities – especially women. Her 20-year track record in rights advocacy, academic research, and policy development clearly demonstrates what can be achieved when one is committed to one’s vision and mission. On the world stage, Ola has spoken up as the progressive voice for Palestine in regional and international debates on moving towards disability-inclusive policies. “People with disabilities must lead change, not wait for change,” she explains, stressing the need for “unifying efforts between organizations for persons with disabilities” (PwDs). With her multiple degrees, and now completing a PhD in social protection for PwDs in developing countries, Alghaib has skillfully combined academic practice with activism to bring about the fundamental change she so powerfully espouses. Born in Nablus, Ola was just 12 years old when she had to come to terms with a lifelong disability that put her in a wheelchair. Despite being a bright child, she was subsequently excluded from education, as the schools in her city did not accept students with disabilities. 78

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Not Done With Life Yet of growth that takes place in a region that is never stable or peaceful. The opening chapters offer a window into the old city of Jerusalem and find a child born into a torn house to divorced parents. Walking through the book, the reader grows close to the author, feeling the first pangs of loss, realizing that Darwish is gradually losing not only her homes and homeland to occupation but also her eyesight, a main means by which we survive. But life carries on with more surprises for both protagonist and reader. The book sorts through chapters in the history of a family that is at war with belonging: Jerusalem is an occupied city in which the Darwish family fights not only for physical space but also for joy in long nights of hospitable summers. Readers lose and find themselves the same way the author does, gliding to a possibility of a brighter end as the fight for life continues and the author’s thirst for a middle ground has not been fully realized. As the years pass, readers rest with Darwish as she contemplates the breeze blowing from the window by her daughter’s bedside, an alternative middle ground. Within the journey, one can feel the strength of the woman Darwish has become within the whirlwind of political and personal turbulence. Even though Darwish is not a typical, traditional Palestinian woman, she radiates strength and nationalism, evident in the many sacrifices she’s made to survive divorces, death, and the side effects of war. Far from the classic romanticization frequently associated with writings about Palestine, and far from political diction and jargon, the book is written in a simple manner, narrated as if spoken, and packed with action and movement. There’s a whiff of every place: the reader can smell the jasmine of summer and taste the mujadara made for friends in Lebanon. Despite extensive losses, bitterness rarely exists, and the tone of the writing tends to be lighthearted, at times even funny. Wafa Darwish made me laugh and cry; and by the way she combs disasters with the back of her hand and walks on, not done with life yet, she makes me realize what a Palestinian woman is.

By Wafa Darwish Dar Al Shuruq, 2014 144 pages, US $ 6.00 Reviewed by Alice S. Yousef In Not Done With Life Yet, Wafa Darwish muses on major stops along the road of her life in Palestine and abroad. At first impression, the book may seem to be an ordinary tale of an ordinary woman: A young child grows up in Jerusalem, spends her school years in Ramallah, moves to Beirut for college, and becomes a woman, mother, lecturer. On careful reading, however, Darwish’s extraordinary persona shines through. Considering critical eras in the personal history of Darwish, the narrative also touches on a collective history of the region: Palestine, Lebanon, and Egypt are among the countries where Darwish strove to grow roots and find normalcy. Slowly, massive layers peel off to reveal the fight that Darwish had to lead against disability, oppression, and many strings of loss and longing. It traces a humane experience of life, spanning from ordinary childhood situations, infatuations, and merriment to major losses and injustices. There are many challenges to overcome in a journey 79

WHERE TO GO?

Taybeh, the Home of Goodness Courtesy of VisitPalestine.ps

agricultural furnishings illustrate the context of many Biblical parables and offer a possible configuration of the Nativity cave in Bethlehem. The ancient structure has rooms on three levels to accommodate the family, the large animals, and the smaller animals.

the name of the village to Taybeh. Local legend says that the leader was affected by the kindness and goodness of Aphram’s inhabitants. The name, however, sounded much like “afra,” which has a negative meaning, “full of dust.” Saladin thought that the village name contradicted the character of its inhabitants. From that day on, the village was called Taybeh (goodness).

Taybeh has become famous for being home to the first Palestinian brewery, Taybeh Brewing Company. Since 2005, the town has risen to prominence every September/October, when it hosts the annual Oktoberfest, which attracts numerous local and international visitors. The event aims to promote not only the famous beer but all local products made in the village. This year the festival is scheduled for September 24 and 25, and will include various music and dance performances, and a wide selection of local food.

Taybeh is definitely worth a visit! The people of Taybeh belong to three Christian denominations: Latin (Roman Catholic), Greek Orthodox, and Melkite (Greek Catholic). All the communities celebrate Christmas according to the Western calendar, on December 25, and Easter is celebrated together according to the Eastern calendar. Each denomination has its own church in the village, which is usually open for Sunday morning services.

Twelve kilometers nor theast of Ra m a l l a h , Ta y b e h i s h o m e t o approximately 1,500 people. From its elevated location on a rocky hill of 869 meters, the village overlooks the wilderness, the depression of the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea.

Hebrew Bible calls the place Ophrah; however, in the time of Christ the place was already known as Aphram, which is believed to be its original Canaanite name. According to the Evangelist John (11:54), Jesus found refuge there after performing the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.

The history of Taybeh goes back more than 5,000 years, to the time when it was first settled by Canaanites. The

The Crusaders fortified Aphram with the Castle of St. Elias. It is believed that the fortress was attacked in 1187 by Saladin, who had his encampment at Tell Al Assur, an elevated point that dominated the region. Saladin is also regarded as the person who changed

Find out about other interesting destinations at www.visitpalestine. ps. For more information, contact Visit Palestine Information Center in Bethlehem at info@visitpalestine.ps or call (02) 277-1992.

There is also a fourth church … or more precisely, its ruins. The prominent Byzantine building known as Al-Khader (or Saint George) is situated east of the town. Visitors can still see two chapels an entrance portico, a stairway, and a well-preserved cruciform baptistery. Another interesting site is the 250-year-old house that stands in the cour tyard of the Latin church. The house was inhabited until 1974. It is known as Palestinian House or Parable House, as its domestic and

Saturday 17

20:00 Dandanat Dance and Music Festival organized by Diyar Consor tium and Bilda presents different genres of music: Rock, Jazz, HipHop, Rap, Reggae, Oriental, Breakdance, and Palestinian Dabke. Dar Annadwa. SPECIAL EVENTS Friday 2, 16, 23

EAST JERUSALEM CONCERTS Friday 2

9:00 – 10:00 Bethlehem old city walking tour, organized by Hosh Abu Jarour Tourist Information Center and Bethlehem Municipality, explores the history, culture and heritage of Bethlehem by visiting various sites and inspecting the old buildings. Participants will visit Star Street, Abu Jarour neighborhood, the Icon School, the Salesian Museum and Workshop, Manger Square, and the Church of the Nativity. Free of charge. Starting point will be at the head quarter of Hosh Abu Jarour Tourist Information Center, Star Street, and end point at the Church of the Nativity. Wednesday 14

19:00 – 22:00 Open MIC Night is an evening of music, talent, and creativity for all genres. Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Old City, Jerusalem. Monday 19 19:00 Douzan Music Festival, featuring Palestinian and Swedish bands is organized by Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art and Bilda Swedish Christian Study Centre. Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art, Old City, Jerusalem. EXHIBITIONS Wednesday 7

11:00 – 23:00 Bethlehem Festival for Cultural Tourism is organized by Dalal Institution for Culture and Ar ts together with other partners to enrich the experience of locals and internationals who can taste Bethlehem’s authentic food and enjoy its cultural life in an aesthetic atmosphere. Murad Castle, Salomon’s Pools. Monday 26

18:00 – 22:00 Opening of the exhibition Erasures – On Memory and Forgetting by Fazal Sheikh, followed by a performance by DAM. Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art.

BETHLEHEM THEATRE Thursday 8

French Institute. French German Cultural Center. Friday 23

Wednesday 7, 21

17:00 Café francophone offers the opportunity to converse in French and is open to everyone who wants to improve his language skills. Organized by the French Institute at Flamingo Café.

18:00 Screening of the Opera Kâlila Wa Dimna, a setting of the famous Arabic tales to music by Moneim Adwan, presented by the French Institute in partnership with Festival d’Aix-enProvence. Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. SPECIAL EVENTS Sunday 25

TAYBEH SPECIAL EVENTS Saturday 24 13:00 Opening of Taybeh Oktoberfest with Al Harrah Theater Parade and Duo Aliada. The annual festival targets adults and children through live music and children’s activities such as face painting and clown shows. Open Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 from 13:00 to 22:00. The Taybeh Brewery, Taybeh near Ramallah.

9:00 – 12:00 “Garbage, Environment, Design” is a day of action organized by the French German Cultural Center in which a piece of land will be chosen to be cleaned by volunteers of all ages. For further information, please contact: ahmed.qatamesh@ramallah.goethe.org. EXHIBITIONS Wednesday 7

INTERNATIONAL

18:00 Opening of the exhibition “Design, Environment, Garbage” with a discussion session on a project organized by the FrenchGerman Cultural Fund that aims to promote awareness of culture and environment through product design. The exhibition will present the outcomes of a workshop for French, German and Palestinian design and art students led by VecBox and runs till September 22. Gallery of the French German Cultural Center

SPECIAL EVENTS Wednesday 7

18:00 Ceremony celebrating the signing of the twinning agreement between Bethlehem and Faggiano, Italy, that aims to develop mutual cooperation between the Cribs of the Nativity Museum at the Bethlehem Peace Center and the Faggiano Museum that traditionally presents life nativity scenes during Christmas Season. Faggiano Municipality.

18:00 Yoga Day with a Maltese trainer is organized by the representative office of Malta in partnership with Bethlehem Municipality and Beit Ashams for Self-Development. Bethlehem Peace Center Rooftop.

19:00 Khararef, a theatre dance performance by Siwar Folklore Group. Dar Annadwa. CONCERTS Friday 9 15:00 – 1:00 PAM FEST – Palestine Alternative Music Festival presents music performances by the best 9 alternative music bands, namely El Container, Jowan Safadi & Fish Samak, Zaman, DAM, Mafar, Khalas, Watar, Rasha Nahhas, and Shadi Kattan to acknowledge the best bands for the year 2016 in an entertaining ambiance. Oush Ghurab, Beit Sahour. Thursday 15

RAMALLAH and EL-BIREH LECTURES Thursday 8 18:00 – 20:00 Erasures - On Memory and Forgetting features a talk by the artist Fazal Sheikh, followed by a discussion with Eduardo Cadava and Yazid Anani; organized by Al Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art and Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center. Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center. FILM SCREENINGS Sunday 18

21:00 Dandanat Dance and Music Festival organized by Diyar Consor tium and Bilda presents different genres of music: Rock, Jazz, HipHop, Rap, Reggae, Oriental, Breakdance, and Palestinian Dabke. Soul, Beit Sahour. Friday 16

18:00 Screening of Bébé tigre, a film that tells the story of “Many”, a seventeen-year-old kid who has been living in France for two years. It shows the casual daily life of a teenager sharing his time between school, his friends, and his love; however, his parents who still live in India have entrusted him with responsibilities that put his life in danger. Organized by the

Palestinian Group for the Revival of Popular Heritage

Jericho Culture & Art Center

Palestinian Heritage Center

Tel: 232 2417, Fax: 232 2604

Telefax: 232 1047

Telefax: 274 7945

Municipality Theatre

Telefax: 274 2381, 274 2642 mahasaca@palestinianheritagecenter.com www.phc.ps

JENIN (04) Cinema Jenin

Russian Center for Science and Culture

EAST JERUSALEM (02)

The Bookshop at the American Colony Hotel

ARTLAB

Tel: 627 9731, Fax: 627 9779 bookshop.americancolony@gmail.com www. americancolony.com

Al-Jawal Theatre Group

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

Mob. 0544 343 798, artlabjerusalem@gmail.com Telefax: 628 0655

Al-Ma’mal Foundation for Contemporary Art Tel: 628 3457, Fax: 627 2312 info@almamalfoundation.org www.almamalfoundation.org

Alruwah Theatre

Tel: 626 2626, alruwahtheatre2000@yahoo.com

Tel: 277 7863

Theatre Day Productions

Tel: 275 0091, Fax: 275 0092 sabreen@sabreen.org, www.sabreen.org

Tel: 234 2005, Fax: 234 2004 info@urmawi.org, www.urmawi.org

Wujoud Museum

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

Yabous Cultural Center

http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/americahouse2.html

Tel: 626 1045; Fax: 626 1372 yabous@yabous.org, www.yabous.org

Ashtar for Theatre Productions & Training

Telefax: 582 7218 info@ashtar-theatre.org, www.ashtar-theatre.org

BETHLEHEM (02)

British Council

Tel: 626 7111, Fax: 628 3021 information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcouncil.org/ps

Al-Harah Theatre

Centre for Jerusalem Studies/Al-Quds University

Alliance Française de Bethléem

Telefax: 276 7758, alharahtheater@yahoo.com info@alharah.org, www.alharah.org

Tel: 628 7517, cjs@planet.edu www.jerusalem-studies.alquds.edu

Telefax: 275 0777, afbeth@p-ol.com

Anat Palestinian Folk & Craft Center

Community Action Centre (CAC)

Telefax: 277 2024, marie_musslam@yahoo.com

Tel: 627 3352, Fax: 627 4547, www.cac.alquds.edu

Arab Educational Institute (AEI)-Open Windows

Educational Bookshop

Tel: 274 4030, www.aeicenter.org

Tel: 627 5858, Fax: 628 0814 info@educationalbookshop.com www.educationalbookshop.com

Artas Folklore Center

Mob: 0597 524 524, 0599 679 492, 0503 313 136 artasfc@hotmail.com

El-Hakawati Theatre Company

Tel: 583 8836, Mobile: 0545 835 268 f.abousalem@gmail.com, www.el-hakawati.org

Badil Centre

French Cultural Centre

Beit Jala Community-Based Learning and Action Center

Tel: 277 7086

Tel: 628 2451 / 626 2236, Fax: 628 4324 ccfjeru@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Tel: 277 7863

Issaf Nashashibi Center for Culture & Literature Telefax: 581 8232, isaaf@alqudsnet.com

Jerusalem Centre for Arabic Music Magnificat Insitute

TeleFax: 628 1377, Melia@bezeqint.net www.meliaartandtrainingcenter.com Telefax: 627 3501 info@alhoashgallery.org, www.alhoashgallary.org

Tel. 237 2863, Fax. 237 8275 arafatn24@yahoo.com

Telefax: 275 2492, highiom@hotmail.com www.thehigherinstituteofmusic.ps

French Cultural Centre

Turathuna - Centre for Palestinian Heritage (B.Uni.)

Tel: 238 5914, Fax: 238 7593 ccfnaplouse@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Tel: 274 1241, Fax: 274 4440 pdaoud@bethlehem.edu, www.bethlehem.edu

Nablus The Culture

Tel: 233 2084, Fax: 234 5325 info@nablusculture.ps, www.nablusculture.ps

HEBRON (02)

RAMALLAH AND AL-BIREH (02)

Al Sanabl Centre for Studies and Heritage Tel: 256 0280, sanabelssc@yahoo.com www.sanabl.org, www.sanabl.ps

A. M. Qattan Foundation

Beit Et Tifl Compound

Telefax: 222 4545, tdphebron@alqudsnet.com

Tel: 296 0544, Fax: 298 4886 info@qattanfoundation.org www.qattanfoundation.org

British Council- Palestine Polytechnic University

Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque

Telefax: 229 3717, information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britsishcouncil.org.ps

Tel: 296 5292/3, Fax: 296 5294 info@alkasaba.org, www.alkasaba.org

Children Happiness Center

Al-Kamandjâti Association

Telefax: 229 9545, children_hc@yahoo.com

Tel: 297 3101 info@alkamandjati.com, www.alkamandjati.com

Tel: 228 3663, nader@duramun.org www.duramun.org

Al-Mada Music Therapy Center

Dura Cultural Martyrs Center

Tel: 241 3196, Fax: 241 3197 info@al-mada.ps, www.al-mada.ps Telefax: 298 8091, alrahhalah@hotmail.com Tel: 296 1613, Fax: 197 1265, Mob: 0599 259 874 akel.nichola@gmail.com

Tel: 222 4811 info@hebron-france.org, wwww.hebron-france.org

Amideast

Tel: 240 8023, Fax: 240 8017 westbank-gaza@amideast.org, www.amideast.org

Tel: 274 3277, Fax 274 2939 info@ca-b.org, www.ca-b.org

Hebron Rehabilitation Committee

Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation

Palestinian Child Arts Center (PCAC)

ArtSchool Palestine

Environmental Education Center

The International Palestinian Youth League (IPYL)

Ashtar for Theatre Production

Yes Theater

Baladna Cultural Center

Tel: 532 1393, sabreen@sabreen.org

International Centre of Bethlehem-Dar Annadwa

Tel: 671 4338, Fax: 673 0993 sanabeltheatre@yahoo.com

ITIP Center “Italian Tourist Information Point”

Tel: 277 0047, Fax: 277 0048 info@diyar.ps, www.diyar.ps

Sanabel Culture & Arts Theatre

Cultural Heritage Enrichment Center

The Higher Institute of Music

Al-Rua’a Publishing House

Telefax: 276 6263, www.inadtheater.com

Sabreen Association for Artistic Development

Tel: 238 6290, Fax: 239 7518 nutaleb@hotmail.com, www.nutaleb.cjb.net

Telefax: 274 8726 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, www.birzeit.edu/music

France-Hebron Association for Cultural Exchanges

Inad Centre for Theatre and Arts

Tel: 628 0957, Fax: 627 6293, info@pnt-pal.org

Cultural Centre for Child Development

Bethlehem Peace Center

Tel: 276 5574, eec@p-ol.com, www.eecp.org

Palestinian National Theatre

Telefax: 237 5950 information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcoumcil.org/ps

Al-Rahhalah Theatre

Tel: 276 6244, Fax: 276 6241 info@cchp.ps, www.cchp.ps

Palestinian Art Court - Al Hoash

British Council- Al Najah University

Tel: 221 3301/2/3/4, Fax: 221 3305 Mob: 0599 097 531

Catholic Action Cultural Center

Melia Art Center

NABLUS (09)

AMIDEAST

Tel: 276 6677, Fax: 276 4670 info@peacenter.org, www.peacenter.org

Tel: 626 6609, Fax: 626 6701 magnificat@custodia.org www.magnificatinstitute.org

Tel: 250 3345, info@thefreedomtheatre.org

Bethlehem Academy of Music/ Bethlehem Music Society Tel: 277 7141, Fax: 277 7142

Tel: 627 4774, Fax: 656 2469, mkurd@yahoo.com

The Freedom Theatre/Jenin Refugee Camp

Tent of Nations

Tel: 274 3071, Fax: 276 7446 tnations@p-ol.com, www.tentofnations.org

Tel: 626 0916, www.wujoud.org, info@wujoud.org

America House

Telfax: 250 4773 center@hakoura-jenin.ps, www.hakoura-jenin.ps

Sabreen Association for Artistic Development

Turkish Cultural Centre

Tel: 591 0530/1, Fax: 532 3310 kudustur@netvision.net.il, www.kudusbk.com

Al-Urmawi Centre for Mashreq Music

Hakoura Center

Relief International - Schools Online Bethlehem Community-Based Learning and Action Center

Tel: 627 1711, Fax: 627 1710 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, ncm.birzeit.edu

Tel: 585 4513, Fax: 583 4233 tdp@theatreday.org, www.theatreday.org

Tel: 250 2642, 250 2455 info@cinemajenin.org, www.cinemajenin.org

Telefax: 276 1131, Tel: 276 1130 russian.center@ymail.com, pse.rs.gov.ru/ar www.facebook.com/russian.center.bethlehem

Telefax: 276 0411, itipcenter@yahoo.com

Nativity Stationery Library

Telfax: 225 5640, 222 6993/4

Tel: 295 9837, info@artschoolpalestine.com www.artschoolpalestine.com

Tel: 222 4813, Fax: 222 0855 pcac@hotmail.com, www.pcac.net

Tel: 298 0037, Fax: 296 0326 info@ashtar-theatre.org, www.ashtar-theatre.org

Tel:222 9131, Fax: 229 0652 itv@ipyl.org, www.ipyl.org

Telfax: 295 8435

Telefax: 229 1559, www.yestheatre.org, info@yestheatre.org

Birzeit Ethnographic and Art Museum

Tel. 298 2976, www.virtualgallery.birzeit.edu

JERICHO (02)

British Council

Tel: 296 3293-6, Fax: 296 3297 information@ps.britishcouncil.org www.britishcouncil.org/ps

Jericho Community Centre Telefax: 232 5007

Mob: 0598 950 447

Carmel Cultural Foundation

Sharek Youth Forum

Tel: 298 7375, Fax: 298 7374

Tel: 296 7741, Fax: 296 7742 info@sharek.ps, www.sharek.ps

Dar Zahran Heritage Building

Shashat

Telfax: 296 3470, Mob: 0599 511 800 info@darzahran.org, www.darzahran.org

Tel: 297 3336, Fax: 297 3338 info@shashat.org, www.shashat.org

El-Funoun Dance Troupe

Tamer Institute for Community Education

Tel: 240 2853, Fax: 240 2851 info@el-funoun.org, www.el-funoun.org

Tel: 298 6121/ 2, Fax: 298 8160 tamer@palnet.com, www.tamerinst.org

Franco-German Cultural Centre Ramallah

Tel: 298 1922 / 7727, Fax: 298 1923 info@ccf-goethe.org, www.ccf-goethe-ramallah.org

The Danish House in Palestine (DHIP)

Gallery One

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

TeleFax: 298 8457, info@dhip.ps, www.dhip.ps

Tel: 298 9181, info@galleryone.ps

Tel: 295 9070, Fax: 295 9071 info@ncm.birzeit.edu, www.birzeit.edu/music

Greek Cultural Centre - “Macedonia” Telefax: 298 1736/ 298 0546 makdonia@palnet.com

The Palestinian Circus School

Tel: 281 2000, 0568 880 024 www.palcircus.ps, info@ palcircus.ps

In’ash Al-Usra Society- Center for Heritage & Folklore Studies

The Palestinian Network of Art Centres

Tel: 240 1123 / 240 2876, Telefax: 240 1544 usra@palnet.com, www.inash.org

Tel: 298 0036, 296 4348/9, Fax: 296 0326 iman_aoun@yahoo.com

International Academy of Arts

The Spanish Cultural Center

Tel: 296 7601, info@artacademy.ps

Tel. 296 9600, Mob: 0595 803 508 centrohispanopalestino@gmail.com

Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center

Tel: 298 7374, Fax: 296 6820 sakakini@sakakini.org, www.sakakini.org

Young Artist Forum

Telefax: 296 7654, yaf@palnet.com

Mahmoud Darwish Foundation and Museum

Zawyeh Art Gallery

Tel: 295 2808, Fax: 295 2809 Info@darwishfoundation.org www.darwishfoundation.org

Mob. 0597 994 997 anani.ziad@gmail.com, www.zawyeh.net

Manar Cultural Center

GAZA STRIP (08)

Tel: 295 7937, Fax: 298 7598

Mazra’a Qibliyeh Heritage and Tourism Centre

Al-Qattan Centre for the Child

Telefax: 281 5825, mazraaheritage@yahoo.com www.geocities.com/mazraaheritage/

Tel: 283 9929, Fax: 283 9949 reem@qcc.qattanfoundation.org www.qattanfoundation.org/qcc

Nawa Institute

EAST JERUSALEM (02)

Tel: 627 7855, Fax: 626 4124 swedishhost@yahoo.com www.geocities.com/swedishhostel

Addar Hotel (30 suites; bf; mr; res)

Notre Dame Guesthouse (142 rooms, Su, bf, mr, cr, res, ter, cf, pf)

Tel: 626 7777, Fax: 627 1319 svnarch@bezeqint.net, www.7arches.com Tel: 626 3111, Fax: 626 0791, www.addar-hotel.com Tel: 628 1111; Fax: 628 7360 admin@jrscazar.com, www.jrscazar.com

St. Andrew’s Scottish Guesthouse “The Scottie” (19 rooms +Self Catering Apartment)

Christmas Hotel

Tel: 628 2588, Fax: 626 4417 christmashotel@bezeqint.net, www.christmas-hotel.com

Tel: 673 2401, Fax: 673 1711 standjer@netvision.net.il, www.scotsguesthouse.com

Commodore Hotel (45 rooms; cf; mr; res)

Tel: 627 1414, Fax: 628 4701 info@commodore-jer.com, www.commodore-jer.com

St George Hotel Jerusalem

Tel: 627 7232 Fax: 627 7233 info@stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com www.stgeorgehoteljerusalem.com

Gloria Hotel (94 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 628 2431, Fax: 628 2401, gloriahl@netvision.net.il

St. George’s Pilgrim Guest House (25 rooms; bf; res)

Tel: 627 2416, Fax: 626 4658 info@goldenwalls.com, www.goldenwalls.com

Tel: 628 3302, Fax: 628 2253 sghostel@bezeqint.net

Tel: 627 2888, Fax: 628 0265 info@holylandhotel.com, www.holylandhotel.com

St. Thomas Home

Tel: 628 2657, 627 4318, Fax: 626 4684 aset@aset-future.com, www.aset-future.net

Tel: 578 3100, Fax: 578 3129, www.ibis.com

Victoria Hotel (50 rooms; bf; res)

Tel: 627 4466, Fax: 627 4171 Info@4victoria-hotel.com, www.4victoria-hotel.com

French Cultural Centre

Tel: 628 5212, Fax: 628 5214 www.jerusalem-meridian.com

Alexander Hotel (42 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Jerusalem Panorama Hotel (74 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Al-Salam Hotel (26 rooms; 6f; mr; cf; res)

Ramallah Center for Human Rights Studies (RCHRS)

Gaza Theatre

Ramallah Cultural Palace

Telefax: 288 4399, art.global@yahoo.com

Tel: 282 4860, Fax: 282 4870

Global Production and Distribution

Theatre Day Productions

Legacy Hotel

Mob. 0599 781 227 - 0599 415 045 info@artwfg.ps

Angel Hotel Beit Jala

Tel: 276 6880, Fax: 276 6884 info@angelhotel.ps, www.angelhotel.ps

Tel: 628 4410, Fax: 628 4667, info@hashimihotel.com

RIWAQ: Centre for Architectural Conservation

Windows from Gaza For Contemporary Art

Tel: 276 4083/4, Fax: 277 0551, samhotel@p-ol.com

Hashimi Hotel

Knights Palace Guesthouse (50 rooms)

Telefax: 283 6766, tdpgaza@palnet.com

Tel: 277 0780, Fax: 277 0782

Tel: 628 4887, Fax: 627 3699 panorama@alqudsnet.com www.jerusalempanoramahotel.com

Holst Cultural Centre

Tel: 281 0476, Fax: 280 8896, mcrcg@palnet.com

BETHLEHEM (02)

Jerusalem Meridian Hotel (74 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 294 5555, Fax: 295 2107 rcpevents@ramallah-city.ps

Sareyyet Ramallah - First Ramallah Group (FRG)

Tel: 626 7777, Fax: 627 1319 svnarch@trendline.co.il

Fawanees Theatre Group Tel: 286 7883, Fax: 282 8811 ccfgaza@consulfrance-jerusalem.org

Tel: 296 5638, 295 3206 sandouqelajab@yahoo.com

Seven Arches Hotel (197 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 628 3282, Fax: 628 3282 raed@jrshotel.com, www.jrshotel.com

Telefax: 288 4403

Sandouq Elajab Theatre

Tel: 628 3366, Fax: 628 8040

Tel: 628 2561/2, Fax: 626 4352

Jerusalem Hotel (14 rooms; bf; mr; res; live music)

Tel: 240 6887, Fax: 240 6986 riwaq@palnet.com, www.riwaq.org

Savoy Hotel (17 rooms)

Capitol Hotel (54 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Dialogpunkt Deutsch Gaza (Goethe-Insitut)

Tel: 241 3002

Tel: 628 4871, Fax: 627 4879

Tel: 628 2447, Fax: 628 3960 azzahrahotel@shabaka.net, www.azzahrahotel.com

Palestinian Association for Cultural Exchange (PACE)

Tel: 240 3891, Fax: 240 2851 info@popularartcentre.org www.popularartcentre.org

Rivoli Hotel

Azzahra Hotel (15 rooms, res)

Telefax: 286 5896, ifarah@palnet.com

Popular Art Center

Tel: 626 9900, Fax: 626 9910 reservations@jerusalemritz.com www.jerusalemritz.com

Tel: 626 5800, Fax: 627 1472 office@austrianhospice.com, www.austrianhospice.com

ibis Styles Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah (91 rooms)

Tel: 240 7611, Telfax: 240 7610 pace@p-ol.com, www.pace.ps

Ritz Hotel Jerusalem (104 rooms, bf, mr)

Austrian Hospice

Culture & Light Centre

Tel: 282 0203, Fax: 282 1602

Tel: 627 2416, info@goldenwalls.com

Tel: 627 9777, Fax: 627 9779 reserv@amcol.co.il, www.americancolony.com

Tel: 296 7601, fax: 295 1849 paca@pal-paca.org, www.pal-paca.org

Telefax: 283 3565, atlas9@palnet.com

Pilgrims Inn Hotel (16 rooms; bf; mr; res)

American Colony Hotel (84 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Holy Land Hotel (105 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Palestinian Association for Contemporary Art PACA

Tel: 628 6618

Tel: 541 2222, Fax: 582 8202 reservation@jerusalemambassador.com www.jerusalemambassador.com

Ashtar for Culture & Arts

Mob: 0597 651 408, www.palestineworkshop.com

Petra Hostel and Hotel

Ambassador Hotel (122 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Golden Walls Hotel (112 rooms)

Telefax: 284 6405 artvlg@palnet.com, www.gazavillage.org

Palestine Writing Workshop

Tel: 627 9111, Fax: 627 1995 info@notredamecenter.org www.notredamecenter.org

Alcazar Hotel (38 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Arts & Crafts Village

Tel: 297 0190, info@nawainstitute.org

New Swedish Hostel

7 Arches Hotel

Ararat Hotel (101 rooms, mr, ter, cf)

Tel: 274 9888, Fax: 276 9887 info@ararat-hotel.com, www.ararat–hotel.com

Tel: 628 2537, Fax: 628 2401, kp@actcom.co.il

Beit Al-Baraka Youth Hostel (19 rooms)

Tel: 627 0800, Fax: 627 7739 info@jerusalemlegacy.com, www.jerusalemlegacy.com

Tel: 222 9288, Fax: 222 9288

Bethlehem Bible College Guest House (11 rooms; mr; pf)

Metropol Hotel

Tel: 628 2507, Fax: 628 5134

Mount of Olives Hotel (61 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 274 1190, guesthouse@bethbc.org

National Hotel (99 rooms; bf; cr; res; cf)

Tel: 274 2613, Fax: 274 4250 reception@luthchurch.com www.abrahams-herberge.com

Beit Ibrahim Guesthouse

Tel: 628 4877, Fax: 626 4427 info@mtolives.coml, www.mtolives.com

Tel: 295 2690 - 295 2706, Fax: 298 0583 sareyyet@sareyyet.ps, www.sareyyet.ps

Tel: 627 8880, Fax: 627 7007 www.nationalhotel-jerusalem.com

Bethlehem Hotel (209 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

New Imperial Hotel (45 rooms)

Tel: 277 0702, Fax: 277 0706, bhotel@p-ol.com

New Metropole Hotel (25 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 274 2424, Fax: 274 2423

Bethlehem Inn (36 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 627 2000, Fax: 627 1530 Tel: 628 3846, Fax: 627 7485

Bethlehem Star Hotel (72 rooms; cf; bf; res)

Reservation@st-gabrielhtel.com www.st-gabrielhotel.com

Tel: 274 3249 - 277 0285, Fax: 274 1494 htstar@palnet.com

Saint Michael Hotel

Casanova Hospice (60 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 276 9921/2/3, Fax: 277 2244 info@saintmichaelhotel.com www.saintmichaelhotel.com

Tel: 274 3981, Fax: 274 3540

Casanova Palace Hotel (25 rooms; bf; res)

Santa Maria Hotel (83 rooms; mr; res)

Tel: 274 2798, Fax: 274 1562

Dar Sitti Aziza Hotel

Telefax: 274 4848 info@darsittiaziza.com, www.darsittiaziza.com TeleFax: 277 5857, info@elbeit.org, www.elbeit.org

Eman Regency Palace (55 rooms; su (1); cr; res)

Tel: 277 2010, Fax: 274 6808 info@emanregencyhotel.ps, www.emanregencyhotel.ps

Aladdin Hotel (27 rooms bf; mr; ter)

St. Nicholas Hotel (25 rooms; res; mr)

Everest Hotel (19 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 274 3040/1/2, Fax: 274 3043

Grand Hotel (107 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Tel: 276 0967/8, Fax: 276 0970 svincent@p-ol.com, www.saintvincentguesthouse.net

Saint Vincent Guest House (36 rooms)

Tel: 274 2604, Fax: 274 1278

Tel: 274 1602 - 274 1440, Fax: 274 1604 info@grandhotelbethlehem.com

Talita Kumi Guest House (22 rooms; res; mr; cf) Tel: 274 1247, Fax: 274 1847

Golden Park Resort & Hotel (Beit Sahour) (66 rooms; res, bar, pool)

White Diamond Hotel

Tel: 277 4414

Grand Park Hotel Bethlehem (Has 110 rooms located in 7 floors, main restaurant, dining room, conference room and bar.)

Tel: 277 3432/3, Fax: 274 8650 holyfamilyhotel@hotmail.com www.holyfamilyhotel.com

Holy Land Hotel

Auberg-Inn Bed & Breakfast

House of Hope Guesthouse

Hisham Palace Hotel

House of Peace Hostel

Oasis Jericho Hotel (181 rooms; su; bf; cf; mr; res; ter; tb)

Tel: 0523 500 041, 0522 626 067 info@housepitality.net, www.auberginn.ps

Tel: 277 8962/3, Fax: 277 8961 holylandhotel@hotmail.com, www.holylandhotel.net

Tel: 232 2414, Fax: 232 3109

Tel: 274 2325, Fax: 274 0928 Guesthouse@houseofhopemd.org

Tel: 231 1200, Fax: 231 1222 reservation@oasis-jericho.ps

Tel: 276 4739, www.houseofpeace.hostel.com/

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse

Jericho Resort Village (92 rooms; 46 studios; bf; cf; mr; res)

Tel: 274 7529, reservations@hoshalsyrian.com www.hoshalsyrian.com

Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189 reservation@jerichoresorts.com www.jerichoresorts.com

Jacir Palace Hotel - Bethlehem (250 rooms; su; bf; cf; mr; res) Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6770

Jerusalem Hotel (22 rooms)

Lutheran Guesthouse “Abu Gubran”

Tel: 232 2444, Fax: 992 3109

Tel: 277 0047, Guesthouse@diyar.ps, www.diyar.ps

Telepherique & Sultan Tourist Center (55 rooms)

Manger Square Hotel (220 Rooms; bf; cf; mr; res; cr)

Tel: 232 1590, Fax: 232 1598 info@jericho-cablecar.com

Tel: 277 8888, Fax: 277 8889 fabudayyeh@mangersquarehotel.com Web: www.mangersquarehotel.com

HEBRON (02)

Nativity BELLS Hotel (95 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Hebron Hotel

Tel: 274 8880, Fax: 274 8870 nativitybells@palnet.com, www.nativitybellshotel.ps

Tel: 225 4240 / 222 9385, Fax: 222 6760 hebron_hotel@hotmail.com

Nativity Hotel (89 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

NABLUS (09)

Tel: 277 0650, Fax: 274 4083 nativity@nativity-hotel.com, www.nativity-hotel.com

Al-Qaser Hotel (48 rooms; 7 regular suites, 1 royal suite; bf; cf; mr; res)

Olive Tree Hotel (20 rooms; 6 su; res; sp; bar; wifi-lobby) Tel: 276 4660 Fax: 275 3807 olivetreehotel@yahoo.com Facebook: olive tree tourist village

Telefax: 238 6220

Tel: 0599 713 124 / 0548 866 410 eydam2000@hotmil.com www.booking.com/hotel/ps/assaraya.eg.html

Chrystal Motel (12 rooms)

Telefax: 295 0022, Retno@retnohotel.com www.retnohotel.com

Al-Manara hotel (22 rooms)

Summer Bar (Ankars Garden)

Tel: 296 4040, Fax: 296 4047 info@rcshotel.com, www.rcshotel.com

Tel: 298 8868, 298 8008 almanarahotel@hotmail.com, www.almanarahotel.ps

Tel: 295 2602

Star Mountain Guesthouse (10 rooms; wifi; pf) Tel: 296 2705, Telefax: 296 2715 starmountaincenter@gmail.com

Tel: 242 3019 alzahrasuites@yahoo.com, www.alzahrasuites.ps

Taybeh Golden Hotel

Tel: 289 9440, Fax: 970-2-289-9441 www.taybehgoldenhotel.com

Telefax: 298 0412

Ankars Suites and Hotel (40 Suites & Rooms, su,mr,bf,cr,res,ter,cf,gm,pf)

GAZA STRIP (08)

Tel: 295 2602, Fax: 295 2603, Info@ankars.ps Area: D Hostel (50 beds, 2 private appartments) Mob: 0569 349 042, Info@RamallahHostel.com

Adam Hotel (76 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Area D Hostel

Tel: 283 8100/200/300, Fax: 283 8400 info@aldeira.ps, www.aldeira.ps

Telefax: 282 3521/19, Fax: 282 5580

Al-Deira (22 Suits; cf; mr; res; ter)

Mob: 0569 349 042, ehab@ramallahhostel.com

Al Mashtal Hotel

Beauty Inn

Tel: 283 2500, Fax: 283 2510 mashtal@arcmedhotels.com www.almashtalarcmedhotels.com

Tel: 296 6477, Fax: 296 6479 beauty.inn@hotmail.com, www.beautyinn.ps

Best Eastern Hotel (91 rooms; cf; res)

Almat’haf Hotel

Tel: 296 0450, Fax: 295 8452, besteastern@jrol.com

Tel: 285 8444, Fax: 285 8440 info@almathaf.ps, www.almathaf.ps

Caesar Hotel (46 rooms & su, 2 mr, cr, res, cf)

Tel: 297 9400, Fax: 297 9401 reservation@caesar-hotel.ps, www.caesar-hotel.ps

Al-Quds International Hotel (44 rooms; 2 suites; bf; mr; res)

City Inn Palace Hotel (47 rooms; bf; cf; res)

Telefax: 282 5181, 282 6223, 286 3481, 282 2269

Tel: 240 8080, Fax: 240 8091 cityinnpalace@gmail.com, www.cityinnpalace.com

Beach Hotel (25 rooms; bf; mr; res) Telefax: 282 5492, 284 8433

Grand Park Hotel & Resorts (84 rooms; 12 grand suites; bf; cf; mr; res; sp; pf)

Commodore Gaza Hotel (60 rooms;su; bf) Tel: 283 4400, Fax: 282 2623

Tel: 298 6194, Fax: 295 6950, info@grandpark.com

Gaza International Hotel (30 rooms; bf; cf; res)

Gemzo Suites (90 executive suites; cs; mr; pf; gm; res) Tel: 240 9729, Fax: 240 9532 gemzo@palnet.com, www.gemzosuites.net

Tel: 283 0001/2/3/4, Fax: 283 0005

Garden Suites and Restaurant (22 suites (su, res, pf)

Tel: 284 9498/6468, Fax: 284 9497

Grand Palace Hotel (20 rooms; cr; mr; cf; res) Marna House (17 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Tel: 298 8885, Fax: 298 8876, info@gardensuite.net

Lavender Boutique Hotel ( 10 rooms, cf;mr;res)

Tel: 282 2624, Fax: 282 3322

Palestine Hotel (54 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res)

Telefax: 297 7073 reservation@lavenderboutiquehotel.com www.lavenderboutiquehotel.com

Tel: Tel: 282 3355, Fax: 286 0056

JENIN (04)

Manarah Hotel

Cinema Jenin Guesthouse (7 rooms; 2 su)

Tel: 295 2122, Telefax: 295 3274 manarah@hotmail.com, www.manarahhotel.com.ps

Tel: 250 2455, Mob: 0599 317 968 guesthouse@cinemajenin.org, www.cinemajenin.org

Haddad Hotel & Resort

Tel: 298 7176, Telefax: 298 7074

Tel: 241 7010/1/2, Fax: 241 7013 haddadbooking@ymail.com www.haddadtourismvillage.com

Tel: 298 5888, Fax: 298 533 hotel.ramallah@moevenpick.com hotel.ramallah.reservation@moevenpick.com www.moevenpick-ramallah.com

North Gate Hotel

Tel: 243 5700, Fax: 243 5701 info@northgate-hotel.com, www.northgate-hotel.com

Telefax: 233 3281

International Friends Guesthouse (Hostel) (mr; res; ter; cf; pf)

St. Antonio Hotel (36 rooms; mr; cf;res;pf) Tel: 276 6221, Fax: 276 6220

Telfax: 238 1064 ifriends.house@gmail.com, www.guesthouse.ps

Saint Gabriel Hotel

Tel: 275 9990, Fax: 275 9991

Retno Hotel (33 rooms & su; res; mr; gm; sp) Royal Court Suite Hotel (39 rooms; res; mr; ter; cf; pf; i)

Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah (171 rooms and Su; bf; mr; cr; res;ter; cf; gm; pf; sp)

Asia Hotel (28 rooms, res)

Telefax: 2810881, www.reefhousepension.ps

Tel: 295 6226 - 295 0031, Fax: 295 0032 alhambrapalace1@gmail.com www.alhambra-palace-hotel.com

Al-Yasmeen Hotel & Souq (30 rooms; cf; mr; res)

Assaraya Hotel Apartment

Tel: 274 4542/3 - 274 4544, paradise@p-ol.com

Reef Pension (Jifna village) (8 rooms; res)

Al Hambra Palace (Hotel Suites and Resort)

Merryland Hotel (25 rooms)

Tel: 233 3555 Fax: 233 3666 yasmeen@palnet.com, www.alyasmeen.com

Tel: 295 3544, Fax: 295 5029

Telefax: 298 7858

Tel: 2341 444, Fax: 2341 944 alqaser@alqaserhotel.com, www.alqaserhotel.com

Paradise Hotel (166 rooms;cf;bf;mr;res;su;pf)

Ramallah Hotel (22 rooms; bf; mr; res)

Al-Hajal Hotel (22 rooms; bf)

Al-Wihdah Hotel

Telefax: 274 2016 Deir Hijleh Monastery Tel: 994 3038, 0505 348 892

Telefax: 295 6808

Telefax: 240 0803

Zaituna Tourist Village

Al- Zaytouna Guest House (7 rooms; bf; res; mr)

Pension Miami (12 rooms)

Al-Bireh Tourist Hotel (50 rooms; cf; res)

AlZahra Suites

JERICHO (02)

Holy Family Hotel (90 rooms; bf; cf; mr; res;)

Tel: 294 6888, Fax: 297 3574 reservations@palestineplazahotel.com

Tel: 240 7689, Fax: 240 7687, Mob. 0598 308 382 aladdinhotel1@gmail.com, www.thealaddinhotel.com

Tel: 277 4041/2, Fax: 277 4010 wdh@whitediamond-hotel.com Web site: whitediamond-hotel.com Tel: 275 0655

Tel: 275 6400, Fax: 276 3736 info@grandpark.com, www.grandpark.com

Palestine Plaza Hotel (100 rooms and suites; bf; res; gym; cf)

Al-A’in Hotel (24 rooms and suites; mr; cf)

Shepherd Hotel

Tel: 275 9690, Fax: 275 9693

Tel: 296 4470, Telefax: 296 1871

RAMALLAH and AL-BIREH (02) Tel: 240 5925 - 240 4353, Fax: 240 4332 alainhotel@hotmail.com

Shepherds’ House Hotel (Facilities: Restaurant and Bar, WiFi)

Rocky Hotel (22 rooms; cf; res; ter)

Tel: 237 3338/9, Fax: 237 3340 www.saleemafandihotel.ps

Tel: 276 7374/5/6, Fax: 276 7377, smaria@p-ol.com Tel: 274 0656, Fax: 274 4888 info@shepherdhotel.com, www.shepherdhotel.com

El-Beit Guest House (Beit Sahour) (15 rooms)

Saleem Afandi Hotel

Key: su = suites, bf = business facilities; mr = meeting rooms, cr = conference facilities; res = restaurant, ter = terrace bar; tb = turkish bath, cf = coffee shop; gm = gym; pf = parking facilities, sp = swimming pool 89

King Gaspar Restaurant & Bar (Italian, Asian and Mediterranean Cuisine)

Tel: 276 5301, Fax: 276 5302

Il’iliyeh Restaurant Continental Cuisine Tel: 277 0047

Layal Lounge Snack Bar Tel: 275 0655

La Terrasse Middle Eastern and

EAST JERUSALEM (02) Al-Diwan (Ambassador Hotel)

Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 541 2213, Fax: 582 8202

Alhambra Palace Jerusalem Restaurant & coffee shop

Lotus and Olive Garden (Jerusalem Meridian Hotel) Middle Eastern and Continental Cuisine

Tel: 628 5212

Nafoura Middle Eastern Menu Tel: 626 0034

Tel: 626 3535, Fax: 6263737 info@alhambrapalacej.com

Nakashian Gallery Café

Al-Manakeesh Pizza & Pastries

La Rotisserie (Notre Dame Hotel) Gourmet Restaurant, European and

Tel: 585 6928

Al-Shuleh Grill Shawerma and

Barbecues

Tel: 627 3768

Amigo Emil Middle Eastern, American, Indian, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 628 8090, Fax: 626 1457

Antonio’s (Ambassador Hotel)

Middle Eastern, French, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 541 2213

Arabesque, Poolside, and Patio Restaurants (American Colony Hotel) Western and Middle Eastern Menu Tel: 627 9777, Fax: 627 9779

Armenian Tavern Armenian and Middle Eastern Food

Tel: 627 3854

Askidinya Italian and French Cuisine Tel: 532 4590

Az-Zahra Oriental food and Pizza Tel: 628 2447

Borderline Restaurant Café Italian and Oriental Menu

Tel: 532 8342

Tel: 627 8077

Mediterranean Menu

Tel: 627 9114, Fax: 627 1995

Dina Café Coffee and Pastry Tel: 626 3344

Educational Bookshop Books

and Coffee

Tel: 627 5858

and Barbecues

Tel. 274 1897

Abu Shanab Restaurant Barbecues Tel: 274 2985

Afteem Restaurant Oriental Cuisine Tel: 274 7940

Al-Areesheh Palace (autumn and winter) (Jacir Palace) Middle

Eastern and Barbecues

and Italian Cuisine

Philadelphia Restaurant Tel: 532 2626, Fax: 532 2636

Shalizar Restaurant Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 582 9061

The Gate Café Fresh Juices, Coffee,

and Tea

Barbara Restaurant

Oriental Cuisine

Tel: 627 4282

Tel: 277 6336, Fax: 277 6337

Four Seasons Restaurants and Coffee Shop Barbecues and Shawerma

Tel: 627 7232, Fax: 627 7233

Ewaan Restaurant (International

Versavee Bistro (Bar and Café)

Tel: 274 3737

Tel: 627 6160

Fawda Cafe

Victoria Restaurant Middle Eastern

Tel: 274 7529

Tel: 585 3223

Kan Zaman (Jerusalem Hotel) Mediterranean Cuisine

Tel: 673 2401, Fax: 673 1711 and European Menu

Oriental and Western Food

Dar al-Balad Continental Cuisine Tel: 274 9073

Divano Café and Restaurant Tel: 275 7276 divanocafe@gmail.com Cuisine)

Hosh Al-Syrian Guesthouse

and Arabic Menu

Grotto Restaurant Barbecues and

Wake up Restaurant

Tel: 274 8844, Fax: 274 8889

Zad Rest. & Café

Tel: 274 3224

Tel: 628 3051, Fax: 627 4171 Tel: 627 8880

Tel: 627 7454, 627 2525

The Tent Restaurant (Shepherds’ Valley Village) Barbecues Tel: 277 3875, Fax: 277 3876

Sima Café

Elite Coffee House Italian and Arabic

Mob: 0599 258 435 Tel: 290 5124

Taboon

Golden Roof Continental Cuisine

Tel: 2951 7031, 296 6505

Akasha Oriental Tel: 295 9333

Escape fresh, healthy food

Allegro Italian Restaurant (Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah) Italian

Express Pizza American Pizza

fine cuisine

Tel: 295 9976, Mob: 0592 333 477 Tel: 296 6566

Fakhr El-Din Lebanese Cuisine

Tel: 298 5888

Tel: 294 6800

Fawanees Pastries and Fast Food Tel: 298 7046

Oriental cuisine

Fatuta Reataurant Barbecues, (Birzeit)

Awjan Seafood, Breakfast, and Pizza, Coffee

Fuego Mexican and Tapas Grill

Mob. 0599 839 043

Shop, Lebanese and Italian Cuisine

Tel: 297 1776

Andre’s Restaurant French and

Tel: 29 59426 - 1700 999 888

Jasmine Café Tel: 295 0121

Angelo’s Western Menu and Pizza

K5M - Caterers Cake and Sweets

Cuisine and Barbecues

Ayysha Restaurant Oriental Cuisine

Khuzama Restaurant Oriental Cuisine

Tachi Chinese Chinese Cuisine

Azure Restaurant and Coffee Shop Continental Cuisine

La Vie Café Cafe, Bistro & Bar

Taboo – Restaurant and Bar

Baladna Ice Cream Ice Cream and

Mob. 0597 492 175

Tel: 296 6477/8

Tel: 297 5444

Tel: 295 6408, 298 1455 Tel: 296 6622

Telefax: 295 7850

Oriental and Continental Cuisine

Soft Drinks

Tel: 274 0711, Mob: 0599 205 158

Telefax: 295 6721

The Square Restaurant and Coffee Shop Mediterranean Cuisine

Bel Mondo Italian Cuisine Tel: 298 6759

Tel: 274 9844

Caesar’s (Grand Park Hotel)

Zaitouneh (Jacir Palace) Continental

Tel: 298 6194

Cuisine

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6154

Continental Cuisine

Tel: 298 0880

JERICHO (02)

Casper & Gambini’s Palestine

Al-Nafoura Restaurant (Jericho Resort Village) Arabic Cuisine and

Castana Café

Barbecues

Tel: 298 8262

Tel: 296 4115

La Vista Café and Restaurant Oriental and Western Cuisine

Tel: 296 3271

LEMON Palestine Tel: 296 6933

Level 5 Fusion European Tel: 298 8686 Cuisine

Tel: 297 2125

Mac Simon Pizza and Fast Food Tel: 297 2088 Tel: 297 9400

Castello Restaurant & Café

Al-Rawda Barbecues

Tel: 297 3844/55

Green Valley Park Oriental Cuisine

Tel: 298 8289

Martini Bar (Caesar Hotel)

Tel: 297 1114

Tel: 232 1255, Fax: 232 2189 Telefax: 232 2555

Tel: 295 6813

Cann Espresso Arabic and Italian

Café De La Paix French Cuisine

Oriental

Chinese House Restaurant Chinese Cuisine

Mr. Donuts Café Donuts and Coffee Shop

Tel: 240 7196

Mr. Fish Seafood Tel: 295 9555

Mr. Pizza Pizza and Fast Food

Tel: 296 4081

Tel: 240 3016, 240 8182

Tel: 232 2349

European Coffee Shop Coffee

and Sweets

Janan’s Kitchen

and Barbecues

Tel: 627 1356

Tel: 296 5169

Italian Cuisine

Tel: 275 2058

Tel: 274 4382

Turquoise Lebanese Restaurant

Goodies Fast Food

Al-Riwaq Restaurant and Coffee Shop snacks and cakes (Jacir Palace – InterContinental Bethlehem) Coffee Shop and Sandwiches

Tel: 274 0406

Tel: 627 4626

Tel: 581 6463

Tel: 274 9990. Mob. 0598 154 800

Bonjour Restaurant and Café

Tel: 628 2588, 626 4418

Garden’s Restaurant

Seafood, Steaks & Middle Eastern

Tel: 274 3780, Fax: 274 1833 st.george_restaurant@yahoo.com

Flavours Grill International Cuisine with

Tel: 540 9974

Cuisine

St. George Restaurant Oriental

Christmas Bells Restaurants

Dream Restaurant and Pools (Jifna)

Al Falaha Msakhan and Taboun

Beit Sahour Citadel Mediterranean

Coffee Shop and Continental Cuisine

Tel: 296 4046

Tel: 749 888, Fax: 276 9887

Snack Food

Singer Café

Tel: 277 7771

International Cuisine

Cuisine

Tel: 274 0130 barbra.rest1@hotmail.com Cuisine

Vintage (Royal Court)

Andareen Pub

Tel: 298 5888

Rossini’s Restaurant Bar French

Cuisine

Noah’s Snack/ Ararat Hotel

Tel: 274 9110

Tel: 0598 333 665

Tel: 275 0221, Fax: 277 7115

Tel: 295 0590/1

Tel: 201 1548, Mob. 0599 765 628 dream.jifna@gmail.com

Tel: 296 5911

Roots Lounge (Beit Sahour)

Balloons Coffee Shop and Pizza

Darna Continental Cuisine

911 Café Mexican, Italian, Oriental

Al-Sammak Sea Food Restaurant

Tel: 583 5460

Mob. 0599 318 191, 0597 767 832

Massina (Breakfast)

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6754

Cuisine

Mediterranean, Italian cuisine

RAMALLAH AND AL-BIREH (02)

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6770

RIO Grill and Subs Italian and French

Dar 53 Bar and Restaurant

Tel: 274 1440, 274 1602/3 Fax: 274 1604

Snack Bar

The Patio (Christmas Hotel) Oriental

Gallery Café Snacks and Beverages

Continental Cuisine and Pastries

Pizza House Pizza and Oriental Pastry

Tel: 277 0376, 2743530 Fax: 277 0377

Tel: 297 4655

Tel: 296 6483

Tel: 238 4180

Al Makan Bar (Jacir Palace)

Tel: 628 4228

Dauod Basha

Diwan Art Coffee Shop Continental

Tel: 627 7799

Quick Lunch

Mob: 0597 348 335

Qasr al-Jabi restaurant

Al- Riwaq All-day-dining restaurant (Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah) International, Swiss and

Tel: 627 3970, 628 8135

Clara restaurant and pub

Tel: 237 1332

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6154

Tel: 626 0993

Tel: 628 6061, Fax: 628 6097

Salim Afandi Barbecues and Oriental

Cuisine

Petra Restaurant Oriental Cuisine

The Scots Bistro Coffee and Pastry

Mediterranean Flavour

Mexican Cuisine

Al-Areesheh Tent (spring and summer) (Jacir Palace) Middle Eastern and Barbecues

NABLUS (09)

Tel: 238 3164, Fax: 233 3666

Patisserie Suisse Fast Food and Tel: 628 4377

Tel: 231 2977, Fax: 231 2976

Mariachi (Grand Hotel) Seafood and

Peace Restaurant & Bar Pasta,

Breakfast

Limoneh Continental Cuisine

Zeit Ou Zaater (Al-Yasmeen Hotel)

Tel: 277 3335

and Fast Food

Tel: 232 2614, Fax: 232 2659

Tel: 275 5161

Tel: 582 5162, 532 8342

Pasha’s Oriental Food

El Dorada Coffee Shop and Internet Café Chocolates, Coffee, and Internet

Little Italy

Telefax: 275 6622

Cardo Restaurant Continental Cuisine Tel: 626 3465, Fax: 626 3471

Abu Eli Restaurant Middle Eastern

Tel: 275 8844, Fax: 275 8833

Al-Hakura Restaurant Middle Eastern

Tel: 628 4433, Fax: 627 5224

Mediterranean Menu

Chinese Restaurant Chinese Cuisine

Tel: 277 8779 restaurant.1890@gmail.com

Limoncello (Beit Jala)

Palmeras Gastropub Continental

Tel: 628 2964

Tel: 627 0800

1890 Restaurant (Beit-Jala)

Tel: 275 3678

Tel: 276 6777, Fax: 276 6154

Panoramic Golden City Barbecues

Burghoulji Armenian and Middle Eastern Tel: 628 2072, Fax: 628 2080

BETHLEHEM (02)

Continental Cuisine

Jabal Quruntul Continental Cuisine (Open Buffet)

Muntaza Restaurant and Garden Barbecues and Sandwiches

Tel: 295 6835

Na3Na3 Café Italian and Oriental

Samer Middle Eastern Food

Tel: 240 5338 - 240 3088

Tel: 298 1033

Scoop

Tel: 295 9189

Cuisine

Tel: 296 4606

Sangria’s French, Italian, and Mexican

Nai Resto Café - Argeeleh

Tel: 295 6808

Newz Bar Lounge and “Le Gourmet”

Mob: 0595 403 020 pastries’ corner

Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah Tel: 298 5888

Osama’s Pizza Pizza and Fast Food Tel: 295 3270

Orjuwan Lounge Palestinian-Italian

Fusion

Tel: 297 6870

Zam’n Premium Coffee Masyoun Coffee Shop Style Zarour Bar BQ Barbecues and Oriental

Cuisine

Tel: 295 6767, 296 4480 Fax: 296 4357

Shishapresso

Zeit ou Zaater Pastries and Snacks

Tel: 296 6060

Tel: 295 4455

Sinatra Gourmet Italian and American

Cuisine

Ziryab Barbecues, Italian, and Oriental Tel: 295 9093

Tel: 297 1028

Sindyan Restaurant and café

GAZA STRIP (08)

Sky Bar (Ankars Suites and Hotel)

Al Daar Barbecues

Tel: 298 9575

Continental Cuisine

Tel: 295 2602

Sky Gate Terrace and Bar

Tel: 288 5827

Al-Deira Mediterranean Cuisine

Tel: 294 6888, Fax: 297 3574

Tel: 283 8100/200/300 Fax: 2838400

Sushi Restaurant (Caesar Hotel)

Almat’haf Mediterranean Cuisine

Mövenpick Hotel Ramallah

Al-Molouke Shawerma

Tel: 298 5755

Stones Continental Cuisine

Al-Salam Seafood

Peter’s Place Restaurant & Bar (Taybeh) Palestinian Cuisine

Tabash (Jifna Village) Barbecues

Avenue

Tal El-Qamar Roof Middle Eastern and

Big Bite Fastfood

Rama café Resto/Bar Tel: 298 5376

Palestine Revolving Restaurant (23rd floor, Palestine Trade Tower) Tel: 294 6888, Fax: 297 3574

PASTICHE Palestine

Tel: 289 8054, Mob: 0547 043 029

Pesto Café and Restaurant Italian

Tel: 297 9400 Tel: 298 5888 Tel: 296 6038 Tel: 281 0932

Cuisine

Western Menu

Pizza Inn Pizza and Fast Food

TCHE TCHE

Philadelphia Restaurant Middle

THE Q GARDEN Roof-top garden International Cusine

Tel: 297 0705, 297 0706 Tel: 298 1181/2/3 Eastern Menu

Tel: 295 1999

Philistia Restaurant & Catering Palestinian cuisine

Tel: 298 9051

Plaza Jdoudna Restaurant and Park Middle Eastern Menu Tel: 295 6020, Fax: 296 4693

Tel: 298 7905/ 6

Tel: 285 8444, Fax: 285 8440 Tel: 286 8397

Tel: 282 2705, Telefax: 283 3188 Tel: 288 2100, 288 3100 Tel: 283 3666

Carino’s

Tel: 286 6343, Fax: 286 6353

Tel: 296 4201

Tel: 295 7727

LATERNA

Tel: 288 9881, Fax: 288 9882

Light House Tel: 288 4884

Tomasso’s Pizza and Fast Food

Marna House

Tropicana Mexican Cuisine, Oriental

Mazaj Coffee House

Tel: 240 9991/ 2 Menu, and Zarb

Tel: 297 5661

Pronto Resto-Café Italian Cuisine

UpTown (Ankars Suites and Hotel) Continental Cuisine

QMH

Values Restaurant International and

Roma Café Italian Light Food

European Style

Tel: 298 7312

Tel: 295 2602

Telefax: 282 3322, 282 2624 Tel: 286 8035

Mazaj Resturant

Tel: 282 5003, Fax: 286 9078

Orient House

Telefax: 282 8008, 282 8604

Seafood

Roots - The Club Oriental Cuisine

Tel: 296 6997

Tel: 288 8666, 282 3999, 282 3777

Tel: 296 4228

Vatche’s Garden Restaurant

Abu Mazen Restaurant

Rukab’s Ice Cream Ice Cream and

Tel: 296 5966, 296 5988

Al Quds Restaurant

Tel: 297 34511

Soft Drinks

Tel: 295 3467

Zam’n Premium Coffee Coffee

Saba Sandwiches Falafel and

Shop Style

Tel: 296 0116

Zaki Taki Sandwiches

Sandwiches

Tel: 221 3833, Fax: 229 3111 Tel: 229 7773, Fax: 229 7774

Golden Rooster

Tel: 295 0600 Tel: 296 3643

Telefax: 221 6115

Hebron Restaurant Telefax: 222 7773

Orient House Restaurant Telefax: 221 1525

Royal Restaurant Tel: 222 7210

Map Source: PalMap - GSE © Copyright to GSE and PalMap Map source, designer and publisher: GSE - Good Shepherd Engineering & Computing P.O.Box 524, 8 Jamal Abdel Nasser St., Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine Tel: +970 2 274 4728 / Fax: +970 2 275 1204 (Also +972) map@palmap.org / www.gsecc.com / www.palmap.org

AMALLAH and AL-BIREH

Powerful Tools

It is obviously fine to use your timeline to post personal photos of your family, of weddings you’ve attended, of restaurants you’ve had a good time at with friends, and, of course, of your trip abroad. It is also fun to start a hashtag about your favorite singer or about the latest fashion fad. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, among hundreds of such products, are, after all, social networking software packages that are practically made for such things. I’m sure that by now you’re expecting the “but” or the “however.” Well here it comes! HOWEVER, in addition to the above, you can and even should use these social networking tools, also referred to as digital or new media, for more important purposes. More and more people, including consumers and businesses, are relying on new media for their information. The business aspect of this is not the concern of this column, but it is worth mentioning that new media already plays a major role in business, and it is the future of advertising. What concerns me is the fact that, without a doubt, new media is competing with traditional media, e.g., television channels, radio stations, newspapers, magazines (TWiP for example!), etc., as a source of general news and information. New media has not yet overtaken the power of traditional media, but it surely competes with it and has already become a powerful tool that is causing a gradual shift in power centers, from media magnates to the individual sitting at home. We can safely assume that all social and political activists today use the new media to advocate their causes. Palestinian activists are no exception and are, in fact, doing so to the best of their capacity as they challenge narratives and disseminate Palestinian perspectives. Last week, for instance, I followed a virtual debate that included several Palestinians and several right-wing Israelis. The often-heated debate spanned almost a week and was intriguing to follow, to say the least. It didn’t solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but I’m certain that it gave food for thought to everyone who participated and to those who followed as well. This is not a call for all Palestinians to start online debates with Israelis. Surely not everyone is born to be an activist. But this is a reminder that social media is a powerful tool that ought to be taken advantage of to do some good; preferably public good. Spread positivity, share valuable information, initiate a debate on certain topics such as social issues, connect people, complain when you see something is not right, share a worthy cause, call for justice, and instill some much-needed hope among your friends. What I’m saying is that apart from doing good to your own community and friends, you’d be underusing social media if you only show your individual identity when you could express to the world your collective identity that is being threatened. We Palestinians live in extraordinary circumstances, and we need to use all means available to tell our story.

Sani P. Meo Publisher 98