“our task to bind up the broken- hearted, to be a cup of strength in
times of agony, to set men [and women] on their feet when the foundations seem
to be caving in, and to feed and comfort the little children amidst the
wreckage of war.”
- Rethinking Quaker
Principles, Rufus M. Jones
YOUNG FRIENDS IN
RAMALLAH, PALESTINE
JULY 2006
The
Youth Programs Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting is offering a powerful
service opportunity for youth from the United States who are interested in
exploring the world through service. It is also for Palestinian youth who are
willing to host, educate, and share their unique perspective in the youth
work-camp and home setting. Both youth groups will be enhanced by each others
witness and broaden their awareness of what it means to be global citizens.
To
qualify for this trip, youth must either be a member or attender at a Quaker Meeting
or Young Friend Conferences at BYM. The applicant must be at least 16 years of
age. US Youth will be responsible for helping with fundraising activities
leading up to the trip to offset costs.
Costs will approximate $1700, and youth are encouraged to raise as much
of that as possible on their own, or through their meetings. No one should be turned away due to lack of
funds. Youth are also advised that they should quickly begin the process of
obtaining a passport if they do not already have one, as this can take time.
Costs
will cover trans-Atlantic flights, local transportation and excursion expenses,
and meals. Youth are encouraged to bring spending money. Housing will be provided by the host school,
and youth are expected to observe local rules and regulations. Youth will be expected to write a brief report
of their visit for possible publication in Quaker press.
Participants
will be expected to arrange domestic transportation to the airport (BWI, Dulles
or National), where the group will meet and fly together to Tel Aviv. We will spend one day visiting Religious
Sites in Jerusalem, three days engaged in service work with Youth from the
Friends Upper School. Please see the itinerary for complete details.
Accommodations will be provided at the Friends Upper School and Ramallah
Friends Meeting, with the possibility of home hospitality from local students
at the Friends Upper School.
Once the
preliminary applications have been reviewed and the group identified, we will
have a series of planning meetings, to discuss fundraising activities, trip
logistics, cultural awareness, safety precautions and language basics.
If you
have any questions or concerns prior to submitting your application, please
feel free to contact the program coordinator, Hope Braveheart at 800-962-4476,
or hopebraveheart@bym-rsf.org
Young Friends In Ramallah
Historical Background and Quaker Presence in Ramallah
By: Maia Carter Hallward,
Member of the Advisory Group for the Young Friends in Ramallah program
The Middle East is often
thought of as the site of constant danger, bombing attacks and anti-American
sentiment. However, those in the Middle
East think that those in the United States are under constant threat of handgun
violence, that everyone is very rich and that there is no morality. Media images and stereotypes are problematic
both ways. Let me share with you a
little bit about my own experience as a US citizen who has lived and worked in
the Middle East for a total of a four-year period.
Just as one knows where and
when to walk around various neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. or any other
large city, in the Middle East, particularly in Israel/Palestine, one knows
where and when to go where in order to be safe. Most of the time the “clashes” one sees on TV are in areas known
for their violent potential or else happen at orchestrated demonstrations or protests. They do not represent the vast majority of
areas in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, and even when such clashes
occur, life goes on as usual everywhere else. Thus, especially if you talk to
locals, follow the news, and stay away from confrontational activity, one is
likely to avoid overt violence.
The social structure is such
that I felt safe walking all around by myself, even at night, sometimes more so
than I do in my own neighborhood in D.C.
Palestinians are incredibly hospitable people, highly educated (especially
in cities like Ramallah), and very grateful for internationals who come to show
their solidarity and concern for the situation facing Palestinians. In general, Palestinians do an excellent job
separating the actions and policies of the U.S. government from U.S. citizens.
The West Bank and Gaza have
been under Israeli military occupation since 1967. After the 1988-1993 uprising, the Intifada, which was mostly
nonviolent, Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles,
which is more commonly known as part of the Oslo Agreement. The Oslo Process was not a final agreement,
however, but rather the beginning of a process heading towards the difficult
“final status” issues: Palestinian refugees, Jerusalem, borders and
settlements. However, neither party
fully complied with their obligations, and distrust grew between the
parties. Israeli settlement activity
increased significantly during this time and the number of settlements built on
Palestinian land doubled. Eventually
the tension erupted in the second Intifada in the fall of 2000, the spark being
the visit of Ariel Sharon, now Prime Minister, to the Temple Mount/Haram al
Sharif, with 1500 armed forces.
Quakers have a long history
of work and presence in Palestinian society, primarily in the city of
Ramallah. Quakers Eli and Sybil Jones
were approached by a young Palestinian girl in the mid 1800s when they were on
a religious pilgrimage in the area, and she asked them to start a school for
girls. At the time, the Ottoman Empire
ruled over what is now Israel/Palestine, and they did not have schools for
girls. After consultation with their
meeting in the US and fundraising activities, an academy was started in 1869
and the Friends Girls School began in 1889.
It was a boarding school, with girls coming from all over the Middle
East. The school had such an excellent
reputation that the boys wanted one as well, and so in 1901 the Friends Boys
School was built.
A Friends Meetinghouse was
built in 1910 for the weekly meetings, but fell into disrepair during the first
Intifada, as damage inflicted by Israeli weaponry proved too expensive for the
small meeting. This past year, thanks
to fundraising by Philadelphia and Baltimore Yearly Meetings, the meetinghouse
and annex have been restored and are now a Friends International Center,
providing space for Palestinians and Israelis working for a lasting, just, and
secure peace to meet and hold programs.
The Quaker schools stopped
being boarding schools in 1967 when the Israeli occupation began, as students
could no longer get into the Palestinian areas. While there had long been exchange in the higher grades between
the girls’ and boys’ schools, during the first Intifada the schools fully
merged into one single co-educational institution, with the elementary school
housed at the Girls’ School and the secondary school (grades 7-12) housed at
the Boys’ School.
QUAKER YOUTH TRIP TO RAMALLAH 2006
Application
deadline: Dec 1, 2005
If accepted, you
will be expected to assist with fundraising for the trip, obtain a valid
passport, and submit a deposit.
Name:_________________________________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________________________
Phone Numbers: ______________________________________________________________
Email Address: ______________________________________________________________
Birth date: ____________________ Age: _________________ Gender
(circle): M F
Monthly/Yearly Meeting: ______________________________________________________________
Parental
Permission to apply:____________________________________________________________
Name of
Reference:_________________________________________ contact
info__________________________
Please note:
Accepted applicants will complete a more detailed application.
In 300 words or
less, please describe why you would like to participate in the youth work-camp
in Ramallah.
Please ask an adult
member or attender of your Monthly Meeting to write a letter of recommendation
and send it to:
Youth Programs Committee, Baltimore Yearly
Meeting
17100 Quaker Lane
Sandy Spring, MD 20860
BYM Young Friends in Ramallah
Workcamp
2 weeks - 14 days in July of 2006
Tentative
Itinerary
The itinerary for our
activities on the Ramallah work camp is taking shape! The Following is the latest schedule for the program. Exact dates
and times for our departure and return will depend on the best deals we can
swing with carriers. Our accommodations
will be at the apartments of the Friends Boys School and Home Hospitality. We
will be preparing breakfast and lunch ourselves – most evenings we will be in
the homes of families or at local restaurants. Mohammed Salim our Palestinian
Co-Coordinator, will be arranging speakers and other programs for us during our
time in Ramallah, and we are certain to have more invitations for home visits
and other activities than we can handle!
Our intention is to witness the reality of the occupation and connect
with various Israeli and Palestinian peace and justice communities. Each day of the program will begin and end
with morning worship and sharing.
Tentative Itinerary
|
Day 1
|
|
Departure from the USA – Arrival in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem
|
|
Day 2
|
|
Arrival in Ramallah – rest & orientation
|
|
Day 3
|
|
Friends meeting for worship in the morning; programs in
the afternoon
|
|
Day 4 - 6
|
|
Work at the Friends Schools, meetinghouse, and play
centre. Evening programs
|
|
Day 7
|
|
Jerusalem; tour, meet with Israeli peace & justice
groups
|
|
Day 8 - 10
|
|
Arrival at Mar Elias High School in Ibillin – meet with
Father Chacour
|
|
Day 11
|
|
Arrival back in Ramallah – Worship Sharing
|
|
Day 12
|
|
Free day
|
|
Day 13
|
|
Goodbyes in the morning, departure in the afternoon or
evening
|
|
Day 14
|
|
Arrive home
|
