Friday 15th March 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand
Following the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15th March 2019 where fifty people were killed, Australian author, speaker and social activist wrote these words.
Ahlan Gaza — Stories from the Strip
For the next 18 months, our Palestine campaign will be ‘Ahlan Gaza’. It will follow the simple stories of people living in Gaza, people trying to live with dignity as their options close in on them each year.
Ahlan Gaza will follow the simple stories of people living in Gaza, people trying to live with dignity as their options close in on them each year.
The highlights of most people’s trips to Palestine are not the places they visit or our incredible partners — it’s the people they meet, the hospitality they experience and the chance to hear everyday stories of life under occupation.
Of course, these trips only ever experience a small part of Palestine — they never get to visit Gaza and its 2 million occupants. We would love to take people there but this is impossible. Access of any sort is getting harder and harder and it still remains incredibly difficult for Gazans to get permission to get out. As the isolation grows, so the normal stories of everyday life fade, coverage is only given to the newsworthy and to the dreadful.
So for the next 18 months, our Palestine campaign will be ‘Ahlan Gaza’. It will follow the simple stories of people living in Gaza, people trying to live with dignity as their options close in on them each year.
The consequence is that in our heads we picture Gaza as a 25-mile long and 7-mile wide prison camp, full of people living in the most appalling conditions. And while this is true, it is a fraction of the story and fails to capture the dignity in the ordinary struggles of everyday life.
So for the next 18 months, our Palestine campaign will be ‘Ahlan Gaza’. It will follow the simple stories of people living in Gaza, people trying to live with dignity as their options close in on them each year. How do you encourage children to be hopeful for their future when unemployment is at 59%? How do you feed your family when 70% of the population is on food aid? How do you run a business on 5 hours of electricity a day?
We will still be calling for an end to the blockade and for full equal rights and we will still run our Women 4 Women campaign for Al Ahli hospital and secure funds to meet the psychosocial needs of traumatised young people. But our focus will be to tell the stories of life in Gaza that are going on every day, every week — outside the spotlight of a crisis-driven news-cycle.
— — — — — — —
Please watch and share our short film about Gaza — ‘Open The Borders’.
Blog
On Her Terms update February 2019
Welcome to the first On Her Terms update of 2019. This year marks 30 years since the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This landmark in children’s rights has remained a hugely important reference point for those working for justice for children and young people.
Blog
Extreme Altitudes Climbing Kili for Amos Trust
“Climbing Kilimanjaro has been on my bucket list for some time. At 5,895 metres it is both the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.” Neil Irving writes about ticking-off one item from his bucket list to raise funds for Amos Trust.
Blog
Provoking miracles Millie Rose shares her experience of Nicaragua
18-year-old Millie Rose, who first visited Nicaragua in 2015, is spending 4 months working in CEPAD’s office before starting an International Development course at University. We asked her to share a little about her impressions of CEPAD’s work — particularly after the recent flooding and unrest.
Blog
12 Ways in 12 Days Reinvigorating our support for Palestine
“I’ve been guilty over the last few months of shirking my responsibilities towards a cause that is very close to my heart. On the eve of International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, I’ve decided to renew my commitment to this cause, to seeking justice and equal rights for everyone who calls the Holy Land home.” Sarah Baron writes about how we can reinvigorate our support for Palestine.
Blog
Walking To Jerusalem Blisters, hope and other facts on the ground
“The idea was beautiful and crazy. The logistics alone would be an organisational nightmare. The risk assessment would run for pages. It would be a five-month, 3,300 kilometres trek across eleven countries with mountains, rivers and seas to navigate. And then there was no guarantee that the walkers would even be allowed to cross the border into the occupied West Bank, let alone reach Jerusalem.” Amos trustee Robert Cohen writes the forword for ‘Walking To Jerusalem’ – Justin Butcher’s book about his experience of walking from London to Jerusalem as part of Amos Trust’s ‘Just Walk To Jerusalem’ project in 2017.
Amos friends
CONTACT US
Amos Trust
7 Bell Yard, London
WC2A 2JR
UK
Telephone:
+44 (0) 203 725 3493
Email:
[email protected]
Registered Charity No.
1164234
AMOS SOCIALS
