Palestinian Days : Palestinian Film

LSU School 

5 Broken Cameras 

One Camera after another is shot at or smashed, each camera tells a part of the story.

5 Broken Cameras film is a great way  to understand  the importance of this documentary in helping British People to see exactly what life is like in Occupied Palestine.

Storyline

An extraordinary work of both cinematic and political activism, 5 Broken Cameras is a deeply personal, first-hand account of non-violent resistance in Bil'in, a West Bank village threatened by encroaching Israeli settlements. Shot almost entirely by Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who bought his first camera in 2005 to record the birth of his youngest son, the footage was later given to Israeli co-director Guy Davidi to edit. Structured around the violent destruction of each one of Burnat's cameras, the filmmakers' collaboration follows one family's evolution over five years of village turmoil. Burnat watches from behind the lens as olive trees are bulldozed, protests intensify, and lives are lost. "I feel like the camera protects me," he says, "but it's an illusion."
In his village, Bil'in, a separation barrier is being built and the villagers start to resist this decision. For more than five years, Emad films the struggle, which is lead by two of his best friends, alongside filming how Gibreel grows. Very soon it affects his family and his own life. Daily arrests and night raids scare his family; his friends, brothers and him as well are either shot or arrested.

You can watch the film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZnZnP5TgJU 

Tamara Halasi

Strikes

Tahmina will be starting English conversation clubs in Abu Dis Girls from Guy Fawkes Day (5^th November) for two reasons: Strikes and Eid.

Eid is being celebrated in Palestine on Friday 26^th October, and with it comes a 5 day holiday! 

This week, however, the teachers have been on strike because they haven’t been paid in 3 months.  The strike is taking place all over the West Bank (the part of Palestine we are in) as the Palestinian Authority (PA - the government in charge of for paying teachers wages in the West Bank) do not currently have enough money. One reason is that Israel’s occupation of Palestine means that the West Bank's economy income is linked to Israel’s economy. The direct effect of this linkage is that the West Bank is prevented from developing its own economy that can rely only on Palestinian businesses, factories and economic projects. The West Bank is therefore partially dependent on the money generated from Israel’s economic endeavours (Israel is obligated to give money to the PA because as the occupying power they have to financially support the Palestinians according to international law) and since 1993 has been largely dependent on foreign aid (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/palestinian-authority-salaries_n_1646032.html). In the wake of the current global financial crisis many donor countries have cut back on their foreign aid agreements with the West Bank (http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20121012139351). Additionally, Israel have significant control over how much money is given to the PA and consequently influences the amount of money that is available  to pay public sector workers in the West Bank.

Both of these factors mean that the Palestinian authority do not currently have the $150 million dollars monthly they say they need to pay their public sector employees, including state school teachers and university lecturers. Although, the effects of the linkage of the Palestinian and Israeli economies hugely influences the money that is available to pay state school teachers in the West Bank, questions should also be asked about the extent to which economic corruption within the PA influences why they are currently not paying their teachers. This is a popular view shown by a Palestinian Public Opinion Poll conducted in June 2012; 71% of Palestinians interviewed thought that there was corruption within the PA (http://www.pcpsr.org/survey/polls/2012/p44efull.html#domestic).

These brief considerations highlight how the Israeli occupation of Palestine is hindering the amount and quality of education that state school students receive in the West Bank.

Hello from Abu Dis!

Starting from this Monday one CADFA volunteer will be working at Abu Dis Girls on Mondays and Tuesdays running English clubs in an attempt to strengthen the link between the schools.  Ireally hope to create a strong link between the students at these schools where they can share conversations, photos and ideas.

Here are some photos of the school building and we look forward to hearing from you all soon!

Above: Some of the playground

Above: School building

Let's get to know each other : Building

Let's get to know each other : Building 

The School 's Entrance 

Staff Room 

Sport Department 

Design and Technology Department 

Tamara Halasi


For more information :
http://www.camdengirls.camden.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=Home&pid=1

Great Law

The CAMDEN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

It was a lovely day in

The CAMDEN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS

The most important  thing I have learned in Camden School was

Tamara Halasi

For more information :

http://www.camdengirls.camden.sch.uk/page_viewer.asp?page=Home&pid=1

Abu Dis Girls Here We Come!

Anna, Sabrina and Clare met with Tamara to talk about her meeting at Abu Dis Girls School and find out what they might like from the Twinning Links for the coming months!

We're really excited to get there. 

Four girls from Camden School for Girls who organised a petition against the Separation Wall in Palestine and took it to present to the British prime minister.