Power of Poetry: Hope + Freedom

Karen Jernigan - It was in a West Bank classroom in 2002, at the height of the Second Intifada, that I realized that the students and I were in the middle of another kind of war. I learned quickly that this war, one that I came in contact with for the first time through the eyes of my students, seeks to say anything and everything about what desires can be held hostage in the heart and in the mind when simply trying to survive. Youth in the West Bank know what matters most to them. These students have treasures in their hearts- Peace, an end to war. Justice…Freedom.

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May Photo Exhibit: Home

It’s the first Tuesday in May, which means its time for our monthly digital photo exhibit curating the works of young Palestinian boys and girls with Tomorrow’s Youth Organization‘s  Triple Exposure program!

Our third exhibit, Home, features the works of young photographers from the Balata refugee camp and the Khallet al Amodd neighborhood of Nablus. Home is the place where we live, it is where our family is. It is a feeling deep within ourselves that tells us who we are. It is how we define ourselves.

It is the feeling of familiarity – the local stores, the daily routine, the never-changing skyline, the well-known streets and alleyways – that make a place a home.

Let us know in the comments which are your favorites and what subjects you’d like to see more of from these brilliant young minds!

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The Methodist conference: Let’s call this victory what it is

Congregants gather outside the Church of Saint Porphyrius, Gaza, Palestine (Photo: Joe Catron)

“Step by step the longest march can be won …”

A song I remember from my United Methodist Sunday school

 

It says a lot about Israel’s declining status, and the rising influence of Palestinian-led civil society efforts to demand accountability for its crimes, that a boycott measure like the one United Methodists adopted  at their General Conference 2012 this week could pass a major church body in the United States with minimal notice.

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2012 Kahlil Gibran Awards: Profiles in Humanity

Last night, the Arab American Insitute hosted its thirteenth annual Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity awards ceremony at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. The awards are aimed at recognizing individuals, corporations, organizations and communities whose work, commitment and support make a difference in promoting co-existence and inclusion in all walks of life. Palestine Note had the opportunity this year to catch up with Ambassador Theodore Kattouf, the Arab Thought Foundation, and the Southern Poverty Law Center learn more about why these incredible individuals and organizations had been chosen for the honor.

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April Photo Exhibit: By Girls, Of Girls

It’s the first Tuesday in April, which means its time for our monthly digital photo exhibit curating the works of young Palestinian boys and girls with Tomorrow’s Youth Organization‘s  Triple Exposure program!

Our third exhibit, By Girls, Of Girls, follows the young ladies of the programs as they capture their mothers, sisters, friends and teachers. So often we struggle to find honest pictures of females in today’s world. It is even harder to find honest photographs of Palestinian females that speak beyond the stereotypes of the Western world. By putting the camera in the hands of Palestinian girls we reveal the world through their eyes.

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